Where is apple juice from

There is a significant risk that levels of patulin in apple juice produced in South America will exceed a 50 µg/kg target level. A survey carried out on apple juice in Chile (Canas, P. 1996) found a 28% incidence of samples of apple juice and apple concentrate exceeding this limit.

Apple juice produced in Latin America is different to that produced in Europe in that it has added sucrose and water, as well as the preservative sodium metabisulphite .

Task 1 — The HACCP team

An appropriate HACCP team will be composed of: a HACCP consultant, a mycotoxicologist, a mycologist, a quality assurance manager at the processing plant, a process engineer, representatives of the farmers and the Department of Agriculture, and a scientific secretary. A specialist in the area of fruit juice production and legislative matters will be consulted as and when necessary.

Tasks 2 and 3. — Product Description and Intended Use, Verified.

This information is given in Table 11.

Tasks 4 and 5 — The Commodity Flow Diagram (CFD), Verified (Figure 12)

The CFD will be prepared and verified by a series of visits to the orchards and processing plant. A typical CFD is presented in Figure 12.

Task 6 — Mycotoxin hazard analysis and identification of control measures

a) Identification of mycotoxin hazard

Patulin was the only mycotoxin hazard identified in this product. A number of European countries including Switzerland, Belgium, Austria and France have a 50 µg/Litre limit. The lowest limit is 30 µg/kg, in Romania.

Table 11. Description and Intended Use of End Product

Name of Product

13° Brix apple juice with added sugar, preservative (sodium metabisulphite) and water. Filtered through 5 micron filter, pasteurised at 90°C for 2 minutes

Conditions of storage

Bulk tank at reduced temperature until processed.
Ambient temperature when processed

Six month at ambient. Chilled and consumed within4 days once opened

Consumed without further heating.

Glass bottle or tetrapack — 1 litre

Acid level important to product taste. Within microbiological and mycotoxin guidelines

Local consumption and export. All age groups

b) Identification of steps in the CFD where mycotoxin contamination is most likely to occur.

Each step in the CFD will be considered in turn.

Patulin contamintion is likely to be produced in the orchard during growing (Step 1) and during bulk storage (Step 3). There is little risk of further contamination during transportation, but damage to apples at this stage can increase the risk of subsequent contamination.

At the factory, patulin contamination is most likely to increase during storage at Step 8.

There is likely to be patulin contamination present in the apples, or the resultant apple juice, at every step in the commodity chain. Hence it is important to both minimise contamination, and reduce levels of contamination to the acceptable level.

Fig. 12. HACCP Process Flow-diagram: Apple juice

c. Possible Patulin Control Measures

Contamination of the juice can be prevented at steps where rotten or rotting apples can be rejected from the process, either in the orchard when the fruit is harvested, or during sorting in the factory.

Post-harvest patulin contamination can be eliminated, or significantly reduced, by storage at Penicillium expansum spores during pasteurisation at Step 11 will reduce the risk of patulin production in the finished juice.

Tasks 7 to 10: Development of a HACCP Plan

A spreadsheet summarising the HACCP plan for patulin in apple juice is given in Table 12. The development of the plan at each step in the CFD is given below.

Step 1: Farm, growing in the orchard — GAP

Growth of the mould Penicillium expansum , and subsequent patulin contamination, can occur pre-harvest, where it is associated with damaged and over-ripe fruit. Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) will minimise insect and bird damage.

Step 2: Farm, at harvest — CCP1

The control measure at this step is to efficiently reject rotten and damaged apples during harvesting. Rotten apples are much more likely to contain high levels of patulin than sound looking apples. In one study (Sydenham, E. W., 1995), as much as 70% of patulin present in a batch of over-ripe apples was removed by sorting and removing visually mouldy apples. Application of this control measure at Step 2 is considered a CCP because it will reduce mould contamination to an acceptable level.

