A leading Japanese beverage company has been called out for selling a mixed-juice product with significantly lower amounts of melon juice than its packaging suggested.

The product, Kirin Beverage's "Tropicana 100% Marugoto Kajitsukan Melon Taste," was sold from June 2020 to April this year.

The Consumer Affairs Agency says Kirin Beverage placed illustrations of melons on the entire package with phrases such as "100% melon taste" and "real fruit experience."

The agency says it examined the drink and found the contents were mostly grape, apple and banana juice, and only contained about two percent melon juice.

It says the misleading representation was a violation of the Food Labeling Act, and ordered the company to prevent a recurrence.

Kirin Beverage says it is deeply sorry for the labels that may have misled consumers. The company says it will reinforce checks of its labelling practices to prevent a recurrence.