Why The Trustmark?

Since about 2010, there has been a revival in cider consumption making it one of the fastest-growing drink categories worldwide. The United Kingdom, referred to as the birthplace of cider making, is still leading the charge. Although the UK’s percentage share of the worldwide cider market has dropped in the last 10 years to 35% from around 50%, it is still today by far the largest cider market in the world with the greatest consumption per capita.

The main reason for its large drop in market share has been the revival of cider consumption in the USA and Canada, and the opening of new cider markets in Asia. For instance in the last 10 years, cider sales in the USA and Canada have grown by leaps and bounds and went from negligible to now about 6% and 4% respectively of worldwide demand.

Cider is frequently positioned as an alternative to beer or wine and it caters to a wider audience, especially to female consumers. A growing number of young adults prefer cider over beer as cider is gluten free, slightly sweeter, and more refreshing during hot summer days. Also, younger people, especially women, are increasingly choosing quality and authenticity over quantity. As such, they are willing to pay more for what they perceive as premium products, such as an authentic craft cider.

However, as many consumers are slowly starting to realize, the fast growth of the cider category has led to the appearance of many ciders that although labeled as such, are actually not really ciders. Yet, those products dominate the cider category since they are produced by large beverage companies that control the sales channels. It is a bit of a cliché but the expression “not all ciders are created equal” holds true today more than ever.

Single Apple

Lack of Definition, Common Standards and Regulations for Ciders

Contrary to the wine, spirits or beer category, there is currently no established clear understanding or definition of what a cider should be. With a few exceptions, there is also no credible institution or regional governing body overseeing cider standards. The closest to a standard in the cider category is the minimum juice content allowed, which varies widely from one country to the next.

Lack of Proper Labeling Regulations

The other important challenge with ciders is the weak labeling regulations that have not kept pace with changes in the cider category. In many countries, there are no requirements to write the ingredients on the back label such as the actual amount of real apple juice used, water content, sugar content, etc. In many places, the loose use of terms such as “100% local apples” on the front label is also allowed, even though at times the cider can be up to 50 to 85% water content leaving little room for the actual local apples.

The Grade A
Cider Trustmark

Due to lack of standards, limited or no government body regulating the category, and poor labeling laws, there is currently no way for a consumer to tell the difference between the various ciders currently sold on the market.

This means that quite often ciders with 60 to 85% water content and misleading labels claiming dubious local origins and craftiness are sold side by side with genuine craft ciders made with real apple juice. The fake craft ciders; produced more often than not by large beverage companies, dominate the market segment by controlling the sales channels and using their deep pockets to buy market shares.

How to fight back? For a start, the creation of the Grade A Cider Trustmark. Although the Trustmark does not address the labeling issues and lack of proper regulations, it does help create more of a level playing field.

The purpose of the Trustmark is a guarantee to consumers that the ciders carrying this Trustmark are genuine and have been made using real apples and according to an authentic cider-making method using a single-strength wine-like fermentation .

Hopefully sooner than later, the Trustmark can also become ‘the standard’ so that all ciders sold on the market are ‘real ciders’ and labeled according to their actual juice content and method of production.

Lack of Definition, Common Standards and Regulations for Ciders

Lack of Proper Labeling Regulations

The Grade A Cider Trustmark

Why the
Trustmark?

The Grade A
Cider Trustmark