Chapter 4 - Enzymes in Fruit Juice Processing

Abstract

Fruits are processed into shelf-stable products such as juices and beverages. Fruits are processed to maximize the juice yield, to inactivate microorganisms, and to maintain the sensory traits of the products. Fruit juices (FJ) are vehicles to deliver bioactive compounds because juices are a convenient way for their consumption. Much attention has been paid to FJ due to their health-promoting and biological properties. Because the consumer interest is driven by the nutritional value and the appearance of FJ, the FJ industry has developed different methods to improve FJ processing. Application of enzymes in the FJ industry has caused an increase in the yield and the quality of FJ. Clarification procedures in FJ processing depend on the hydrolysis of pectic substances with different pectinolytic enzymes. Enzyme preparation containing pectinases and cellulases are utilized in the FJ extraction and clarification. Pectinases containing proteases remove turbidity and break down the haze-active protein to prevent protein-phenol interaction. Application of enzymes in FJ processing significantly affects FJ's physicochemical properties and levels of bioactive compounds. This chapter summarizes the application of different enzymes in FJ processing and the effect of utilizing enzymes on the recovery, quality, safety, and shelf life of FJ.