Juice

A glass of orange juice

Juice is a drink made from the extraction or pressing of the natural liquid contained in fruit and vegetables. It can also refer to liquids that are flavored with concentrate or other biological food sources, such as meat or seafood, such as clam juice.

Juice is commonly consumed as a beverage or used as an ingredient or flavoring in foods or other beverages, such as smoothies. Juice emerged as a popular beverage choice after the development of pasteurization methods enabled its preservation without using fermentation (which is used in wine production). As well as tasting good, juice contains nutrients that support a healthy diet.

Etymology

The word "juice" comes from Old French in about 1300; it developed from the Old French word jus, which mean "liquid obtained by boiling herbs" from Old French jus ("juice, sap, liquid") from Latin ius ("broth, sauce, juice, soup") from PIE root *yeue- "to blend, mix food." The use of the word "juice" to mean "the watery part of fruits or vegetables" was first recorded in the early fourteenth century.

Pomegranate juice

Terminology

Fruit juice being used in the preparation of a smoothie

In the United Kingdom, the name or names of the fruit followed by juice can only legally be used to describe a product that is 100 percent fruit juice, as required by the Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars (England) Regulations and the Fruit Juices and Fruit Nectars (Scotland) Regulations. However, a juice made by reconstituting concentrate can be called juice. A product described as fruit "nectar" must contain at least 25 percent to 50 percent juice, depending on the fruit. A juice or nectar including concentrate must state that it does. The term "juice drink" is not defined in the Regulations and can be used to describe any drink that includes juice, whatever the amount.

In the United States, fruit juice alone can only legally be used to describe a product that is 100 percent fruit juice. A blend of fruit juice(s) with other ingredients, such as high-fructose corn syrup, needs a qualifying term such as “beverage,” “cocktail,” or “drink,” such as "apple and pear juice drink." According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the term "nectar" is generally accepted in the US and in international trade for a diluted juice to denote a beverage that contains fruit juice or puree, water, and artificial sweeteners.

"No added sugar" is commonly printed on the labels of juice containers, but the products may contain large amounts of sugars that naturally occur in the fruit.

Depending on trends and regulations, beverages listed as 100% juice may actually contain unlisted additives. For example, most orange juice contains added ethyl butyrate (to enhance flavor), vitamin C (as ascorbic acid), and water (if from concentrate).

History

Groups of grape pits dated to 8000 B.C.E. show early evidence of juice production, although it is thought that the grapes may have been alternatively used to produce wine. One of the first regularly produced juices was lemonade, which appeared in sixteenth-century Italy as an import after its conception in the Middle East. Orange juice originated in the seventeenth century. In the eighteenth century, James Lind linked citrus fruits to the prevention of scurvy, which, a century later, led to the implementation of the Merchant Shipping Act of 1867, requiring all ocean-bound British ships to carry citrus-based juice on board.

In 1869, a teetotaler dentist by the name of Thomas B. Welch developed a pasteurization method that allowed for the storage of juice without the juice fermenting into alcohol. His method involved filtering squeezed grape juice into bottles, sealing them with cork and wax, and then placing them in boiling water. This method kills the yeast responsible for fermentation. He then sold his new product as "Dr. Welch's Unfermented Wine" to be used in church communion services as a substitute for wine for those who cannot drink alcohol. It was later renamed "Welch's Grape Juice.

In the late eighteenth-century United States, the circulation of foreign fruit juices was heavily regulated by tariffs. The McKinley Tariff Act of 1890 increased import taxes from 38 to 49.5 percent and set taxes on fruit juices based on the alcohol content of the drink. Juices with 18 percent or less alcohol were taxed at 60 cents per gallon, while anything above 18 percent was taxed at US$2.50 per proof gallon.

Production

It has long been understood that juice should be flavorful and nutritious. The method of preparation is thus very important in creating the best products:

The most important problem in the preparation and preservation of fruit juices is that of retaining in the finished product as much as possible of the pleasing qualities of the fresh juice. The methods of preparation should alter the original fresh-fruit aroma and flavor as little as possible. ... Second only to the retention of flavor and color is the retention of nutritive value. Fruit juices have been included in the diet, particularly of growing children, largely as a source of water-soluble vitamins (B and C) and obviously these should not be destroyed. The fruit acids, sugars, and the mineral salts present, which are also highly beneficial, are more stable than the vitamins and usually are not affected by the processing.

