Q: What guidance does FDA have for manufacturers of Beverages and Beverage Materials?


 A: Nonalcoholic Beverages

Products sold as fruit juices may be sweetened if the label states the presence of the added sugar or other wholesome, nutritive sweetening agent (saccharin is not a nutritive sweetening agent), but they should not contain added water.

Fruit juices should be manufactured only from clean, sound fruit in clean equipment. Proper preparation involves thorough washing, sorting to remove wormy or spoiled fruit, and trimming. Flies should not come in contact with the fruit or equipment.

FDA regulations require that any beverage that purports to contain fruit or vegetable juice bear on the information panel of the label a statement of the total percentage of juice (21 CFR 101.30). Nonstandardized juice beverages must be named in accordance with the common or usual name regulations in 21 CFR 102. If water has been added to dilute the beverage, the name of the juice must include a term such as "drink," "beverage," or "cocktail" to indicate that the product is not a 100 percent juice product. If the juice is prepared from concentrate, the name of the juice on the principal display panel of the label must include the term "from concentrate."

Noncarbonated beverages containing no fruit or vegetable juice must be named as required by the regulation (21 CFR 102.33), and if the label in any way suggests that fruit or vegetable juice is present there must be an added statement such as "contains no____juice," with the space filled in with the name of the fruit or vegetable indicated by the flavor, color, or labeling of the product.


-Access the Code of Federal Regulations for the provisions mentioned above.
-For additional information see Information Materials for the Food and Cosmetics Industries.

 

Source: Excerpted from Requirements of Laws and Regulations Enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (1997).

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