FoodTech startup Better Juice announced the highly successful completion of a series of pilot tests aimed at reducing simple sugars in natural red fruit juices and other fruits. In partnership with GEA Group, one of the largest suppliers of technology for food processing, Better Juice welcomed several prominent manufacturers of red fruit juices from Europe, the USA, Australia, and Brazil to transform their private label brands using its innovative sugar reduction technology.
The tests were conducted at the pilot innovation unit established last year at GEA’s innovation center in Ahaus, Germany. Accommodating the GEA Better Juice Sugar Converter Skid, the state-of-the-art facility is equipped with continuous flow columns containing Better Juice’s sugar-reducing spheres. During the tests, the team managed to reduce the content of simple sugars by 30% to 50% across a variety of fruit juices, including strawberry, cherry, and blueberry, while preserving their characteristic flavors and textures.
“Fruit juices contain 10% or more sugar, with red fruit and cherry juices composed of 10%-20% sucrose and the remainder fructose and glucose,” explains Eran Blachinsky, co-founder and Co-CEO of Better Juice. “Our technology reduces the load of all three of these simple sugars. This will allow more people to enjoy red fruit-based juices.”
Better Juice’s proprietary sugar-reducing spheres are made from non-GMO microorganisms that naturally convert the juice composition of sucrose, glucose, and fructose into prebiotic oligosaccharides and other indigestible fibers, retaining its natural complement of vital nutrients.
“By implementing a ‘plug-and-play’ approach, we were able to produce juices with the same nutritional value and mouthfeel as the original products, with only a slightly attenuated sweetness,” reports Gali Yarom, co-founder and Co-CEO of Better Juice. “The feedback has been very promising, with several companies expressing strong interest in continuing to work with us to bring these products to market. We are currently in advanced discussions with several major fruit juice companies based in the USA to install our technology in their juice production systems. We project that reduced-sugar red fruit juices will hit the shelves early next year.”
The treatment process has proven successful for both clear NFC (not from concentrate) juices and dense concentrates, as well as juices with retained pulp. A significant number of juice manufacturers worldwide use concentrates to reduce shipping costs by evaporating the water and adding it back at the destination during bottling.
Red fruit and cherry juices are naturally high in pulp, which is why many juice companies strive to retain these fiber-rich fruit solids in their products. Better Juice’s technology is designed to handle pulp and ensure it remains in the juice, eliminating the need for filtration. This not only helps preserve the nutritional benefits of the fruit but also provides a satisfying texture that consumers love.