Preparation

A hand press juicer machine

Juice is prepared by mechanically squeezing or macerating (sometimes referred to as cold pressing) fruit or vegetable flesh without the application of heat or solvents. For example, orange juice is the liquid extract of the fruit of the orange tree, and tomato juice is the liquid that results from pressing the fruit of the tomato plant. Juice may be prepared at home from fresh fruit and vegetables using a variety of hand or electric juicers. Many commercial juices are filtered to remove fiber or pulp, but high-pulp fresh orange juice is a popular beverage. Additives are put in some juices, such as sugar and artificial flavors (in some fruit juice-based beverages) or savory seasonings (e.g., in Clamato or Caesar tomato juice drinks).

Common methods for the preservation and processing of fruit juices include canning, pasteurization, concentrating, freezing, evaporation, and spray drying.

Pomegranates being washed prior to processing in an Afghanistan fruit concentrate factory

Although processing methods vary between juices, the general processing method of juices includes:

• Washing and sorting food source
• Juice extraction
• Straining, filtration and clarification
• Blending pasteurization
• Filling, sealing and sterilization
• Cooling, labeling and packing

After the fruits are picked and washed, the juice is extracted by one of two automated methods. In the first method, two metal cups with sharp metal tubes on the bottom cup come together, removing the peel and forcing the flesh of the fruit through the metal tube. The juice of the fruit then escapes through small holes in the tube. The peels can then be used further, and are washed to remove oils, which are reclaimed later for usage. The second method requires the fruits to be cut in half before being subjected to reamers, which extract the juice.

After the juice is filtered, it may be concentrated in evaporators, which reduce the size of the juice by a factor of 5, making it easier to transport and increasing its expiration date. Juices are concentrated by heating under a vacuum to remove water, and then cooling to around 13 degrees Celsius. About two-thirds of the water in a juice is removed. The juice is later reconstituted, a process in which the concentrate is mixed with water and other factors to restore any lost flavor from the concentrating process. Juices can also be sold in a concentrated state, in which the consumer adds water to the concentrated juice as preparation.

Juices are then pasteurized and filled into containers, often while still hot. If the juice is poured into a container while hot, it is cooled as quickly as possible. Packages that cannot stand heat require sterile conditions for filling. Chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide can be used to sterilize containers. Plants can make anywhere from 1 to 20 tonnes a day.

Pulsed electric fields processing

Heat treatments sometimes fail to make a quality, microbiologically stable product. High-intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) can be used as an alternative nonthermal method for food preservation.

Pulsed electric fields use short pulses of electricity to inactivate microbes. In addition, the use of PEF results in minimal detrimental effects on the quality of the food. PEFs kill microorganisms and provide better maintenance of the original color, flavour, and nutritional value of the food as compared to heat treatments. This method of preservation works by placing two electrodes between liquid juices, then applying high-voltage pulses for microseconds to milliseconds. The high-voltage pulses have an intensity in the range of 10 to 80 kV/cm.

The processing time of the juice is calculated by multiplying the number of pulses by the effective pulse duration. The high voltage of the pulses produces an electric field that results in the inactivation of microbes that may be present in the juice. The PEF temperatures are below the temperatures used in thermal processing. After the high-voltage treatment, the juice is aseptically packaged and refrigerated. Juice is also able to transfer electricity due to the presence of several ions from the processing. When the electric field is applied to the juice, electric currents are then able to flow into the liquid juice and be transferred around due to the charged molecules in the juice. Therefore, pulsed electric fields are able to inactivate microorganisms, extend shelf life, and reduce the enzymatic activity of the juice while maintaining similar quality as the original, fresh-pressed juice.

