Juice makers want ‘NFC’ to mean something else

This NFC brand is not ‘Not From Concentrate’.

It isn’t “not from concentrate,” it’s “newly fresh chilled.” At least that’s what the makers of Sunkist NFC, the orange juice distributed by Haitai Beverage Company, are trying to claim.
The name NFC appears in big letters on their orange juice sold in Korea, implying it is an acronym for “not from concentrate.” However, small letters below the label reads that the juice “is a delicious blend of ‘from concentrate’ and ‘not from concentrate’ orange juice.”
The company claims NFC stands for “newly fresh chilled” on its package.
The Korea patent office said Haitai registered the name only as a trademark, and if it says NFC means “newly fresh chilled,” then legally the firm has done nothing wrong.
Tropicana is playing a similar game. Lotte Chilsung recently announced it would be making NFC Tropicana juice. However, only the juice directly imported from the United States is truly not from concentrate. The bulk of it, which Lotte makes and packages here, is from concentrate, although it, too, sports the logo NFC.
Industry insiders say such actions may stop if the free trade agreement with the United States is approved. Such a deal would lower the price of orange juice and may increase the level of competition. The FTA would immediately abolish the current 54 percent customs tax levied on frozen orange juice and end taxes on American oranges over a period of seven years.

By Wohn Dong-hee, Hwang Young-jin Staff Writers [wohn@joongang.co.kr]