Danisco Creates Cost Saving Solution for Apple Juice

Today, with consumers directing ever more focus at the quality of the apple juice products they buy, the ingredients company can supply enzyme solutions that ensure both end-product quality and the most cost-efficient processing on the market.

24 Aug 2009 --- Currently at 10 million tonnes a year, the world market for apple juice made from concentrate has an annual growth rate of just over 6%. This has created a pressing need for manufacturers to get the most out of their fruit, particularly as fluctuations in annual harvests mean both the price and availability of the key raw material can vary widely from year to year.

Growth in fruit juice consumption is a sure trend on international markets. Harvests of the fruit necessary to meet juice demand are rather less predictable. For manufacturers, the need to maximise the juice yield from limited fruit supplies is ever pressing.

Danisco has taken the issue seriously for a long time. Today, with consumers directing ever more focus at the quality of the apple juice products they buy, the ingredients company can supply enzyme solutions that ensure both end-product quality and the most cost-efficient processing on the market.

Together the solutions for maximum juice yield and quality make up the Danisco MAXJuice Process – an integrated enzyme solution for mash enzymation, pomace extraction and depectinisation prior to ultra-filtration. Using the MAXJuice Process, manufacturers of apple juice can overcome many of their biggest challenges.

Changing market conditions are among the major obstacles to a profitable juice business, as much can happen in the time between production and the actual sale of juice concentrates. An additional complication for the juice industry is that the producers serving international markets are located in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. Not only is there a time difference of several months between fruit harvests in the North and South, harvest sizes and conditions may also vary greatly, making production planning difficult. In the event of a small global harvest, the juice industry comes under severe pressure to meet consumer demand.

Apple juice production is, in most countries, regarded as a buffer for the table fruit market, which, with its higher profit margins, is the top priority for farmers. Fruit used for processing is typically below table fruit standard or, if the harvest is large, is simply in excess of market requirements. Following a small harvest, the opposite is true – lower quality fruit is accepted as table fruit, leaving less fruit available for juice production and at a higher price.

While juice consumption has grown in line with the trend towards healthier, natural beverages, installed capacity for apple juice production has grown even more, particularly in China. This high global capacity is an added challenge to apple juice producers, often because certain parts of the processing line do not match the throughput capabilities of other parts. For example, while there may be enough pressing capacity to process large amounts of fruit, the ultra-filtration and/or evaporation capacity may not be sufficient to handle the volume of juice coming from the presses. The whole process is then governed by the part with the lowest throughput.    

No matter what the prevailing challenge with regard to fruit supply or market condition, the fact is that fruit represents the highest raw material cost in juice production. So, whether prices are high or low, getting the most out of the fruit is a basic need. That means going for the highest possible yields without compromising quality.

This is where the MAXJuice Process is a valuable tool, optimising juice yield, ensuring the extracted juice has the best possible quality, and promoting smooth, downstream processing. PEKTOZYME MAXJuice, a unique pectolytic enzyme preparation, and PEKTOZYME POWERClear P, which provides high ultra- filtration rates and stable concentrates, have been specially developed by Danisco for the purpose.

Special pectolytic enzymes for mash treatment, such as PEKTOZYME POWERMash, have a proven ability to optimise the processing of fruit, especially apples. Treatment with these enzymes prepares apple mashes for the pressing process, giving high yield, improved pressing capacity and excellent juice aroma. Due to its low pectin content and viscosity, the resulting juice is ideal for the following depectinisation and clarification process. The low polysaccharide content and viscosity are a further advantage during filtration, allowing high filtration rates, long running cycles and easier cleaning of the membranes, which in turn also gain a longer working life.

PEKTOZYME MAXJuice goes one step further than mash enzymes. Using this specific enzyme product, manufacturers can extract residual juice that is typically discarded with the pomace, maximising their use of expensive raw materials. At the same time, PEKTOZYME MAXJuice minimises colloids, securing good ultra-filtration, and degrades polysaccharides as a safeguard against the appearance of haze in concentrates. The stability of concentrates during storage is, thus, assured.

Depectinisation of the juices from the first pressing and secondary extraction is expertly managed using PEKTOZYME POWERClear P, a preparation with an extremely broad enzyme spectrum. By reducing the colloidal charge of the juices, the enzyme prepares juice for optimum ultra-filtration.

Overall, the MAXJuice Process is a sure way to fulfil international juice specifications. Apple juice production is more cost-efficient under all market conditions, regardless of fruit availability and prices. And that is good news for juice manufacturers who will see their challenges overcome and their profit margins rise.