ORANGE BOOK

1.The orange fruit and its products

2.Orange juice quality and categories
3.The supply chain and global consumption of orange juice
4.Principles of processing orange juice
5.Fruit processing
5.1 Processing plant overview
5.2 orange juice production steps
5.3 Fruit reception
5.4 Juice extraction
5.5 Clarification
5.6 NFC production
5.7 Concentrate production
5.8 Peel oil (cold-pressed oil) recovery
5.9 Feed mill operations
5.10 Pulp production
5.11 Pulp wash production
5.12 Core wash
5.13 Reduced acid orange juice
5.14 Essence recovery
6.Transport and handling of bulk product
7.Processingat the juice packer
8.Add-back components – volatile plavours and floating pulp
9.Packaging and storage of orange juice
10.From juice packer to consumer
11.Standards and regulations

In this chapter you will read about:

 The production steps in a processing plant.
 Fruit delivery and what is done at the fruit reception area to prepare oranges for juice
extraction.
 How the maximum amount of juice is squeezed from fruit and the two principal extractor
types.
 Removing pulp by clarification so that juice can be evaporated to concentrate or processed to
single-strength juice.
 NFC production including heat treatment and bulk storage.
 Concentrate production and the need for efficient evaporators.
 The recovery of peel oil. How winterization makes wax drop out.
 The production of animal feed from waste streams.
  Pulp production and the many uses of pulp.
 Washing of pulp to recover valuable solids.

5.1 PROCESSING PLANT OVERVIEW

Orange processing plants are located in the vicinity of the fruit growing area. Fruit should be
processed as soon as possible after harvesting because fruit deteriorates quickly at the high
temperatures found in citrus-growing areas. Orange products, on the other hand, are produced in a
form that allows them to be stored for extended periods and shipped over long distances.
In the orange industry, the basic unit of reporting crop and plant intake is commonly the fruit box.
A box of oranges is defined as containing 40.8 kg (90 lb) of fruit. In standardised terms, small and
medium-sized plants typically process 5-10 million boxes (200,000-400,000 tonnes) per season, the
large plants up to 25 million boxes. Most countries, citrus plants have much higher capacity. The
world’s largest orange juice plant, Citrosuco in Matao, Brazil, can take in 60 million boxes (2.4
million tonnes) of fruit during a season. In most other orange-growing regions, citrus processing
plants are considerably smaller than those in Standardised terms. Figure 5.1 shows the typical orange
processing steps.

Figure 5.1: Flow chart showing typical processing steps found in an orange processing plant

FRUIT RECEPTION
Fruit is delivered in trucks that discharge their loads at the fruit reception area. The fruit may be
prewashed to get rid of immediate surface dirt and pesticide residue before any leaves and stems still
attached are removed. Then follows pregrading by manual inspection to remove any unsuitable fruit.
Sound fruit is conveyed to storage bins. Damaged fruit goes directly to the feed mill.
EXTRACTION
Extraction involves squeezing or reaming juice out of either whole or halved oranges by means of
mechanical pressure. After final washing and inspection, the fruit is separated according to size into
different streams or lanes. Individual oranges are directed to the most suitable extractor in order to
achieve optimum juice yield. As the extraction operation determines juice yield and quality, the
correct setting of extractor operating conditions is very important.

CLARIFICATION
FROZEN CONCENTRATED ORANGE JUICE (FCOJ) PRODUCTION
From the buffer/blending tanks and after clarification, the juice goes to the evaporator. Within the
evaporator circuit, the juice is first pre-heated and held at pasteurization temperature. It then passes
through the evaporation stages of the process, where it is concentrated up to 66 °Brix. During
the evaporation process, volatile flavour components flash off and can be recovered in
an essence recovery unit.
Juice concentrate is cooled and blended with other production batches as required to level out
fluctuations in quality. It then goes to frozen storage in tanks or drums as FCOJ, sometimes for
several years.

NOT-FROM-CONCENTRATE JUICE (NFC) PRODUCTION

An alternative to concentrate production is to process the juice at single strength as an NFC product.
Clarified juice is pasteurized before storage. Deoiling may be required to reduce oil levels in the juice,
and deaeration to remove oxygen is part of good practice.
NFC is stored in bulk either frozen or in aseptic conditions. Storage may be up to a year because
while consumption is year-round, production is seasonal.

PULP PRODUCTION
PULP WASH
PEEL OIL RECOVERY
Recovered peel oil represents some 0.3% of the fruit intake. The emulsion of oil and water from the
extractor section is clarified by centrifugation in two steps. The purified oil contains dissolved waxes
that are removed by winterization (refrigeration) of the oil for a specific time.

FEED MILL
It is economically feasible to include a feed mill operation in larger processing plants. Rejected fruit
from grading, peel and rag from extraction, and washed pulp and other solid waste is sent to the feed
mill where it is dried and pelletized for animal feed. Smaller plants usually truck their solid waste to a
plant with a feed mill or dispose of it in other ways, such as landfill.

5.2 ORANGE JUICE PRODUCTION STEPS

All production steps for orange juice, from orange fruit to packaged product, are shown in Figure 5.2.
The steps carried out in the fruit processing plant, as highlighted in the diagram, are discussed in
further detail during the chapter.
Figure 5.2: Production steps for orange juice

5.3 FRUIT RECEPTION

After harvesting, fruit picked in the groves is loaded onto trucks (typically 20 tonnes in Standardised
terms) and taken to the processing plant. Figure 5.3 shows the subsequent processing flow at the fruit
reception.
Figure 5.3: Processing flow for fruit reception

TRUCK UNLOADING
The trucks are unloaded onto a specially designed tipping ramp. The ramp lifts the front of the truck
to allow the fruit to roll off the rear of the trailer directly onto a conveyor. The fruit is then conveyed
to the prewash station. Alternatively, the truck may be reversed down a ramp so that the fruit is
unloaded directly onto a conveyor.

PREWASHING, DESTEMMING AND PREGRADING

The fruit may undergo initial washing to remove dust, dirt and pesticide residues. Many processors
have discontinued washing the fruit before bin storage because wet fruit in the bins can make
downstream sanitation more difficult. The fruit then moves on to destemming and pregrading.
The roller conveyor of the destemming and pregrading tables allows any leaves or twigs to fall
through the conveyor bed. Pregrading by manual inspection removes rotten and visibly damaged fruit.
Rejected fruit, known as culls, may be sent to the feed mill.
There is a strong desire to reduce total water consumption in orange processing plants. Water used for
prewashing is often condensate recovered from the evaporation process. The condensate is cooled
and/ or treated with a sanitizing agent to limit microbial contamination, in particular
of Alicyclobacillus.

