CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Cloves in Germany | 1

CBI Product Factsheet:

Pineapple juice in France

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 2

Introduction

The French are amongst the biggest drinkers of fruit juice in Europe. Imports of pineapple juice into the French market

have grown by 3.2% in volume since 2010, reaching 49 million tons in 2014. Moreover, it has proven to be crisis-proof.

So, an attractive market for exporters.

Product Description

The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is a tropical plant with edible fruit and is a member of the Bromeliaceae family. Pineapple

is eaten fresh, canned or juiced. This Product Fact sheet covers pineapple juice, with a special focus on the international

trade of the product in bulk, as an ingredient for the food and beverage industry. Codex Alimentarius defines juice as

“unfermented but fermentable juice, intended for direct consumption, obtained by the mechanical process from sound, ripe

fruits, preserved exclusively by physical means. The juice may be turbid or clear. The juice may have been concentrated

and later reconstituted with water suitable for the purpose of maintaining the essential composition and quality factors of

the juice. The addition of sugars or acids can be permitted but must be endorsed in the individual standard.”

The product-tree for the products which are of interest for developing country exporters is developed by CBI using the

Combined Nomenclature (CN, Eurostat, 8 digits) and Harmonised System (HS, World Customs Organisation WCO, 6 digits)

for classifying traded products. See Table 1 below for the corresponding codes of the products taken into account in this

Product Fact Sheet.

Table 1: HS codes for pineapple juice

Code Description

20094110 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value <= 20 at 20oc, value of > 30 {euro} per 100 kg,

containing added sugar (excl. containing spirit)

20094191 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value <= 20 at 20oc, value of <= 30 {euro} per 100

kg, containing added sugar (excl. containing spirit)

20094192 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value <= 20 at 20°c, containing added sugar (excl.

containing spirit)

20094199 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value <= 20 at 20oc (excl. containing added sugar or

containing spirit)

20094911 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value > 67 at 20oc, value of <= 30 {euro} per 100 kg,

whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter (excl. containing spirit)

20094919 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value > 67 at 20oc, value of > 30 {euro} per 100 kg,

whether or not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter (excl. containing spirit)

20094930 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value > 20 but <= 67 at 20oc, value of > 30 {euro}

per 100 kg, containing added sugar (excl. containing spirit)

20094991 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value > 20 but <= 67 at 20oc, value of <= 30 {euro}

per 100 kg, containing > 30% added sugar (excl. containing spirit)

20094993 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value > 20 but <= 67 at 20oc, value of <= 30 {euro}

per 100 kg, containing <= 30% added sugar (excl. containing spirit)

20094999 Pineapple juice, unfermented, brix value > 20 but <= 67 at 20oc (excl. containing added

sugar or containing spirit)

The statistics do not differentiate between bulk and finished products.

Product Specification

Quality

The majority of the trade flows of pineapple juice to Europe consists of concentrates in bulk that need to be further

processed to consumer end products. In this way, pineapples are harvested in the country of origin, water is evaporated

from fruit juice, in order to maintain quality, to prolong shelf life, and diminish the transport and storage costs. The residue

is fruit juice concentrate, which is traded internationally.

One of the most important measurement in fruit juice production is the level of sugar and other solids, which is measured

in degrees Brix (percentages by weight in a solution). Acid contents is another relevant indicator of quality. Therefore a lot

of value is attached to the ratio of these two, the sweet/acid proportion (Brix/acid ratio), by traders and their customers

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 3

such as processors or retailers. In general, French consumers prefer sweeter fruits and taste than Northern Europeans,

e.g. Swedish people.

Labelling

In accordance with regulations on the provision of food information to consumers, food shall be labelled with information.

For bulk products, it is allowed to put some of the mandatory information in the accompanying commercial documents

instead of on the external packaging. However, a minimum set of information should always appear on the external

packaging:

name of the product (Naming is subject to specific rules which are laid down in Directive 2001/112/EC);

lot identification;

name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or importer;

date of minimum durability or ‘use by’ date, and storage instructions.

However, lot identification and the name and address of the manufacturer, packer, distributor or importer may be replaced

by an identification mark, provided that such a mark is clearly identifiable with the accompanying documents. Other

mandatory food information shall be noted in the commercial documents:

List of ingredients (in descending order of weight);

Net quantity (in metric);

The place of origin or provenance where failure to give such particulars might mislead the consumer;

Instructions for use should be included to enable appropriate use of the foodstuff; A nutrition declaration.

See for more information Directive EU Regulation 1169/2011 which lays down the general regulations related to the

labelling, presentation and advertising of foodstuffs.

