Concentrated Apple Juice Research Articles

Sustainable apple juice concentration: A fusion of pasteurization and membrane distillation

Apple juice concentrate offers significant advantages in terms of transportation and storage. However, the conventional concentration method is known for its high energy consumption and has been observed to negatively affect the quality of the apple juice. This study investigated an efficient and sustainable process combining pasteurization and membrane distillation (MD) for apple juice concentration. The effects of operational conditions on flux, membrane fouling control, product quality and energy consumption were evaluated. When a single MD was used as a pre-concentration method, apple juice could be concentrated by more than 3.65 times. The final product with a total soluble solids (TSS) content of 60 °Brix after VE re-concentration has better quality, especially in terms of acidity and total phenols content. The flux recovery rate of hydraulic washing can reach more than 96 %. The MD pre-concentration process used uncooled pasteurized apple juice as the feed reduced the energy consumption by 60.6 % compared with thermal concentration.

Preparation of plant-derived compounds/chitosan/gelatin antifungal film and investigation of its control effect on Zygosaccharomyces rouxii contamination in concentrated apple juice

The purpose of this work is to develop a plant-derived compounds (PDCs)/chitosan (CS)/gelatin (GL) packaging lining film with high inhibitory activity against the contamination of Zygosaccharomyces rouxii in concentrated apple juice. The PDCs with high anti-Z. rouxii activity were selected from 19 PDCs for pairwise combining, and the combination with synergistic anti-Z. rouxii effect was selected to prepare nanoemulsion. Then, the effect of PDCs emulsion on mechanical and anti-Z. rouxii properties of CS/GL film was investigated. Finally, the prepared PDCs/CS/GL film was used as packaging lining to explore the preservation effect on concentrated apple juice. The results showed that the combination of trans-cinnamaldehyde and geraniol (4:6, v/v) presented the highest synergistic anti-Z. rouxii effect (the value of fractional inhibitory concentration index equaling 0.25). Addition of trans-cinnamaldehyde-geraniol nanoemulsion reduced mechanical properties of CS/GL film, but improved anti-Z. rouxii activity. The CS/GL film containing 1.5 % (v/v) trans-cinnamaldehyde-geraniol nanoemulsion showed high anti-Z. rouxii activity and did not affect the quality of concentrated apple juice, which could be used as a packaging lining for preservation of concentrated apple juice. The PDCs/CS/GL packaging lining film prepared in this work not only presented an enduring and effective inhibitory effect on Z. rouxii contamination in concentrated apple juice, but also avoided the influences of trans-cinnamaldehyde and geraniol on the quality of concentrated apple juice, which provided a new idea for the development of food preservation packaging film.

Green and Sustainable Forward Osmosis Process for the Concentration of Apple Juice Using Sodium Lactate as Draw Solution.

China is the world's largest producer and exporter of concentrated apple juice (CAJ). However, traditional concentration methods such as vacuum evaporation (VE) and freeze concentration cause the loss of essential nutrients and heat-sensitive components with high energy consumption. A green and effective technique is thus desired for juice concentration to improve product quality and sustainability. In this study, a hybrid forward osmosis-membrane distillation (FO-MD) process was explored for the concentration of apple juice using sodium lactate (L-NaLa) as a renewable draw solute. As a result, commercial apple juice could be concentrated up to 65 °Brix by the FO process with an average flux of 2.5 L·m-2·h-1. Most of the nutritional and volatile compounds were well retained in this process, while a significant deterioration in product quality was observed in products obtained by VE concentration. It was also found that membrane fouling in the FO concentration process was reversible, and a periodical UP water flush could remove most of the contaminants on the membrane surface to achieve a flux restoration of more than 95%. In addition, the L-NaLa draw solution could be regenerated by a vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) process with an average flux of around 7.87 L∙m-2∙h-1 for multiple reuse, which further enhanced the long-term sustainability of the hybrid process.

