Analytical Chemistry Area, Analytical Chemistry and Food Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, E-32004 Ourense, Spain.
Nutrition and Bromatology Area, Analytical Chemistry and Food Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo, E-32004 Ourense, Spain.
Nutrients. 2023 Oct 18;15(20):4426. doi: 10.3390/nu15204426.
There is no legal definition of a smoothie, so the European legislation applicable to its labeling is that of fruit juice. The smoothie market has grown in recent years, as it can include a wide variety of ingredients: fruits, fruit purees, honey, milk and vegetable milks, vegetables, herbs, cereals, cereal flours, seaweed, and crushed ice. In this study, 57 smoothies were reviewed. All of them were purchased in supermarkets and classified into eight types according to the main ingredients. Fifteen legal statements/items were reviewed on the pack labels: eleven mandatory and three optional. Moreover, nutrition labels, nutritional claims, images, marks, and other symbols were also reviewed. Only 22.8% of the samples complied with EU and Spanish labeling legislation. More incorrectness was related to the name of the food and the fruits included as main ingredients; other errors related to the allergy/intolerance statements, and some nutritional claims concerning vitamin C were also detected to a lesser extent. General advice is provided for consumers to interpret smoothie labels correctly. Lawmakers should amend legislation to accept the term "smoothie" as a legal name.
目前，法律并未对“smoothie（思慕雪）”给出明确的定义，因此，欧盟相关法律规定，smoothie 应归入果汁范畴。近年来，smoothie 市场不断发展壮大，因为它可以使用各种成分：水果、纯果泥、蜂蜜、牛奶和植物奶、蔬菜、草药、谷物、谷粉、海藻，以及碎冰。本研究对 57 种 smoothie 进行了评估，这些 smoothie 均购自超市，并根据主要成分分为八类。研究评估了包装标签上的 15 个法定声明/项目：11 个强制性声明和 3 个选择性声明。此外，还对营养标签、营养声称、图像、标志和其他符号进行了评估。只有 22.8%的样本符合欧盟和西班牙的标签法规。更多的错误与食品名称和主要成分中的水果有关；其他错误与过敏/不耐受声明有关，在较小程度上还发现了一些与维生素 C 有关的营养声称错误。本研究为消费者正确解读 smoothie 标签提供了一般性建议，立法者应修改立法，接受“smoothie”这一合法名称。
