Fruit Juice Manual

Here you will find out what the differences are between the various products you find in the juice display – these are in fact quite significant and do not only cover differences in taste, but also variations in nutritional value:

Not-from-concentrate juice
A fruit juice may only be described as "not-from-concentrate," if it has been made from 100 % fresh fruits. Nothing is added to it - neither colourings nor preservatives. The can as a form of packaging is one of the most important requirements for ensuring that the juice still remains long-lasting (refer also to "the can and why we use it"). However, there are also substantial differences in juices labelled as "not-from-concentrate juice." According to EU directives, up to 15 grams of sugar may be added (or the equivalent of around 4 sugar cubes) per litre, if the base fruits demonstrate a deficit in sweetness caused by weather. Furthermore, there is no duty of declaration for this so-called corrective sweetening - in other words, it doesn't have to be stated on the packaging. The consumer can only be certain that the juice contains no additional sugar where it is labelled "With no added sugar" - just as with all Melro’s Best^® not-from-concentrate juices.

Concentrate Juice
Concentrate juice is fruit juice, from which a large portion of the water and aroma substances are extracted at the harvesting location, by means of evaporation or freeze concentration. This process reduces the volume to around a sixth and thus facilitates savings in transport and storage costs. Unfortunately, corners are also cut in terms of taste and many vital substances are lost. At the point of marketing, water, flavourings and other additives are mixed back into the concentrate. As a result, the juices are always artificially allotted the same unchanging taste that the consumer has become accustomed to.

Fruit nectar
Fruit nectar is also manufactured from concentrate with the addition of water and sugar. The proportion of juice ranges from 25 to 50 percent, depending on the type of fruit. However, these figures only represent minimum values - the exact amounts are revealed on the label. Owing to the lower proportion of fruit juice, fruit nectars naturally also demonstrate a significantly lower vitamin and mineral content than not-from-concentrate juices and concentrates.

Fruit squash drink
With fruit squash drinks, the fruits are effectively only "name givers" to indicate the flavour of a soft drink manufactured from drinking water, fruit flavourings, sugar and, where applicable, food acids.