4+1
Fruit packed with sugar or an equivalent sweetener.
Ratios are often written as fruit + sugar; for example, 4+1 means four parts fruit to one part sugar, or approximately 20% sugar.
Other ratios, such as 5+1, 19+1, 27+1, or custom formulations, may be produced depending on the application and customer specification.
5 Log Pathogen Reduction
A measure of how effectively a food safety process, such as pasteurization, reduces harmful microorganisms.
A 5-log reduction means a 99.999% reduction, or that the number of microorganisms is reduced to 1/100,000 of the starting level.
Acidified
A low-acid food that has acid or acid foods added to reduce the finished equilibrium pH to 4.6 or below, with a water activity, or aw, greater than 0.85.
Acidified foods are subject to specific food safety and regulatory requirements.
Antioxidants
Compounds that help inhibit oxidation. In fruit ingredients, antioxidants may include naturally occurring compounds such as vitamin C, anthocyanins, flavonoids, carotenoids, and other polyphenols.
Levels can vary depending on the fruit, variety, processing method, and storage conditions.
Aseptic
A processing and packaging method in which a commercially sterile product is filled into a sterile package under sterile conditions.
Aseptic products are designed to be microbiologically stable at ambient temperatures when unopened.
Refrigerated or chilled storage may be used for some products to help protect color, flavor, or overall quality.
Freezing is generally not recommended, as it may compromise package integrity or the aseptic seal.
BIB (Bag-in-Box)
A packaging format consisting of a flexible food-grade bag packed inside a corrugated cardboard box.
Commonly used in foodservice and ingredient applications for easier dispensing, storage, and handling.
BOL (Bill of Lading)
A shipping document issued by the carrier that confirms receipt of goods for shipment.
A bill of lading typically includes key shipment details, including the product description, quantity, shipper, consignee, carrier, origin, destination, and shipment date.
It also serves as a record of the shipment and may be used to transfer or claim delivery of the goods.
Bostwick
A method used to measure the consistency or flow of viscous products such as juices, purees, preserves, pastes, sauces, and fruit preparations.
A Bostwick measurement is typically reported by how far the product flows in a set amount of time, often in centimeters over 30 seconds.
Brix
A measurement of soluble solids in a fruit or vegetable juice, puree, concentrate, or similar product, typically measured by refractive index.
In fruit-based products, Brix is often used as an indicator of sugar content, concentration, and lot-to-lot consistency.
Brookfield
A type of viscometer used to measure the viscosity of liquids, purees, sauces, and other thick or semi-fluid products.
Brookfield measurements are typically reported in centipoise (cP) and are used to evaluate product thickness, texture, and consistency.
Clarified Juice Concentrates
A juice concentrate made from juice that has been clarified before concentration.
During clarification, pectin, protein, starch, pulp, and other insoluble or suspended materials are removed to produce a clearer juice with reduced cloudiness or sediment.
Cloudy Juice Concentrates
A juice concentrate with a naturally cloudy appearance caused by evenly distributed pulp, pectin, starch, and other suspended solids.
Cloudy juice concentrates are not fully clarified, which helps retain more of the juice’s natural body, color, and appearance.
COA (Certificate
A document that reports the lab test results and key quality attributes of a specific product or lot.
A COA may include results such as Brix, pH, acidity, color, microbiological testing, allergens, and other specification requirements, depending on the product.
Cultivated
A fruit or plant variety that has been intentionally grown, selected, or developed through horticulture or agriculture, rather than harvested as a wild variety.
For example, blueberries are commonly described as either cultivated blueberries or wild blueberries, depending on the variety and how they are grown or harvested.
Decolorized
A product that has been specifically processed to reduce color, resulting in a juice or ingredient that is nearly water-white and highly transparent.
Decolorized products are often used when minimal color impact is desired in the finished application.
Deionized
A product or solution that has been processed through ion exchange to remove dissolved ions and minerals.
In fruit and juice applications, deionization may be used to reduce mineral content, acidity, color, or flavor impact, depending on the product and process.
