Juices & Concentrates

What is the brix of fruit juice?

Under 19 CFR § 151.91 the average brix value of several different fruit juices is set in the below table

Kind of fruit juice	Average Brix value (degrees)
Apple	13.3
Apricot	14.3
Black currant	15
Blackberry	10
Blueberry	14.1
Boysenberry	10
Cherry	14.3
Cranberry	10.5
Date	18.5
Dewberry	10
Elderberry	11
Fig	18.2
Gooseberry	8.3
Grape (Vitis Vinifera)	21.5
Grape (Slipskin varieties)	16
Grapefruit	10.2
Guava	7.7
Lemon	8.9
Lime	10
Mango	17
Orange	11.8
Peach	11.8
Pear	15.4
Pineapple	14.3
Plum	14.3
Prune	18.5
Raspberry (Red raspberry)	10.5
Red currant	10.5
Strawberry	8
Tangerine	11.5

As a juice producer however, what will be more important than an absolute value will be the consistency of your juice from batch to batch. To ensure consistency, an inline refractometer providing continuous, real time data on the brix of a liquid in a pipe or tank can be used.

What pH should a fruit juice be at?

Different fruit juice has different acidity levels. Apples, oranges, grapes and cranberries are all moderately acidic.

· Cranberry juice: 2.3 to 2.5.

· Grape juice: 3.3

· Apple juice: 3.30 and 4

· Orange juice 3.3 to 4.2

For consistency of quality, taste, shelf-life and customer experience, it is important to test and control acidity. The pH level of fruit is inherently variable, being affected by temperature, water supply and mineral fertilisation. To achieve a consistent result, testing and adjustment of ingredients is an absolute necessity.