Production of Vinegar from Pear Juice and Comparative Analysis of its Quality with Apple Juice Vinegar

Vinegars are the product of scalar fermentations carried out by several groups of microorganisms acting at different moments in time. Apple vinegar is made with apple juice or concentrated Apple juice (CAJ) through a double fermentation: alcoholic and acetic. Vinegar was successfully produced from the juice extracted from pear using yeast and acetic acid bacteria. This study presents a summary of research concerning the quality of vinegar made from pear and apples by using double distillation method. Juice is extracted from both the apple and pear and was analysed for several parameters like pH, brix, specific gravity, Total Reducing Sugars (TRS), Reducing Sugars (RS), titratable acidity, alcohol percentage and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). pH of pear and apple juice was found to be 4.82 and 4.35 respectively. pear and apple juice had the Brix of 8.5° and 12° respectively. The TRS of pear and apple juice was found to be 10.2%and 11.87 % respectively. Quality characteristics between pear vinegar and apple vinegar were investigated which includes pH, titratable acidity and alcohol percentage. The alcohol percentage of pear vinegar is slightly less than apple vinegar but the titratable acidity of pear vinegar was slightly more as compared to apple vinegar. Also pH of pear vinegar and apple vinegar are found to be 3.60 was 3.58 respectively. Acetic acid bacteria were isolated from Pear and apple vinegar prepared, using Frateur medium and Glucose Yeast Peptone (GYP) agar medium. Aceto Acetic Bacteria (AAB) isolated was confirmed to be Gram negative rods through Grams staining. The study reveals that pears being a seasonal fruit and cheaper compared to apples can be used to prepare healthy vinegar of best quality by a simple double fermentation method.

Inactivation activity and mechanism of pulsed light against Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris vegetative cells and spores in concentrated apple juice

Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris has received much attention due to its unique thermo-acidophilic property and implication in the spoilage of pasteurized juices. The objective of this study was to evaluate the sterilization characteristics and mechanisms of pulsed light (PL) against A. acidoterrestris vegetative cells and spores in apple juice. The results indicated that bacteria cells in apple juice (8–20°Brix) can be completely inactivated within the fluence range of 20.25–47.25 J/cm2, which mainly depended on the soluble solids content (SSC) of juice, and the spores in apple juice (12°Brix) can be completely inactivated by PL with the fluence of 54.00 J/cm2. The PL treatment can significantly increase the leakage of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and proteins from cells and spores. Fluorescence studies of bacterial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) indicated that the loss of ATP was evident. Scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscope presented that PL-treated cells or spores had serious morphological damage, which reduced the integrity of cell membrane and led to intracellular electrolyte leakage. In addition, there were no significant negative effects on total sugars, total acids, total phenols, pH value, SSC and soluble sugars, and organic acid content decreased slightly during the PL treatment. The contents of esters and acids in aroma components had a certain loss, while that of alcohols, aldehydes and ketones were increased. These results demonstrated that PL treatment can effectively inactivate the bacteria cells and spores in apple juice with little effect on its quality. This study provides an efficient method for the inactivation of A. acidoterrestris in fruit juice.

Application of an Electromagnetic Field for Extending the Shelf-Life of Not from Concentrate (NFC) Apple Juice

The research material consisted of not from concentrate (NFC) apple juice, which underwent innovative processes of spray deaeration and flow microwave pasteurization. Traditional commercially available pasteurization was the control. Deaeration was conducted at two different temperatures (25 °C and 50 °C) and three rotational speeds of the spray disc (150 rpm, 450 rpm, 750 rpm). Flow microwave pasteurization was carried out at 90 °C with a flow rate of 5.8 L/min. Deaeration at a temperature of 25 °C and a rotation speed of 150 rpm resulted in a significant reduction in oxygen levels in the juice to 0.9 mg/L. Microwave pasteurization led to an almost 100% reduction in oxidoreductases activity (PPO, POD). Immediately after the process, microwave-pasteurized juice exhibited better stability of the total polyphenol content, with a TPC of 73.8 mg/100 mL. Microwave pasteurization caused a threefold increase in antioxidant capacity (176.8 µM/100 mL) compared to fresh juice. The color of microwave-pasteurized juice was more appealing than that of traditionally pasteurized juice.

Application of gas chromatography-stable isotope mass spectrometry to determine the oxygen isotope ratio of water in concentrated fruit juice

