Juice and Pulp Testing

The global fruit industry plays a very important role in today’s agricultural production around the world. Fruits are known have large amounts of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, which have proven benefits in prevention against chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Therefore, the consumption of fruits is highly preferred for a balanced diet around the world. India is the second largest producer of fruits and the largest producer of mango, banana, cashew, papaya & pomegranate. Also, India ranks second in the export and production of fruits and vegetables. Fruit Pulp is basically processed fruit products used in the making of many food, beverages and other products. Production of Fruit Pulp needs withdrawal of juice with the crushing of skins/membrane of the fruit which encompasses the juice and then processing it to make it a thick paste. Fruit Pulps holds most of the nutrients of fruit and thus favored over other in various food and beverages.

There has been a rise in the consumption of fruit pulp because of the shift of preference of consumers towards healthy and hearty eating habits. Consumers always prefer food products which are near to natural and prepared using organic raw materials instead of artificial flavoring. This particular factor majorly drives the growth of the fruit pulp industry. Fruit pulps have a longer shelf life as when compared to the fruit’s natural form, which thus leads to lesser transportation and storage costs for manufacturers. Also, fruit pulp possesses an equivalent  properties (taste, texture, flavor, color) as fresh fruit – in fact, fruit pulp imparts an enhanced color and taste to the finished product.

 Fruit types, can be categorized into mango, strawberry, apple, guava, and others. Depending on the application, it is split into food and beverages. Currently, consumers are looking out for drinks that do not contain synthetic ingredients. Increasing awareness regarding natural, healthy drinks and their practical impacts have become a driving factor in growing the trade for natural beverages.

This is another main factor for the growing demand of fruit pulp in the global market. Pulp or puree is used as a sweetener in various processed food products such as snacks, juices, yogurt, and baby food, and also in ready-to-drink smoothies. Food producers are moving towards producing fruit pulp based food products owing to the enhanced properties of fruit pulp. Fruit pulp are generally being used for manufacturing of fruit-based jams, marmalades, jellies, sweets, beverage, and flavoring agents. It is also been widely used as flavoring agent for various bakery, snacks, milk, juice, dairy product, and beverage industry.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are commonly being processed into canned, bottled, preserved, frozen, dried (except sun-dried) form for added convenience, increased shelf life & availability throughout the year.

The Indian drink industry is rapidly developing, and the level of food processing is on the lower side compared to other countries. Due to inadequate storage facilities, faulty handling methods and post harvest diseases, nearly 25-30% of the produce is reported to be wasted. Many fruits and vegetables are seasonal leading to very high fluctuations in price from time to time The processing industry in India is yet in a nascent phase as people still prefer fresh produce over processed products. However, during the last one decade due to opening up of Indian markets several processed products are flooding the market and the national statistics shows a robust growth in this sector

Product quality is a prime criterion in gaining access to competitive markets. Most marketers will agree that, apart from everything else, commercial markets require a stable supply and consistent quality. Over the past decade there has also been an increasing number of food alerts worldwide like BSE (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy), dioxin contamination, listeria, salmonella, camphylobacter – creating a genuine crisis of confidence among consumers. This crisis has led to multiple countermeasures, regulations and monitoring programmes for food safety and quality from both the public and the private sector.

As with any natural fruit and vegetable product, there are health risks if juice is not processed, packaged, and transported safely. Juice must be pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy any harmful bacteria. In the past, there were reports of outbreaks of foodborne illnesses traced to drinking juices that had not been treated to kill harmful bacteria. This led to the implementation of regulations such as Juice Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to ensure safety in juice products. Today, the juice industry is one among the foremost closely regulated industries for food safety.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has released a definition for carbonated fruit beverages. It has notified that beverages with fruit crush quantity below 10% but not but 5%, and 2.5% just in case of lime or lemon, should be called carbonated beverage with fruit juice.Fruit juice and beverages generally comprise of naturally extracted juices, drinks, ready to serve (RTS) beverages, nectars, squashes, cordials and appetizers etc. Fruit juice is the natural liquid expressed by pressure or other mechanical means from the edible portion of the fruit. The composition of juice is unaltered during preparation and preservation while for fruit beverages like drinks, squashes, cordial etc the fruit juice or pulp, sugar, acid, colour, flavour etc are mixed in appropriate proportions to a desirable taste. Apple juice, fruit juice , mango squash, guava drink, fruit juice and squash, marmalades , mango nectar etc are the commercial products available within the market

Eurofins India will help in ensuring the legitimacy and purity of your fruit pulp & juices, and provides a diverse array of testing services for the industry.

• Allergens Testing
• Pesticides Residues Testing
• Metal Contaminants
• Filth & Extraneous Matter
• GMO Testing
• Microbiology

• Aerobic plate count
• Yeast & Mould count
• Enterobacteriaceae
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Salmonella
• Listeria moncytogens
• E. Coli 0157
• Vibrio cholerae

• Nutrition Analysis
• Stability & Shelf Life
• Authenticity testing

Eurofins is the world leader in food and feed authenticity testing. We pioneered DNA-based analytical technologies for food testing using innovative protocols to improve the safety and authenticity of our clients' food products. Eurofins have patented the SNIF-NMR^® technology and related authenticity testing methods.

Authenticity testing include detection of addition of sugar, water, colourings, aromas or other undeclared additives, determination of fruit content; geographical origin check for fruit juice and derived products to check for likely adulteration practices. Eurofins make use of isotopic techniques and in particular the Site Specific Natural Isotope Fractionation Studied by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (SNIF-NMR^®) method of authentication. This is one of the most powerful techniques for detecting the adulteration of natural products. Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry is also used as a complementary technique.