About
What it is and where it shows up.
Fruit juice is the aqueous liquid extracted or pressed from the edible portion of sound, ripe fruit, consumed as a beverage or used as an ingredient in food products. It is used to provide natural flavour, colour, sweetness, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols to foods and beverages.
Safety summary
The regulatory and scientific consensus.
Fruit juice is a source of free sugars and, at moderate intakes (75–224 mL/day), does not meaningfully increase risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, or cardiovascular disease in the general adult population. The WHO recommends reducing free sugar intake to below 10% of total daily energy, and explicitly includes naturally occurring sugars in 100% fruit juice within this limit. High or excessive daily consumption (well above 240 mL/day) has been associated in some observational studies with increased risk of weight gain and poor glycaemic outcomes, particularly in children and those with metabolic conditions.
Regulatory landscape
What food-safety regulators have decided.
| Jurisdiction | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| FSANZ (New Zealand) | Restricted | New Zealand Ministry of Health eating and activity guidelines classify fruit juices as sugary drinks and recommend limiting intake to approximately once a week, distinguishing them from whole fruit recommendations.source |
| FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia) | Approved | Regulated under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code. Juice must be labelled with percentage fruit juice content. No specific daily intake limit established for adults.source |
| EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union) | Approved | Regulated under Directive 2001/112/EC (amended by Directive 2012/12/EU) relating to fruit juices and certain similar products intended for human consumption. Requires that fruit juice contains no added sugars and is produced exclusively from fruit. In several EU member states (UK pre-Brexit, Spain, Austria, Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland), one serving of fruit juice counts towards the daily fruit and vegetable recommendation.source |
| FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India) | Approved | Governed under FSSAI Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011, Chapter 2.3. Fruit juice must be prepared from pulp/puree or concentrated juice of sound mature fruit. Permissible additions include water, peel oil, fruit essences, flavours, salt, and sugars. Reconstituted juice must be labelled as such. Lead contaminant limit for fruit and vegetable juice is 1.0 ppm under the Contaminants, Toxins and Residues Regulations, 2011. FSSAI cracked down on misleading '100% fruit juice' labels in June 2024. |
Who should approach with care
Whose guidance would steer them away.
Children — The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends strict daily volume limits for children (120 mL/day for ages 1–3; up to 180 mL/day for ages 4–6; up to 240 mL/day for ages 7–18) due to risk of excess free sugar intake, dental caries, and displacement of whole fruit consumption.
Infants — Fruit juice is not recommended for infants under 12 months as it provides no nutritional benefit over breast milk or formula and may cause digestive distress and unnecessary free-sugar exposure.
Diabetes — Fruit juice is high in free sugars and low in dietary fibre compared to whole fruit, and some studies associate high intake levels with increased risk of poor glycaemic control and insulin resistance in susceptible individuals.
Ibs — Fruit juices—particularly apple, pear, and mango juice—are high in fructose and sorbitol (FODMAPs), which can trigger symptoms such as bloating, cramping, and diarrhoea in individuals with IBS.
Kidney Disease — Certain fruit juices (notably orange and tomato) are high in potassium, which may need to be restricted in patients with chronic kidney disease who are at risk of hyperkalaemia.
Research citations
The sources behind this verdict.
- 1PubMed. Whole Fruits Versus 100% Fruit Juice: Revisiting the Evidence and Its Implications for US Healthy Dietary Recommendations, 2025. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2PubMed. Health effects of drinking 100% juice: an umbrella review of systematic reviews with meta-analyses, 2024. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 3FSSAI. Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 – Chapter 2.3: Fruit & Vegetable Products, 2023. fssai.gov.in
- 4PubMed. Fruit Juices: Are They Helpful or Harmful? An Evidence Review, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 5PubMed. Are Fruit Juices Healthier Than Sugar-Sweetened Beverages? A Review, 2019. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6FDA. Small Entity Compliance Guide: Juice HACCP (21 CFR Part 120), 2003. fda.gov
Independently researched6 citations