Size and Packaging

Before pineapple juice ends up in consumers household, concentrates arrives in France basically in smaller containers,

drums most commonly, from 10kg to 1,000kg.

In supermarkets different packaging sizes are used. Most fruit juices are still sold in cartons (62.7%), followed by plastic

(26.4%), glass (7.4%) and other containers (3.4%) in 2013.

The most common export types of concentrated fruit juice packaging are aseptic or sterile filled: bag-in-Box 20l, plastic

container 20l, steel drum 200l, plastic drum 200l, stainless steel container (200 and 800l), foldable container 1,000l and

truck tankers of 25,000l. In addition, smaller quantities of fruit juices and concentrates are imported as frozen product.

Processing and logistics

The process of concentration consists of the physical removal of water until the product has a soluble pineapple solids

content. Once arrived at the place of destination water and other additives are added. Dilution with water is done to get

drinkable pineapple juice again. Not from concentrate pineapple juice is juice that does not undergo the concentration

process. It arrives in France in two varieties: frozen or chilled under aseptic conditions.

Buyer requirements

Buyer requirements can be divided into (1) musts, requirements you must meet in order to enter the market, such as legal

requirements, (2) common requirements, which are those most of your competitors have already implemented, in other

words, the ones you need to comply with in order to keep up with the market, and (3) niche market requirements for

specific segments.

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 4

Legal requirements are a must – food safety and informing consumers correctly

Here you can find requirements you must meet when marketing your products in France. Pay attention to the indications

of which materials / products are concerned per requirement described.

The following ‘musts’ apply to pineapple juice, of which the two last mentioned to pre-packed food products only:

Food safety and health control– for all food products

Contamination –for all food products

Composition –for all food products and specific requirements for pineapple juice

Labelling - for all pre-packed food products and specific requirements for pineapple juice

Food contact materials - for all pre-packed food products

Food safety: Traceability, hygiene and control

Food safety is a key issue in EU food legislation. The General Food Law is the legislative framework regulation for food

safety in the EU. To guarantee food safety and to allow appropriate action in cases of unsafe food, food products must be

traceable throughout the entire supply chain and risks of contamination must be limited. An important aspect to control

food safety hazards is defining critical control points (HACCP) by implementing food management principles. Another

important aspect is subjecting food products to official controls. Products that are not considered safe will be denied access

to the EU.

Avoid contamination to ensure food safety

Contaminants are substances that may be present as a result of the various stages of its growing, processing, packaging,

transport or storage. The different forms of contamination applicable to pineapple juice are:

Patulin: a maximum level of 50 μg/kg applies (see section 2 of Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006).

Heavy metals: there are restrictions for lead, cadmium and tin (if pineapple juice is canned) (see section 3 of Annex

of Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006)

Microbiological: according to EU legislation salmonella is an important source of contamination in unpasteurised fruit

and vegetable juices and cannot be present. For E-coli of the 5 samples only two can have a value between 100 cfu/g

and 1 000 cfu/g. Moreover, food safety authorities can withdraw imported food products from the market or prevent

them from entering the EU when salmonella is found present.

Pesticides: the EU has set maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides in and on food products. Products containing

more pesticides than allowed will be withdrawn from the EU market.

Foreign matter: contamination by foreign matter like plastic and insects are a threat when food safety procedures are

not carefully followed.

Tips:

Search in the EU’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database to see examples of

withdrawals from the market and the reasons behind these withdrawals.

EU buyers will often ask buyers to implement a food (safety) management system based on HACCP-

principles (see under Common requirements).

Read more about HACCP and health control in the EU Export Helpdesk

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 5

Product composition

Product can be rejected by buyers and EU custom authorities in case they have undeclared, unauthorised or too high limits

of extraneous materials. There is specific legislation for additives (e.g. colours, thickeners) and flavourings that list what E-

numbers and substances are allowed to be used. In case you want to add vitamins you will have to know which vitamins

(see Annex I) and sources, vitamin formulations and mineral substances are allowed (see Annex II).

Product specific legislation regarding composition applies to fruit juices. The Directive (EC) 2001/112 indicates which raw

materials and additives may be used and above all lays down rules for the composition, reserved names and labelling

characteristics of fruit juices as pineapple juice.

Labelling

In case you are supplying consumer labelled product (in for example cans, jars or boxes) you will have to take into

account labelling requirements laid down in EU Regulation 1169/2011. This should inform consumers about composition,

manufacturer, storage methods and preparation. In addition, for fruit juices specific provisions are adopted in order to

improve consumer information.

