A typical glass of pulp-free orange juice.

A glass of Sanguinello blood orange juice.

Orange juice is a fruit juice obtained by squeezing, pressing or otherwise crushing the interior of an orange. The largest producer and exporter of orange juice is Brazil, with 80% of the world's production, followed by the United States.^[1]

A single orange will typically produce about 90 grams of juice. Freshly squeezed orange juice has a typically acidic citrus taste, but is generally considerably sweeter than the juice of lemons or limes. Besides water and sugar, it is an excellent source of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and potassium. It is also an important natural source of folic acid (Vitamin B₉), which is recommended for women who are pregnant or may become pregnant.^[2] Citrus juices contain flavonoids that are believed to have beneficial health effects. However, if drunk on an empty stomach, orange juice can exacerbate present gastro-intestinal conditions and/or cause mild and temporary stomach upset. Due to the citric acid, orange juice typically has a pH of 3.5.^[3] Drinking, or sipping, orange juice over a long period of time can therefore potentially erode tooth enamel. Typically, orange juice is drunk in the morning with breakfast and also accounts for 1 of 5 pieces of fruit a day with every 200ml drunk.

Commercial orange juice and concentrate

Refrigerated juice shipped in liquid form is traded between producers as direct juice. In the USA all commercial orange juice is pasteurized. Some refrigerated fresh juice is sold to consumers. In the U.S., Canada and the U.K. it is labeled "not from concentrate".

Frozen orange juice concentrate

Freshly squeezed juice and filtered orange juice is pasteurized and is evaporated under vacuum and heat to remove most of the water before it is frozen. This process strips out certain essences and oils. The concentrated juice, about 65° brix, is then stored at about +10°F (-12°C). At this point essences and oils (recovered during the vacuum concentration process) are added back to restore the flavor. To make cans of frozen concentrate for sale, filtered water is added back to bring the brix level down to 42° (about 3 times more concentrated than fresh juice).

When water is added to freshly-unfrozen concentrated orange juice, it is reconstituted. Most of orange juice sold today throughout the world is reconstituted juice. There is a huge difference in the volume of frozen concentrated orange juice and unprocessed juice and this makes a difference in the price the consumer is charged. Orange juice containing pulp seems to be more nutritious than no-pulp varieties because of the flavonoids contained in the pulp.^[4]

The major commodity exchanges, including the New York Board of Trade and the Brazilian Mercantile and Futures Exchange, sell futures on frozen orange juice concentrate.

Canned orange juice

A small fraction of fresh orange juice is canned. Canned orange juice does retain Vitamin C better than bottled juice. However, the canned product loses flavor when stored at room temperature for over 12 weeks.^[5]

Additives

Some producers add citric acid or ascorbic acid to juice beyond what is naturally found in the orange. Some also include other nutrients such as calcium and Vitamin D, not found naturally in oranges. Reduced-acid varieties of orange juice are also marketed.

References

1. ↑
2. ↑
3. ↑
4. ↑
5. ↑ Yiu H. Hui, József Barta Handbook of Fruits and Fruit Processing. Blackwell Publishing, 2006. p. 327.

External links

• How orange juice is made and its different types
• Bottled Sunshine... A Juicy Story Brief film clip of orange juice processing from 1968. From the State Library & Archives of Florida.

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