CAMRA is urging government to put an end to industrial drinks made from as little as 35 per cent juice by global companies, which can be taxed and sold as cider and perry.
It wants the legal minimum juice content to be raised to at least 50 per cent and is setting up an e-lobby so people can contact their MP.
Consumers should be guaranteed they are buying good-quality, authentic ciders and perries that contain more juice than sweetened water. Many independent producers make drinks with 100 per cent juice, using cider apples and perry pears grown in UK orchards.
A YouGov poll commissioned by CAMRA found 87 per cent of consumers favoured raising the minimum juice content of cider to help halt the decline of orchards.
While CAMRA would prefer a minimum juice content of 85 per cent, 50 per cent would be a reasonable requirement for the secretary of state for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to consider, as it ensures no one ingredient would be greater than natural fruit juice.
The USA specifies a 50 per cent minimum juice content for cider, a similar requirement is due to come into force in Germany, and the European Union is considering doing the same. Spain also bans the use of all concentrates in cider products of all categories.
CAMRA vice chair Gillian Hough said: “In the UK, cider and perry can legally consist of 65 per cent alcoholic sugar water. This cheap, sugary mess is added for profit, not quality, and undermines the delicious real cider and perry made by our hardworking independent producers.
“Government raising the minimum juice content to 50 per cent is desperately needed to stop the flood of ‘cidre industrial’, watered-down products made by global giants, which confuse consumers into thinking they are enjoying a fruit-led product when in fact it’s water and sugar-led. This is nothing short of lying to drinkers!
“This campaign to combat commercial, industrial drinks is really important. Get angry about how we are being fooled. I urge everyone, beer drinkers, cider and perry lovers and orchard fans across the UK to take part in our e-lobby and email their MP.”
The e-lobby coincides with CAMRA’s Cider and Perry Month, its annual month-long celebration which puts a spotlight on these traditional drinks.
Contact your MP here.
Photo by mastersmasters.co
