When is a lemonade a lemonade?

Germany | How bizarre: Because its lemonade contains less than the prescribed amount of sugar, the Hamburg manufacturer Lemonaid has already received two cease and desist warnings. It is now calling for new guidelines for these products.

The Bonn Office for Consumer Protection, a watchdog, accused Lemonaid of misleading labelling because one of its lemonades doesn’t contain the prescribed minimum sugar content of 7 grams per 100 ml. It has only 5.6 grams per 100 ml. Lemonaid is thus violating the guidelines for lemonades. The authority suggested that the manufacturer either rename the product or increase the sugar content.

This is the second time that Lemonaid has received a cease and desist warning. In January 2019, the Hamburg Office for Consumer Protection was similarly concerned.

Bring the guidelines up to date

In both instances, Lemonaid refused to rename its brand, pointing out that the lemonade has been on the market since 2009 and was popular with consumers because of its lower sugar content. Moreover, it said that the federal government is campaigning for a 15 percent reduction in sugar in beverages by 2025. The Hamburg authority relented in the end.

The guidelines are included in the German Food Book and have no legal force, but a strong binding effect. In the Food Book Commission, businesses, scientists, consumers and food control bodies have equal say. The guidelines are meant to ensure transparency in food and protect consumers from being misled.

Lemonaid appealed again to the German Ministry for Agriculture to finally modernise the guidelines concerning lemonades.