What guidance does FDA have for manufacturers of Fruit Jams (Preserves), Jellies, Fruit Butters, and Marmalades?

The standards of identity for jams and jellies (21 CFR 150) require that these products be prepared by mixing not less than 45 parts by weight of certain specified fruits (or fruit juice in the case of jelly), and 47 parts by weight of other designated fruits, to each 55 parts by weight of sugar or other optional nutritive carbohydrate sweetening ingredient. Only sufficient pectin to compensate for a deficiency, if any, of the natural pectin content of the particular fruit may be added to jams and jellies. The standards also require that for both jams (preserves) and jellies, the finished product must be concentrated to not less than 65 percent soluble solids.

Standards of identity have also been established for artificially sweetened jams and jellies, and for these products the fruit ingredient must be not less than 55 percent by weight of the finished food product.

Fruit butters are defined by the standard of identity as the smooth, semisolid foods made from not less than five parts by weight of fruit ingredient to each two parts by weight of nutritive carbohydrate sweetening ingredient. As is the case with jams and jellies, only sufficient pectin may be added to compensate for a deficiency, if any, of the natural pectin content of the particular fruit. The fruit butter standard requires that the finished product must be concentrated to not less than 43 percent soluble solids.

There is no formal standard of identity for marmalades. However, to avoid misbranding, a product labeled sweet orange marmalade should be prepared by mixing at least 30 pounds of fruit (peel and juice) to each 70 pounds sweetening ingredients. Sour or bitter (Seville) orange marmalade, lemon marmalade, and lime marmalade should be prepared by mixing at least 25 pounds of fruit (peel and juice) to each 75 pounds of sweetening ingredient. The amount of peel should not be in excess of the amounts normally associated with fruit. The product should be concentrated to not less than 65 percent soluble solids.

Jams, jellies, and similar fruit products should, of course, be prepared only from sound fruit. Decayed or decomposed fruits and insect-contaminated fruits should be sorted out and discarded.