• 09 Nov
    US – New bacteria ID will help apple juice producers avoid spoilage

    US – New bacteria ID will help apple juice producers avoid spoilage

    Apple juice lovers won’t be left with a bad taste, thanks to a new study that identifies three new bacteria species, one of which fouls up the flavour.

    The three new species – Alicyclobacillus mali, A. fructus, and A. suci – all belong to the genus Alicyclobacillus, but A. suci was found to produce a compound called guaiacol, which is known in other Alicyclobacillus species to create a medicinal, smoky or rubber-like flavor in shelf-stable apple juice. While Alicyclobacillus bacteria can affect juice quality and lead to spoilage, they are not a food safety concern.

    “Better understanding the structure of the Alicyclobacillus genus and the spoilage potential of individual species drives improvement in quality management decisions that reduce waste and improve customer satisfaction,” said Abigail Snyder, assistant professor of microbial food safety in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and senior author of a paper published last september in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. Katerina Roth, a graduate student in Snyder’s lab, is the paper’s first author.

    The findings will allow manufacturers to identify whether their juices contain A. suci, which leads to spoilage. It will also help them fine-tune their Alicyclobacillus control strategies and will support the development of tools and diagnostic technologies for the industry, Snyder said.

    Apple juice is acidic and is often heated during pasteurization, conditions that inhibit most bacteria. Unfortunately, Alicyclobacillus bacteria are extremophiles whose spores are capable of surviving extreme heat and high acidity. The bacteria originate from orchards and soils and can contaminate apples used for making juice. After juice has been processed and bottled for such products as apple juice, concentrates, teas, sports beverages and coconut water, spores can germinate, grow and produce guaiacol, causing spoilage. Also, the effects are not visible; the drinks appear fine.

    Once spoiled, producers may be forced to throw products away, and if sold, unhappy consumers can lower a brand’s reputation, Snyder said. A 2017 survey of juice manufacturers by Snyder and Randy Worobo, professor of food science and a co-author on the current paper, revealed that more than 97% of participants indicated that spoilage mattered ‘a lot’ or ‘a great deal’ in brand protection and close to 90% indicated that better control over microbial spoilage would have moderately to greatly increased profits and reduced waste.

    The researchers used genomic, biochemical and phenotypic analyses to identify the three new Alicyclobacillus species. The study benefitted from decades of extension work analyzing samples from the beverage industry in New York, the country’s second largest apple producing state, and beyond.  CornellChronical

    By Caroline Calder News
  • 09 Nov
    Europe – GEA builds world’s first carbon-neutral juice production facility for innocent

    Europe – GEA builds world’s first carbon-neutral juice production facility for innocent

    GEA Group AG, as key project partner, has provided innocent, Europe’s leading smoothie and juice brand, with the process technology for the world’s first carbon-neutral juice factory. The new factory in the Netherlands will lead the way for future plants in the food industry with a truly sustainable approach. Located at the Rotterdam Food Hub, the production facility is scheduled to open officially in spring 2022.

    In the new-build project, GEA is responsible for the process, refrigeration and heating technology. Early involvement in the design planning phase enabled the company to develop numerous innovative process changes that significantly help innocent on the path to reaching its climate goals.
    Taking a 360-degree view of the process chain will allow innocent to substantially cut its carbon footprint while massively influencing other parameters such as water consumption and waste generation. MarketScreener

    By Caroline Calder News
  • 15 Sep
    CROP ROUND UP Sept 2021

    CROP ROUND UP Sept 2021

     

    All eyes are on the drought in Brazil which has resulted in forecasts for the current orange crop being adjusted lower. This could lead to stock levels of orange juice being drawn down to critical levels by the start of next season in June 2022.

    BRAZILIAN 2021/22 ORANGE PRODUCTION <DOWN>

    A new forecast from Fundecitrus for orange production in 2021/22 orange crop for the São Paulo and West-Southwest Minas Gerais citrus belt is 267.87 million boxes (40.8kg each), a marked difference from the initial forecast 294.17 million boxes estimated in May this year. The reduction of 26.30 million boxes is due to very poor rainfall leading to the most severe water crisis to hit Brazil for the past 91 years. The combination of this drought and successive frosts in July culminated in a gradual crop decline. Oranges are excessively small and fruit droppage rates are very high.

    This season was meant to be a high production year, but the above factors mean production is likely to return to the same levels from season of 268.63 million boxes

    This forecast will be updated again on 10 December, but Fundecitrus does not expect any increases if the current conditions persist.

    As mentioned, the drought was acerbated by frosts that particularly affected plots located in lower regions and regions located in the south, southwest and central sectors. In isolated cases, the frosts caused some of the younger trees to die.

    The harvest pace remains slow due to late and sporadic flowering last year. The field survey data shows that harvest was 27% complete by mid-August, which historically should already be about 35% complete.

    Fundecitrus

     

    BRAZILIAN ORANGE JUICE STOCKS <DOWN>

    Global inventories of Brazilian orange juice (66 brix FCOJ equivalent) in the hands of CitrusBR members on 30 June 2021 were 316 929 tonnes. This represents a 33% reduction on the 471 138 tonnes at the same time last year.

     

    CitrusBR

     

    BRAZILIAN ORANGE JUICE EXPORTS <UP>

    Brazilian exports of orange juice (FCOJ equivalent) seem to be recovering from the decreases last season. In July 2021 Brazil exported 87 500 tonnes, 54% more than was shipped in the same period last year (Source: Secex). Revenue from these shipments increased by 66% totalling USD133.2 million.

