Things to know about different types of fruit concentrates

Fruit concentrate is produced through a systematic and sequential process, which ultimately leads to concentration. The nutritional components of fruit concentrate include amino acids, vitamins, minerals, phosphorus, and calcium.

Differences between fruit concentrate and fruit puree

In the production of fruit concentrate, an essence or extract is obtained from fruits, which is mixed with sugar and water to make various types of beverages and fruit juices. On the other hand, fruit puree is a food substance that is mainly made by grinding and cooking fruits, vegetables, legumes, raw fruits, and mixing them uniformly, and then passing them through a sieve. Fruit puree is a food product used in the production of non-clear fruit juices, and is naturally rich in vitamins and minerals, which can be found in different colors and flavors. Fruit puree of sweet, sour, and sweet and sour fruits are high in fiber and vitamins A, B, C, etc. Puree is used to add flavor to various foods, fortified beverages, or snacks.

Reasons for fruit concentrate and its benefits

Some of the important benefits of fruit, vegetable, and herb concentrate are:

• Significant reduction in volume and weight
• Concentration up to 3 to 7 times
• Easier transportation of food
• Reduction in consumption cost
• Easier preparation of fruit juice by adding instant solvent or water
• Longer storage time
• Can be stored at normal temperatures

Uses of fruit concentrate

Fruit concentrate is widely used in various food industries,some of the most important ones

being:

• Confectionery
• Cakes and cookies
• Flavored bread baking
• Juice production
• Production of fruit leather
• Jam making
• Marmalade making
• Compote making
• Fruit juice production
• Tobacco products
• Various types of fruit sauce and syrup

One of the most important uses of fruit concentrate in the food industry is in the production of fruit ice cream. According to the standard for fruit ice cream, a minimum of 12% fresh fruit or its equivalent in concentrate or powder must be used in production. In other words, 2.5% concentrate must be added to the ice cream formula. Typically, about 8% fruit concentrate is used in ice cream formulas, which is equivalent to using 47% natural fruit. This amount provides a very good taste and quality to the ice cream.

In the production of jam, according to the Iranian standard, the minimum fruit content in jam for different fruits is between 20 to 35%. Therefore, about 3.3 – 6% fruit concentrate is required to make jam. Other ingredients that make up jam include sugar, glucose syrup or maltodextrin, water, stabilizer and thickener such as pectin,acidifier such as citric,malic,tartaric, and ascorbic acid