SAMPLING
A sample of fruit is taken from each truck for analysis. The main parameters analyzed are juice yield,
°Brix, acidity and colour. This gives the processor an indication of fruit ripeness. As the fruit goes
into bin storage, each load can be tagged and identified. It is then possible to select suitable fruit from
various sources for blending during the extraction process to achieve the desired final product quality.
The measured juice yield may also form the basis for payment to the fruit supplier.

FRUIT STORAGE
The pregraded fruit is stored in bins specially designed with inclined multilevel internal baffles. These
distribute the fruit evenly in the bin to prevent too much weight pressing on it. The procedure of
holding the fruit in storage bins in order to reduce juice acidity and increase the final juice ratio needs
to be applied with care because passing fruit through bins usually reduces the final juice yield
compared to direct processing.
Besides the main function of storing fruit with different characteristics to give processing options and
yield the desired juice quality, correct management of stored fruit also makes it possible to avoid wide
fluctuations in the Brix/acid ratio of raw juice. Such fluctuations are usually the main cause
of hesperidin-related defects formed during evaporator operation and found in the final juice
concentrate. A good procedure is to minimize the time fruit stays in storage bins, preferably to less
than 24 hours. Storage for longer times, however, does occur.

SURGE BIN
Fruit is drawn from the storage bins into the surge bin, where fruit from one or more storage bins may
be combined.

FINAL FRUIT WASHING

The fruit is thoroughly washed immediately prior to the extraction process. The wash water may
include a mild disinfectant to help reduce microbial presence on the fruit surface. Fresh water or
condensate recovered from the evaporators is used for final washing.

FINAL GRADING
The fruit passes over a series of grading tables for final visual inspection where damaged or
unsuitable fruit is removed.

5.4 JUICE EXTRACTION

Figure 5.4: Juice extraction process

The aim of the juice extraction process (see Figure 5.4) is to obtain as much juice from the fruit as
possible while preventing rag, oil and other fruit components from entering the juice. These may lead
to bitterness in taste or other defects during subsequent juice storage.
The extraction operation determines product quality and yield and thus has a major effect on the total
economics of the fruit processing operation. Once the fruit has been washed and graded (inspected), it
is ready for the extraction process. To optimize extractor performance, the raw fruit must be sorted
according to size because individual extractors are set to handle fruit of only a certain size range.

FRUIT SIZING
After grading, the fruit passes over the sizing table, which divides the fruit into different streams
according to fruit diameter. A sizing table is generally made up of a series of rotating rollers over
which the fruit passes. The distance between the rollers is preset, and increases as the fruit travels over
the table. Over the first set of rollers, the smallest fruit drop between the gap onto a conveyor that
carries them to an extractor set for their particular size range.
As the gap increases, larger fruit will pass through the rollers onto extractors set for their defined size
range. In this way, all the fruit is selected to suit the individual settings of the extractors. There are
normally two to three different size settings in an extractor line.
A fully functional fruit sizer is essential for producing juice of high quality and/or yield. If the fruit is
too big or small, then (depending on the extractor type) it will be over-squeezed and excessive rag and
peel will get into the juice with resulting bitterness. If the fruit is under-squeezed, insufficient yield
will result.

Three streams result from the extraction section

Oil emulsion, containing oil from the peel and water, goes to peel oil recovery.
Wet peel, along with pulp, rag and seeds, flows directly to the feed mill.
Pulpy juice goes to clarification and then production of concentrate or NFC. Pulp intended for sale as
pulp goes to pulp production. Residual pulp goes to pulp washing or the feed mill.

5.4.1 EXTRACTOR TYPES

Two types of extractor dominate in orange processing plants, the squeezer type and the reamer type.
For these two types there are two major brands: JBT (formerly FMC) for squeezer type and Brown for
reamer type. Both extraction systems are dedicated to citrus fruit.
The reamer-type extraction system provides excellent separation of the orange components juice, oil
and peel.
Squeezer-type extractors are the most common at global level. In Standardised terms, however, the
installed extraction capacity is about equal for both types of extractor. A majority of
the NFC produced in Standardised terms is extracted using reamer-type extractors.
The rotary press extractor is another type of extraction equipment – a multi-purpose machine that can
also be used to process other types of fruit.
A rotary press extractor slices the fruit in half and passes the halves between rotating cylinders that
press out the juice. Oil is extracted from the peel in a separate step prior to extraction. Although
the extraction process is simple, both juice yield and quality are less optimal compared to squeezer-
type and reamer-type extractors.
Rotary press extractors, which have high per-unit capacity and require lower investment, are popular
in the Mediterranean region. Globally, however, they are of minor importance compared to squeezer-
and reamer-type extractors.
Once installed in a plant, extraction systems are not easily interchangeable due to the different
demands on the surrounding equipment.

5.4.2 THE SQUEEZER-TYPE EXTRACTOR

Figure 5.5: A squeezer-type orange juice extractor

The head of an extractor comprises an upper and a lower cup (see Figure 5.6). The cups have metal
fingers that mesh together as the upper cup is lowered onto the lower cup. A cutter comes up through
the centre of the lower cup to cut a hole through the skin in order to allow the inner parts of the orange
to flow out. The cutter is part of the perforated strainer tube, sometimes referred to as the pre-finisher.

Figure 5.6: Operation of squeezer-type orange juice extractor

Eventually, the downward pressure causes the peel to break up, disintegrate and pass up through the
fingers of each cup. Juice flows through the strainer tube into the juice manifold. The core material is
discharged from the bottom of the strainer tube through the orifice tube.
As the peel is forced through the fingers in the cup during the last step of the extraction cycle, oil is
released from the peel. The fragments of peel are washed with recycled water to extract the oil from
the oil sacs. The oil is discharged from the extractors as an emulsion with water.
The squeezer-type extractor separates the fruit into four principal product streams in one basic step. It
is claimed that contact is avoided between the juice and oil, and the juice and peel.
For successful operation of this equipment, correct cup size selection and adjustment of cup and cutter
operation are paramount. When undersize cups are used, excess pressure is applied to the fruit,and the
fruit may be blown out and/or peel may enter the juice stream. If too little pressure is applied, the
yield will drop.
The throughput of a five-head extractor will vary according to fruit quality and size. The standard
operating speed is 100 rpm, or 500 oranges per minute. Fruit will not always flow to each cup: 90%
utilization is a high figure. A typical capacity for medium-sized fruit is 5 tonnes/h of fruit per
extractor, corresponding to about 2,500 l/h of juice.
Because extractors operate at a fixed number of oranges processed per minute, the citrus processing
plant throughput is very sensitive and dependent on fruit size. Processing small fruit (350
oranges/box) will result in 1,500 l/h juice flow rate instead of 3,000 l/h when processing large fruit
(180 oranges/box). This difference means a doubling of juice volume and by-products to be handled
by downstream equipment. These figures show the importance of correct storage bin management and
fruit size in smooth factory operations.