In this study, we developed a method to determine the authenticity of concentrated fruit juice using the δ18O ratio of water. We utilized the gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-IRMS) technique along with the offline isotope exchange equilibrium method to pretreat and measure the oxygen isotopes in water in concentrated apple juice. This innovative approach uses anhydrous ethanol as a solvent to dissolve concentrated juices, thereby facilitating a more comprehensive reaction between the water in the sample and the CO2 standard gas. Additionally, the reaction vessel exhibits excellent air tightness, ensuring rapid equilibrium time and enabling accurate determination of δ18O in the water content of concentrated juice. The reaction vessel had excellent air tightness and rapid equilibration time, enabling accurate measurement of δ18O of water in concentrated fruit juice. The reaction vessel used had excellent air tightness and rapid equilibration time, ensuring accurate measurement of the δ18O of water in concentrated fruit juice. We analyzed 40 samples of concentrated apple juice and found that the range of δ18O values in the water of concentrated apple juice was between 1.29 ‰ and 7.59 ‰. Additionally, we used prepared sucrose syrup as a simulated sample and found that the δ18O distribution range was between −10.43 ‰ and −10.53 ‰. Furthermore, we conducted adulteration simulation experiments on randomly selected real samples and discovered a linear negative correlation between the adulteration ratio and the δ18O value of water in the samples.

DETERMINANTS OF PURCHASE PRICES OF APPLES FOR PROCESSING IN POLAND

The aim of the study was to identify the significant determinants of the level of purchase prices of apples for processing in Poland. The subject of the research is purchase prices of apples for processing published in the semi-annual Fruit and Vegetable Market by the Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics – National Research Institute. The study showed that the purchase prices of apples for processing in Poland were significantly influenced by the export prices of apples, the volume of the export of concentrated apple juice, and the export prices of concentrated apple juice. The increase in the export prices of apples may be caused by the growing demand for Polish apples on foreign markets, which may result in lower availability of apples for processing. Therefore, the increase in the export prices of apples was accompanied by the increase in the purchase prices of these fruits for processing. The volume of export of concentrated apple juice depends on the volume of production of this processed product, which is influenced by the volume of apples harvested in Poland. The volume of apples harvested is negatively correlated with the purchase prices of apples for processing. Therefore, the increase in the export of concentrated apple juice was accompanied by relatively low purchase prices of apples for processing. The level of export prices of concentrated apple juice was strongly related to the level of purchase prices of apples for processing and the increase of purchase prices of apples was accompanied by an increase in export prices of concentrated apple juice.

THE COMPETITIVE POSITION OF CONCENTRATED APPLE JUICE EXPORTED FROM POLAND

The objective of this research was to determine the competitive position of Concentrated Apple Juice (CAJ) exports from Poland in the years 2007-2022. The data used in this study were sourced from the Trade Map database (Trade statistics for international business development) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (FAOSTAT). Global CAJ trade experienced a decline during this period. The average export volume from 2019 to 2022 amounted to 1.4 million tons, representing a 16% decrease compared to the average volume from 2007 to 2010. The major global CAJ exporters during the study period were China, Poland, and Turkey. China’s share in global CAJ exports decreased from 49% to 29%, while Poland’s share increased from 11% to 19%, and Turkey’s share rose from 2% to 11%. Additionally, Ukraine’s share increased from 2% to 6%, and Moldova’s share increased from 1% to 4%. The highest net export orientation ratios were observed for Moldova, Hungary, Poland, and Ukraine, all exceeding 40%. Throughout the study period, the competitive position of CAJ exports from Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, and Moldova improved, while China’s competitive position declined. This presents an opportunity for domestic producers due to the decreasing CAJ exports from China. However, there is also an increase in competitive pressure from other suppliers, primarily from Turkey, Ukraine, and Moldova.

Pengaruh Konsentrasi Sari Buah Semu Jambu Mete (Anacardium occidentale L) terhadap Daya Terima Produk Sport Gel

Background: Cashew apple can be processed into food or beverage products such as jam, syrup, jelly and others. Sport gel is a sports drink product. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the concentration cashew apple juice on the acceptability of sports gel products. Methods: This research method uses complete randomized design. The ratio of cashew apple to water is given 1:0, 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3. Then a hedonic test was carried out to determine the acceptability of the sport gel using a questionnaire taken from 30 untrained panelists. The Somogyi-Nelson test is used to determine the total sugar content. Analysis of hedonic test data using the Kruskal-Wallis test and continued the Mann-Whitney test. Analysis of total sugar data using the Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Hedonic test results p values = 0.000 (taste), 0.303 (aroma), 0.469 (texture), and 0.393 (color). Mann-Whitney's follow-up test results were p values = 0.000 (F0 and F1), 0.004 (F0 and F2), 0.002 (F0 and F3), 0.000 (F1 and F2), 0.000 (F1 and F3), 0.797 (F2 and F3). The result of the total sugar test p value = 0.083. Conclusion:The concentration of cashew apple juice only affects the acceptability in the taste aspect and does not affect the total sugar content of the cashew apple sport gel.

