FSSAI directs FBOs to remove claim of 100% fruit juices from label & ad

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a directive instructing all Food Business Operators (FBOs) to remove any claims of '100% fruit juices' from the labels and advertisements of reconstituted fruit juices immediately. FBOs must consume all existing pre-printed packaging materials by September 1, 2024.

FSSAI noted inaccuracies in the marketing of reconstituted fruit juices as '100% fruit juices' by several FBOs. After analysis, it concluded that such claims are misleading under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018. These regulations do not permit '100%' claims when water is the major ingredient and the fruit concentrate is present in limited concentrations.

In the clarification, FBOs are reminded to comply with the standards for fruit juices specified under sub-regulation 2.3.6 of the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulation, 2011. This includes properly labelling reconstituted juices and indicating the presence of added nutritive sweeteners exceeding 15 gm/kg as 'Sweetened juice'.