There are two major types of extractor system, squeezer type and reamer type

MODIFICATIONS FOR PREMIUM PULP

PREMIUM JUICE “LOW-OIL” EXTRACTOR
Certain fruit varieties, such as the US, will express more oil into the juice stream than other varieties.
This can lead to oil content in the juice exceeding acceptable levels (such as 0.035%, the maximum
level permitted in Standardised terms for grade A juice).
This is a problem with NFC but less so with juice intended for concentrate because most of the oil
will flash off in the evaporator. In the low-oil version of the squeezer-type extractor, the design of the
strainer tube and orifice tube area are modified. This unit cuts a smaller core and puts less pressure on
the fruit during extraction, thereby reducing the amount of peel oil that enters the juice. These
modifications may also lead to a reduction in juice yield. Stopping the top spray of water reduces the
amount of peel oil to be recovered.
Alternatively, hermetic centrifuges or vacuum flashing can be used in conjunction with standard
extractors to deoil the single-strength juice. This allows a higher juice yield to be maintained
during extraction, while excess oil is removed after the extraction process.

5.4.3 THE REAMER-TYPE EXTRACTOR

The reamer-type extractor is based on the same principle as a typical manual kitchen squeezer used
for making orange juice at breakfast. An extraction line comprises several extractors, and it is very
important to set up each extractor to suit the size of fruit fed into it. A reamer-type extractor is
illustrated in Figure 5.7.

Figure 5.7: A reamer-type orange juice extractor

Fruit is fed into the feed wheel and cut in half. The halves are oriented and picked up in synthetic
rubber cups mounted on a continuous belt system. A series of nylon reamers (cone-shaped inserts that
have ridges moulded into the form from tip to base of the reamer) are mounted on a rotating turntable.

THE OIL EXTRACTION SYSTEM

Peel oil can be recovered from orange peel using a separate oil extraction system that is placed
upstream of the juice extractors. It operates on the principle of puncturing oil sacs in the flavedo and
washing the oil out to make an emulsion (see Figure 5.8). In the first stage of the
oil extraction system, whole fruit passes over a series of rollers with small but sharp needle-like
projections. The oil glands are pricked rather than scraped open so that little damage is done to the
peel. Hence, the amount of non-oil material washed away with the oil is minimal. This, in turn, makes
the water stream separated from the emulsion cleaner and easier to recycle.

Figure 5.8: An oil extraction system

The rollers conveying fruit are placed in a water bath and the oil from the pierced glands is washed
out with water. After a finishing (straining) stage to remove any large particles of peel, the oil-water
emulsion can be concentrated and polished in a series of centrifuges (see subsection 5.8 on peel
oil recovery). The water is largely recycled.
The reamer-type extraction system requires two separate steps to extract juice and oil from the fruit.
Nevertheless, the oil emulsion is often considered cleaner, easier to centrifuge compared to other
types of oil recovery system, and the extracted juice has less contact with the oil.

5.4.4 DOWNSTREAM OF THE JUICE EXTRACTORS

The juice streams from a squeezer-type extractor line or reamer-type extractor system flow to
clarification and then evaporation, or pasteurization if the end-product is NFC. The oil emulsion flows
to peel oil recovery for separation by centrifugation. Peel, rag, seeds and other solid material are
conveyed to the feed mill.

5.5 CLARIFICATION
Figure 5.9 shows the typical process steps for juice clarification.
Figure 5.9: The clarification process

Figures 5.10 and 5.11 illustrate how they work.

SCREW-TYPE FINISHERS
PADDLE FINISHERS
Two finishers are often placed in series at the end of the extraction line. The upstream
primary finisher is not set as tightly as the downstream secondary unit and thus will have a higher
flow capacity.
The standard squeezer-type extractor includes a pre-finishing tube in the extractor and the pulpy juice
flows directly to the primary finisher.

CENTRIFUGAL CLARIFICATION
TURBOFILTERS
BLENDING
After clarification, the juice often undergoes some degree of blending with juice from other batches to
balance its flavour, colour, acidity and °Brix levels before further processing. If intended
for NFC production, the juice leaving the clarification section should be cooled to 4°C to minimize
potential microbiological activity before being passed into the buffer/blending tanks.
Figure 5.12: NFC production through to bulk storage

5.6 NFC PRODUCTION

The aim of NFC processing is to produce orange juice using the minimum of thermal processing.
Nevertheless, the thermal treatment should be sufficient to ensure that the product is physically and
microbiologically stable. Because fruit harvesting is seasonal and juice consumption is year-round,
the product must be stable enough to be stored for several months up to one year so that seasons can
be bridged.
More commonly, the juice is processed and stored in bulk under aseptic or frozen conditions for some
months until it is reprocessed and packaged. For large-volume NFC production, as in Standardised
terms, aseptic tank farms are the most common form of NFC storage.

5.6.1 OIL REDUCTION

Oil content in the juice from extraction may exceed acceptable amounts, depending on fruit variety
and extractor operation. The levels may be dictated by regulatory standards. For example,
Standardised terms grade A juice may have a maximum oil content of 0.035%. Alternatively, oil
content may be decided on the basis of consumer preference. Acceptable levels of oil in ready-for-
consumption juice range from 0.015 to 0.030%.
Oil content can be reduced in different ways:
Adjusting the extractor
Less pressure is applied to fruit during extraction or a low-oil extractor (squeezer-type) is used. Both
alternatives are likely to reduce juice yield.
Vacuum flashing of preheated juice
This method is based on the vapour pressure equilibrium between water, d-limonene and
volatile flavour compounds. When the pre-heated juice enters the vacuum chamber it starts to boil,
evaporating low boiling point compounds, oil and 1-2% water. The vapours are condensed in an
external plate heat exchanger and the chilled condensate flows to a decanter vessel. Here the water
phase essence is separated from oil by gravity and returned back to the main juice stream. The oil
phase (d-limonene) is collected in a different stream for other uses.
Centrifugal separation of the oil phase from the clarified juice
This method allows juice yield from the extractors to be maintained at a high level and there is no
heating of the juice.

