FSSAI asks food operators to remove claim of 100% fruit juice from ads and packaging labels

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has told food business operators (FBOs) to remove claims of having 100% fruit juice in ads and on packaging labels with immediate effect.

All FBOs have been told to use up their current packaging materials by September 1, 2024. "It has come to the attention of FSSAI that several FBOs have been inaccurately marketing various types of reconstituted fruit juices by claiming them to be 100 per cent fruit juices," the statement said.

After careful review, FSSAI has found that the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, do not allow 100% claims.

"Such claims are misleading, particularly under conditions where the major ingredient of the fruit juice is water and the primary ingredient, for which the claim is made, is present only in limited concentrations, or when the fruit juice is reconstituted using water and fruit concentrates or pulp," FSSAI said.

Food businesses have been told to follow the fruit juice standards in section 2.3.6 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.

"This regulation states that products covered by this standard must be labelled in accordance with the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020," the statement said.

In the ingredient list, the word "reconstituted" must be included next to the name of any juice made from concentrate.

"Additionally, if added nutritive sweeteners exceed 15 gm/kg, the product must be labelled as 'Sweetened juice'," the regulator said.