Nearly one in five supermarket products with images or mentions of fruit on the packaging contained none of the crop advertised, according to a study commissioned by Freshfel Europe, which represents the fresh fruit and vegetable industry.

The study, “Where’s the Fruit?” examined 207 products, found at major supermarkets,  for their fruit content, according to the news release.  Of those, 18% had no fruit at all, and another 32% of products had less than 10% fruit content.  Seventeen percent of the products contained more than 50% fruit, according to the study, the news release said. Of all products, 29% contain more than 15% sugar.

The products with little or no fruit may run afoul of European Union regulations on health and nutrition claims, the statement said.

According to the European Union website, a health claim is defined as “any claim that states, suggests or implies that a relationship exists between a food category, a food or one of its components and health.”

Of the products tested, 13.5% met EU rules, Freshfel said.

The images of fruits and vegetables on the packaging of items with little or no actual content may be misleading consumers, Luc Clerx, chairman of Freshfel’s Promotion, Image & Communication Committee said.

“The packaging of certain products simply reminds consumers of the nutritional value of fresh produce, without delivering the benefits,” he said, according to the release.

Source: www.freshfruitportal.com