Pectin Removal and Clarification of Juices

Abstract

Demand for natural juices without any external additives and preservatives, along with long shelf life, are growing continuously. Pectin and protein are natural ingredients that exist inherently in any juice but their presence causes bacterial growth and spoilage. Herein, the importance of juice processing and clarification to remove pectin is thoroughly discussed. The processed juice after complete removal of pectin and aseptic packaging can have a long shelf life along with its original taste and nutritional qualities. Therefore, pectin removal is an important process of the fruit juice industry. In this chapter, various conventional depectinization, thermal, and nonthermal sterilizing processes are presented along with their merits and disadvantages. It is elicited that enzymatic depectinization followed by appropriately selected membrane separation would be an ideal combination for pectin removal, clarification, and concentration of fruit juice.