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Fruit Juices and Similar Products

Here you can find the legislation and guidance for fruit juices and certain similar products.

Amendment to the Breakfast Directives 

Directive (EU) 2024/1438 amends four of the seven Directives, known collectively as the ‘Breakfast Directives’ relating to honey, fruit juices, jams, jellies and marmalades and preserved dehydrated milk products.  The updated directives aim to promote a shift to healthier diets, help consumers make informed choices, and ensure transparency regarding the origin of products.

Summary of amendments within EU Directive 2024/1438 relating to Fruit Juices 

Directive 2024/1438 introduces three new fruit juice categories, aligning with Regulation (EC) 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims made on foods, where at least 30% of the sugar has been reduced from an average type of fruit juice:

  • ‘Reduced-sugar fruit juice’
  • ‘Reduced-sugar fruit juice from concentrate
  • ‘Concentrated reduced-sugar fruit juice’

Directive 2024/1438 allows the voluntary use of the statement ‘fruit juices contain only naturally occurring sugars’, in the same field of vision as the name of the product. The Directive includes ‘coconut water’ as a name that may be used for coconut juice and it introduces a minimum Brix level (a measure of sugar content). 

EU legislation

Council Directive 2001/112/EC (OJ L 10, p58, 12/01/02) of 20 December 2001 relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption.

Amended by

  • Directive (EU) 2024/1438 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 amending Council Directives 2001/110/EC relating to honey, 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption, 2001/113/EC relating to fruit jams, jellies and marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée intended for human consumption, and 2001/114/EC relating to certain partly or wholly dehydrated preserved milk for human consumption
  • Regulation (EC) No 1332/2008 (OJ L 354, p7, 31/12/2008) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on food enzymes
  • Directive 2009/106/EC (OJ L 212, p42 15/08/2009) of 14 August 2009 
  • Directive 2012/12/EU (OJ L 115, p1, 27/04/2012) of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 April 2012 amending Council Directive 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption
  • Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1040/2014 (OJ L 288, p1, 02/10/2014) of 25 July 2014 amending Council Directive 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption to adapt its Annex I to technical progress

Consolidated version of Directive 2001/112/EC as at 5th October 2014

Corrected by

National legislation

Directive (EU) 2024/1438 requires transposition into Irish law. Ireland along with other Member States are required to adopt and publish the national legislation by 14 December 2025. Food businesses have a transitional period up to 14 June 2026 to comply.

European Union (Marketing of fruit juices and certain similar products) Regulations 2013 (S.I. No 410 of 2013)

S.I. No. 410 of 2013 implements Council Directive 2001/112/EC which requires that the prescribed names as set out in the Directive is used for fruit juices and similar products, e.g., ‘fruit juice’, ‘fruit juice from concentrate’, ‘fruit nectar’, etc. 

Where the product comes from a single kind of fruit, the name of the fruit must be substituted for the word ‘fruit’, such as ‘orange’ juice. For products manufactured from two or more fruits, the product names must be supplemented by a list of the fruits used, in descending order of the volume of the fruit juices or purées included. However, in the case of products manufactured from three or more fruits, the indication of the fruits used may be replaced by the words ‘several fruits’ or a similar wording, or by the number of fruits used.

The following definitions are included in Directive 2001/112/EC:

  1. fruit juice
  2. fruit juice from concentrate
  3. concentrated fruit juice
  4. water extracted fruit juice
  5. dehydrated/powdered fruit juice
  6. fruit nectar

It also provides definitions of the following raw materials:

  1. fruit
  2. fruit purée
  3. concentrated fruit purée
  4. sugars
  5. honey
  6. pulp or cells

As ‘fruit juice’ and ‘fruit juice from concentrate’ are considered two separate products (having their own legal names) where they are ingredients in a composite product, they must appear in the list of ingredients under their own designation.

Without prejudice to Article 22 (1) and Annex VIII (3) of Regulation (EU) No. 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, for mixtures of fruit juice and fruit juice from concentrate, and for fruit nectar obtained entirely or partly from one or more concentrated products, the labelling must bear the words 'from concentrate(s)' or ‘partially from concentrate(s)’. This information must be entered close to the product name, standing out well from any background, in clearly visible characters.

For fruit nectars, the labelling must indicate the minimum content of fruit juice, fruit purée or any mixture of those ingredients, by the declaration ‘fruit content: … % minimum’. That information must  be located in the same field of vision as the product name.

Guidance

See the publication - Labelling of Fruit Juices and Related Products