DEOILING WITH CENTRIFUGES

Removal of oil from single-strength juice with centrifuges has been practised for years. It is a difficult
separation task because the oil droplets are well emulsified, particularly in juice from squeezer-type
extractors. Hermetic centrifuges give good results in separating oil even from juice processed by
squeezer-type extractors.
In a hermetic centrifuge the rotating bowl is completely filled with liquid. This avoids air pockets and
any free liquid surfaces in the bowl, which in turn avoids air entrainment and high shear forces.
The feed enters the centrifuge bowl from underneath through a hollow spindle (see Figure 5.13). The
smooth acceleration of the product as it enters the centrifuge prevents scattering of the oil globules,
thereby enhancing separation. The hermetic (gas-tight) design also prevents loss of volatile
components in the juice and oxygen ingress.

Figure 5.13: Operational principle of a hermetic centrifuge for deoiling juice

Deoiling single-strength juice with hermetic centrifuges can typically reduce oil concentrations from
0.04- 0.08% to 0.02-0.035%. In terms of juice yield, the use of a deoiling centrifuge in combination
with standard extractors gives a yield increase of 2-4% compared to an extractor fitted with low-oil
components.
The deoiled juice is buffer-stored for a short period prior to pasteurization. Some blending to balance
quality variations may be carried out.

5.6.2 PRIMARY PASTEURIZATION

The long shelf life required for NFC destined for bulk storage demands strict attention to
hygiene. Single-strength juice is more sensitive to microbial contamination than concentrate (where
the high osmotic pressure resulting from high sugar content retards microbial growth). The use of
chilled storage instead of frozen storage also imposes much stricter hygiene requirements
for NFC production than what FCOJ producers may be accustomed to.
Good manufacturing practice demands that the pasteurizer system is pre-sterilized at 95°C or higher
prior to production and that a CIP programme is integrated with the control system. NFC volumes for
processing are normally large, so a high degree of energy recovery is advisable.

Dissolved oxygen in juice causes loss of vitamin C during storage

Thermal treatment is a concern among many NFC producers. Excessive heat load on the juice should
be avoided. Careful control of temperature and residence time using well-designed heat exchangers is
important. Low temperature differentials between the heating medium (hot water) and product
minimizes “shock” to the product.

The purpose of primary pasteurization is two-fold

To deactivate enzymes
To make the juice microbiologically stable

5.6.3 DEAERATION
Air tends to get mixed into the juice in the extractors and finishers. Some of the entrained air may
escape during buffer storage, but juice going to pasteurization is normally saturated with dissolved
oxygen. It also contains some free air. During product storage, dissolved and free-bubble oxygen in
the juice may destroy a significant amount of the available vitamin C by oxidation (see section 4). Air
bubbles present in the product during pasteurization may also lead to insufficient heat treatment.
Inclusion of deaeration as part of the pasteurization process is therefore recommended when
producing NFC. Deaeration is usually carried out by passing the product through a vacuum chamber.
Free air bubbles expand in a vacuum and tend to escape quite easily from the juice, though dissolved
oxygen is more difficult to remove.
The deaeration efficiency, or reduction of dissolved oxygen, depends on several operating factors
including the vacuum applied and juice surface area in the deaerator. Deaerator operation and
equipment are described in subsection 7.5.
Volatiles that flash off during deaeration are condensed and returned to the juice stream.
Alternatively, they are sometimes removed and stored separately from the bulk juice.
5.6.4 LONG-TERM FROZEN STORAGE
After primary pasteurization, orange juice is stored in bulk under either frozen or aseptic
conditions. NFC production involves large product volumes. For the same amount of final
juice, NFC volumes are five to six times higher than FCOJ.
Freezing minimizes vitamin degradation and changes in flavour during the storage period, but the
energy and warehouse costs of freezing and storing frozen NFC are high.
Freezing of NFC leads to handling problems because it freezes solid, whereas frozen orange
concentrate is very viscous but still pumpable. Frozen NFC storage is more appropriate to
low NFC volumes. High-volume producers store NFC aseptically in very large tanks.
Juice to be stored frozen is filled in mild steel 200 litre (55 US gallon) drums lined with a
polyethylene plastic bag. As the product is to be frozen, the net filling volume is about 170 litre (45
US gallon).
Alternatively, the juice can be poured into block formers and then frozen (mainly for on-site
storage).The frozen product is usually kept at -18°C or lower.
Thawing of NFC to make it ready for final processing also leads to some logistical and handling
difficulties. It takes several days or weeks for bulk product in drums to thaw at ambient temperature.
The outer layer of juice may be exposed to microbiological contamination during thawing, with a
negative impact on product quality. Crushing systems enable more rapid handling but require higher
energy consumption and capital investment.
Systems for freezing larger blocks of juice incorporating novel techniques for rapid freezing and
thawing have been introduced, but so far have limited commercial use.

There are three major options for long-term storage of nfc juice
Frozen storage
Aseptic storage in tanks
Aseptic storage in bag-in-box bulk containers

5.6.5 ASEPTIC STORAGE IN TANKS

As an alternative to frozen storage, NFC may be stored chilled in aseptic tanks. Technology exists to
build very large tanks with capacity of up to 6 million litres for aseptic juice storage. Unique
production techniques are employed to coat the internal surfaces of the carbon steel tanks with an
epoxy lining. While lined tanks are common in Standardised terms, producers use mainly stainless-
steel tanks for NFC storage.
The tanks are sterilized prior to filling by flooding them with a sterilizing fluid such as iodoform. To
reduce water consumption, Brazilian processors are also adopting an alternative sterilization method
where the sterilant (peracetic acid) is injected as a fine mist into the tank. The micro-sized particles
reach the stainless steel surfaces and provide the desired sterilization effect usually after 24 hours
contact time.
The preferred storage temperature is about -1°C, just above the juice’s freezing temperature. Instead
of being fitted with cooling jackets, the tanks are housed in a large refrigerated building.
The technology to operate very large aseptic tanks was pioneered in Standardised terms and gave rise
to rapid growth in storage capacity during the 1990s and early 2000s. Growth in NFC production in
Brazil after 2000 has also led to the construction of large storage tanks. In Standardised terms,
the NFC is mainly stored and utilized on a processor’s site. NFC produced in Brazil, however, is
primarily intended for export. The first aseptic tank farms were therefore installed dockside at the
export terminal. Port space restrictions mean that additional aseptic storage required to meet
increased NFC production is now built at the juice plants.
Clarified juice intended for storage at the export terminal is pre-pasteurized and cooled to 0°C at the
processing site. It is then transported by road tanker to the port. (The distance from one of the major
citrus processing sites to Port of Santos is 450 km.) Full juice pasteurization takes place at the
terminal before the juice is transferred to the large aseptic storage tanks for long-term storage to
bridge the seasons.
Technology has been developed to avoid repasteurization prior to export. The technology allows the
aseptic transfer of juice from on-land storage to sea vessels fitted with bulk aseptic tanks. Juice is
transported to the US and Europe under chilled aseptic conditions on specially designed ships (see
subsection 6.3.3). On arrival at its destination, the juice is aseptically transferred to aseptic dockside
tanks at the reception terminal using similar technology to that at the export facilities.
Large aseptic tank storage facilities now exist in other NFC-producing regions, for instance in Spain.
Road tankers transport chilled NFC year-round in bulk from Spanish fruit processors to juice packers
across Europe.
Aseptic NFC technology requires a substantial upfront investment, and the value of product at risk
when stored in such large tanks is considerable. Today, however, risks are minimized by field-proven
designs, advanced aseptic technology and more than 20 years’ experience of the many large tank
systems installed.