Emerging or aspirational technologies

Fruit juices contain compounds that can be undesirable to consumers. Apple juices can be cloudy, and grapefruit juices can be bitter. Enzymatic technologies, involving respectively pectinases and naringinase, address these problems.

Health effects

Advertisers often urge parents to buy juice for their children.

100 percent fruit juice

Juices are often consumed for their perceived health benefits, although there has been concern due to the lower dietary fiber and higher free-sugar contents of 100 percent juice compared with whole fruits and vegetables.

Fruit juice that is 100 percent from fruit or vegetables can help meet daily intake recommendations for some nutrients. For example, juice provides nutrients such as carotenoids, polyphenols, and vitamin C that offer health benefits.

A 2018 review concluded that:

Although 100% fruit juice may contain as much sugar as regular soda, it provides needed nutrients to Americans' diets. ... Aside from increased risk of tooth decay in children and small amounts of weight gain in young children and adults, there is no conclusive evidence that consumption of 100% fruit juice has adverse health effects.

A 2025 umbrella review concluded that:

The findings collate evidence showing some potential health benefits associated with 100% juice consumption, with fewer potential risks. The balance of evidence does not support the exclusion of 100% juice from food-based guides to healthy eating.

Cranberry juice

Cranberries have been used widely for the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberries contain proanthocyanidins (PACs), substances that can prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. Research indicates that cranberry juice or capsules reduce the risk of symptomatic (UTIs for women, children, and people following intervention, but not for the elderly, people with bladder emptying problems, or pregnant women.

Juice bars

Juice bar selling fresh oranges, red apples and other fruits behind a display case, in Singapore

Jungle Juice Bar at the Galleria Esplanad shopping mall in Helsinki, Finland

A juice bar is an establishment that primarily serves prepared juice beverages such as freshly squeezed or extracted fruit juices, juice blends, fruit smoothies (a thick fruit drink, often iced), or other juices such as fresh wheatgrass juice. Sometimes other solid ingredients or nutritional supplements may be added as boosters, such as fresh bananas, nuts or nut butter, bodybuilding supplements, soy protein powder, or others such as whey or hemp protein powders, wheat germ, spirulina, or chlorella. Also, if less juice is used with these same ingredients, drinks called health shakes may be produced.

Juice bars share some of the characteristics of a coffeehouse, a soda fountain, a café, and a snack bar, such as providing blended drinks and food, such as sandwiches. Juice bars may be standalone businesses in cities or located at gyms, along commuter areas, near lunchtime areas, at beaches, or at tourist attractions.

Figurative uses

The word "juice" has a number of figurative uses.

The adjective "juicy" has meant "succulent" since the fifteenth century (e.g., a juicy roast beef). The figurative meaning "wealthy, full of some desired quality" dates from the 1620s (for example, a pirate calling a heavily laden ship he aims to plunder a "juicy catch").

The use of the word "juice" to mean "liquor" (alcohol) dates from 1828. The meaning "lively, suggestive, racy, sensational" (as in a juicy scandal) is from 1883. The use of the term "juice" to mean "electricity" dates from 1896.

As a verb, the word "juice" was first recorded as meaning "to enliven" in 1964. The adjective "juiced" is recorded as meaning "drunk" in 1946; by 1967 as "an alcoholic." It took on the meaning "enhanced or as if enhanced by steroids" in 2003.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Grumezescu, Alexandru Mihai, and Alina Maria Holban (eds.). Functional and Medicinal Beverages. Academic Press, 2019. ISBN 978-0128163979
• Joslyn, Maynard A. Utilization of Fruit in Commercial Production of Fruit Juices. Forgotten Books, 2024 (original 1937). ISBN 978-1528014397
• Yanniotis, Stavros, Petros Taoukis, Nikolaos G. Stoforos, and Vaios T. Karathanos (eds.). Advances in Food Process Engineering Research and Applications. Springer, 2013. ISBN 978-1461479055

External links

All links retrieved March 24, 2025.

• A History Timeline About Juices History Timelines.
• The History of Juicing Garden of Flavor.
• Juice Production – A historical squeeze OptiCept.

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

• Juice  ^history

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

• History of "Juice"

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.