Here’s an email (and picture) we got from Tracy:

A couple of months ago I bought an attractive two liter of Jumex Mango Juice for my boys.  It said “100% Nectar”!  Well, it was anything but.  I looked at the label when I got home and found it was juice concentrates, high fructose corn syrup, “flavors” etc.  Grrr!

I am quite sure “nectar” means the same thing in English and in Spanish and the claim is on both sides of the bilingual package.  It most certainly does not mean “sugar enhanced juice drink”.  It looks like the Mexican company Jumex is hoping for convenient confusion and perhaps undereducated consumers in both languages.

So, is there a definition for nectar, and did Jumex step out of bounds?

What you need to know:

Here is the FDA definition for “nectar”:

The term “nectar” is generally accepted as the common or usual name in the U.S. and in international trade for a diluted juice beverage that contains fruit juice or puree, water, and may contain sweeteners.

Here is the Jumex ingredient list:

Water, mango puree from concentrate, sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, ascorbic acid (preservative), beta carotene (color).

It seems that Jumex, a Mexican manufacturer of juices and nectars, has stretched that definition of nectar to include citric acid (a harmless preservative), vitamin C (ascorbic acid is both preservative and vitamin), and a natural colorant.

What’s really irritating about this product is the bold “100% nectar” on the front of package. It implies that you are getting 100% mango juice, when in fact you are not.

To be honest, it is impossible to drink 100% mango juice, as the puree you would get is much too thick. You need to add some water. But Jumex should not be confusing consumers with that 100% lingo.

Please note that as consumers we don’t know how much water and sugar has been added to the already sweet mango juice.

What to do at the supermarket:

Don’t be fooled by marketing speak. If you want to know what’s in your juice, you must read  the ingredient list.

In any case, even 100% fruit juice should not be considered a fruit replacement for your kids, but rather a treat. This is because of the high amount of sugar present, yet very low amount of fiber. When possible, always try to consume the real fruit, not the juice.

An interesting serving suggestion is to prepare a mango Lasi drink – Use a blender to mix real mango, ice cubes, water, yogurt, and a bit of honey or sugar into a cold refreshing drink.

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