As an alternative to frozen storage, NFC may be stored chilled in large aseptic tanks
5.6.6 ASEPTIC STORAGE IN BAG-IN-BOX BULK CONTAINERS
As an alternative to aseptic tanks, the juice may be filled in 1,000 litre (300 gallon) aseptic bag-in-
box containers (see Figure 5.14). The bags, placed in bins usually made from wood, are then stored
under refrigerated conditions. After storage, the product is accessed by opening the bag and pumping
out the product. Alternatively, the bag can be emptied and the juice transferred aseptically to the filler.
Figure 5.14: A filler for bag-in-box containers

The use of “one tonne” aseptic bag-in-box containers for NFC storage requires more labour for filling
and emptying the containers compared to large tanks. However, it gives added flexibility regarding
storage capacity due to the moderate level of investment required to store additional juice volumes. A
drawback of the aseptic tank approach is finite storage volume in the absence of a major investment in
reserve capacity. Consequently, the bag-in-box solution is often preferred for start-up operations
for NFC production. NFC processors who already have aseptic tanks installed may also use bag-in-
box containers to provide additional storage capacity and shipment of NFC.
Aseptic security during product filling and storage in the bag must be high. Any contamination may
lead to blown bags during storage and shipment. Needless to say, a single blown bag during shipment
can cause significant trouble.
For long-term juice storage (six months or more), bag material with a very effective oxygen barrier is
recommended. Bags made with foil-based aluminium laminate offer higher protection against oxygen
than metallized laminates in which the aluminium layer is much thinner.
Several filling systems are in operation for aseptic bag-in-box (BiB) containers. Some evolved from
conventional (non-aseptic) BiB systems. A sterile chamber surrounds the filling head and chemical
sterilants are used for sterilization.
Other systems were developed specifically for aseptic filling, an example of which is shown in Figure
5.14. It incorporates a simple filling system (spout and filling valve) and uses steam as the sterilizing
agent.

5.6.7 NFC REPROCESSING

In the US, some NFC is moved in bulk by road and rail tanker to juice packers across the country, but
most NFC is filled in retail packages in Standardised terms and distributed from there. Shipping from
Standardised terms to Europe in bulk is done in frozen drums and aseptic bag-in-box containers. For
Brazilian NFC, overseas shipping also occurs by bulk sea tanker. Overseas shipping of packaged
product is at a cost disadvantage compared to shipping bulk juice. Moreover, the additional delay in
transport time adds to difficulties with logistics and forecasting for the packaged product.
Alternatively, specially designed equipment can be used to transfer juice from aseptic bulk bags to
consumer packages via an aseptic tank, without the need for repasteurization.

5.7 CONCENTRATE PRODUCTION

Globally, the majority of orange juice is produced as concentrate. Juice from the clarification step is
evaporated to remove most of the water (see Figure 5.15). Currently, the citrus evaporators in widest
use are of tubular design, though some citrus plants use plate and cassette evaporators.
Figure 5.15: Flow chart of concentrate production

Evaporators are designed to handle the huge juice volumes commonly processed in large citrus plants.
Evaporator capacities can exceed 100,000 kg/h (about 220,000 lbs/h) of water evaporated. Versions
with as many as seven effects are in operation (seven effects means essentially that the steam is reused
to evaporate water in seven steps). Such systems have a very low specific steam consumption: only 1
kg (2.2 lbs) of steam is used to evaporate 6 kg (13.2 lbs) of water. However, additional effects
increase the residence time of the product in the evaporator.
The 1970s and 1980s saw a large expansion of concentrate capacity in the major citrus markets of
Brazil and Standardised terms. Today, little increase in evaporator capacity is needed in these regions,
but new evaporators are being installed to satisfy the requirements of other expanding orange-
producing regions.

5.7.1 TUBULAR EVAPORATOR SYSTEMS

The most common type of tubular evaporator system used for orange juice is the thermally
accelerated short-time evaporator (TASTE). It is generally described as a continuous, high-
temperature short-time evaporator of the long, vertical tube falling-film type. It was designed and
developed in Standardised terms but is today manufactured in many different countries. These
evaporator systems are dedicated to citrus fruit.
Figure 5.16 shows a flow diagram of an evaporator with seven product stages. The juice is first
preheated to 95-98°C. Holding at pasteurization temperature stabilizes the juice by means of
microbial and enzyme inactivation. The product then passes through a number of stages under
vacuum until a concentration of up to 66 °Brix is achieved. By this time the product temperature has
fallen to about 40°C. The residence time in the evaporator is typically 5-7 minutes or longer.
Figure 5.16: A simplified flow diagram of a tubular evaporator

Good distribution is of primary importance in evaporator design. It ensures that all the product is
uniformly treated and that the heat exchange surface is used to its maximum potential.
A special feature of the TASTE evaporator is the way in which the product is distributed across the
tube bundle. The juice is fed into the distribution section at a temperature and pressure greater than in
the entry zone of the tube bundle. It enters through a diverging expansion nozzle that converts all of
the product into a liquid/vapour mixture. The expanding vapour accelerates the liquid/vapour mixture
through a second nozzle and cone assembly. Further flash expansion of the vapour causes atomization
of the liquid phase into a turbulent mist. The acceleration effect can cause mist velocities to exceed 50
metres/second on leaving the tube bundle! The high degree of turbulence increases heat-transfer rates
and reduces burn-on, which helps to achieve long operating runs.