Nutrition and health claims

Nutrition and health claims suggest or indicate that a food has a beneficial characteristic. They cannot be misleading.

Therefore, only EU approved nutrition and health claims can be made. If new nutrition or health claims are made these

have to be approved in advance by the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA).

Tips:

For information on safe storage and transport of pineapple juice go to the website of the Transport

Information Service.

Check the European Commission’s factsheet on food contaminants "Managing food contaminants: how

the EU ensures that our food is safe"

Read more about contaminants in the EU Export Helpdesk

Irradiation is a way to combat microbiological contamination but this is not allowed by EU legislation

for pineapple juice.

To find out the MRLs that are relevant for your products, you can use the EU MRLdatabase in which all

harmonised MRLs can be found. You can search on your product or pesticide used and the database

shows the list of the MRLs associated to your product or pesticide. Read more about MRLs in the EU

Export Helpdesk.

A good way to reduce the amount of pesticides, is applying integrated pest management (IPM) which

is an agricultural pest control strategy that uses complementary strategies including growing practices

and chemical management.

Tips:

Refer to Buyer Requirement module on natural colour, thickeners and flavours for more information.

E-numbers indicate approval by the EU. To obtain an E-number the additive must have been fully

evaluated for safety by the competent food safety authorities in the EU (EFCH). For an overview of E-

numbers refer to the Annex of Regulation 1333/2008 (see under Consolidated versions).

Tips:

In December 2014 EU Regulation 1169/2011 came into effect. This new labelling legislation changed

current legislation considerably. For example, allergens have to be highlighted in the list of ingredients

and requirements for allergen information also cover non pre-packed foods, including those sold in

restaurants and cafés. Read more about the new labelling legislation on the EU website.

Read more about food labelling in the EU Export Helpdesk.

Tip:

For more information about nutrition and health claims refer to the website of the EU.

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 6

Food contact materials

For consumer packaging materials that comes in contact with food (e.g. plastics, jars) that come into contact with food

specific health control provisions apply. Food contact materials must be manufactured so that they do not transfer their

constituents to food in quantities that could endanger human health, change the composition of the food in an

unacceptable way or deteriorate the taste and odour of foodstuffs.

Full overview of requirements for pineapple juice:

For a list of requirements consult the EU Export Helpdesk where you can enter your specific product code.

Trade and Macro-Economic Statistics

General information and figures about production and trade developments for Processed Fruit and Vegetables in the

European market is provided in the CBI Trade Statistics. In addition, information and figures about production and trade

developments for fruit juices in the European market is provided in the CBI Product Factsheet Fruit Juices in the EU. This

section provides you with more detailed statistics of trade, production and consumption of pineapple juice in France.

Figure 1: Imports of pineapple juice in France, 2010-2014, in 1000 tonnes

Source: Eurostat

Figure 2: Main suppliers of pineapple juice to France, 2010-2014, in 1000 tonnes

Source: ITC Trademap

Tip:

The EU legislation on food contact materials is quite extensive and it is not easy to prove to your EU

importer that your product complies with all requirements. Therefore, EU importers of food products

will require documentation on toxicology and risk assessment of chemical migration from food contact

materials and/or declarations of compliance.

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 7

Figure 3: Exports of pineapple juice in France, 2010-2014, in 1000 tonnes

Source: Eurostat

Figure 4: Main French export destinations for Pineapple juice, 2014, in 1000 tonnes

Source: Eurostat

Analysis and interpretation

France is a net importer of pineapple Juice, which thus opens opportunities for DCs.

Over the last five years imports of pineapple juice in France grew by 1.6% in value and by 3.2% in quantity, reaching

49,000 tonnes and €40 million in 2014. This indicates a slight decrease in import prices, caused by the world

overproduction of pineapples in the last few years, especially in 2012.

Most pineapple juice is re-exported through the Netherlands. The leading direct supplier of pineapple juice to the French

market is Costa Rica. At EU level the leading supplier is Thailand. However, Thailand is losing market share on the French

and EU markets, while Costa Rica has increased its supply over the years.

French suppliers of pineapple juice with the highest export growth are other EU countries such as the Netherlands (18%

growth since 2010) and Germany (19%), which are re-exporting pineapple juice imported from developing countries. In

the range of important production countries which directly supply the French market, the highest import growth over the

last five years was from Kenya (65%), the Philippines (53%), the USA (30%) and Indonesia (29%). Nevertheless, these

countries have a relatively small share of the French import market. Over the last five years imports from Thailand have

fallen by 7% in quantity as Thai farmers neglected their pineapple plantations due to low prices of fresh pineapples.

