Quality of tart cherry nutraceutical juice: A comparison of juice packaged in flexible pouches and bottles made from glass, PET and aluminum

The main objective of this research is to develop a protective, convenient and consumer oriented product for the cherry industry: a pasteurized single-strength tart cherry juice made from concentrate, which was hot filled in four different commercially available packages with nitrogen flushed headspace: composite stand-up pouches with a multilayer structure (Pet/Al/LDPE) and bottles made from glass, aluminum and PET.;A more specific aim is to analyze the stability of anthocyanins and other key properties over 12-months of storage under controlled ambient conditions (23°C) and 50% RH, without light exposure. Gas liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to measure the anthocyanin content over time. Analyses were likewise conducted monthly for color, bacteria, yeast and mold, solids and pH.;The results show that the tart cherry juice can be pasteurized and packed for 12 months in two different packages without suffering a dramatic anthocyanin loss glass as expected and aluminum. Aluminum bottles performed nearly as well as glass. With good gas and moisture barriers and good antioxidant retention, aluminum bottles are becoming more widely available for processors, and aluminum bottles are recloseable and easily recycled. One issue that did arise with the trained sensory panelist was an off-flavor that developed in the juice in aluminum bottles after six months. The performance of the aluminum bottles was dependent on the constitution of the inner lining which, if compromised, could cause chelating in the juice with the resulting off-flavor. The plastic bottles in the test performed the least well compared to glass and aluminum. The plastic bottles showed a loss of 50 percentage of the antioxidants in the juice after six months. Plastic is readily available to processors, but again, as a generic packages that are easily reclosed and are recyclable. The performance of the stand up pouches was not evaluated through all the 12 months since the packages failed during the fill stage of the project. Results were favorable for the tart cherry juice industry. From the consumers' points of view results show a statistically significant preference for the 12 month-stored juice packed in glass and aluminum bottles compared to fresh juice.