The effect of this CCP on levels of patulin in the system should not be considered in isolation. The HACCP team will consider the cumulative effects of subsequent CCPs and will judge whether levels of patulin in the final product are likely to exceed acceptable levels. The HACCP team will also consider the fact that removal of mouldy apples at this step will reduce the risk of subsequent patulin production, especially during on-farm storage. There is a subsequent sorting step at Step 6, so it could be argued that sorting is not required here. However, there are strong arguments to support sorting at both steps. Failure to sort at Step 1 will result in greatly increased patulin production at Steps 3, and unnecessary transportation of rotten fruit. There is little doubt that application of this sorting control measure at Step 1 is important for the production of apple juice containing acceptable levels of patulin.

The critical limit for this CCP will relate to the percentage of visibly mouldy apples remaining after sorting, and will be determined by the sorting efficiency which can reasonably be expected at this stage. For this example, the HACCP team considered that 99 per cent of mouldy apples should be removed at this step. The procedure will be monitored by trained supervisors and verified by a grading check on representative samples.

Table 12. HACCP Plan Worksheet, Apple Juice, S. America

Description of hazard

1
Orchard
growing

Minimise damage caused by birds and insects

2
Orchard
Harvest

Remove mouldy and damaged apples
Avoid trash and soil contamination

All staff to be trained

Check training records
Automated readout

Discard
Adjust temperature
Check monit. System
Inspect fruit

Avoid damage and mould contamination

5
Factory
Procurement

Inspect and reject low-grade apples with >10% mould apples

Penicillium expansum spores

12
Factory
Aseptic filling

13
Factory
Storage & dispat

Step 3: Farm, bulk storage — GAP

Application of GAP and GSP is necessary to minimise rotting of fruit and subsequent patulin production during bulk storage. Storage of sound apples is important and the length of storage should be minimised, unless refrigerated storage facilities are used.

Step 4: Transportation — GAP

There is little risk of patulin contamination during short duration journeys, but any physical damage sustained during transportation, including loading and unloading, will predispose the fruit to subsequent mould attack and possible patulin contamination. The correct handling of fruit is therefore required.

Step 5: Factory procurement — GMP

Procurement of batches of low-grade apples, with a high percentage of damaged and rotten fruit, are to be avoided. It could be argued that, with a sorting step to follow, the procurement of low-grade apples would be permissible. However, batches containing >10% rotten fruit, say, will be extremely difficult to sort manually, and the levels of patulin likely to be present will make it difficult to attain an acceptable level of patulin in the finished product.

Step 6: Factory sorting — CCP2

The control measure is sorting to remove visibly mouldy apples. This CCP will reduce the level of mould to an acceptable level, and make a major contribution towards achieving an acceptable level of patulin in the final product. Sorting will both remove mouldy apples missed during sorting at Step 2, and remove apples that have subsequently become mouldy at Steps 3 and 4.

As for Step 1, the critical limit for this CCP will be the acceptable percentage of mouldy apples remaining after the sorting procedure, and monitoring will be by use of a trained supervisor.

Step 7: Factory, washing — CCP3

The control measure is washing the apples using high-pressure water spraying to remove rotten apple flesh, and patulin, from the fruit. Studies (Acar, J., 1998, & Sydenham, E.W., 1995) have shown that washing in this way can remove more than half of the patulin present in the fruit. The critical limits for this CCP will be related to the pressure of the sprays and the duration of the washing step. The water pressure will be monitored using pressure gauges and the washing step will be timed.

Patulin levels will be reduced at this step, but spores will be suspended in the water. This inoculum will increase the risk of mould growth during bulk storage.

Step 8: Bulk storage of whole apples — CCP4

The control measure is to prevent mould growth and patulin production by storing at reduced temperature. If refrigerated storage is not available, then storage time must be minimised. The critical limits are either a storage temperature of Step 9: Pressing/extraction process — GMP

Good Manufacturing Practice will ensure that the presses are cleaned regularly to prevent a build-up of mouldy apple waste which could be a source of patulin contamination.

Step 10: Filtration — CCP5

The control measure is the removal of fine, patulin-rich particles held in suspension in the crude juice. Research has shown (Acar, J., 1998) that a significant reduction in levels of patulin can be achieved using filtration. Conventional clarification by means of a rotary vacuum precoat filter resulted in a 39% reduction in levels of patulin, and ultrafiltration resulted in a 25% reduction. Critical limits are set for the size and quantity of particles remaining in the apple juice after filtration. These critical limits are monitored by microscopic examination of samples of apple juice.

