The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has mandated that food business operators (FBOs) immediately cease using the claim of '100% fruit juices' on labels and advertisements for reconstituted fruit juices.
This directive is part of FSSAI's efforts to ensure accurate and truthful marketing practices.
An official statement from FSSAI revealed that numerous FBOs have been misleadingly marketing reconstituted fruit juices as '100% fruit juices.' Upon review, FSSAI found that these claims were not supported by the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018, which do not allow such declarations.
The FSSAI has instructed all FBOs to deplete existing pre-printed packaging materials by September 1, 2024. The regulator emphasized that such claims are deceptive, especially when the primary ingredient is water, and the actual fruit content is limited, or when juices are reconstituted using water and fruit concentrates or pulp.
According to the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulation, 2011, products must comply with specific standards for fruit juices. The regulation requires that reconstituted juices be explicitly labelled as such in the ingredient list. Moreover, if the juice contains more than 15 gm/kg of added nutritive sweeteners, it must be labelled as 'Sweetened juice.'
FSSAI reiterated its commitment to protecting public health by enforcing stringent food safety standards nationwide. The organization aims to prevent misleading claims and ensure consumers receive accurate information about the products they purchase.