Temperate-area fruits cover fruits like apple, pear, cheery, peach, apricot and grape. Most of these fruits contain a relative large amount of pectin which is not desirable in the clarified and concentrated juice. Therefore the pectin is removed before concentration (by depectinisation). Depectinisation can be done by enzyme treatment or ultrafiltration. The extracted pectin may be utilized commercially by pectin production. Please contact GEA for further information.
Reconstitution of concentrate is performed by local juice manufactures. The reconstitution itself involves several processing steps like blending, deaeration, pasteurizing and filling. Depending on the type of product to be produced (please see the below definitions), the various ingredients are blended to the required composition (by batch or in-line blending). The mixture varies from a simple blend between water and fruit concentrate (fruit juice) to a complex blend of various ingredients (fruit drinks).
Fruit juice (100% pure juice solids in total solids)
Beverage made from reconstituted fruit concentrate or fresh squeezed juice, without any additives.
Nectar drinks (35-99% pure juice solids in total solids)
Beverage made from reconstituted fruit or concentrate, with added sugar/sweetener.
Nectars are obtained by the addition of water and sugar to fruit juice, concentrated fruit juice, fruit purée or a mixture of these. They are generally prepared from fruits which are too acid or too strongly flavoured to be used alone. Nectars typically have a pH of 3.2 to 4.0 and 10 to 15 Brix sugar content.
Fruit drinks (1-34% pure juice solids in total solids)
Beverage made from reconstituted fruit concentrate, with added sugar/sweetener, flavours, stabilizer and other additives. If other ingredients such as sugar are added in order to reduce the amount of concentrate used, the product becomes a “drink” or “beverage” and must be described as such according to EEC rules and the food laws of most countries.
The below processing parameters are general guidelines and should only be considered as such.
Processing Sequence
| Sequence |
Process/Technology |
| 1. Ingredients treatment |
Water deaeration (VARIDOX), sugar dissolving (Conti-stream) |
| 2. Reconstitution/blending |
In-line blending (DICON), batch blending (DIBATCH) |
| 3. Product deaeration |
Deaerator module (PARAVAC) |
| 4. Homogenizing (Special applications only) |
Homogenizer module, Niro Soavi |
| 5. Heat treatment |
Heat treatment, PHE Systems/VARITHERM, VARITUBE |
| 6. Filling |
Procomac |