If you have been involved in the fruit juice industry for years, you would undoubtedly know some of the terminologies already, such as not from concentrate, from concentrate, and more. On the other hand, if you are starting to manufacture your fruit juice combinations or are thinking of venturing into it, you should know that there are different kinds of fruit juices. Furthermore, just because it says ‘fruit juice’ on the label, it doesn’t stop there – these are rated differently, and some are better than most. So what do you need to know about fruit juices? Here are some essential facts for you.
What is Fruit Juice:
As its name implies, Fruit juice is 100 per cent juice – which means it’s pure and preferably undiluted. Depending on the type, it is made from either the flesh of the actual fruit or the whole fruit itself. Fruit juice is different from juice ‘drinks’ in that you are not allowed to add any sugars, preservatives, sweeteners, colourings, or flavourings to the juice.
Fruit juices are usually categorised into three groups: fruit juice concentrate or ‘from concentrate’, ‘not from concentrate’ (otherwise known as NFC), and freshly squeezed. There may be other variations, such as cold-pressed and smoothies, which is a popular way to consume fruit juice. Smoothies contain purees, fruit juice and crushed fruit, and some have extra ingredients like milk or yoghurt.
- From concentrate
From-concentrate juice is arguably the most common type of fruit juice, and it’s a type of fruit juice that has been manufactured for years. With this, the juice is extracted, and the juice’s water content is decreased by the evaporation of water naturally contained in the fruit. The juice concentrate is frozen, and it is then shipped to a country where it will be used for packing. The packers of the fruit juice will then reconstitute it by adding water back to it.
- NFC or not from concentrate
The fruit juice is extracted from the whole fruit, often in the original country where the fruit comes from, and it is pasteurised and then chilled, frozen, or transported to the location where it will finally be packed.
- Freshly-squeezed juice
In this case, the juice extracted from the whole fruit is used or consumed right away, as is the case with orange juice.
The juice’s shelf life
Different fruit juices come with varying shelf lives, and this will depend on the packing procedure used for the juice. Long-shelf life juices can stay for up to 12 months if it comes with sealed packaging, and because of the method of packing and the pasteurisation process, do not have to be chilled. On the other hand, short-lifespan juices have to be chilled and can last on the shelves for only 30 days.
The UK’s freshly squeezed juices have a 14-day shelf life and are often packaged and delivered within 24 hours.
The most popular flavours
In the UK, the most popular fruit juice flavours include orange (at a whopping 60 per cent), followed by apple at only 13 per cent! Other popular flavours include pineapple at almost 4 per cent and berry flavour at only 2 per cent. Different flavour combinations make up the rest, taking up 17 per cent of the market.