Fruit jams and other products

KEY POINTS

Scope

• The directive covers the following products: jam, extra jam, jelly, extra jelly, marmalade, jelly marmalade and sweetened chestnut purée.
• It does not cover products intended for the manufacture of fine bakery wares, pastries or biscuits.
• The directive should be read in conjunction with other related regulations such as Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the labelling of foodstuffs.
• The products concerned are defined on the basis of their composition so as to ensure that the product names are used correctly in trade, and not in a manner that could mislead.

Labelling

• The product name is supplemented by an indication of the fruit or fruits used, in descending order of weight. For products manufactured from three or more fruits, the indication of the fruits used may be replaced by the words ‘mixed fruit’ or a similar wording, or by the number of fruits used. These details must appear in the same visual field as the product name and in clearly visible characters.
• In addition, the labelling of jams, jellies, marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée must include information on fruit content per 100 grams of the finished product, after subtracting the weight of water used in preparing the aqueous extracts, if appropriate.
• Directive (EU) 2024/1438 amends Directive 2001/113/EC to permit EU Member States where consumers use the term ‘marmalade’ as a synonym for ‘jam’ to authorise, on their territory, the use of the term ‘marmalade’ for the product name ‘jam’ in the case of jams from fruits other than citrus fruits. The term ‘citrus marmalade’ will replace the current ‘marmalade’.

Annexes to the directive

• Annex I defines each of the products and also sets the minimum quantities of fruit to be used for the manufacture of 1 kilogram of finished product. Amending Directive (EU) 2024/1438 introduces changes to Annex I by increasing the minimum fruit content in jams (from 350g per kg to 450g per kg) and extra jams (from 450g per kg to 500g per kg).
• Annex II establishes a list of authorised additional ingredients such as honey, sugar, fruit juice and certain spirits. Amending Directive (EU) 2024/1438 introduces some changes to this annex concerning the use of fruit juices and essential oils and of food additives authorised in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008.
• Annex III sets out definitions for fruit, fruit pulp, fruit purée, aqueous extracts of fruit and sugars, and how raw materials may be treated (dried, heated/chilled/frozen, concentrated or preserved in brine). Only the ingredients listed in Annex II and raw materials that comply with Annex III may be used in the manufacture of the products defined in Annex I.

Report

By 14 June 2027, the European Commission must present a report to the European Parliament and to the Council of the European Union providing an assessment of the feasibility of the different possibilities for labelling indicating the country or countries of origin where the fruit or fruits used to manufacture fruit jams, jellies, citrus marmalades and sweetened chestnut purée have been harvested. The report should be accompanied, where appropriate, by a legislative proposal.