Almost overnight, fruit juice has become public health enemy number one. For months now, headline after headline has lambasted it for being loaded with sugar.

“Apple, kale and lime juice, anyone? Sounds just the sort of thing to have Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow rushing to Waitrose”

Guy Montague-Jones, senior reporter

Much of the sensationalist media coverage has ignored the vital nutrients packed into juices, but irrespective of the merits of the arguments, the impact on consumer choice is not something the industry can afford to ignore.

Consumers are already cutting back on juice. Volume sold has fallen for two years in a row and the continuing negative headlines won’t help to reverse the trend.

Whether these facts have persuaded Waitrose to delist more than two thirds of its Tropicana lines it is impossible to say. But in simultaneously introducing a slew of new own-label products that promise to slash tonnes of sugar from the range, is a sign that the retailer is adapting its own-label range to reflect public opinion. It has even come up with some interesting flavour combinations. Apple, kale and lime juice, anyone? Sounds just the sort of thing to have Beyoncé and Gwyneth Paltrow rushing to Waitrose.

Health is also at the top of the agenda for other soft drinks buyers, as demonstrated by Tesco’s recent range review and pioneering 10-point soft drinks plan to tackle obesity.

Against this backdrop, brands have to move with the times. As well as reducing sugar levels, there are other options to explore. Innocent is showing an interesting approach with new ‘super smoothies’ - each with functional health claims.

However, improving the health credentials of products is not always enough in itself.

Tropicana was an early adopter of the zero-calorie sweetener stevia with its Trop 50 range. It is interesting to note that Waitrose has brought out its own juice drinks with stevia, but with 30% lower calories - as opposed to 50% lower as is the case with Trop 50. Too much stevia can affect taste and some consumers have criticised the taste of Trop 50. It goes to show that it is not enough to do something new - you also have to do it right.

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