Rapid quantification of the adulteration of pomegranate juices by Raman spectroscopy and chemometrics

The juice drink industry has repeatedly been exposed to adulteration. Unscrupulous producers, for example, use cheap juice for substitution in the pursuit of more significant economic benefits, which presents a tremendous challenge for the control of the quality of drinks. The objective of this study was to apply Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometrics to rapidly quantify the adulteration concentration of apple juice or grape juice in pomegranate juice. Two supervised learning algorithms: partial least squares regression (PLSR) and support vector machine regression (SVR) were used to analyze the Raman spectra of 114 samples. The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and residual prediction deviation (RPD) of the prediction set when using PLSR and SVR to predict the adulterated concentration of apple juice in pomegranate juice were 0.9357 and 0.9465, 6.446% and 5.974%, 3.945 and 4.322, respectively. The R2, RMSE, and RPD of the prediction set when using PLSR and SVR to predict the adulteration concentration of grape juice in pomegranate juice were 0.9501 and 0.9502, 6.334% and 5.571%, and 4.475 and 4.481, respectively. It was concluded that Raman spectroscopy combined with chemometrics has excellent potential for application as a rapid quantitative method to detect adulterated concentrations of pomegranate juice.

Implementation of the HACCP System for Apple Juice Concentrate Based on Patulin Prevention and Control.

Patulin (PAT) is a toxic secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp., which acts as a contaminant of most apples and their products. The internationally recognized HACCP system is selected as the theoretical basis to more effectively reduce the PAT in apple juice concentrate (AJC). Through field investigation of apple juice concentrate (AJC) production enterprises, we collected 117 samples from 13 steps of AJC production, including whole apple, apple pulp, and apple juice. PAT contents were analyzed via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and compared with samples from the different production processes. The result demonstrated that the PAT content was significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by five processes, receipt of raw apples, sorting of raw apples, adsorption step, pasteurization, and aseptic filling. These processes were determined as the CCPs. Monitoring systems for maintaining CCPs within acceptable limits were established, and corrective actions were proposed in case a CCP was surpassed. Based on the above-identified CCPs, critical limits, and control methods (corrective actions), a HACCP plan related to the production process of AJC was established. This study provided important guidance for juice manufacturers wishing to effectively control the PAT content in their products.

Antioxidant activity of fruit jellies enriched with phytochemicals from Pinus sylvestris L.

The aim of this study was to examine the antioxidant properties of fruit jellies made from concentrated fruit juice with the addition of bioactive compounds acquired from young pine shoots. The scope of work included: determination of the optimal extraction temperature of bioactive compounds with the use of concentrated apple juice as an osmotic agent, preparation of jellies from obtained extract, as well as analysis of the phytochemical and antioxidant activity of jellies using S. cerevisiae as a model organism. The study showed that concentrated apple juice can be a good extractant of bioactive ingredients contained in young pine shoots. However, it has been demonstrated that the recovery efficiency of these components is dependent on the process temperature. The most efficient extraction of phytochemicals can be achieved by conducting the process at 60 °C. The jellies made from the extract showed high antioxidant activity which was closely correlated with the amount of raw material used. In addition, the composition of bioactive compounds presented in the jellies reduced the level of oxidative stress in yeast cells treated with H2O2, which was demonstrated by lower intracellular ROS and lower SOD activity. The result was reduced cytotoxicity of hydrogen peroxide and increased cell viability.

Calculation algorithm for non-stationary pumping of liquid foodstuffs by a centrifugal pump with an open impeller

The mathematical model of pumping liquid foodstuffs by a centrifugal pump with an open impeller was proposed in this article. The liquid levels difference in the initial and final tank changes during pumping. Therefore, the pumping process is non-stationary with a slowly changing fluid flow rate. The mathematical model includes two differential equations: the balance of the pumped liquid and the dynamics of the fluid flow in the pipeline. The operating characteristics of the centrifugal pump were approximated by second-order polynomials according to the test data of the manufacturers of this equipment. The need to take into account the influence of fluid viscosity on the pump performance is shown in the article. The pump pressure is noticeably reduced, and the power consumed increases for concentrated apple juice compared to pumping water. The system of differential equations with corresponding boundary conditions was solved numerically. The flow rate very quickly reaches a value corresponding to the difference in levels at the beginning of pumping. Therefore, the problem can be solved in a quasi-stationary approximation. The change in fluid flow over time is close to linear. Therefore, it is possible to find the pumping time of a given volume by an approximate method. The approximate calculation algorithm has been proposed. It was used to calculate the pumping of a concentrated apple juice. The effect of changes in the diameter and length of the pipeline on the performance and energy efficiency of the pumping unit has been investigated.

