Vegetable/fruit juices provide polyphenols, oligosaccharides, fiber and nitrate (beet juice), which
may induce a prebiotic-like effect (Henning, S. M., et al., 2017) (Henning, S. M., Yang, J., Shao,
P., Lee, R. P., Huang, J., Ly, A., ... & Li, Z. (2017). Health benefit of vegetable/fruit juice-based
diet: Role of microbiome. Scientific reports, 7(1), 2167.)
SIDE WORK
VII. Consumer Acceptability of Fruit Juices
The sustainable development of the functional food market is increasingly evident, in which fruit
juices and fermented fruit drinks occupy a prominent place [Tang et al, 2022]. The support for
this development is the demand from consumers to purchase and consume natural, healthier,
innovative, and tastier products, with sustainable nutraceuticals and a minimal or ideally absent
amount of chemical preservatives and/or processing technologies [Vilela et al,2019]. Numerous
studies highlight the beneficial action for health of the integration of fruit into the human diet.
This type of food, rich in dietary nutrients and bioactive compounds [Garcia et al, 2020],
promotes the prevention of premature aging, cardiovascular diseases, cataracts and strokes and
has anti inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and neuroprotective properties [Chan et al 2021].
In addition, the industry seeks to respond to the increase in consumers with eating disorders such
as lactose intolerance and dairy allergies, a preference for low-cholesterol products, and the
growing trend of vegetarianism [Ranadheera et al, 2017]. However, health issues are not the
only reason why people consume fruit juices and their derivatives. Skąpska et al. [Skąpska et al,
2020], when studying “the development and consumer acceptance of functional fruit-herbal
beverages”, found that the main motivation for purchasing was their sensory acceptance, even if
the consumers were informed of their potential health benefits. In their study (Skąpska et al,
2020) also established that Aronia beverages were the most accepted and could find buyers when
introduced to the market. The other beverages (made with rugosa rose, acerola, sea buckthorn, or
cranberry) were poorly or not accepted by the majority of the tasters, despite information on the
pro-health effects of the products.
A. Importance of consumer acceptability in product development and marketing
The current consumer, with privileged access to information, can make more responsible and
demanding choices, preferring healthy and environmentally friendly products. The food industry
also takes advantage of technological and scientific advances to produce food and drinks that
better adapt to consumer demand, with more sustainable and efficient production processes
(Pinto al et, 2023).
The consumer demand for functional fruit juices is growing as consumers acknowledge the
evident link between a balanced diet and health. Fruit-based beverages were one of the fastest
increasing sectors in the global beverages industry, exhibiting a growth of 7.8% between 2017–
2022 [Grand View Research]. Fruit juices are a naturally rich source of bioactive compounds
which can be health promoters, but, their susceptibility to spoilage limits their shelf-life [Buzrul
et al, 2008]. For this reason, the food industry is constantly searching for new processing
technologies to extend the shelf life with a low impact on the fruit juice bioactive compounds, as
one of the main consumers’ motives for purchasing fruit juices is related to a healthier lifestyle to
mitigate chronic illness or to optimize overall well-being [Nazir et al, 2019].
The composition and functional and nutritional properties of fruit juice and fermented fruit
drinks justify the development of various studies due to their proven effectiveness in the
prevention of cardiovascular, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases, among others. Non-
thermal food processing has been highlighted in recent years and different emerging technologies
are under study to evaluate their potential as an alternative to conventional heat treatments. The
use of non-thermal processes minimizes undesirable changes in the food because involve
methods by which fruit juices receive microbiological inactivation and enzymatic denaturation
with or without the direct application of low heat, thereby lessening the adverse effects on the
nutritional, bioactive, and flavor compounds of the treated fruit juices, extending their shelf-life.
B. Discussion of factors influencing consumer preferences for fruit juices, including flavor,
aroma, color, texture, and packaging
The current consumer, with privileged access to information, can make more responsible and
demanding choices, preferring healthy and environmentally friendly products. The food
industry also takes advantage of technological and scientific advances to produce food and
drinks that better adapt to consumer demand, with more sustainable and efficient production
processes (Teresa et al, 2023).
