Fruit juice
Fruit juices consist of 100% pure juice made from the flesh of
fresh fruit or from concentrates and contain no flavourings,
colours, preservatives or any other added ingredients. a few minor
exceptions exist in order to ensure that the final product is of an
acceptable taste. These exceptions are very specific and are
controlled by government legislation in the form of The Fruit
Juices & Nectars Regulations, 2003.
Fruit juices which contain added unauthorised ingredients
are adulterated and cannot be called fruit juice. To ensure that
such products do not get into the marketplace, BSDA established an
independent Quality Control Scheme in order to protect
consumers as well as to prevent the adulteration of fruit
juice supplies.
Types of fruit
juice
The fruit juice market is generally sub-divided into three main
types:
- long life juice
- short life juice
- freshly squeezed juice
Long life and short life products are pasteurised to varying
degrees which then has a direct affect on their shelf life. Long
life juices usually keep for 6-12 months while the packaging is
kept sealed, and because of the pasteurisation process applied and
packing method, do not require chilling. Short life juices have a
shelf life of up to 30 days and must be kept chilled.
Freshly squeezed fruit juices must have a shelf-life of not more
than 14 days and undergo little or not pasteurisation treatment;
they are usually packed and delivered to retailers within 24 hours.
Therefore freshly squeezed juice must be kept chilled and has a
shelf life of only a few days.
Juice from concentrate vs not from concentrate juice
Fruit juices can further be described on pack as being juice
from concentrate or not from concentrate. In the case of juice
from concentrate, the fruit has been picked, squeezed and
concentrated (by evaporating the water naturally present in the
juice) in the country of origin.
The concentrated juice is then frozen and shipped to the country
of use for packing. Fruit juice packers then reconstitute the juice
restoring it to its original strength by adding the same amount of
water to meet the standards set down in the EU Directive
2009/106/EC.
Not from concentrate juice is taken from fruit which is squeezed
in the country of origin and then pasteurised and frozen or
aseptically packed for shipment to the country where it will be
sold.