Fruit Juice Blending

In fruit juice blending  the two major issues that need to be addressed are the 'feel" of the juice on the palate and the sweetness/acidity of the product.  Some auxiliary concerns would include the smell of the juice, its color and depending on the market even the amount of sparkle.  The "feel" of the juice on the palate is usually measured by the Brix, which is usually measured with a refractometer.  Brix is normally thought of as the expression of the amount of soluble solids and sugars contained in a liquid. The Brix level of juices varies greatly depending on the juice source.  For example, the  Code of Federal Register, SEC. 21CFR Part 101.80 lists the expected Brix for the following juice sources:

The sweetness of the juice will depend not only on the amount of sugar in the juice, but also the type of sugar dominant in that juice.  Sweetness is expressed relative to sucrose (table sugar), but it should also be noted that the perceived sweetness is influenced by temperature, interfering components such as acid or bitter compounds and enhancers like alcohol.  However, if the profile of sugars contained in a juice are known, then sweetness can be formulated to a target level.  The relative sweetness of various sugars are:

Generally the formulation of a fruit juice is then controlled by the following list of parameters:

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
• Processed Apples Institute