Bacterial cellulose production by Novacetimonas hansenii MSCL 1646 on apple juice.

Biomaterials and biopolymers, such as bacterial cellulose (BC), are becoming increasingly important as sustainable materials with a wide range of potential applications. However, BC industrial production is associated with several difficulties such as low BC production yields and high production costs; therefore, cheap alternative growth media, e.g. apple juice are being studied intensively. The aim of this study is to evaluate BC synthesis under static conditions on apple juice medium (AJM). The optimal concentration of apple juice in unsupplemented AJM for Novacetimonas hansenii MSCL 1646 was shown by its dilution 1:6 with water, which resulted in 0.89 ± 0.01g/L of dry BC weight after 10 cultivation days. Low BC synthesis can be associated with insufficient N concentration in apple juice; therefore, different organic and inorganic N sources were evaluated in combination with AJM, and beef extract (5g/L) was found to be the most suitable. Further, AJM optimisation experiment showed the optimal apple juice and beef extract concentrations as 1:2 and 15g/L respectively, which resulted in 17.27 ± 0.07g/L of dry BC weight, which is significantly higher than in standard Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium (4.07 ± 0.02g/L). Analysis of mechanical and physical properties showed that use of AJM results in changes in BC properties compared with the standard HS medium. Results of the study indicate that apple juice is an effective and cheap C source that in combination with appropriate N source leads to high BC synthesis and makes it suitable for industrial BC production. KEY POINTS: • Low quality apples can be used as raw material for BC production; • Beef extract improves BC synthesis in apple juice medium; • Use of apple juice and beef extract affect mechanical properties of BC.

Effects of Fruit Storage Temperature and Time on Cloud Stability of Not from Concentrated Apple Juice.

Apple juice that is designated ‘Not from concentrated’ (NFC) is now increasingly popular with consumers due to its unique taste and rich nutritional value. However, layered precipitation and instability have emerged as serious technical problems that restrict the viability of the NFC apple juice industry. This study researched the influence of water-cored ‘Fuji’ apple fruit storage under different temperatures (0, 20 °C) and times (0, 9, 18, 30, 60 days) on the turbidity stability of NFC apple juice. Changes in the physicochemical properties (juice yield, pH, total soluble solids and titratable acid), turbidity stability (turbidity and particle size) and precipitation sensitive substances (insoluble starch, total phenolics, soluble protein and pectin) of NFC apple juice were determined, combined with the respiratory rates and ethylene release of apples, in order to study post-harvest regulation and control of processed fruit. Results indicated that fruit storage temperature and time significantly guided the turbidity stability of NFC apple juice. As a typical respiratory climacteric fruit, apple fruit stored 45 days at 0 °C and 15 days at 20 °C gained the best juice stability, respectively. This is basically consistent with the respiratory peak of fruit when processing raw materials. During the post-ripening process, the insoluble starch in apple gradually hydrolyzed into fructose and glucose, while total phenolics diminished and water-soluble pectin content increased. On the other hand, the amounts of pectin, soluble protein and phenolics in fruit juice declined as the fruit aged in the late storage period (stored 75 days at 0 °C and 40 days at 20 °C). Meanwhile particle size became larger and the turbidity stability of cloudy juices also decreased. This study’s results will provide a sound theoretical basis for improving the turbidity stability of NFC apple juice by regulating the physiological state of processed raw materials.

The Effect of Selected Fruit (Apple, Bitter Orange and Grape) Juice Concentrates Used as Osmotic Agents on the Osmotic-Dehydration Kinetics and Physico-Chemical Properties of Pomegranate Seeds