Currently there is a shortage of pineapples in world production, so it can be expected that prices of pineapple juice will

increase next year (2016).

France has some (re-)exports, but in absolute terms this trade flow is small. French (re-)exports of pineapple juice have

increased since 2010 at the rate of 1.5% in quantity and 1.4% in value, reaching 9,000 tonnes and €10 million

respectively.

Most exported products remain in Europe (approximately 90%), mainly in the United Kingdom and Belgium. As for exports

outside the EU, Switzerland, Côte d'Ivoire and Madagascar are the main trading countries, but with a small volume share

compared to total French exports.

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 8

Production and consumption

Figure 5: French production of pineapple juice, in €

million

Figure 6: Consumption of pineapple juice in France,

in € million

Data source: Eurostat Prodcom Data source: Eurostat Prodcom

France is not a producer of pineapple juice concentrates due to its geographical situation and climate which makes France

unsuitable for growing pineapples. DCs have a comparative advantage in this respect.

The French love to drink fruit juice. It is their most popular beverage after alcoholic drinks and water. The French mainly

consume fruit juices during breakfast (65%).

According to the French Association of Juice Producers, the average consumption of fruit juices in 2014 was 23l per capita.

Consumption of pineapple juice in 2015 is higher by 0.43% than in 2014. Pineapple juice has a 3.6% market share

compared to other flavours (orange 48.8%, flavour mixes 21.6%, apple 9.9%, grape 2.4% and others 13.6%).

0

10

20

30

40

2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

20

40

60

80

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Tips:

Consider exporting to France, as France has a big demand for serving the domestic market.

However, do not focus on the French market only, but take other importers into your consideration as

well. Consider for example the Netherlands as an entry port for imports that are re-exported to other

countries of the EU, including France. You can look for a wholesale partner in the Netherlands to do the

re-export.

Find a reliable intermediary or importer who can sell your products to the larger industries for a good

price. Involve European experts in setting up your business. For example, CBI or the Netherlands

senior experts-network PUM could help with the implementation of many business aspects. See the

websites: www.cbi.eu or www.pum.nl.

Tips:

Pineapples do not grow in in France and therefore have to be imported, offering opportunities for

developing country (DC) exporters.

Try to partner with French importers or importers responsible for France in order to have the right

equipment for processing and to meet the different requirements of the industrial European buyers.

Participate in major food trade fairs such as SIAL.

Pineapple juices are sensitive to price volatility. The raw material accounts for more than half of the

cost price. Price increases immediately affect prices paid by consumers, which in turn, are price

consciousness. So watch your (production) costs in order to do not lose customers.

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 9

Macro economic statistics

Figure 7: Real GDP in France, 2014-2016, %

change from previous year

Figure 8: Real private consumption expenditure in

France, 2014-2016, % change from previous year

Source: OECD Economic Outlook 96 database. Source: OECD Economic Outlook 96 database.

Analysis and interpretation

In total, the EU has over 500 million inhabitants, and France is one of the more densely populated countries. The French

population is expected to grow from 63.9 million in 2014 to 65.7 million in 2020.

Total imports are expected to increase in France in the years to come, so it is very likely that imports of pineapple juice

will continue.

Between 2014 and 2016, French GDP and private consumption expenditures are expected to increase at an accelerating

pace. However, food and beverages will generally grow at a lower rate than the economy as a whole, since they constitute

mature markets.

Market Trends

CBI Trend mapping provides you with general trends in the European market for processed fruits and vegetables. This

section provides more details about specific trends in the French market for pineapple juice.

The consumption of NFC juice in France continued to grow, confirming consumers' taste for premium juices and in 2014

accounted for 56.2% of market share (UNIJUS 2014).

In five years, the market share in volume of organic fruit juice increased from 2.7% in 2010 to 6.1% in 2014 in

supermarkets. In just one year, from 2013 to 2014, the sales volume of the organic segment grew by nearly 10%. The

organic phenomenon has become a fundamental trend and almost every fruit juice manufacturer now offers a range of

organic products to French consumers.

France is one of the leading countries in the EU organic market. The French national inter-professional union of fruit juices

(UNIJUS ) has indicated that organic fruit juices are just starting to take off. During the 2009-2012 period, sales grew by

almost 40% and, in 2012, amounted to nearly 55.5 million gallons, or 4% of the market.

0

0,5

1

1,5

2

2014 2015 2016

0

1

2

2014 2015 2016

Tips:

Consider exporting to France, as it is one of the larger markets in the EU in terms of population, with a

specific interest in pineapple juice.

The disposable income in France is relatively high, indicating opportunities for selling pineapple juice as

part of a healthy diet.