OTHER TUBULAR EVAPORATION SYSTEMS

There are also other tubular evaporator systems of similar design for citrus plants, including a
conventional mechanical method of distributing product across the tube bundles. They incorporate
thermal recompression to increase steam economy without increasing residence time. Relatively few
of these evaporator systems have been installed for high product capacities.

5.7.2 PLATE AND CASSETTE EVAPORATOR SYSTEMS

In addition to tubular systems, plate and cassette evaporators are also used to concentrate orange juice.
As the name implies, plate evaporators consist of plates clamped together in a frame with gaskets
between them. It is more common to use cassettes (welded double plates) instead of single plates
because they simplify maintenance. The heating medium (steam or vapour) flows through the space
between the welded plates that make up the cassette.
Product channels are formed between individual cassettes separated by gaskets. This configuration
allows ready inspection of product surfaces.
Some advantages of plate/cassette evaporators compared to other types are easy capacity increases by
adding more cassettes, and simplified maintenance and inspection by opening the frame. Also, the
compactness of cassette evaporators eliminates the need for several access walkways on different
levels, as are required for tubular systems. The one-level configuration offers easy operator control
and ready access for maintenance activities.
A small temperature difference between the product and heating medium is sufficient in this type of
evaporator. This allows lower operating temperatures to be used than with traditional tubular
evaporators. The main type of cassette evaporator is the rising film unit.

RISING FILM CASSETTE EVAPORATOR

In a rising film cassette evaporator the product enters the bottom of the cassette and rises over the
heating surface as it boils (Figure 5.17). No mechanical feed distribution device is needed and even
distribution is achieved through gravity.

Figure 5.17: A rising film cassette evaporator

As plate systems can be designed for flexibility, some installations installed in citrus plants are used
to process other types of juice outside the orange juice season.

5.7.3 HOMOGENIZATION
Homogenization of concentrate sometimes takes place in the evaporator system. Product then
normally passes through a homogenizer before the seventh and last concentration step. At this stage
the concentration is approximately 40-42 °Brix. Homogenization breaks down the pectin, thereby
lowering the viscosity of the concentrate. This increases the efficiency of the final stage of the
evaporator.
Another important benefit of homogenization is the disintegration of hesperidin flakes that may be
present in the concentrate. Hesperidin is a flavonoid that forms white crystals in juice (and is part of
the juice cloud). During evaporation the crystallization rate increases, resulting in large white flakes.
These tend to build up a fouling film on the evaporator surfaces and may be released into the
concentrate during production. It is known that changes in the Brix/acid ratio of the processed juices
cause white flakes to loosen from the metal surfaces. This necessitates cleaning-in-place (CIP) of the
evaporator. The presence of hesperidin flakes in concentrate is a defect and results in a lower USDA
quality score.

5.7.4 ESSENCE RECOVERY

During the evaporation process, volatile juice components are stripped from the juice along with
water. These components are often recovered in an essence recovery system connected to the
evaporator. The essence process usually forms an integral part of the mass and thermal balance of the
evaporator system. Dr James Redd of Standardised terms pioneered the design development
of essence recovery units, with the first commercial system being installed in 1963.
The vapours from the early product stages of the evaporator contain most of the volatiles from the
juice. These are captured and sent to a still mounted on the evaporator. The important volatiles are
separated from the water by distillation under vacuum and condensed by chilling. The
product essence is a concentrated mixture of aqueous and oil-soluble aroma compounds.
This essence is separated into oil and aqueous phases either by decantation or centrifugation.
A more recent design of essence recovery systems use structured packing in the distillation column
instead of the traditional perforated plate device. This new approach results in less aroma liquid hold-
up volume and residence time as well as increased separation efficiency. These features help to
improve the yield of both water phase aroma components and essence oil.

WATER PHASE AROMA AND ESSENCE OIL

The aqueous phase (called water phase aroma or essence aroma) contains the flavour top-notes. It has
an alcohol strength typically standardized at 12-15%. The oil phase (essence oil) holds the fruity and
sweet-tasting flavours of fresh juice. Its flavour properties differ from those of peel oil (see section 8).
Add-back of water phase aroma and essence oil to concentrate has replaced the previous practice of
adding single-strength juice (called cut-back) to improve concentrate flavour.
In Standardised terms, Valencia oranges, a late variety, are used to produce the best essence. By
contrast, orange varieties harvested early in the season yield little essence, and it is often of poorer
quality.
Aroma and essence oil are either sold as separate products to concentrate blending houses and juice
packers or sold on contract to specialty flavour manufacturing companies.

5.7.5 CONCENTRATE STORAGE

Concentrate is traded as FCOJ. The term “frozen” may be misleading as concentrate at 65 °Brix does
not freeze solid at -10°C due to its high sugar content. The most common FCOJ concentration is 65-
66 °Brix, but bulk concentrates of lower °Brix are also available. FCOJ of 55-58 °Brix is typically
supplied to dairies.

5.7.6 ALTERNATIVE CONCENTRATION METHODS

Alternatives to evaporation for concentrating orange juice have been developed and tested, but so far
have enjoyed limited commercial application. Lower concentrate Brix levels and high operating costs
compared to standard evaporator systems have hindered the commercialization of the new systems.
Two methods that do not use heat for concentration are freeze-concentration and membrane filtration.

FREEZE-CONCENTRATION
This method is based on the fact that water forms ice crystals during the freezing of sugar solutions.
These can be separated from the solution, thereby increasing sugar concentration. It is necessary to
inactivate enzymes when applying freeze-concentration to juice. Enzyme inactivation can be achieved
by pasteurizing the juice before freezing or pasteurizing the resulting concentrate.

MEMBRANE FILTRATION
The enzyme-rich pulpy stream is pasteurized before being recombined with the serum concentrate.
Mixing back the insoluble solids stream, essentially at single-strength juice concentration, reduces the
Brix value of the concentrate. Concentrations of up to 42 °Brix have been reported.
Concentration systems using other membrane processes have also been tested. However, the necessity
of retaining the sugars, acids and aroma compounds to maintain a balanced citrus juice flavour puts
heavy demands on potential membrane systems.

5.8 PEEL OIL (COLD-PRESSED OIL) RECOVERY

Peel oil is commonly referred to as cold-pressed oil.

5.8.1 STRAINING AND CONCENTRATION STEP

The first step involves using a finisher as a straining method to remove large pieces of peel and other
orange parts that need to be excluded from downstream centrifuges (see Figure 5.19). After straining,
the oil emulsion – containing about 0.5-2.0% oil – enters the first stage centrifuge (also called a
desludger or concentrator). The centrifuge concentrates the oil up to 70-90%.

