What’s in my juice?

19 September2005

What’s in my juice?

Fruit juice is all the same, right? Wrong. New Zealanders have a huge range of juices to choose from and to make it easier to understand what’s available and ensure industry consistency; the NZJBA has released a set of guidelines.

For manufacturers, the Guidelines are to limit confusion among industry players and take into account often complex and contradictory rules and regulations.

For consumers, the NZJBA has simplified the guidelines into a glossary of terms to help them understand what is in their juice.

“We know consumers want all sorts of things from their juices including taste, value for money and quality so we hope the guidelines will help them understand what the differences are between products,” says NZJBA Executive Director Bronwen Bartley.

NZJBA Juice Glossary

Concentrate Fruit juice that has been concentrated by removing some of the water content.

Reconstituted Fruit juice prepared by adding water to concentrate.

Not from concentrate (NFC) This juice does not have any water removed or added back. It may be pasteurised.

Fresh Does not contain any additives, flavours or juices that have undergone a concentration process. Fresh juices may not have been pasteurised, stored frozen or contain frozen juice and have a short shelf-life.

Pure Not from concentrate juices that contain no additives but could be a combination of fruit juices.

100% Means the same way as ‘pure’ for not from concentrate juices.
If reconstituted from concentrate the label will say ‘100% juice from concentrate’ or ‘100% reconstituted fruit juice’ (in this case flavours and vitamin C may be added to replace those lost in the concentration process).

Natural Does not contain food additives (unless they are natural components) or have any part removed or changed.

Organic these juices are prepared from fruit grown without the use of ‘chemicals’ and not derived from genetically modified crops. All manufacturers are independently certified before they are able to use the term organic.

A full copy of the NZJBA Fruit Juice Quality Descriptor/Representations Guidelines is available on the website and also includes recommendations on origin labelling, pictorial representations and the naming of juices that have more than one ingredient.

The Guidelines were developed in consultation with the beverage industry and the NZ Commerce Commission.

Consumers wanting to know more about particular brands can contact the manufacturers listed on the NZJBA website http://www.nzjba.org.nz/company.asp

ENDS

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