Brussels, 22/09/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 22 September, the European Commission adopted, through the written procedure, a proposal to remove sugar from the list of authorised ingredients in fruit juices. The text will amend Directive 2001/112/EC on fruit juices and similar products for human consumption. Under the proposal, the addition of sugar will be allowed only for nectars and some very specific products covered by the directive, and the product label must clearly state that sugar has been added. The move to ban added sugar aims to contribute to the production of healthier food.
The proposal seeks, too, to: - make a distinction between fruit juices and fruit juices made from concentrate; - simplify arrangements on aroma restoration; - include tomatoes in the list of fruits used for fruit juice production.
The Commission says that the proposal seeks to bring further alignment with international rules by incorporating several additional elements of Codex Alimentarius standards into EU legislation, while also taking account of the Code of Practice of the European Fruit Juice Association. Directive 2001/112/EC (amended for the first time in 2009) introduced minimum Brix values (to measure a soluble dry substance in a liquid) for 18 reconstituted fruit juices and reconstituted fruit purées, and defined the name under which a fruit juice from concentrate is to be sold. The proposal will follow the ordinary legislative procedure in the European Parliament and the Council. (L.C./transl.rt)