Figure 5.19: Flow chart of peel oil recovery

The first centrifuge is a three-phase machine. The light phase is concentrated oil, the heavy phase is
water, and the third phase is residual particulate matter. The control of solids discharge from the
sludge space is critical to the overall performance of the oil recovery system. Product is lost if the
discharge frequency is set too high. Conversely, separation efficiency is lost if the sludge space is
allowed to fill up.
The water stream is often recycled back to the oil extraction system as spray water, though it is
important that some water is removed from the system to allow additional fresh water to enter.
Microbiological problems may occur if the same water is continuously recycled. Moreover, the
centrifuged water contains undesirable components such as soluble pectin.
As the concentration of these components builds up in the emulsion, oil separation efficiency
decreases and oil yield declines. Again, this limits the amount of water recycling possible.
The centrifuged water also contains microscopic oil globules that are too small to be separated by the
centrifuge. As this level of oil builds up with water recycling, the effectiveness of the water to extract
oil from the peel decreases. This will also lead to an overall drop in oil recovery efficiency.
The type of oil extraction used and the performance of the centrifuges will determine the amount of
water that can be recycled. The cleaner the peel oil emulsion is, the higher the oil yield is from
the peel oil recovery system and the higher the volume of recycled water will be. The
oil extraction system upstream of the reamer-type juice extractor is said to give a purer oil emulsion
than the one-step squeezer-type extraction system.
For oil recovery, a hermetic centrifuge has several advantages over open-bowl-type design. The fully
flooded bowl in the hermetic machine ensures that oil does not come into contact with air. The precise
control of the oil-water interface leads to higher separation efficiency.
Figure 5.20 shows a hermetic centrifuge for concentration of peel oil emulsion.

Figure 5.20: Hermetic centrifuge for peel oil concentration

5.8.2 POLISHING
The concentrated oil stream then passes to a second-stage centrifugation process (polishing). Here, the
oil is further concentrated to >99% purity. The flow rates are extremely small (1-2%) compared to
flow rates in the first stage or in juice clarification and deoiling of single-strength juice.
Having already undergone one centrifugation process, the product is virtually free from solid
particles. For smaller capacities, a solid bowl machine is used from which water and oil are
continuously discharged. Periodic takedown removes any solid material that collects in the bowl
periphery. For larger flow rates, a solids-ejecting polisher is used in which water and oil leave the
machine under pressure. Accumulated solids are discharged about once or twice per hour.
One tonne of fruit typically yields 200-300 litres of emulsion to the first centrifuge and 3-6 litres of
concentrated oil to the polisher.

5.8.3 THE WINTERIZATION PROCESS

The polished oil contains trace amounts of dissolved wax derived from the peel of the fruit. At
temperatures above 15 or 20 °C, the wax is totally dissolved. However, at lower temperatures it may
give a haze to the product. To avoid this problem the polished oil is dewaxed, or “winterized” as it is
called.
The winterization process involves precipitating the wax by causing it to crystallize and then settle.
The oil is stored in tanks at 1°C or lower, which causes the waxes to precipitate and sediment. The
process typically takes 30 days or more, though at lower temperatures this period may be considerably
shorter. The winterized oil is then decanted from the tank. Larger processors collect the sludge from
different winterizing tanks so that once sufficient material has accumulated the waxes can be removed
by centrifugation to recover residual oil.
The winterized oil is packed in 200 litre (55 US gallon) drums or road tankers. Normally the oil is
stored under refrigeration (-10°C) and is traded as cold-pressed oil (CPO). Sometimes it is
called cold-pressed peel oil (CPPO). It is used as a raw material in the flavour manufacturing industry
and by concentrate blending houses and drinkbase manufacturers.

5.8.4 D-LIMONENE RECOVERY SYSTEMS

The heavy phase from the peel oil first-stage centrifuge is usually recirculated to extractors as “yellow
water”. Part of this flow (10-50%) needs to be replaced with fresh water to avoid excess
concentrations of insoluble substances like pectin before this poor oil emulsion is sent back to the
juice extractors.
The non-recirculated fraction of the yellow water has some residual oil content (0.5-1.0%) that instead
of being sent to the feed mill or wastewater treatment is separated using equipment dedicated to
recovering the residual oil. A traditional d-limonene recovery system heats the yellow water and
further vaporizes a mixture of water vapour and d-limonene in one or more in-series flash chambers.
The vapour is subsequently condensed to recover the terpenic fraction.
A more efficient new design eliminates the individual flash stages by incorporating a specially
designed fractionation column to perform the vapour enrichment. This results in better d-
limonene yields and quality and a more compact recovery unit. Both systems can usually be fed with
sludge discharge from the first-stage centrifuge as well as from the polisher (second-stage) centrifuge
in the peel oil recovery unit.

5.9 FEED MILL OPERATIONS

Most larger processing plants have a feed mill that further processes this waste and recovers by-
products.
Feed mill operations (see Figure 5.21) represent a significant part of total plant running
costs. Solids drying and liquid stream evaporation are energyintensive. Less waste and increased
liquids recycling in other parts of the plant are desirable both for financial and environmental reasons.
Regulatory pressure for environmental control in citrus plants continues to increase.

Figure 5.21: Flow chart of feed mill operations

Revenue from the sale of feed mill by-products makes a significant contribution to orange processors’
overall profitability. Efforts are constantly being made to identify additional products that can be
recovered from peel and other waste streams.

FEED MILL PROCESS STEPS

The feed mill receives rejected fruit from the grading tables in the reception area and waste material
from juice processing. This combined material, with moisture content of about 80%, is taken by screw
conveyors to the wet peel bins of the feed mill. Hammer mills then break it down into small pieces.
Small amounts of lime (0.15-0.25%) are added after this step to aid the dewatering process. After a
dwell time of 10-15 minutes the mixture is conveyed or pumped to the peel presses.
The primary peel presses remove some 10% of the moisture. Continuous screw presses have largely
replaced hydraulic batch presses for this task. Further addition of lime and secondary pressing can
remove 2-3% extra moisture.
The liquid from the presses – press liquor – contains approximately 9-15% soluble solids, much of
which are sugar solids. The oil content can be 0.2-0.8%. The press liquor normally flows over static
screens to remove peel solids and then on to the waste heat evaporator.
Press liquor is usually concentrated to 50 °Brix and added back to the peel residue prior to pressing.
Alternatively, it can be concentrated up to 72 °Brix and used as raw material for a fermentation
process to make citrus alcohol.
Press liquor contains a high concentration of suspended materials and often includes sand-like matter.
Decanter centrifuges that are used to clarify press liquor should be equipped with special internal tiles
to minimize erosion. Clarification of the press liquor can prolong the running time of the waste heat
evaporator and reduce cleaning time substantially, thereby enhancing feed mill cost-efficiency. The
waste heater strips off d-limonene, which can be recovered as a separate stream from the vapour
phase.
The pressed peel is dried in a rotary drier to a moisture content of about 10% and then pelletized to
make animal feed. Vapour from the peel drier is used as a heating medium in the waste heat
evaporator.