C. Review of studies on consumer acceptability of various fruit juices, including blended juices
VI. Sensory Attributes of Fruit Juices
The parameters that define the quality of a drink are positive attributes such as the following:
color and overall appearance; taste properties, including flavor, mouth persistence, and aftertaste;
olfactory properties, such as aroma, odor, orthonasal and retronasal; and tactile properties, such
as mouth feel, body, and absence of off-flavors (odors and strange flavors). Among the negative
attributes are discoloration, foaming, sedimentation, gas, unpleasant smell (particularly of ketone
or vinegar), bitterness, and astringency (Pinto et al, 2023). The fruit juice thermal treatments lead
to substantial modifications of the final product qualities. Although microbial and chemical
safety is prevalent during fruit juice processing, sensory attributes are also important. Attributes
such as color or tactile properties are very important for both the first acceptance and regular
purchasing of the products. Therefore, the sensory quality of fruit juices plays an important role
in consumer satisfaction. Thermal treatments are the most commonly used in fruit juice
processing, but they tend to induce negative changes to the nutritional and sensory characteristics
of the juices [Zubaidah et al, 2018]. The pasteurized samples were significantly less desirable in
terms of odor, color, cloudiness, acidity, overall flavor, and overall likeness. Therefore, emerging
non-thermal processes are applied to maintain the quality, however, to reduce the color
degradation and browning in fruit juice, the optimization of the processing parameters is
necessary. For example, HP treatment is a non-thermal treatment that has been described to
inactivate microorganisms through membrane disruption and it preserves nutritional value with a
reduced effect on fruit juices quality and sensory characteristics as lower molecular weight
compounds, such as volatile compounds, pigments, and some vitamins are not changed, since
covalent bonds are not affected by pressure [Lee et al, 2013]. (ref)showed that PEF processing (4
μs, 35 kV/cm, and 1200 pps) maintained the volatile compounds responsible for apple juice
flavor and color more than heat treatment, with 7% and 8.4% reduction of hexanal and hexyl
acetate, respectively, unlike heat treatment which eliminated these compounds. Sensory analysis
showed that the taste and flavor of fruit juices processed by PEF were preferred to thermally
processed juices. The researchers (Khandpur & Gogate, 2015) evaluated the quality of
ultrasound orange juice concerning taste, smell, and mouth sensation and found that the ultra-
sound-treated juice was the most acceptable for consumers and was identical to the fresh
unprocessed fruit juices. The positive effect of the ultrasound treatment is attributed to the
removal of oxygen. After non-thermal treatments, juices showed the lowest variation in hedonic
scores, if compared to untreated juice [Khandpur & Gogate, 2015].
Abstract
Humans have consumed fruits as food and medicine (nutraceuticals) since ancient times all over
the world. Fresh fruits or juices and the bioactive ingredients extracted from fruit peels or seeds
have been used in the Indian Ayurveda system of medicine for curing different ailments in
children and adults. The phytobioactive antioxidants and antiinflammatory nutrients
(polyphenols, anthocyanins, lycopene, resveratrol, beta-
carotene, quercetin, naringin, nobiletin, caffeic acid, gallic acid, etc.) that are present in various
fruits and their by-products confer health and wellness benefits on the consumer. Fruits provide
unique health benefits not only by their bioactive ingredients, vitamins, minerals, and dietary
fiber, but also through their exotic flavors and tastes appealing to humans of all ages. Intake of
fresh fruits and their juices improves both physical and mental health as well as helping in the
prevention of various non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, neurological
disease, obesity, diabetes mellitus, osteoarthritis, and some cancers. The diverse geographic
regions of India are conducive for growing different varieties of fruits, such as apples, grapes,
guavas, mangos, pomegranates, blueberries, and tomatoes, for human consumption as well as
cash crops. Unfortunately, the fruit-processing and preservation industries are lacking in India,
and large quantities of fruits decay and are wasted during the harvest season. Both provincial and
central governments should encourage the development of fruit-processing industries in India.
The enrichment of vegetarian cereal-based foods with a fruit matrix or fruit extracts would be a
good strategy to formulate healthier diets for children and adults. In this chapter we describe the
health benefits of eating fruits and promising possibilities for making nutraceuticals from
diverse phytochemicals present in various fruits, peels, and seeds, as well as extracting natural
antioxidant polyphenols from the waste generated by the fruit-processing industry.
(Jaglan, P., Buttar, H. S., Al-bawareed, O. A., & Chibisov, S. (2022). Potential health benefits of
selected fruits: Apples, blueberries, grapes, guavas, mangos, pomegranates, and tomatoes.
In Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals in Metabolic and Non-Communicable Diseases (pp.
359-370). Academic Press)