Fruit Juice Authenticity

Fruit juices are high-value products that are subject to food fraud, so deliberate and intentional substitution, addition, tampering, or misrepresentation for economic gain can occur. Our authenticity analyses are individual for each product and utilise specific testing methods, selected to check for likely adulteration practices. Our suite of analytical tests can detect the adulteration of fruit juice and derived products of the addition of sugar, syrups and water.

Fraud is becoming more and more sophisticated and increasingly difficult to detect by basic analyses as fraudsters change their practices to avoid routine detection methodologies. Advanced analytical techniques are therefore required to ensure confidence in the detection of non-compliant products. Within the EU, “the composition of fruit juices, their reserved names, their manufacturing characteristics and their labelling” is controlled by Council Directive 2001/11/EC. Labelling such as ‘no added sugar’ and ‘not from concentrate’ are permitted only when the product adheres to these claims. Consumer attitude is such that these are desired labelling claims and products that adhere to these regulations are frequently more expensive than those that do not. Therefore, the potential of economically motivated fraud can occur.

Our specific expertise is the use of isotopic techniques which are applied to authenticity testing of fruit juices such as orange and apple juice. Sugar syrups are derived from plants. Fera use isotope analysis of carbon and hydrogen to detect adulteration with either C4 and C3 sugars / syrups, respectively. Where water has been added, to either a fruit juice to extend it, or to a fruit juice concentrate to dilute it, potable ground water is typically used. Fera use isotope analysis of oxygen to detect this mislabelling.