Orange Juice



Background

Orange juice is defined in the United States Code of Federal Regulations as the "unfermented juice obtained from mature oranges of the species Citrus sinensis or of the citrus hybrid commonly called Ambersweet." True fresh squeezed juice is difficult to market commercially because it requires special processing to preserve it. Orange juice is commonly marketed in three forms: as a frozen concentrate, which is diluted with water after purchase; as a reconstituted liquid, which has been concentrated and then diluted prior to sale; or as a single strength, unconcentrated beverage called NFC or Not From Concentrate. The latter two types are also known as Ready To Drink (RTD) juices.

Citrus fruits, like oranges, have been cultivated for the last 4,000 years in southern China and Southeast Asia. One variety, the citron, was carried to the Middle East some-time between 400 and 600 B.C. Arab traders transported oranges to eastern Africa and the Middle East sometime between 100 and 700 A.D. , and during the Arab occupation of Spain, citrus fruits first arrived in southern Europe. From there, they were carried to the New World by explorers where they spread to Florida and Brazil by the sixteenth century. By the 1800s, citrus fruits achieved worldwide distribution. In the 1890s, the demand for them greatly increased because physicians discovered that drinking the juice of oranges or other citrus fruits could prevent scurvy, a vitamin deficiency disease.

The popularity of orange juice dramatically increased again with the development of the commercial orange juice industry in the late 1920s. In its early days, the juice industry primarily relied on salvaged fruit, which was unsuitable for regular consumption because it was misshapen, badly colored or blemished. In the 1930s, development of porcelain-lined cans and advances in pasteurization techniques led to improved juice quality and the industry expanded significantly. Then, in 1944, scientists found a way to concentrate fruit juice in a vacuum and freeze it without destroying the flavor or vitamin content. Frozen concentrated juices were first sold in the United States during 1945-46, and they became widely available and popular. After World War II, most Americans stopped squeezing their own juice and concentrated juice became the predominant form. With the increase in home refrigerators, frozen concentrate became even more popular. The demand for frozen juices had a profound impact on the citrus industry and spurred the growth of the Florida citrus groves. Frozen concentrates remained the most popular form until 1985 when reconstituted and NFC juices first out-sold the frozen type. In 1995, NFC juices were responsible for 37% of the North American market. This is in comparison to reconstituted juice, which held about 39% of the market. Today, commercial aseptic packaging allows RTD juices to be marketed without refrigerated storage. The current worldwide market for orange juice is more than $2.3 billion with the biggest area being the United States followed by Canada, Western Europe, and Japan.

Raw Materials

Fruit

The primary ingredient in orange juice is, of course, oranges. Oranges are members of the rue family (Rutaceae), and citrus trees belong to the genus Citrus. Oranges, along with all citrus fruits, are a special type of berry botanists refer to as a hesperidium. Popular types of oranges include navel, Mandarin, and Valencia. A blend of different types of oranges is generally used to provide a specific flavor and to ensure freedom from bitterness. Selection of oranges for juice is made on the basis of a number of factors such as variety and maturity of the fruit. The fruit contains a number of natural materials that contribute to the overall flavor and consistency of the juice including water, sugars (primarily sucrose, fructose, and glucose), organic acids (primarily citric, malic, and tartaric), and flavor compounds (including various esters, alcohols, ketones, lactones, and hydrocarbons.)

Other additives

Preservatives such as sulfur dioxide or sodium benzoate are allowed by federal regulation in orange juice although the amounts are strictly controlled. Similarly, ascorbic acid, alpha tocopherol, EDTA, BHA, or BHT are used as antioxidants. Sweeteners may be added in the form of corn syrup, dextrose, honey, or even artificial sweeteners. More often, though, citric acid is added to provide tartness.

Manufacturers may also fortify juices with extra vitamins or supplemental nutrients such as vitamin C, and less commonly, vitamins A and E, and beta carotene. (Beta carotene is naturally present in oranges, but only to a small degree.) There is some concern about the stability of these added vitamins because they do not survive the heating process very well. Calcium in the form of tricalcium phosphate, is also frequently added to orange juice.

The Manufacturing
Process

Harvesting/collection

Cleaning/Grading

Extraction

Concentration

Reconstitution

Pasteurization

Packaging/filling

Byproducts/Waste

Byproducts from orange juice production come from the rind and pulp that is created as waste. Products made with these materials include dehydrated feed for livestock, pectin for use in making jellies, citric acid, essential oils, molasses, and candied peel. Certain fractions of orange oil (known as d-limonene), have excellent solvent properties and are sold for use in industrial cleaners.

Quality Control

Quality is checked throughout the production process. Inspectors grade the fruit before the juice is extracted. After extraction and concentration, the product is checked to ensure it meets a number of USDA quality control standards. The most important measurement in orange juice production is the sugar level, which is measured in degrees Brix (percentages by weight of sugar in a solution). The types of oranges used and the climate in which they were grown effect the sugar level. Manufacturers blend juices with different sugar levels together to achieve a desired sugar balance. The final juice product is evaluated for a number of key parameters include acidity, citrus oil level, pulp level, pulp cell integrity, color, viscosity, microbiological contamination, mouth feel, and taste. A sensory panel is used to evaluate subjective qualities like flavor and texture. Lastly during the filling process, units are inspected to make sure they are filled and sealed appropriately.

The Future

Future processing improvements are likely to come from the use of computer controlled sizing and grading of fruit. Orange juice formulations will see changes as the trend toward adding more nutrition-oriented ingredients, such as antioxidants, continues. In addition, future formulas are likely to be blends of orange juice with other, more exotic, fruit flavors, like kiwi, or even vegetable juices, like carrot.

Where to Learn More

Books

Nelson, P.E. and D.K. Tressler, ed. Fruit and Vegetable Juice Processing Technology. Westport, Connecticut: AVI Publishing Co., 1980.

Periodicals

"Juice Up." Food Product Design (July 1997).

"Unconcentrated Effort." Food Processing (November 1996).

Randy Schueller



Also read article about Orange Juice from Wikipedia

User Contributions:

1
Asawari
Is process of manufacturing orange pulp is different from orange juice? or the pulp recovered from juice production process is taken as final pulp?
2
linda polim
If we want to filled the orange juice by hot fill method at 90C. Beside vitamin, what else were lost/damage by the heat treatment?
3
aimeecaps
Thanks for posting this article! It's extremely helpful. I needed to research on how products were made, and what machines and people were involved. Thank you! More power!
4
flam
What could be the cause of pulp separation in 50% orange juice finished product.The pulp is usually pushed up and below is a semi watery brown liquid.Product is cold fill packed in PET and stored at ambient
Please i wanna know more about it i mean what are the ingredents in orange juice how it will prepared because i'm gonna go to make presentation about it. Could you please give me more about it.
6
rohit
I INTRESTED TO START THIS BUSINESS HOW MUCH TOTAL COST FOR THESE PLANT
7
okikiola
Seriously I love this article.it will go a long way to help me get something doing.pls can u recommend more books on this topic.thanks a bunch.
8
ALEXANDER OTU
I am interesting to begin this business in Africa to be specific Ghana. But my problem is how to get the additives and perservatives. In addition the box for the package. thank you.

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