5.10 PULP PRODUCTION

Recovery for production of commercial pulp. Pulp is used as add-back in juice and juice drinks.
Production of pulp wash – the juice sugars obtained by washing pulp with water. The remaining
material is sold as “washed pulp” or taken to the feed mill.
Routing to the feed mill for drying into pellets for animal feed.

Figure 5.22
Figure 5.22

5.10.1 PRODUCTION FACTORS THAT AFFECT COMMERCIAL PULP QUALITY

5.10.2 PROCESS STEPS IN PULP PRODUCTION
Figure 5.23.
Figure 5.23
EXTRACTION
DEFECT REMOVAL

Table 5.1 Influence of process conditions on pulp properties

Pulp properties Process conditions

Cell length and fragmentation

degree • Fruit variety and maturity

• Size of the holes in the strainer tube (squeezer-type

Oil content extractors)

Defects in final product • Extraction pressure

Pulp concentration (prevalence of

pulp particles in pulp slurry) • Use of paddle or screw finisher

• Back-pressure applied to the primary and final finishers

(screw type)

• Equipment and operating conditions for the pulp

stabilization step

• Extraction pressure. High pressure gives higher juice

yield but also higher oil content in the pulpy juice stream

• Depends on what type of equipment is used to separate

defects from the pulpy juice stream

• Tightness applied in the finishers

Figure 5.24 shows the liquid and particle flow in a cyclone. The infeed, which is tangentially
introduced into the cone, starts moving in a downward spiral along the cyclone wall. As it nears the
cone outlet, some of the product exits through the underflow orifice while th e majority changes
direction and flows upward to the cyclone overflow, taking an inner spiral path. If the density of the
particles exceeds that of the liquid, the centrifugal force presses the particles against the cyclone wall
from where they are pushed down and out through the bottom opening.
Figure 5.24: A hydrocyclone used for removing defects

CONCENTRATION (PRIMARY FINISHERS)

Heating/chilling less product saves energy
Less juice is subjected to additional heat treatment

HEAT TREATMENT
Inactivate enzymes
Destroy relevant microorganisms
Is stable during bulk storage
Will not lead to cloud separation in reconstituted juice.

WHICH HEAT EXCHANGER?

CONCENTRATION (DRYING OR FINAL FINISHER)
PACKING IN BOXES/DRUMS FOR FROZEN STORAG
PACKING IN ASEPTIC BAG-IN-BOX CONTAINERS FOR CHILLED STORAGE
5.11 PULP WASH PRODUCTION
Figure 5.25.

Figure 5.25: Flow chart of pulp wash production

DEBITTERING
Pulp wash is high in limonin, which causes bitterness. Non-treated pulp wash is therefore of limited
use as add-back into high quality juice drinks. However, the bitter taste can be removed by a
debittering process in which clarified pulp wash passes through a bed of polymeric resin that adsorbs
the bitter components.
The resin bed has a defined adsorption capacity. When debittering efficiency slows or a high pressure
drop has built up, the reactor is stopped for back-flushing and to regenerate the resin bed with caustic
solution. Parallel use of two debittering reactors ensures continuous operation: while one reactor is in
production, the other is in cleaning/regeneration mode.

ENZYME TREATMENT
WASHED CELLS
Washed cells can either be sent to the feed mill or bulk packed in 25 kg cardboard boxes or 200 litre
drums, which are stored frozen. The product is traded as washed pulp or washed cells and used in
some drink applications.

REGULATIONS FOR AND USE OF PULP WASH

Nevertheless, the quality standards and marketing approach of some processors or organizations may
still preclude the addition of pulp wash in concentrate. Pulp wash may not be added to NFC.
Pulp wash is also referred to as water-extracted soluble orange solids (WESOS).

5.12 CORE WASH

Core wash “juice” is very opaque and provides high capacity cloud. It is a desirable ingredient for
cloudy beverages, both still and carbonated, and replaces synthetic clouding agents such as
brominated vegetable oils and ester gum.
5.13 REDUCED ACID ORANGE JUICE
Orange juice acidity can be reduced by removing some of the citric acid in the juice. Acid reduction,
which is primarily deployed in the US, enables the citrus industry to:
Serve the growing number of consumers who are sensitive to acid foods and therefore refrain from
drinking orange juice
Use more fruits with a low Brix/acid ratio for juice production
Development of deacidification began in the late 1970s in Standardised terms. In 1992
“reduced acid frozen concentrated orange juice” became an approved juice product in the US and was
included in the Federal Standards of Identity. Ten years later, reduced-acid NFC was introduced in the
US market.
Elsewhere, regulatory bodies have been more reluctant to accept acid-reduction in orange juice
manufacturing. In Europe, orange juice marketed as “low acid” is made from fruit with naturally
low acid content.

DEACIDIFICATION
The deacidification process (see Figure 5.26) is similar to the debittering process in that juice with
very low suspended material (<1%) flows through a polymeric resin bed. Citric acid is removed from
the juice by ion-exchange, using a weak base anion resin. The resin basically exchanges its hydroxide
ions (OH-) for citrate ions (C6H5O73-) in the juice, leaving citrate on the resin.

Figure 5.26: The deacidification process

The efficiency of the resin drops as it becomes saturated with citrate. It requires regeneration using a
basic solution at regular intervals.
Besides citric acid, orange juice contains highly desirable nutritional acids. Fortunately, the weak base
anion resins used in deacidification favour removal of citric acid (being a strong acid) over the weak
nutritional acids. Analyses show that ascorbic acid and folic acid content is little influenced by the
process.
Juice pH – and microbiological risk – increase as acid is removed. It is therefore important to blend
deacidified juice with regular juice directly after the deacidification process to ensure a pH below 4.6.

5.14 ESSENCE RECOVERY

Essence recovery is an integral part of the evaporation process and is described in the section on
concentrate production.
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