The Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations implement Council Directive 2001/112/EC relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption (OJ No L 10, 12.1.2002, p 58), as last amended by Directive 2012/12/EU (OJ No L 115, 27.4.2012, p 1). They revoke and replace the Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (S.R. 2003 No. 305).

The Regulations regulate the use of the names fruit juice (regulation 4 and Schedules 2 and 11), fruit juice from concentrate (regulation 5 and Schedules 3 and 13), concentrated fruit juice (regulation 6 and Schedule 4), water extracted fruit juice (regulation 7 and Schedule 5), dehydrated fruit juice and powdered fruit juice (regulation 8 and Schedule 6) and fruit nectar (regulation 9 and Schedules 7 and 12).

They lay down what additional ingredients and substances may be added to regulated products (Schedules 8 and 9) and what treatments the products may undergo in their manufacture (Schedule 10).

They require certain particulars to be indicated when trading in regulated products, including–

(a)

a requirement to indicate the kinds of fruits, or (in some cases) the number of kinds of fruits, used to make a regulated product (regulation 10);

(b)

an indication of whether extra pulp or cells have been added to a fruit juice (regulation 11);

(c)

a requirement for a fruit juice made from a mixture of fruit juice and fruit juice from concentrate to indicate that it is partially made from concentrate or concentrates (regulation 12);

(d)

a requirement to indicate any added lemon juice, lime juice or acidifying agents in a concentrated fruit juice that is not intended for delivery to the final consumer (regulation 13); and

(e)

various indications for a fruit nectar, including an indication of its fruit content (regulation 14).

The Regulations make provision relating to the manner in which the particulars required by these Regulations should be marked or labelled (regulation 15).

These Regulations impose an obligation on district councils to enforce the Regulations (regulation 16).

The Regulations apply with modifications Article 9 of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, enabling an improvement notice to be served to require compliance with specified provisions of these Regulations (regulation 17). The provisions, as applied, make the failure to comply with an improvement notice an offence. In addition, the Regulations apply with modifications Articles 37 and 38, of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 enabling a decision to serve an improvement notice to be appealed (regulation 18).

The Regulations also apply certain other provisions of the Food Safety (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, with modifications (regulation 19 and Schedule 14).

The Regulations also provide for the revocation of certain legislation (regulation 20), consequential amendment to the Food Labelling Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (regulation 21) and transitional provisions (regulation 22).