Tip:

Please keep in mind that sustainability is not a temporarily, but has gained solid ground. Sustainable

exporters are therefore preferred by French business.

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 10

Alongside the overall sustainability trend, there will also be a further focus on reducing and reusing food waste. So please

pay attention to the waste from pineapples after extracting the juice.

Pineapple juice also relates to several relevant consumer trends in France. The most important one is the healthiness of

the product. One of the main reasons for French consumers to consume fruit juices like pineapple juice is their health and

nutritional value. Especially for their micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, and they are basic contributors of vitamin

C. The health trend is still continuing.

Authenticity, another market trend, easily links up with the pureness of products for French people.

Another notable consumer trend in France is a shift in consumer purchasing to more premium product, boosting volume

and share of the chilled juice and NFC (not from concentrate) segments (see also the first bullet point). Chilled juices

attracted 35% of French consumers, mainly high income demographics (Euromonitor).

Sustainability is an on-going development that has gained solid ground among French consumers. This is among others

translated in demand for organic products

Most pineapple juice is bought by consumers in food retail: supermarkets and hypermarkets account for 65% of sales and

the hard discount represents 24 % of the market in France. Retailers control and requirements are increasing. They will

put more pressure on the price asked by DC exporters through direct or indirect sourcing and/or are increasingly

demanding a high level of traceability and food safety.

There is a threat of substitutes. Water can be mentioned in this context, just like coconut water concentrate and vegetable

juice. Similar to pineapple juice, coconut water is perfect to blend in fruit juices and comes with the additional advantage

of much lower in calories. Vegetable juices are attracting more attention due to the nutritional and phytochemical value of

many vegetables.

Tip:

Make money out of your waste. Try to think out of the box when it concerns food waste, like they did

in the case of Açaí. The Açaí kernel was discarded as waste. But now they process them into biomass.

This succeeded in an innovative biomass product that is qualitatively similar to wood pellets that are

traded worldwide.

Tip:

Try not to compete on price only, but on added value and differentiated products. Try to find matching

market niches to the current sustainability and health trend. Or health and authenticity.

Tip:

Focus on the latest consumers trends: value added chilled and not from concentrate juices are

benefiting the ongoing consumer health trend and demand for quality products.

Tip:

As an exporter you also have to comply with buyer (retail) requirements. Check with your buyer to

determine the requirements and suitable standards for your product.

Tip:

Be a reliable and professional partner for a partnership or joint venture. Note: buyers are critical with

whom to partner, professionalism is a must. Get information from your contact person in France about

quality standards, delivery schedules and logistics requirements and evaluate whether your company is

able to keep up with these requirements.

Tip:

Be the first! Since you now know veggie juices are (becoming more) popular, try to enter the market

with pineapple juice including veggies.

CBI | Market Intelligence Product Factsheet Pineapple juice in France | 11

Price

International trade prices for concentrated juice are looking better. However, prices are a long way from the level reached

in early 2011 (Fruitrop, 2013). Based on the actual prices in France during the last three years, pineapple juice is sold to

consumers by supermarkets for around € 2,00 per litre. Moreover, blends are sold in the market for a slightly higher

average price per litre than single pineapple juice (respectively € 2.06 vs € 1.71). Finally, be aware that these figures are

just indications. Price depends on the product, its quality, brand and retail outlet. (Source: Innova database, 2011-2014;

LEI calculations, 2014). The figure below (figure 5) provides you with an estimation of the price breakdown and gives an

overview of the gross margins received by each actor in the trade channel.

Figure 5: Price break down in the pineapple juice supply chain

Source: Peer Group (2014). Photo: Shutterstock

*Shipping costs may vary depending on type of shipment and inland transportation.

Useful Sources

Export and market entry support:

http://www.cbi.eu/

http://exporthelp.europa.eu/thdapp/index.htm

Certification schemes:

http://www.isealalliance.org/

http://www.standardsmap.org/

Marketing and trade standards:

http://www.unece.org/trade/agr/standard/fresh/FFV-StandardsE.html

http://www.codexalimentarius.org/codex-home/en/

Statistics and sector information:

http://www.jusdefruit.org/

http://faostat3.fao.org/home/E

http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat

http://comtrade.un.org/

CBI Market Intelligence

P.O. Box 93144

2509 AC The Hague

The Netherlands

www.cbi.eu/market-information

marketintel@cbi.eu

This survey was compiled for CBI by Globally Cool

in collaboration with CBI sector expert Freek Jan Koekoek.

Disclaimer CBI market information tools: http://www.cbi.eu/disclaimer

November 2015