Juice is the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables, purees of the edible portions of one of more fruits or vegetables, or any concentrates of such liquid or puree.

Juice concentrate means the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables and reduced in weight and volume through the removal of water from the juice.

What is the difference between juice and juice concentrate?

 

Juice is the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables, purees of the edible portions of one of more fruits or vegetables, or any concentrates of such liquid or puree.

Juice concentrate means the aqueous liquid expressed or extracted from one or more fruits or vegetables and reduced in weight and volume through the removal of water from the juice.

No

 

  • Processing - includes grinding, squeezing, extracting, expressing, pureeing or other actions to obtain the juice.
  • Processor – means any person engaged in commercial, custom, or institutional processing of juice products, either domestic or foreign, including any person engaged in the processing of juice products that are intended for use in market or consumer tests.
  • Retail Establishment – means an operation that provides juice directly to consumers and does not sell or distribute juice to other businesses. The term "provides" includes storing, preparing, packaging, serving, and selling juice.
What other definitions should I know regarding juice processing?

 

  • Processing - includes grinding, squeezing, extracting, expressing, pureeing or other actions to obtain the juice.
  • Processor – means any person engaged in commercial, custom, or institutional processing of juice products, either domestic or foreign, including any person engaged in the processing of juice products that are intended for use in market or consumer tests.
  • Retail Establishment – means an operation that provides juice directly to consumers and does not sell or distribute juice to other businesses. The term "provides" includes storing, preparing, packaging, serving, and selling juice.
No

Coconut is considered a fruit and any liquid extracted from coconut (i.e., water or milk from the meat) is considered a juice and is therefore subject to regulation. 

Is coconut milk considered a juice?

Coconut is considered a fruit and any liquid extracted from coconut (i.e., water or milk from the meat) is considered a juice and is therefore subject to regulation. 

No

 

  • The regulation applies to any unfermented juice that is added to an alcoholic beverage (e.g., wine or cider) as an ingredient to adjust flavor or sweetness and retains and expresses its organoleptic (e.g., color, taste) and nutritional characteristics in the finished beverage (§120.1(a)). This would also apply to any non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., kombucha) for which the juice does not undergo full fermentation.
  • The juice treatment (5-log pathogen reduction) must be applied directly to the juice, not to the fruit or vegetable (except for citrus juices).
  • Juice subject to the juice HACCP regulation is NOT allowed to be sold without a 5-log pathogen reduction.
  • Juice sold at retail (therefore exempt from the juice HACCP regulation) is allowed to be sold without a 5-log reduction but MUST be properly labeled with a statement conspicuously posted on the principal display panel and must read:

    • WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

What other key point of the juice regulations should I be aware of?

 

  • The regulation applies to any unfermented juice that is added to an alcoholic beverage (e.g., wine or cider) as an ingredient to adjust flavor or sweetness and retains and expresses its organoleptic (e.g., color, taste) and nutritional characteristics in the finished beverage (§120.1(a)). This would also apply to any non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., kombucha) for which the juice does not undergo full fermentation.
  • The juice treatment (5-log pathogen reduction) must be applied directly to the juice, not to the fruit or vegetable (except for citrus juices).
  • Juice subject to the juice HACCP regulation is NOT allowed to be sold without a 5-log pathogen reduction.
  • Juice sold at retail (therefore exempt from the juice HACCP regulation) is allowed to be sold without a 5-log reduction but MUST be properly labeled with a statement conspicuously posted on the principal display panel and must read:

    • WARNING: This product has not been pasteurized and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.

No

If a firm sells or distributes any amount of juice to other businesses, the Retail Food Establishment exemption no longer applies, and they would be considered a juice processor subject to Juice HACCP.  All their juice products must be produced accordingly under Juice HACCP principles. This includes processing the juice to produce a minimum 5-log reduction in the pertinent microorganism.