On a Nature Trail

Not-from-concentrate (NFC) juices are turning into megasellers as being natural, pure, health and tasty beverages. While classic juices include orange, apple and grape, new varieties such as capuaçu, guava and saskatoon berries, as well as superfruit mangosteen and pomegranate are gaining market acceptance. In 2008, global consumption of fruit juices totaled 42.6 billion liters and growth is expected to continue in the next few years. According to in-house market data, the extent of market growth varies from country to country. In the US and Germany, the juice markets are comparatively saturated and they have experienced moderate growth in the last few years. The markets in Canada, South Africa and Thailand have seen considerable growth at about a 5% per annum. In China, Indonesia and Brazil, the juice markets are experiencing at least 10% more growth, although these fi gures are based on a lower total volume.

The NFC juice market is particularly showing high growth rates in the US and Europe despite the economic downturn. According to a 2008 Business Insights report, the market has showed itself to be the strongest growth sector globally, as sales of fruit juices from concentrate, nectars and fruit juice drinks grow at a slower pace.

Nature's message

NFC juice is made wholly from fruits that have been processed in their country of origin such as Brazil, the US and Spain into fruit juice, which if stored correctly, will last for up to two years. There is a difference between processing such juice and juice from concentrate - while the latter is made from fruit, it goes through a more elaborate manufacturing process. Here are more details.

When processing orange juice for example, the oranges that are harvested in their country of origin are washed several times, then sorted and squeezed, resulting in NFC juice. The juice is then centrifuged, filtered and pasteurized to make it more sterile and non-perishable. It is finally filled into chilled or frozen aseptic tanks.

To make fruit juice concentrate, after squeezing the oranges, constituents such as oils, essences and flavor substances are removed from the juice and are stored separately. Once the juice has been centrifuged, it is fed into an evaporator unit where water is removed, concentrating the juice to about one seventh of the original quantity. The juice would lose a considerable amount of volume.

The natural constituents are then added into the concentrate, which is sometimes blended with other orange juice concentrates in order to achieve a consistent quality. The volume-reduced concentrate is more cost-effective in terms of storage and logistics than NFC juice. It is usually transported to the consumer countries deep-frozen. There, beverage manufacturers process the concentrate back to juice by adding water, flavors and vitamins. It is then pasteurized and filled into packages.

Both NFC and concentrate juices can be aseptically packaged for a longer storage without refrigeration. When pasteurized, the juice can be packaged and transported in a closed cold chain and sold with a short shelf-life.

The natural demand

Besides the manufacturing processes used, a successful product is dependent on other factors such as flavor, quality, price and consumer appeal. NFC juice has catered to three key consumer trends and they are namely convenience, health and enjoyment. According to a study by German market research company GfK, consumers want healthy indulgent products. It found higher than average growth rates for products in the convenience, health and wellness and categories. The study looked at expenditure by households Germany, and similar trends can be observed globally.

Convenience products have been popular for years. NFC juice for example enables consumers to conveniently open the package, pour and consume the beverage, offering a time-saving to making a glass of self-squeezed fruit juice. It also offers a healthy, liquid snack in between meals. For many consumers, the juice is also pure and 'real' due to fewer processing.

Health ranks high on the 'megatrends' list. Megatrends are strong trends that have an impact in many areas in a society. The desire for lifelong, good health has spawned the growth of industries such as gyms and spa hotels. In the food sector, consumers are convinced that they can infl uence their health either positively or negatively by what they eat. The juice market in particular has benefited from this trend. More consumers are giving up carbonated soft drinks that they consider are unhealthy as the beverages contain high amounts of sugar and artificial ingredients. Many now prefer mineral water and juice, as NFC juice is regarded as healthy since it goes through fewer manufacturing processes than juice from concentrate.

Besides health, NFC juice offers enjoyment to consumers. It is usually offered as a premium and quality product that many consider as a little touch of luxury in their daily lives, and as a healthy beverage. Refrigerating juices

The market is in favor of NFC juice with the anticipation of growth in demand and sales. While these factors make the segment extremely attractive for fruit juice manufacturers, there is a challenge of maintaining the pure and natural attributes of the beverage - after squeezing the fruit, the juice can only be kept for a few days and continuous cold chains are costly to maintain, particularly in newly industrializing markets.

Manufacturers such as Thailand's Tipco F&B have chosen to aseptic fill their NFC juices. With its Tipco 100% products, the company manufactures a range of NFC juices that are aseptically filled in combiblocPremium 1,000 ml from SIG Combibloc. Tipco sells more than 10 NFC juices such as pineapple and mangosteen. In December 2007, the company built a new factory in Wang Noi, 70km from Bangkok, Thailand. With two filling machines from SIG Combibloc, it can produce and package 130 million liters of juice per year.

The carton packs are fitted with screw caps that can be securely reclosed after the initial opening. Depending on the level of acidity, the juice is pasteurized rapidly, chilled to room temperature and filled into the carton packs using SIG Combibloc aseptic filling machines. The gentle aseptic process is used to retain the flavours, aromas, colors and nutrients of the NFC juice. The packaged juice can be kept without refrigeration for up to 12 months. 'We package our NFC juices aseptically because it has enabled us to get around the problem with keeping them chilled', says Tipco MD Viwat Limsakdakul. 'Using carton packs, they can be stacked, thereby saving space during transportation. They are environmentally advantageous as they consist of up to 75% cardboard, which is a renewable resource that is made from wood. If forests are managed responsibly, this natural resource is available in an almost infinite supply - in contrast to finite fossil resources.'

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