Step 11: Pasteurisation — CCP

This step is a CCP for the control of bacterial hazards. However, it can also be considered as a CCP for control of the patulin hazard since pasteurisation will destroy spores of Penicillium expansum , and therefore prevent any subsequent mould growth, and patulin production, in submerged culture in the apple juice.

Although patulin levels are unlikely to be reduced significantly during pasteurisation, mould spores will be destroyed and the risk of patulin being produced subsequently in the apple juice will be reduced.

Step 12: Asceptic packaging process — GMP

Following pasteurisation, it is important to prevent the re-introduction of micro-organisms, including mould spores, during packaging. These procedures are covered by GMP.

Packaging is selected which will protect the juice from contamination by micro-organisms, e.g. tetra packs, or glass bottles with air-tight seals for the lid.

Step 13: Storage and dispatch — GMP

No subsequent contamination with patulin is likely.

Tasks 11: Establish verification procedures

The HACCP plan will be audited quarterly, and amended as necessary.

Tasks 12: Establish documentation and record keeping

The HACCP Plan will be fully documented, and appropriate records kept at each CCP.

Acar, J., Gokman, V., Taydas, E. E. (1998). ‘The effect of processing technology on the patulin content of juice during commercial apple juice concentrate production’. Zeitschrift fur Lebensmittel-Untersuchung und-Forschung A-Food Research and Technology 207, 328-331.

Anon (1999). ‘Guidance on the control of patulin in directly pressed apple juice.’ Published by the UK Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Ergon House, 17, Smith Square, London SW1P 3JR.

Canas, P., Aranda, M. (1996). ‘Decontamination and inhibition of patulin-induced cytotoxicity.’ Environmental Toxicology & Water Quality 11 , 249-253.

Sydenham, E. W., Vismer, H. F., Marasas, W. F. O., Brown, N., Schlechter, M., Vanderwesthuizen, L., Rheeder, J. P. (1995). ‘Reduction of patulin in apple juice samples — influence of initial processing.’ Food Control 6 , 195-200.

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Juicing apples — how to make your own apple cider

Apple juice or sweet cider is a refreshing healthy drink which can easily be made at home. Freshly-pressed apple juice from home-grown apples has an intensity of flavor that is a far-cry from the long-life supermarket products.

Apple pressing is best when you have many hands to help, and is a great excuse to invite friends and family over to join in the fun — and to help clear up the mess afterwards! Children in particular seem to love watching the juice seeping out of the press, and nothing tastes quite like freshly-pressed apple juice.

Benefits of juicing

Dealing with a surplus. Within a few years the insignificant-looking young apple trees that you planted will start producing apples … and even dwarf apple trees are capable of producing very large quantities of apples. Pressing them into apple juice is a great way to deal with a surplus.
Dealing with second-grade apples. Most gardeners and community orchard projects do not spray their trees, so inevitably there will be a proportion of second-grade fruits. As long as they are still edible they can be used for juicing.

Whilst juicing apples used to be seen primarily as a way of dealing with a surplus or using second-grade apples, customers are increasingly choosing to grow trees specifically for juicing.

Which varieties are best for apple juice?

All apple varieties can be used for juicing, but there are a number of varieties that are particularly useful because of the qualities of their juice, and these are highlighted on our website. The best juices often come from a blend of sharp apples (usually cooking apples) and sweet apples (usually eating apples). You can use the variety search page on our website to find varieties that produce good quality juice.

How many apples will I need?

You need a lot of apples to produce a small amount of juice. The quantities vary from one variety to another, and also depending on the power of the press you are using, but as a very rough estimate:

2.5kg of apples = 1 litre of apple juice

1 large supermarket plastic bag will hold enough apples to make 1 litre of apple juice

How many apple trees will I need to make apple juice?

