Bulgaria Implements EU Ban on Artificial Sweeteners

Starting Tuesday, April 28, selling of fruit juices with added sugars is officially banned in Bulgaria.

The restriction will apply not only in the Bulgarian market, but also will be imposed across the entire European Union.

The reason is the launch of the European Commission's directive on the issue that was approved in March 2012, as reported by Dnevnik daily. However, the legislative amendment prescribed an additional 18-month transition period in which production companies would have time to adapt to the new legislation.

Therefore, it is expected that all such products will be removed from store shelves all across the EU.

''The sweetness can be provided only through the fruits used for the drinks,'' stated Chair of the Bulgarian Soft Drinks Association Jana Velichkova, in an interview for Trud daily.

However, the restriction will only apply to drinks labeled as ''juice''. In case businesses decide to use the terms ''fruit drink'', ''fruit cocktail'' or any other, they can still keep using artificial sweeteners.

Meanwhile, the usage of aspartame and any other harmful substances has been banned for years now.

''The usage of artificial sweeteners in fruit juices has been banned for a while now, so customers should remain calm on the issue, ''added Velichkova.