Austria Juice taps organic demand with fruit juice concentrate offerings at BioFach 2023

21 Feb 2023 --- Austria Juice showcased its latest organic juice concentrates and compounds at BioFach 2023, including a new pomegranate berry mix and lime guava drink. FoodIngredientsFirst spoke with Kai Oliver Antonius, a member of the board and CSO of added value for Austria Juice.

“We are showcasing juice concentrates made specifically from organic fruits, such as our new berry mixes. We are mainly focussing on the red fruits and apples,” Antonius told us.

He highlighted how Austria Juice is capable of providing different variations on juice and juice concentrates and its versatility in NPD as the industry adapts to new organic trends.

“For 2023, we are running a special line of organic products that do not contain any juice any more.”

“That means organic mixtures based on organic sugar and organic flavors, but we are also offering a tonic or a purely organic energy drink,” he adds. “We have already launched three types of energy drinks that are completely organic.”

“These are organic drinks that are based on our compounds, showing the fully-fledged possibilities available to us, especially the organic juice concentrate and the other organic ingredients we use in the compounds.”

Kai Oliver Antonius showcased Austria Juice's latest organic fruit concentrates at BioFach 2023.Conventional into organic
As consumers demand better taste and greater sustainability from their beverages, companies adapt by converting conventional products into organic versions.

“I’ve seen a trend here at BioFach, a desire to transform purely conventional drinks into organic versions. This is also true of the alcohol side of the business. Organic ciders and organic wines are becoming more of a trend and are tasting better,” he flagged.

Austria Juice is positioning itself as a solution provider for companies wishing to convert their beverages into organic produce.

“We received many questions about this from our clients, especially those running additional organic product lines on top of their conventional ones,” Antonius detailed. “We are gaining more and more clients exclusively dedicated to the organic market.”

“We see in this side of the business, without juice, things are getting more interesting. We are running two waves of product inspirations for our clients, strictly focused on organic products. These will be tied in with sustainability.”

Organic tied with health Antonius noted the trend of companies seeking to produce organic versions of their conventional products.
Organic fruit juices are rising in demand, especially with the growing desire for healthier, lower-sugar drinks.

“There is quite a rise in demand for organic produce, especially connected to the market’s increased demand for sustainability,” noted Antonius.

“However, here at Austria Juice we are also doing more on the compound side as people are watching their sugar intake, so organic products are increasingly connected to a healthier diet.”

Demand for sugar reduction is matched by both consumers and producers alike, he said while explaining that the industry is getting better at steering itself toward new taste profiles. “Again, we’ve noticed the link between sugar reduction and organic foods. Sugar reduction is on the table for all of our clients.”

Full-fledged functionality
Antonius highlighted how ingredient providers must be equally adaptive in their offerings as the market demands a greater shift toward sustainable, organic produce.

“Together with the trend for organic produce comes the trend for not-from-concentrate juice, so we are also capable of offering that via direct pressing. We are also exploring the possibility of producing organic concentrates, compounds, and pre-finished beverage products.”

Concentrates, fortifications and flavor solutions broaden Austria Juice’s capability to provide varieties of organic beverages. Antonius detailed that Austria Juice also produces beverage compounds.

By James Davies

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