Fruit Juice & Co
How much fruit is contained in fruit juice, fruit nectar and other fruit beverages?

Consumers can choose from a wide variety of fruit juices, nectars and beverages known as fruit-juice drinks. But how much fruit do these various products actually contain? European Council Directive 2001/112/EC requires producers to indicate minimum fruit content on every product label.

Fruit nectars bring variety to fruit-beverage shelves

Although 100%-pure juice can be made from all kinds of fruit, we juice producers know that some pure fruit juices would not really taste good or would turn out too thick.

Therefore, certain acid-rich types of fruit, such as sour cherries or blackcurrants, are marketed as nectars. The same goes for fruits with unusually high starch content, such as bananas. According to the European Fruit Juice Directive, fruit nectars – which expand the range of fruit beverages significantly by virtue of their tremendous diversity – must contain at least 25 to 50 percent fruit (percentages are indicated on the labels and vary depending on the type of fruit). Actual fruit content is often higher, however.

Thus fruit nectars also make a valuable contribution to good nutrition in the form of healthy fruit ingredients.

Fruit juice

100 % fruit content is the rule

With this in mind, nutrition experts do not classify fruit juice as a beverage but as a plant-based foodstuff and advise consumers as follows:
One glass of juice a day can replace one of the five daily portions of fruit and vegetables recommended within the framework of the international “5 A Day” campaign.

100 % fruit content is the rule

According to the European Fruit Juice Directive, a juice producer is permitted to refer to a product as “fruit juice” only if it actually contains 100 percent fruit. Thus juice from such fruits as oranges, apples, grapes, pears or pineapples – to name only a few examples – contains many of the healthy nutrients found in fruit in liquid form.

Fruit juice drinks – lots of flavour with or without carbonation

The very popular drinks known as fruit-juice spritzers are “fruit beverages” as well. Their fruit-juice content is ordinarily at least 50 percent, and often even higher (exact figures are printed on the product label). And they also contain natural mineral water in many cases.

Especially appealing on hot summer days, apple juice and spritzers made from red fruit juices are also in demand as popular, refreshing fruit beverages in any season.

Smoothies - Fruit-juice content varies

Many “first-generation” smoothies were produced directly from pureed fruits or fruit puree and freshly squeezed juice. Many of the products available today, however, also contain fruit-juice concentrate or pieces of fruit or vegetables. Many of the newest varieties contain so-called “superfruits”, which contain especially high concentrations of health-enhancing ingredients.