The MRTPC notice of inquiry was issued on a complaint filed by the Director General of Investigation and Registration (DGIR), that the company was indulging in deceptive and unfair trade practices by misleading consumers regarding the quality of oranges being used in the juice.

The DGIR charged that the company had declared Onjus containing natural orange juice concentrate and water on the outer pack, which was contrary to the test reports and a complaint received by the DGIR from a complainant, US Mishra.

According to the complaint, Mishra had purchased six packs of 250 ml Onjus orange juice believing that it was natural juice but was surprised to find it ``very sweet and different in colour from that of fresh orange juice.'' The complainanthad the juice analysed which indicated that Onjus contained a high percentage of sugar and beta carotene, a natural colour.

Appealing for interim relief, the DGIR said concealing of ingredients included in Onjus was a violation of the prevention of the Food and Adulteration Act also.

Replying to the complaint, Enkay Texofood said there were no standards for orange juice in India and it was following `CODEX standards.' The company also said the orange juice manufactured by it was made from a blend of different varieties of oranges, namely South American variety, Kinnow and Mandarin.

The company further said that natural beta carotene was present in different proportions in different varieties of orange with high beta carotene in Kinnow variety and low content in Valencia varieties and the orange colour of the juice was due to the blend of Kinnow and Mandarin varieties.

Submitting that it had not added any additives to the orange juice, Enkay Texofood said the additional sugar was on account of theblend and the additional pulp cells. It further contended that the composition of sugar in the fresh juice and Onjus were almost matching and the company has declared on the pack that it was reconstituted from orange concentrate.

However, according to the analysis submitted by the complainant, total sugar in fresh orange juice was 9.35 per cent, whereas in Onjus it was 13.04 per cent. The company maintained that as per the CODEX standard, the total quantity of added sugar was allowed to up to five per cent but did not deny using added sugar or beta carotene in its juice claimed to be natural.

Enkay Texofood claimed that Onjus was reconstituted from natural orange juice concentrate being imported from South America, Central America and North America.

It had also enclosed a copy of the certificate of origin which showed that the company was using frozen concentrated Kinnow juice imported from a Holland-based company which in turn, had imported it from Pakistan.

Approaching the Commission, the DGIR said:``It is evident the juice was neither natural nor an orange juice, but the fact was that it was a Kinnow juice,'' which differs from oranges in tastes, quality and price. It also said representing Onjus as natural orange juice was misleading and false which, ``could cause loss/injury to the general public who were buying it under the impression of a natural orange juice.''