Fresh regulations shake things up for juice bars

• Source: Global Times
• [09:32 August 04 2010]
• Comments

Staff in a fresh juice booth in downtown Shanghai prepare drinks for their customers. Photo: Cai Xianmin

By Zhou Mi

A new draft regulation requiring higher standards for sellers of fresh juice has prompted different reactions from fresh juice bars in Shanghai.

According to the draft on regulating food and beverage service units released on July 30 by the State Food and Drug Administration, juice can only be labeled and marketed as fresh if it is made from fresh fruit and sold within two hours of being made. No date has been given for when the draft will come into effect.

Outlets that make their juice to order said they have little to fear from the regulation.

"We can't provide juice as quickly as some of our competitors, who store juice in refrigerators in advance," Jason Lam, general manager of Dash Juice Management (Shanghai), the company behind Boost Juice Bars, told the Global Times Tuesday. "The situation for such outlets will change after the rule is enacted, as they will have to change their business operations."

One such chain is the popular Bifengtang franchise. "Sometimes we make juice for the day in the morning, and store it in the refrigerator," a product manager at Bifengtang surnamed Wang said. He added that, once the regulations are implemented, they will have to change their strategy.

"Having a strict standard is good news, as one can not always tell the quality and freshness of juice," said Xu Yuanyuan, a Shanghai resident who is a fan of fresh juice. "However, how the rule is implemented and how long its influence will last are my major concerns."

A press officer surnamed Du from Shanghai Food and Drug Administration told the Global Times that the administration keeps a close eye on the quality of fresh juice, although he declined to give any details of how the new regulations will be enforced.