This work aimed to study the osmotic-dehydration kinetics of pomegranate seeds (PSs) (Punica granatum L.) using three fruit (apple, bitter orange and grape) juice concentrates as osmotic solutions (OSs) (ratio (1/4) m/v, 55° Brix, at 50 °C). The osmodehydration time, pomegranate-seed water loss, solute gain and weight reduction were determined during the osmodehydration process. The equilibrium time periods of osmodehydration were 20, 60, 80 and 60 min for sucrose solution, and bitter-orange, apple and grape juice concentrates, respectively. The physico-chemical, biological and textural properties of PSs were significantly affected by the changes in OS. At the end of osmodehydration, the dry-matter and the Brix values were higher in all fruit-based OSs compared with sucrose OS. The color of PSs became darker in apple and grape OSs and brighter in bitter-orange OS compared with sucrose OS. On the other hand, all osmodehydrated PSs showed important antioxidant activity, with seeds osmodehydrated in grape-juice OS attaining an IC50 of 49.25 meq GA/100 g DM. All observed changes were attributed to the difference in the composition of the different OS matrices. Moreover, the hedonic analysis showed that consumers preferred osmodehydrated PSs obtained using bitter-orange juice as OS.

Life cycle assessment of concentrated apple juice production in China: Mitigation options to reduce the environmental burden

Though many studies concern the agro-food sector and its environmental impacts in some countries worldwide, literature is quite rare in works regarding life cycle assessment (LCA) application on concentrated apple juice (CAJ) in China. However, China is a global leader in CAJ production and export, so the sustainability of which is of great consequence to apple farmers and stakeholders in its value chain. With its feasibility to assess and quantify all environmental inputs and outputs that occur at all phases of production, LCA is receiving increasing attention as a tool to support global sustainability initiatives. This paper represents one of the first studies on CAJ using the LCA method to present the environmental impacts and suggest feasible strategies to improve environmental performance. We find that the apple production phase is the main cause of environmental impacts, with a contribution up to 86.68%, while the juice production phase only accounts for 13.32%. For the apple production phase, fertilizers and pesticides represent more than 88.87% in all the categories considered. For the juice production phase, bio-pellets contribute more than 74.73% in eight of the eleven impact categories. Thus, fertilizers, pesticides, and bio-pellets were recognized to be the main hotspots. The scenario analysis indicates that the environmental impacts have a significant reduction (by 21.39–98.39%) in each category via reducing the number of fertilizers by 33, 38, and 35% for N, P2O5, and K2O, and 99% for pesticides, and 33.31% for bio-pellets, respectively. Urgently, the mitigation option should pay attention to the replacement of currently used fertilizers and pesticides, and bio-pellets used to traditional thermal concentration by the standards of organically produced in the apple production phase and forward osmosis membrane technology in the juice production phase simultaneously, which is most significant for the sustainable development of CAJ.

Application of stable isotopic and mineral elemental fingerprints in identifying the geographical origin of concentrated apple juice in China

Food traceability is an important component of food safety and quality. Currently, there is no authentic established technique to identify the origin of concentrated apple juice (CAJ) in China. In this study, the isotopes of δ13C, δ18O and the contents of 32 elements in CAJ from five production areas (BHB, NWR, SCH, LP and YRAR) were determined. The δ13C, δ18O and 28 elements were significantly different (P < 0.05: post-hoc Duncan’s test) in the five production areas. PCA, PLS-DA and OPLS-DA were employed for regional classification of samples. The results show that ten key variables (Tl, Se, δ18O, B, Mg, Sr, Nd, Mo, As, and Na) are more relevant for discrimination of the samples. These findings contribute to understanding the variations of stable isotopic and element compositions in Chinese CAJ depending on geographic origins and offer valuable insight into the control of fraudulent labeling regarding the geographic origins of CAJ.

Apple Juice, Manure and Whey Concentration with Forward Osmosis Using Electrospun Supported Thin-Film Composite Membranes.

Forward osmosis (FO), using the osmotic pressure difference over a membrane to remove water, can treat highly foul streams and can reach high concentration factors. In this work, electrospun TFC membranes with a very porous open support (porosity: 82.3%; mean flow pore size: 2.9 µm), a dense PA-separating layer (thickness: 0.63 µm) covalently attached to the support and, at 0.29 g/L, having a very low specific reverse salt flux (4 to 12 times lower than commercial membranes) are developed, and their FO performance for the concentration of apple juice, manure and whey is evaluated. Apple juice is a low-fouling feed. Manure concentration fouls the membrane, but this results in only a small decrease in overall water flux. Whey concentration results in instantaneous, very severe fouling and flux decline (especially at high DS concentrations) due to protein salting-out effects in the boundary layer of the membrane, causing a high drag force resulting in lower water flux. For all streams, concentration factors of approximately two can be obtained, which is realistic for industrial applications.