Brussels, 09/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council of Ministers approved a compromise text on Thursday 8 March aimed at further aligning the EU directive on fruit juices with the international food standards of the Codex Alimentarius, following a first-reading agreement with the European Parliament (the EP adopted the text on 14 December last year). The directive amending Council Directive 2001/112/EC on fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption has, therefore, been adopted. It will come into force at the beginning of June at the latest. Member states will then have 18 months to incorporate the directive into national law.
The new directive bans the addition of sugars to fruit juices. The nutrition claim “with no added sugar” will no longer be allowed. “Nectars”, which are made from fruit purée with added water, may continue to contain added sugar or sweeteners. The claim “no added sugar” will not be allowed for nectars containing artificial sweeteners, such as saccharine, so as to avoid confusion.
The new rules uphold the existing rule that each fruit from which the juice is made must be mentioned in the product name. A mixture of two juices must, in future, be given a name which reflects its content. For example, a mixture of 90% apple juice and 10% strawberry juice should be called “apple and strawberry juice”. However, if the juice is produced from three or more fruits the indication of the fruits may be replaced by the words “several fruits”. In line with international standards, orange juice may contain up to 10% mandarin juice, which adds colour and taste. The new rules state that orange juices, whether European or imported, must be pure if they are to be sold as such, or must indicate the mandarin content in the description.
The Brix values (designing the soluble dry matter content) for four fruit juices (blackcurrant, guava, mango and passion fruit) are aligned with the levels of the Codex Alimentarius. The new rules will apply to all fruit juices marketed in the EU, irrespective of their origin. This ensures an equal treatment between fruit juices produced within the EU and imported from third countries. (LC/transl.rt)