Fruit juices can provide substantial amounts of vitamins and minerals and in higher amounts than eating whole fruits. 100% juices aren’t naturally nutritious and often fortified with nutrients like vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D. You, however, must carefully read the label when purchasing bottled fruit juices to be sure of what you are buying.
If a product is not actually 100% fruit juice, it must be called “juice drink, juice cocktail or juice beverage.” Although manufacturers are careful to include these descriptions on the label, because there is no minimum type size requirement, the labels providing these descriptions are often placed in inconspicuous locations and printed in very small fonts.
Although there are significant health benefits realized when you drink 100% fruit juices, caloric intake must also be considered. Even though there is no sugar added, 100% fruit juices contain significant amounts of calories and carbohydrates because fruit is naturally full of sugar. 12 ounces of Coca-Cola contains the equivalent of a 10 teaspoons of sugar and has 145 calories. The same 12 ounces of apple juice contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar and has 165 calories; orange juice, the equivalent of 8 teaspoons of sugar and 165 calories; and grape juice, the equivalent of 15 teaspoons of sugar and 240 calories.
Because of the concern for caloric intake and the carbohydrates associated with 100% fruit juices, certain manufacturers have undertaken marketing campaigns to tout their products which provide reduced amounts of sugar. For example, “Motts for Tots” is advertised to contain “40% Less Sugar Than 100% Apple Juice”. This, at first blush, appears to be a good way to provide your child with a nutritious fruit juice but with reduced caloric intake. However, it is not until the small print on the required label is examined that you find out that it contains only 54% fruit juice which means that it was diluted with 46% water. You now realize that Motts has not actually discovered some process to reduce the caloric content of fruit juice, but has merely sold you apple juice diluted with water.
Make sure that you read the small print on the label which provides the required information when you purchase fruit juice beverages. Although the front label may describe the drink as “all natural” or that it was made with “real juice”, the small print will actually tell you how much fruit juice is actually in that bottle.
If you or someone you know has unsuspectingly purchased what you thought was 100% fruit juice and subsequently discovered otherwise, please contact us to discuss your legal rights.