The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a directive on Friday asking beverage manufacturers to not label their products as being made of "100% fruit juices". Such claims cannot be made under the Food Safety and Standards (Advertising and Claims) regulations, they pointed out.
FSSAI, which works under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, issued the notice stating that several food businesses have been selling or marketing reconstituted juices, labelling them to be "100% fruit juice".
"Such claims are misleading. There claim is not allowed if the major ingredient of the product is actually water and the ingredient (fruit) for which the claim is being made is present only in limited concentration," the notice says. It adds that fruit juices are reconstituted using water, fruit concentration or juice.
Businesses, it says, have to comply with FSSAI's regulations relating to food products standards and food additives as well as those on labelling and display. Additionally, it instructs manufacturers to use the word "reconstituted" in the ingredient list. The product will be called sweetened juice if the sugar concentration in it exceeds 15 grams per kilo.
Existing packaging that manufacturers may have that do not comply with these instructions are supposed to be used up before September 2004, as per this notice.