Allergies, sugar and other stuff

Food intolerances and allergies have become big news in recent years, and we get a number of enquiries through our website each week asking if our drinks are suitable for people suffering from allergies and intolerances. With this in mind, we’ve put this page up on the website to keep our customers as informed as possible. Please note that these comments are guidance only; if you need any more specific information, please email Dan Welch, Technical Manager (daniel@belvoirfruitfarms.co.uk).

Coeliac Disease

None of our products contain any gluten. The Passionfruit and Mango and Ginger Cordials contain glucose syrup, which is derived from wheat. We are advised by the Food Standards Agency that “Wheat based glucose syrups… are unlikely to trigger allergic reactions in allergic people or intolerance in those with coeliac disease.” (“Guidance on Allergen Management and Consumer Information”, FSA).

Diabetes

All of our products contain sugar – sucrose is used in all except the crush range, glucose in the Passionfruit and Mango and Ginger Cordials and all products also contain natural fruit sugars (fructose). At the time of drinking, most of our products have about 100g sugar per litre – each bottle has the exact figure printed on the back. Because of this, diabetics can drink limited quantities of our products, but if you’re a diabetic our products may not be the most suitable ones on the market for you.

A Note On Sugar

It’s true that our drinks tend to have more sugar in than some similar products on the market, but this is due to the nature of the product that we manufacture. Cordials were originally a way that country people preserved some of the glut of fruit that happens each summer for the coming winter. Adding enough sugar to fruit juice would stop any fermentation from happening and would keep the juice fresh for a few months. We use traditional methods in the manufacture of our cordials and presses, and use sugar in this way - as a traditional preservative. We have tried to make low sugar cordials and presses - using chemicals such as aspartame (nutrasweet), but find that we cannot get the traditional taste and "mouthfeel" by using chemicals. In addition, there is continuing debate as to the long-term health benefits of artificial sweeteners. Without the preserving effect of sugar, most low- or reduced sugar drinks tend to use chemical preservatives such as sodium benzoate – we prefer not to use these and go down a non-chemical route, particularly for organic products.

Other Allergies and Intolerances

Almost any food or drink product may cause an allergy in some people. None of Belvoir Cordials’ products contain any of the most common food allergens in Europe – these are:

• Cereals containing gluten
• Crustaceans and fish
• Egg
• Peanuts and tree nuts
• Milk
• Soya
• Sesame
• Celery
• Mustard
• Sulphur dioxide at levels greater than 10 parts per million

We try our hardest to ensure that none of our suppliers handle any of these ingredients, either.

If you suffer from any unusual food allergy, we would recommend that you contact us before consuming our drinks.

Vegetarians and Vegans

We use no ingredients that are derived from animals in any of our products. All of our products are suitable for both vegetarians and vegans, according to guidance from the Food Standards Agency.

Chemical Additives

Preservatives

In April 2006 we removed all chemical preservatives from our drinks. This means that once opened, the cordials should be stored in the fridge – they will eventually start to ferment after a couple of weeks at room temperature, although we find that they’re so delicious they don’t usually hang around that long. This also has an interesting side effect - since we’ve taken the preservatives out we’ve also found that the cordials can be used very successfully as the basis of home brewed wine!

Colours

We use no artificial colours in any of our products. We find that by using the very best quality pressed juice – and lots of it – we simply don’t need them. You may see some variation in the colour of our drinks due to seasonality – this is particularly true of the pale-coloured organic drinks, such as the organic elderflower cordial. Our organic drinks tend to be darker than the equivalent non-organic drink, as our organic sugar is slightly browner than the non-organic sugar.

Artifical flavours

We also use no articifial flavours in any of our drinks. We find that by using the best quality juice we just don’t need to use artificial flavours. The only flavouring that we use is the ginger extract in the organic and non-organic ginger cordials and the organic ginger beer. This is a mixture of ginger essential oils and other natural ingredients and gives the products their spice heat.

Other additives

The only E-number that we use is citric acid. This is used to make our drinks more acidic, and this sharpens the flavour. Chemically, it’s identical to the acid that makes lemons and limes sour. We also use carbon dioxide to gently carbonate the presses.

Kosher and Halal

We do not hold kosher or halal certification for our products, although we are aware of no reason why they are not suitable for a traditional jewish or muslim diet.

Organic

All of our organic products are certified by the Organic Food Federation (UK4).