Density
A measure of a product’s mass per unit volume. In fruit and juice products, density is often related to Brix, specific gravity, and temperature.
Density may be used to help evaluate product concentration, formulation, and consistency from lot to lot.
Dietary Fiber
The edible, non-digestible carbohydrate components naturally found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and other plant-based foods.
In fruit and vegetable ingredients, dietary fiber may come from cell walls, pulp, skins, seeds, and other plant structures.
Distillates
Clear, water-soluble flavor and aroma components recovered from fruit during processing, such as juicing, pureeing, or concentration.
Distillates are often used to help restore or enhance the natural flavor profile of a fruit ingredient or finished application.
Essence
A water- or alcohol-based liquid recovered from fruit during the concentration process that contains the fruit’s volatile flavor and aroma compounds.
Essences are often used to help restore or enhance the natural flavor and aroma of beverages, dairy products, and other applications containing fruit ingredients.
Essence Returned
A concentrated juice or puree in which essence recovered during evaporation or concentration has been added back to the concentrate.
Essence returned products are used to help restore or enhance the fruit’s natural flavor and aroma after concentration.
Essence Separate
A concentrated juice or puree in which the essence recovered during evaporation or concentration is kept separate and not added back to the concentrate.
Essence separate products may be used when the concentrate and essence are handled, sold, or formulated separately.
Evaporation
The process of removing water from a juice, puree, or other liquid product by converting water from a liquid to a vapor.
In fruit processing, evaporation is often performed under vacuum to concentrate the product while helping protect flavor, color, and quality. Concentration can improve handling, storage, and transportation efficiency.
Exotics
Fruits or vegetables that are less common in a particular market and are often associated with tropical or specialty origins.
Exotic fruits may offer distinctive flavor, color, aroma, or texture compared with more common fruit varieties.
Extract
A substance made by extracting specific components from a raw material, often using a solvent such as water, ethanol, or another food-grade solvent.
In fruit and plant-based ingredients, extracts may be used to capture or concentrate flavor, color, aroma, or other naturally occurring compounds.
FOB (Freight on Board or Free on Board)
A transportation term used to identify the point where responsibility for goods transfers from the seller to the buyer.
FOB is typically followed by a specific location, such as FOB origin or FOB destination, which helps determine who is responsible for freight costs, risk of loss, and shipment handling beyond that point.
Fruit Syrup
A term sometimes used for deionized juice concentrate, where certain naturally occurring components such as acids, minerals, color, and flavor compounds have been reduced through ion exchange or related processing.
Fruit syrups are often used when a fruit-based sweetener or soluble solids source is desired with reduced acidity, color, or flavor impact.
Functional Foods
Foods or ingredients formulated to provide a specific nutritional or functional benefit beyond basic nutrition.
In fruit and plant-based applications, functional foods may include products formulated with ingredients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, probiotics, prebiotics, antioxidants, or other bioactive compounds, depending on the product and intended use.
Insoluble
Describes a material that does not dissolve in a liquid and does not fully go into solution.
In fruit and vegetable products, insoluble materials may include components such as pulp, fiber, skins, seeds, or other suspended solids.
IQF (Individually Quick Frozen)
A freezing process in which individual pieces of fruit or vegetable are quickly frozen separately, rather than frozen together as a solid block.
IQF processing helps the product maintain its shape, color, flavor, and ease of handling.
Juice Concentrates
A juice product made by removing a portion of the water from single-strength juice, resulting in a more concentrated form.
Concentration is commonly used to improve handling, storage, and transportation efficiency. Juice concentrates may be produced through methods such as thermal evaporation, freeze concentration, or reverse osmosis.
NFC (Not from Concentrate)
Juice that is extracted or pressed from fruit or vegetables and has not been concentrated or reconstituted from concentrate.
NFC juices are commonly used in beverages, dairy products, and other applications where a closer-to-single-strength juice profile is desired.
Nutraceuticals
A term combining nutrition and pharmaceutical, generally used to describe foods, ingredients, or food-derived products positioned for specific nutritional or functional benefits.
