The beverage manufacturer Lemonaid was no longer allowed to sell its lemonade as such because it contained too little sugar. After more than five years, the company now has some good news.
In future, lemonades can be called lemonades even if they contain less than seven percent sugar. The German Food Code Commission (DLMBK) has overturned the previous rule that lemonades must contain at least seven percent sugar and weakened its guidelines for soft drinks. This puts an end to a dispute over the minimum sugar content that has lasted for more than five years. Lemonades now only have to contain “ingredients to achieve a sweet taste (e.g. types of sugar, sweeteners)”, according to an announcement in the Federal Gazette. How much remains to be seen.
The trigger for the years-long dispute was the Hamburg beverage manufacturer Lemonaid, whose organic lemonade with a sugar content of six percent was not sweet enough in the opinion of food inspectors and therefore should not be sold as such. This would only be possible if the manufacturer renamed its trendy drink or added more sugar to it, demanded the Hamburg-Mitte district office in a 2019 reminder. The company resisted this. It was supported in this by the Hamburg health authority, which declared at the time: “Food with little sugar should not be punished, but should be the norm.” The lemonade continued to be sold during the dispute.
Lemonaid CEO Paul Bethke told “Stern” (Tuesday) that he was very happy about the change in the guidelines, but added: “It is of course a little strange that it took five years.”
The Food Code is not a law, but stakeholders generally adhere to it. The minimum and maximum quantities specified in it are intended to protect consumers and prevent food manufacturers from sailing under a false flag. The commission that draws up the guidelines is made up of almost equal numbers of consumer advocates, scientists, food inspectors and business representatives. It has defined the composition of more than 2,000 foods, from fruit juices to spices and pasta to fruit and vegetable products. The guidelines thus ensure “clarity and truth in food,” according to the commission’s website.
Source: Stern
