Dear Editor,
In response to a letter published in the October 22, 2021, Stabroek News, by Mr. Conrad Barrow titled ‘Kudos to Topco orange juice but specific nutritional details need to be stated’, Demerara Dis-tillers Limited (DDL) would like to thank Mr. Barrow for his comments and concerns about the labeling of our popular TOPCO Unsweetened Orange Juice.
DDL would like to take the opportunity to provide some information regarding the subject at hand relating to our TOPCO Unsweetened Orange Juice.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) total sugars include naturally occurring sugars present in many nutritious foods and beverages, such as fruit and milk; as well as any added sugars (such as sucrose or dextrose) that may be present in the product. There is currently no recommendation for the total amount of naturally occurring sugars to consume in a day.
The TOPCO Unsweetened Orange Juice has only Natural Occurring Sugars and no Added Sugars. Since TOPCO’s Unsweetened Orange Juice has no added sugar and only the naturally present sugars in the fruit, there is no requirement to state the Percentage Daily Value. This is in keeping with recent US FDA obligations, which require labels to disclose the grams and percentage of added sugars.
The labels for all TOPCO juices are reviewed and approved by the Govern-ment Analyst-Food and Drug Department, as the regulatory agency responsible for enforcing compliance with nutrition label requirements in Guyana.
DDL wishes to express to its valued customers that it aims to provide quality products that meet all international best practices and requirements for consumption.
Regards,
Alex Grahama