Fruit Juices and similar intended for Human consumption

Currently t he Council Directive 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and similar products intended for human consumption was legislated:

in order to simplify vertical directives relating to foodstuffs and to take into account only the essential requirements to be met by the products that they cover for example composition, reserved descriptions, manufacturing specifications, and labelling in order to facilitate the free movement of the said products within the internal common market of the EU

to make the rules regarding manufacturing and marketing conditions for fruit juices and nectars more accessible, and to legislate in accordance in line with other foodstuffs in particular on labelling, colouring matter, sweeteners and other authorised additives.

to clearly indicate when a product is a mixture of fruit juice, and fruit juice from concentrate, and for concentrated fruit juice, dehydrated / powdered fruit juice and for fruit nectar when it is obtained entirely or partly from a concentrated product, and the list of ingredients in the labelling bears the names of both the fruit juices and the fruit juices from concentrate used.

to allow the addition of vitamins to the said products which is permitted in some Member States, though not throughout the whole European Community. Hence Member States are free to authorise or prohibit the addition of vitamins and also minerals as part of the manufacturing process.

Salient Points of the Proposed Legislation

Article 1: Directive 2001/112/EC is hereby amended as follows:

(1) In Article 3, paragraph 6, the words "made with concentrate(s)" and "partially made with concentrate(s)" shall be replaced by the words "from concentrate(s)" and "partially from concentrate(s)".

(2) In Annex I, Section I, paragraph 1, point b), the second indent is replaced by the following: "The product thus obtained must display organoleptic and analytical characteristics at least equivalent to those of an average type of juice obtained from fruits of the same kind within the meaning of (a). The minimum Brix levels for fruit juices from concentrate are indicated in Annex V."

(3) An Annex V, as set out in the Annex to this Directive, is added.

Article 2

The Member States shall, as from 01/06/2009, authorise the sale of products which comply with this Directive.

The Member States shall, as from 01/06/2009, prohibit the sale of products which fail to comply with this Directive.

Article 3: The Member States shall, by 01/06/2009 at the latest, adopt and publish the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive. They shall immediately communicate the text of those provisions to the Commission.

When the Member States adopt those measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication.

The methods of making such reference shall be laid down by the Member States.

Please forward feedback by Thursday, the 12 March 2009 to Abigail Mamo @ GRTU