    However, with limited production expected in Brazil, shipments are not forecast to increase much during the 2021/22 season.

    Cepea

     

    FLORIDA – ORANGE PRODUCTION <DOWN>

    An unofficial forecast on production from the forthcoming 2021/22 orange harvest in Florida has been released. Elizabeth Steger, president of Citrus Consulting International, has forecast Florida’s forthcoming crop at 52.0 million boxes, 1.5% lower than the 52.8 million boxes the state produced last season.

    Steger projected 20.8 million boxes of early-midseason oranges (22.7 million boxes last season) and 31.2 million boxes of Valencia’s (30.1 million boxes last season).

    She estimated early/mid-season oranges and Valencia’s will yield 1.09 and 1.03 boxes per tree, respectively.

    While Steger’s forecast is pegged 52 million boxes of oranges, the report says there are various scenarios in which the state’s orange crop could range from 49-56 million boxes.

    The first official forecast on the 2021/22 crop in Florida will released by the USDA in early October.

    Elizabeth Steger

     

    EUROPEAN UNION – PEACH AND NECTARINE PRODUCTION <DOWN>

    In 2021/22 European Union (EU) production of peaches and nectarines is forecast to 2.67 million tonnes a decline of 16.6% compared with the previous year. This drop is expected in most of the major EU producing countries due to unfavourable weather conditions during spring and a continuous decrease in area planted.

    USDA

     

    EUROPEAN UNION – CHERRY PRODUCTION <DOWN>

    Total EU cherry production in 2021/22 is projected to decline 5.3% to 664 800 tonnes due to a decline in the major producing countries. Unfavourable weather conditions with frost and heavy rainstorms during the spring season account for the drop in production.

    USDA

     

    CHILE – CHERRY PRODUCTION <UP>

    Cherry production in Chile in 2021/22 is projected to increase to 397 000 tonnes from 386 000 tonnes the year before. This is the result of an increase in planted area, as well as maturation of young orchards.

    USDA

     

    CHILE – PEACH AND NECTARINE PRODUCTION <DOWN>

    Fresh peach and nectarine production for 2021/22 in Chile is forecast at 158 000 tonnes, a 0.6% decrease over the previous year. A drop in productivity due to drought was offset by a relatively steady planted area.

    USDA

     

    TURKEY – CHERRY PRODUCTION <DOWN>

    The cherry production forecast in Turkey in 2021/22 is 860 000 tonnes, which is 54 000 tonnes less than during the 2020/21 season, due to frost damage that occurred in Izmir and Konya in the late spring.

    USDA

     

    TURKEY – PEACH AND NECTARINE PRODUCTION <DOWN>

    Peach and nectarine production in Turkey for 2021/22 is forecast at 830 000 tonnes, 60 000 tonnes lower than in 2020/21. The lower supply is attributed to frost damage in the late spring.

    USDA

     

    By Caroline Calder Trade Data
  • 11 Sep
    FCOJ – Outlook – Jack Scoville’s latest report

    FCOJ – Outlook – Jack Scoville’s latest report

    FCOJ Autumn report

    Price action in FCOJ has been generally positive with higher prices seen over the last couple of months.  It is mostly a weather related rally, with damage to fruit being seen in exporter countries around the world.   Conditions have generally been good in Florida for harvest and fruit development, but that is about the only place where generally good conditions are reported.  The market is on edge even with the good current conditions as the state is in the hurricane season and the season is approaching its peak.  Florida has been lucky so far.  It has avoided the storms that have moved into the Gulf.  People and agriculture farther west in the Louisiana area have not been nearly as fortunate as there has been widespread damage there.  But Florida has gotten by and has just been brushed by a minor system that brought a decent amount of rain, but no big winds and not really all that much heavy rain to citrus groves.  The season will soon reach its peak and then the chances for a deadly and damaging storm will be much less.

    Brazil has not been so lucky with the weather.  The country suffered from a freeze event that hurt many crops.  Coffee was damaged as were winter grains crops like the winter corn and winter wheat.  Citrus was also severely damaged and a lot of fruit loss is suspected.     The damage to the citrus crop is big news for international buyers.  Brazil is the largest exporter of FCOJ in the world so the big loss of oranges will hurt its international trade and will raise prices generally around the globe.  Europe will be very hard hit as Europe has imported a lot from Brazil over the last several years but might not be able to get as much juice and will be paying higher prices for the juice it does get as the year moves on.  Brazil has also been an exporter to the US so prices will be creeping higher there as well.

    Florida can supply wheat missing from imports from Brazil, but will also have to service the European demand so demand for FCOJ from Florida could be very high and prices might go too high for the US market.  People here and in Europe might turn more to vitamins to cover the losses in the FCOJ market supply.

    Mexico would be able to help offset the losses from Brazil but the country has had weather problems of its own.  Northern growing areas have been in drought this year and production has suffered.  Central and southern Mexico are in generally good condition but the drought in the north has cut the overall production back at least a little bit.  This will impact Mexico’s ability to export at a time when everyone will be looking for FCOJ.  So, the outlook for higher prices remains intact for now and New York futures traders will be looking to extend buying in the market on any price setbacks.

    By Caroline Calder Features
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