The Just Squeezed Group will stop manufacturing fruit juice under the brand name just Squeezed fruit juices after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission raised concerns that the labelling misrepresented the contents of its products.
The Just Squeezed Group manufactures and supplies fruit juice products to most States and Territories (except Western Australia and Tasmania). Of these products, only just Squeezed orange juice contains fresh juice, ranging from 25 per cent to 75 per cent, depending on seasonal factors. The rest of the just Squeezed range of fruit juices contain only reconstituted juice.
ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel said the prominence of the words just Squeezed on the labels, together with images of fruit and words such as 'Orange Juice' and 'Apple Juice', created an overall impression that each product was made directly from the fruit shown on the labels and did not contain reconstituted juice.
"Although the ingredients on the just Squeezed product labels listed reconstituted juice, the ACCC believed that in each case, it was not prominent enough to overcome the alleged misrepresentation".
The ACCC has accepted court-enforceable undertakings from Just Squeezed Fruit Juices Proprietary Limited and Just Squeezed Fruit Juices (NSW) Pty Limited (The Just Squeezed Group).
To address concerns that the Just Squeezed Group may have breached sections 52, 53(a) and 55 of the Trade Practices Act 1974* the company has undertaken to:
- cease manufacturing fruit juice products under the brand name Just Squeezed fruit juices by 31 March 2006
- supply all fruit juice products manufactured on and after 1 April 2006 under the new brand name just Delicious fruit juices
- not engage in similar conduct in future for a period of three years
- implement a trade practices law compliance program, and
- publish a corrective newspaper notice advising consumers of the undertakings.
"Many consumers of fruit juice have a preference for products that contain only fresh juice and are prepared to pay more for them", Mr Samuel said. "Therefore, businesses must be careful about how they label their products to avoid any misrepresentations about their contents".
*Sections 52, 53(a) and 55 of the Trade Practices Act 1974, prohibit misleading or deceptive conduct and the making of false representations in relation to the composition, nature and manufacturing process of goods.