Packaged Fruit Juice Isn’t Really Fruit Juice
When we go shopping, we see fruit juice with big pictures of apples and oranges.
These pictures come with a label that says "100 percent fruit juice." But recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said some companies might be misusing this label.
The FSSAI told food business operators (FBOs) to stop calling "reconstituted fruit juice" as "100 percent fruit juice."
What’s reconstituted fruit juice?
Many FBOs make juice by taking out water from the fruit and turning it into a thick pulp or fruit concentrate. This is easier to store and transport.
Later, they add water back to the pulp to make juice again and sell it to all of us.
Is reconstituted fruit juice worse than fresh fruit juice?
If FBO dilutes the juice too much or adds chemicals and artificial flavours, then reconstituted juice becomes worse.
But that is not the point the FSSAI is trying to make. They want FBOs to be honest about what’s in the juice.
From now on, companies must label their products using the word "reconstituted." If they add a lot of sweeteners, it should be labelled "sweetened juice."
Whole fruit > fruit juices > packaged fruit juices
A lot of us think drinking juice is the same as eating fruit. Alas, that’s not true at all!
Whole fruits provide us with fibre, which is good for our health.
When we make fresh juice, we lose this fibre, and only the natural sugars of the fruit remain, along with a few other nutrients.
Packaged juices are worse because FBOs might add extra water and sugar.
Remember to read the labels of food items to check for how much sugar an item has. Label Padhega India, tabhi toh swasth banega India! #labelpadhegaindia