In fruit and plant-based applications, nutraceutical ingredients may include concentrated sources of vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, polyphenols, or other bioactive compounds, depending on the product and intended use.
ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity)
A laboratory method historically used to measure the antioxidant capacity of foods, ingredients, or compounds.
ORAC values may provide information about antioxidant activity under specific test conditions, but they should not be used on their own to imply health benefits, nutritional superiority, or product efficacy.
Organic
A product produced and handled according to applicable organic certification standards, which restrict the use of certain synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and other inputs.
Organic requirements may vary by certifying body or country, so products should be verified through the appropriate organic certificate or certification documentation.
Pasteurization
A food safety process that uses controlled heat treatment to reduce harmful microorganisms and extend product shelf life while helping maintain product quality.
Pasteurization processes are typically validated to achieve a specific level of microbial reduction, such as a 5-log pathogen reduction, depending on the product, target organism, and regulatory requirements.
POD (Proof of Delivery)
A document or delivery record signed or acknowledged by the consignee or recipient, confirming that a shipment was delivered.
A POD may include details such as the delivery date, recipient name, shipment condition, and any exceptions or damages noted at delivery.
Polyphenols
A broad group of naturally occurring plant compounds found in fruits, vegetables, tea, cocoa, and other plant-based foods.
In fruit ingredients, polyphenols may include compounds such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, and phenolic acids. They can contribute to a fruit’s color, flavor, astringency, and antioxidant activity.
Processing Aid
A substance used during manufacturing or processing to help achieve a specific technical purpose, but that is not intended to have a technical or functional effect in the finished food.
Processing aids may be removed during processing or remain only at low, incidental levels in the final product, depending on the ingredient and process.
Puree Concentrates
A puree product made by removing a portion of the water from single-strength puree, resulting in a thicker, more concentrated form.
Puree concentrates may be produced through methods such as thermal vacuum concentration, freeze concentration, or reverse osmosis. They are often used to improve handling, storage, transportation efficiency, and formulation flexibility in applications where reduced water content is desired.
Single Strength (s/s) Juice
Juice at its natural or defined single-strength Brix level for a specific fruit or vegetable.
Single strength juice may be either NFC juice or juice that has been reconstituted from concentrate by adding water back to the appropriate single-strength level.
Single Strength (s/s) Puree
A non-concentrated puree made by grinding or macerating fruit or vegetables into a smooth or semi-smooth form.
Single strength puree retains the product’s original natural Brix level and has not had water removed through concentration. Depending on the product and desired specification, fibrous tissue, peel, rind, or seeds may be removed or retained through screening.
Soluble
Describes a product or ingredient that can dissolve in a liquid and go into solution.
In fruit and vegetable products, soluble components may include sugars, acids, minerals, and other dissolved solids.
Standards of Identity
Regulatory standards that define what a specific food product is, what it may be called, and which ingredients or processes are required or permitted.
If a product is represented as a food with an established standard of identity, it must meet that standard’s requirements. Related standards of quality may also define minimum quality requirements for certain foods.
Straight Pack
Fruit or vegetable product packed without added sugar, sweetener, or other ingredients.
Straight pack products are typically used when an unsweetened or minimally formulated ingredient is desired.
Super Fruit
A marketing term often used to describe fruits with distinctive flavor, color, nutrient content, or naturally occurring antioxidant compounds.
The term is not a formal regulatory classification and may be used differently depending on the product, market, or application.
Tropical
Describes fruits or vegetables commonly associated with warm tropical or subtropical growing regions.
Tropical fruits are generally sensitive to frost or cold temperatures and may include fruits such as mango, pineapple, passion fruit, guava, papaya, and banana.
Turbidity
A measure of how much a liquid’s clarity or transparency is reduced by the presence of suspended particles.
In juice and fruit products, turbidity may be influenced by pulp, pectin, starch, protein, or other insoluble materials.
Viscosity
A measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow, often used to describe the product’s thickness or consistency.
Higher-viscosity products flow more slowly, while lower-viscosity products flow more easily.