Yields of apple trees vary enormously depending on the variety, the rootstock, and the soil and climate conditions, but here are some approximate figures:

Tree size / Rootstock	Likely production	Juice per tree
Dwarf tree (e.g. G.11, G.16, G.41 rootstock)	10-20kg (0.5 — 1 bushels)	4-8 litres
Semi-dwarf (e.g. G202, G935, M7 rootstock)	10-40kg (1 — 2 bushels	4-16 litres
Semi-vigorous (e.g. MM106, MM111, B.118 rootstock)	20-50kg (1 — 2.5 bushels)	8-20 litres
Full-size (e.g. Antonovka or seedling rootstock)	80-160kg (4 — 8 bushels)	32-64 litres

It might seem from these figures that you should always plant full-size trees to get the most production for juicing, but the reverse is actually true and if outright production is your goal then dwarf trees are the best choice.

The reason is these figures do not take into account the space needed, so if you want to maximize your apple production in the least amount of space, do what commercial growers do, and grow trees on dwarf rootstocks. You could easily fit 12 dwarf trees in the same amount of space needed for a large traditional tree, and whilst each tree will not produce as many apples, collectively they will produce far more apples (and you can grow different varieties to give a range of flavours).

Turning apples into juice

Apples are naturally hard fruits so unlike soft fruits and grapes, cannot just be pressed to release the juice. Instead making apple juice is a two-stage process.

Step 1 — Crushing

Firstly the apples must be crushed or milled into very small pieces — known as ‘pomace’. Most apple press manufacturers offer dedicated crushers or ‘scratters’ for this purpose. Washed apples are fed whole (stalks and all) in to a hopper and then passed through rotating metal teeth, turned by a handle. The pomace falls out of the bottom and is collected ready for the next stage. Often the crusher can be mounted on top of the press so that the pomace falls straight into it.

If you don’t have a crusher, you can achieve a similar result by freezing and then thawing your apples (which breaks down the flesh) and then pounding them with a wooden post in a large bucket. Cutting the apples into slices by hand generally doesn’t work.

Step 2 — Pressing

Again, unlike soft fruits, which can often be turned into juice in a kitchen liquidizer, apples (or rather apple pomace) has to be pressed to release the juice.

Apple presses come in all sizes, from large old traditional ones turned by horse or cattle, to small domestic ones turned by hand. Regardless of size the principle is the same. The pomace is placed inside the frame of the press, usually between layers of lightweight cloth to catch the seeds and stalks. Modern domestic presses are usually supplied with a fabric straining bag which achieves the same result.

A handle on top of the press forces a wooden plate down into the press, applying pressure to the layers of pomace. Juice rapidly flows out to the base of the press where it is directed into a small channel and into a jug for collection.

It is best to apply the pressure steadily, so that the fruit cell walls are broken slowly, rather than pressing as quickly as possible.

Once the juice has stopped flowing, you can unwind the press. The dry pomace is traditionally fed to pigs, or it can be used for garden compost. If you removed the stalks and cores before pressing, the pomace can also be dried slowly in an oven and then used as an ingredient in home baking.

Preserving and Storing apple juice

The flavor of freshly-pressed apple juice is distinctly more intense and flavorsome than commercial apple juice, mainly because it is unpasteurised and unfiltered. In our experience many people who do not normally like apple juice will find the flavor and sheer freshness of home-pressed apple juice a revelation.

The colors can vary considerably depending on the varieties you have been pressing, from dark brown to pale yellow. Pink or red-fleshed apples make particularly attractive juice.

Home-pressed juice can be drunk immediately, or kept in a covered jug in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.

However even the most enthusiastic apple juice fans might find that they cannot drink or give away all their fresh juice. Fortunately juice can easily be preserved by freezing it.

You can buy sterilised containers for this purpose, but here is a much simpler way:

Collect some old plastic or cardboard juice cartons, clean them out (but no need to sterilize them) and cut the tops off with scissors.
Then take a similarly-sized polythene food bag and push it into the carton, and fill it with fresh apple juice — the carton simply supports the bag containing the juice.
Tie the top of the bag, leaving a bit of a gap, and place in a freezer.
Once the juice has frozen you can discard the container, leaving a block of frozen juice inside a plastic bag. This can be kept in a freezer for 4-6 months.

If you want more advice on choosing apple varieties for juicing please contact us.

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