Frozen Mango and Passion Fruit for Jam and Purée Makers in Central and Eastern Europe

Since 14 June 2026, EU jam has needed 450 g of fruit per kilogram instead of 350 g, so jam plants now buy more fruit for every tonne they make. For tropical lines, frozen mango and passion fruit from Vietnam are a practical way to cover that extra fruit: EU jam rules accept frozen raw material, and Vietnam is already an established frozen fruit origin for Poland.

This guide is for jam, purée, bakery filling and fruit preparation manufacturers in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic states.

Czytaj po polsku: mrożone mango i marakuja dla producentów dżemów i przecierów.

What changed in the EU jam rules?

Directive (EU) 2024/1438 amended the EU jam directive, 2001/113/EC, and Member States apply the new minimum fruit contents from 14 June 2026. Products placed on the market or labelled before that date under the old rules can be sold until stocks run out. The new minimums, per 1,000 g of finished product, are:

• Jam, general rule: 450 g, up from 350 g
• Extra jam, general rule: 500 g, up from 450 g
• Passion fruit jam: 80 g, up from 60 g
• Passion fruit extra jam: 100 g, up from 80 g

Under the general rule, that is 100 kg more fruit per tonne of standard jam. When fruits are mixed, each minimum is reduced in proportion to that fruit's share of the recipe, so a mango and passion fruit jam is calculated from both limits. The directive also opens the reserved names to products below 60% soluble dry matter that meet the conditions for a reduced-sugars claim, which gives fruit more work to do in the recipe.

Can frozen fruit be used to make EU jam?

Yes. The directive allows raw materials to be heated, chilled or frozen, freeze-dried, or concentrated where that is technically possible. Two points matter when you write the specification:

• Pulp and purée are different raw materials. Pulp is the edible part of the fruit, sliced or crushed but not reduced to a purée. Purée has been sieved or processed in a similar way. Jam can be made from either, or from both.
• Extra jam is stricter. It has to use unconcentrated pulp. Purée is allowed only for a short list of fruits that does not include mango or passion fruit, and sulphur dioxide cannot be used as a processing aid in its raw materials.

Your regulatory team should confirm how these rules read in the national law of the country where you label.

Which frozen format fits your line?

• IQF mango dice. For jam with visible fruit, bakery fillings and yogurt preparations. Cut size decides how the fruit looks after cooking, so agree the size and its tolerance.
• IQF passion fruit pulp with seeds. For toppings, desserts and jams where the seeds are part of the look.
• Frozen seedless purée. For smooth jams, fruit preparations, ripples and anything that runs through pumps or depositor nozzles.
• Concentrate. Saves freight and frozen storage, but it cannot go into extra jam.

TbesAgri supplies IQF Cat Chu mango and IQF passion fruit as standard and agrees other forms on request. Tell us your recipe and line, and we will suggest the format to test first.

What should go into the specification?

1. Fruit variety and origin region
2. Format, cut size and tolerance
3. Brix on thawed product at 20 °C, with a stated tolerance, because it feeds straight into your sugar calculation
4. Acidity or pH, which sets how much citric acid the recipe needs for gelling
5. Colour, defect limits and foreign matter
6. Microbiological limits for total plate count, yeast and mould, E. coli and Salmonella
7. A multi-residue report from an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory, against limits under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005
8. Carton weight, liner and pallet pattern for your cold store

Is Vietnam an established frozen fruit origin for Poland?

Yes, and the volumes are growing. UN Comtrade data for HS 081190, the customs line for other frozen fruit, shows Poland imported about 13,900 tonnes from Vietnam in 2025, worth USD 23.5 million, up from about 3,600 tonnes in 2023. By value, Vietnam was the second-largest supplier under that code in 2025, after Ukraine. The code covers several fruits, so it shows the strength of the trade route rather than a figure for mango or passion fruit alone.

Demand for the fruit itself is steady. CBI, the Dutch import promotion centre, expects the European mango purée market to grow 2 to 3% a year, and notes that mango is now regularly used by fruit preparation producers, dairy plants and bakeries.

What duty, documents and shipping apply?

Under the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement, the preference is claimed with a EUR.1 or, for consignments up to EUR 6,000, an origin declaration on the invoice. Our European Union importer guide covers the documents and food safety rules, and our guide for Poland and Eastern Europe covers the direct reefer route from Cai Mep to Gdańsk. To plan contracts around the crop, see the mango and passion fruit harvest calendar.

FAQ

Does the 450 g rule apply to fruit preparations and bakery fillings?

The directive covers products sold under its reserved names, such as jam and extra jam. Fruit preparations and bakery fillings sold under other names are outside those minimums, so their fruit content follows the recipe agreed with your customer.

Can mango purée be used to make jam?

Yes, for jam. EU rules define jam as made from the pulp, the purée, or both. For extra jam, mango has to be used as unconcentrated pulp.

How much passion fruit does EU jam need?

At least 80 g per 1,000 g of finished product for jam and 100 g for extra jam. If passion fruit is mixed with another fruit, the minimums are reduced in proportion to each fruit's share.

How do I get a specification and quotation?

Send the fruit, format, cut size, quantity and destination port to export@tbesfood.com. We reply with a specification and a price FOB Vietnam or CIF to your port.

Sources

• Directive (EU) 2024/1438, EUR-Lex
• Council Directive 2001/113/EC, EUR-Lex
• AGRINFO: revised marketing standards for fruit jams
• UN Comtrade: Poland imports, HS 081190, 2023 to 2025
• CBI: The European market potential for mango puree