Consumers often find “100% juice” labels confusing. Understanding what this term signifies is important for making informed choices about beverages.
Defining “100% Juice”
The term “100% juice” means a product contains only liquid extracted from fruits or vegetables, with no added sugars, sweeteners, or artificial ingredients. Under U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards, it must be pure fruit or vegetable essence.
“100% juice” can be processed in two ways: “not from concentrate” (NFC) or “from concentrate” (FC). NFC juice is bottled directly after squeezing. FC juice involves removing water to create a concentrate, then adding water back before packaging. Both forms are considered 100% juice if no other ingredients are added.
What’s Really Inside 100% Juice?
While “100% juice” contains no added sugars, it naturally contains sugars from the fruits or vegetables themselves. For juices made “from concentrate,” purified water is added during the reconstitution process to restore the liquid to its original volume and consistency. This addition of water is permissible.
Beyond fruit or vegetable liquid and water for reconstitution, “100% juice” products can contain natural flavors, derived from the fruit or other natural sources, to enhance or restore flavor. For example, orange peel oils can be reintroduced. Many products are also fortified with vitamins, such as Vitamin C, without affecting the 100% juice claim.
How 100% Juice Differs from Other Beverages
Distinguishing “100% juice” from other juice-like beverages is important for consumers. Products labeled as “juice drink,” “juice cocktail,” “nectar,” or “flavored water” differ significantly from “100% juice”. These other categories typically contain a lower percentage of actual fruit or vegetable juice, often as little as 10% or even less. They commonly include added sugars, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial colors, and artificial flavors to compensate for the reduced juice content and enhance taste.
For instance, cranberry juice labeled “100% juice” often contains a blend of other fruit juices like apple or grape to balance its natural tartness, rather than added sugars. In contrast, a “cranberry juice cocktail” will likely contain added sweeteners and less actual cranberry juice. To identify “100% juice,” consumers should look for explicit phrasing like “100% juice” on the front of the label. Examining the ingredient list is crucial; ingredients are listed by weight, so checking for added sugars or other non-juice components near the top of the list can reveal if a product is not truly 100% juice. The percentage of juice content is also often listed near the nutrition facts panel.