Fruit Juice
Fruit juices consist of 100% pure fruit juice made from the flesh of fresh fruit or concentrates and contain no preservatives or any other added ingredients. Some 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.
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 do not undergo any pasteurisation treatment and 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 internationally recognised standards.
Not from concentrate juice is taken from fruit which is squeezed in the country of origin and then lightly pasteurised and frozen or aseptically packed for shipment to the country where it will be sold.
