The results of the inspection of fruit juices, nectars and beverages which was carried out at the end of last year show that the quality of these beverages on the Czech market is relatively good. The inspectors of the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) took a total of 21 samples of various one-variety fruit juices, nectars and beverages to determine the real content of fruit ingredients. Unlike previous inspections, this time the CAFIA did not focus on fruit juices only, but checked products with lower content of fruit ingredients – fruit nectars and beverages, too. The inspection in 2004 was not therefore limited to the most frequently sold products – apple and orange juices but it included other beverages made from different kinds of fruit (black currant, grapefruit, pear, apricot, apple, etc.).
The result of the inspection was only one incorrectly labelled product on the label of which the producer stated: “non-alcoholic fizzy drink – apricot”. It was not, however, a beverage produced from apricots but from apple juice and the apricot flavour was substituted with apricot aroma. The product should therefore have been labelled as, for example, “drink with apricot flavour”. Following the CAFIA intervention the deficiency was immediately remedied.
The consumers often confuse individual categories of soft drinks. In many cases, beverages that contain only certain amount of fruit ingredients are often believed to be juices. However, recently amended national decree has clearly determined that only fruit or vegetable juices to which no water was added and that therefore contain only fruit or vegetable juice from one or more kinds of fruit can be labelled with words “džus” or “juice” and also “100%” or “one hundred percent”. If a soft drink is labelled with the word “nectar”, it has to contain at least 25 – 50% of fruit ingredients, according to the kind of fruit used. For instance, lemon nectar has to contain at least 25% of lemon juice, while for example orange, pear or apricot nectar 50% of juice from the relevant fruit. Another category are “fruit beverages” whose content of fruit ingredients is lower than in fruit juices and nectars. The decree does not determine particular amount of fruit juice that the fruit beverage has to contain but it imposes obligation on producers to provide the percentage by weight of fruit or vegetable ingredient in the beverage.
In the inspections of fruit juices, nectars and beverages the CAFIA co-operates with the regional auto-control SGF association whose members are also some domestic producers of fruit juices. The information provided by the auto-control system of this association is a useful guideline for CAFIA in planning particular focus of inspections. For example this year, thanks to the result of SGF auto-controls, the CAFIA will focus on cheap imported juices marketed in discount shops and on so called “private labels” under which some fruit juices are sold.
Author:
RNDr. Daniela Kolejková - 55344 CSc.
- Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority
szpi.gov.cz
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