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Fruit and Vegetable Juices
Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices (Host Government – Brazil)
The Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices (CCFVJ) was established by the 23rd Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1999. Its role is to revise, consolidate and update existing Codex standards and guidelines for fruit and vegetable juices and related products including methods of analysis and sampling for these products, with a preference for the development of general standards.Existing Codex Standards
Standards relating to fruit and vegetable juices* that have been endorsed and adopted into the international food code include:- Apricot, Peach and Pear Nectar Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Orange Juice and Concentrated Orange Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Grapefruit Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Lemon Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Apple Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Tomato Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Concentrated Apple Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Pineapple Juice and Concentrated Pineapple Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Black Currant Juice and Concentrated Black Currant Juice Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Pulpy Nectars of Certain Small Fruits Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Nectars of Certain Citrus Fruits Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Guava Nectar Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means
- Mixed Fruit Juices and Mixed Fruit Nectars
- Vegetable Juices
- Fruit Juices Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means not Covered by Individual Standards
- Fruit Nectars Preserved Exclusively by Physical Means not Covered by Individual Standards
* This is an indicative list only. For a full list of standards approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, please consult its Official List of Standards.
Outcomes of the 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
The 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, held 4 – 9 July 2005, adopted the Draft Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars and subsequently revoked all other individual standards for fruit juices and nectars and related texts. Whilst the standard has been adopted there are still a few issues that need to be endorsed by other Committees.
Section 5 Processing Aids - Three processing aids, isinglass and sodium/potassium caseinates that might entail allergenicity had been endorsed by the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants conditional to labelling for ingredient declaration. As processing aids are exempt from labelling declaration in the General Standard for Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods, this labelling requirement needs further endorsement by the Committee on Food Labelling at its next meeting, and will be included in the adopted Fruit Juice and Nectar standard once endorsed by CCFL. These sections should be adopted at the next Commission meeting in 2006.
The Commission also adopted the draft and proposed draft Minimum Brix Levels for Reconstituted Juice and Reconstituted Puree and Minimum Juice and/or Puree Contents for Fruit Nectars with the amendment to the footnotes on pineapple and orange juices, for their inclusion in the Annex of the General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars.
Last Meeting
The Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices met for its 4th Session in Fortaleza (Ceara), Brazil, from 11 –15 October 2004. At this meeting the Task Force agreed to:
- Forward the draft Codex General Standard for Fruit Juices and Nectars to the 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for final adoption at Step 8
- Forward the draft Minimum Brix Levels for Reconstituted Juice and Reconstituted Pur?e and Minimum Juice and/or Pur?e Content for Fruit Nectars (% v/v) – grape, guava, mandarine/tangerine, mango, passion fruit and tamarind (Indian date) juices/nectars to the 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for final adoption at Step 8, and
- Forward the proposed draft Minimum Brix Level for Reconstituted Juice and Reconstituted Pur?e and Minimum Juice and/or Pur?e Content for Fruit Nectars (%v/v) – orange, lemon, lime and pineapple juices/nectars to the 28th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission for final adoption at Step 5/8 (with omission of Steps 6/7).
The Task Force recognized that the above decisions were in line with the recommendation of the 26th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission that a single Standard could be presented for final adoption by the Commission. Once the General Standard be adopted at Step 8, all the individual standards for fruit juices and nectars and related texts as contained in Volume 6 of the Codex Alimentarius would be revoked.
The Task Force noted that it completed the work assigned to it by the 23rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Next Meeting
The Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Fruit and Vegetable Juices has now been disbanded.