World Juice Day

The ‘Natural’ Potential of Juice to be Showcased by World Juice Day, 30th May 2013, Istanbul
Whilst the global economic downturn continues to pose stiff challenges for the juice market and raw material supply issues have a knock on effect on retail prices, from a consumer perspective there is no denying the popularity of fruit.
The third anniversary of World Juice Day, an international initiative first launched in 2010 by the International Federation of Fruit Juice Producers (IFU) on a proposal from the Turkish Fruit Juice Industry Association (MEYED), is being organized by MEYED in Istanbul on 30th May 2013. The World Juice Day Summit is also supported by other representative organizations, such as the AIJN (European Fruit Juice Association), SGF (the independent industrial self-control platform) and EQCS (the European Quality Control System. The aim of the Summit is to provide a platform to discuss not only the current issues facing the fruit juice industry, but how to generate global recognition of fruit juice as a natural, healthy product and explore ways of communicating to consumers the importance of juice consumption as part of an everyday diet.
Consumers in both developed and emerging markets are becoming increasingly health and wellness aware - a trend which is helping to engender a growing perception of the concept of ‘naturalness’ and the functional benefit of juice consumption. Juice and nectars offer significant potential for new product development focusing on the healthy, natural ingredients and vitamin content, with opportunity to cover a range of price brackets.
Increasing sophistication in consumer taste, travel, tourism and access to information is spawning a growing knowledge of exotic juices, superfruits and vegetables and their potential benefits. This is giving producers scope to experiment with a proliferation of new combinations of juice and vegetables and ‘value-added’ targeted functional offerings. Innovation focused on provenance can also tick the sustainability and carbon footprint boxes, whilst marketing of transparency of origin/purity and production process offers opportunities for premiumization.
Whilst the road ahead looks undeniably bumpy for juice with harvest yields subject to our unpredictable climate and hikes in commodity costs pressurizing producer margins, innovation and communication remain key in raising awareness of the benefits of juice consumption. Lifestyle changes and consumer nutritional requirements in countries with an aging population base will continue to offer increasing potential for new product development in juice blends, and pack formats, to respond to different consumption occasions and needs.
The IFU and MEYED World Juice Day Summit presents an opportunity for the international juice community to share knowledge and experience, and explore the possibilities of collaboration in order to collectively drive forward the potential and vision of both the Turkish and global juice industries. All practical information with regard to the program, registration, and hotel accommodation can already be found on the WJD Summit website http://www.meyed.org.tr/dunya_meyvesuyu_kongresi/eng/

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