Juice

The perception of commercial fruit juice as equal in health benefit to fresh fruit has been questioned, mainly because it lacks <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietary_fiber" title="Dietary fiber" >fiber</a> and has often been highly <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_processing" title="Food processing" >processed</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-23" >[24]</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup" title="High-fructose corn syrup" >High-fructose corn syrup</a>, an ingredient of many juice cocktails, has been linked to the increased incidence of type II diabetes. High consumption of juice is also linked to weight gain in some studies,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-24" >[25]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-25" >[26]</a> but not in others.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-26" >[27]</a> In a controlled clinical study, regular consumption of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape_juice" title="Grape juice" class="mw-redirect" >grape juice</a> for 12 weeks did not cause any weight gain in volunteers, but consumption of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drink" title="Soft drink" >soft drink</a> did.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-27" >[28]</a> Fruit juice in moderate amounts can help children and adults meet daily recommendations for fruit consumption, nutrient intake and calories.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-28" >[29]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-29" >[30]</a>

In the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Kingdom" title="United Kingdom" >United Kingdom</a> the name or names of the fruit followed by juice can only legally be used to describe a product which is 100% fruit juice, as required by the Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars (England) Regulations<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-0" >[1]</a> and the Fruit Juices & Fruit Nectars (Scotland) Regulations 2003.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-1" >[2]</a> However, a juice made by reconstituting concentrate can be called juice.

A product described as fruit "nectar" must contain at least 25% to 50% juice, depending on the fruit. A juice or nectar including concentrate must state that it does. The term "juice drink" is not defined in the Regulations and can be used to describe any drink which includes juice, however little.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-2" >[3]</a> Comparable rules apply in all EU member states in their respective languages.

In the USA fruit juice can only legally be used to describe a product which is 100% fruit juice. A blend of fruit juice(s) with other ingredients, such as<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-fructose_corn_syrup" title="High-fructose corn syrup" >high-fructose corn syrup</a>, is called a juice cocktail or juice drink.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-3" >[4]</a> According to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_and_Drug_Administration_(United_States)" title="Food and Drug Administration (United States)" class="mw-redirect" >Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA), the term "nectar" is generally accepted in the U.S. and in international trade for a diluted juice to denote a beverage that contains fruit juice or puree, water, and which may contain artificial sweeteners.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-4" >[5]</a>

Fruit juice labels may be misleading, with juice companies actively hiding the actual content. "No added sugar" is commonly printed on labels, but the products may contain large amounts of naturally occurring sugars;<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-5" >[6]</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juice#cite_note-6" >[7]</a> however, sugar content is listed with other <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate" title="Carbohydrate" >carbohydrates</a> on labels in many countries.

Some carbonated beverages, not described as fruit juice, contain fruit juice (such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Dew" title="Mountain Dew" >Mountain Dew</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orangina" title="Orangina" >Orangina</a>, which contain orange juice).