CAES Newswire

 College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences UGA Cooperative Extension
Menu
Published on 10/11/22

UGA FoodPIC partners with industry to make the perfect orange juice

By Ashley N Biles
From left, UGA FoodPIC Director Jim Gratzek displays the front and back of a bottled sample of the minimally processed Georgia-made satsuma orange juice. The label of the research sample displays the Food Physics brand name. The back label reads "This juice has been minimally processed with low-temperature pulses of electrical energy (PEF). The result? Fresh-squeezed taste, longer shelf life, and none of the negative effects of high-heat pasteurization. ENJOY!"
From left, UGA FoodPIC Director Jim Gratzek displays the front and back of a bottled sample of the minimally processed Georgia-made satsuma orange juice. (Photo by Ashley Biles)

If you’ve ever wished that the orange juice you buy from the grocery store tasted like you squeezed it yourself — and stayed fresh at home — you may be interested in an electrifying project at the Food Product Innovation and Commercialization Center (FoodPIC) on the University of Georgia Griffin campus.

Food technology company Food Physics is working with FoodPIC scientists to perfect a technique known as pulsed electric field technology (PEF). An alternative to thermal pasteurization for processing food products, PEF uses short bursts of high voltage —15,000 volts per centimeter (V/cm) — to inactivate any harmful bacteria that may be found in the product.

“The idea is to have a product taste as close as possible to fresh-squeezed, but be safe and have a commercially feasible shelf life,” said Jim Gratzek, director of FoodPIC.

When determining the shelf life of a product, scientists look at microbiological stability and product chemistry — both of which affect the shelf life of the product. Acidic juices which have been PEF treated to eliminate pathogens at a suitable level can be expected to have a shelf life of at least three months, Gratzek said. While some chilled-juice producers may code-date their products at less than three months based on taste and texture alone, the product can be consumed safely for much longer, he said.

Steve Hellenschmidt of Food Physics has been working with Gratzek and his team on processing a Georgia-made satsuma orange juice blend and a watermelon-lemon juice blend using the PEF process. The raw product for the juices was provided by Mark Paulk, operations manager of Borders Melon East in Adel, Georgia, and Kim Jones, owner of Florida Georgia Citrus in Monticello, Florida.

“The method we are using fundamentally changes the process for high-acid fruit juice production to create a higher-level product quality,” said Hellenschmidt. “Our aim is to be indistinguishable from fresh-squeezed juice.”

The company uses satsuma oranges because they want a high-end flavor that would be protected by their PEF process, Hellenschmidt noted, and the results from the test at FoodPIC were encouraging — the raw and PEF processed samples were indistinguishable in taste.

While standing side-by-side in the lab, Steve Hellenschmidt, of Food Physics, and Gratzek, of FoodPIC, show off the pulsed electric field, or PEF, processed orange juice samples made at FoodPIC at UGA-Griffin.
Steve Hellenschmidt, of Food Physics, and Gratzek, of FoodPIC, show off the pulsed electric field, or PEF, processed orange juice samples made at FoodPIC at UGA-Griffin. (Photo by Ashley Biles)

While working with FoodPIC scientists, Food Physics was able to produce test samples at a pilot factory scale, which helped confirm that taste performance was still outstanding at factory-comparable production rates.  

“Our strategy is a pull strategy, to create a product to show how great it is, and then have the companies contact Food Physics,” said Hellenschmidt. “We think it is very effective if you have a good database.”

Food Physics markets PEF equipment produced by Elea, a food-processing systems company based in Germany. While there are other companies that use a similar approach, Elea is the world’s leading manufacturer of PEF technology, according to Gratzek. Elea, in partnership with Food Physics, has been working to build a market in the U.S. for three years.

Working with UGA on this project has been “a wonderful collaboration” from start to finish, noted Hellenschmidt, who looks forward to seeing the fruits of the company’s labors with FoodPIC.

“I have worked with Dr. Gratzek for nearly 30 years at various places,” said Hellenschmidt. “However, this is my first run at UGA. There are a lot of business opportunities to be had here. We appreciate all the work and all that has been done here. It has been a great experience.”

FoodPIC specializes in assisting food entrepreneurs and businesses develop and commercialize new food products. Those interested in forming a partnership with the center can reach out through the website at foodpic.uga.edu.

To read more about Georgia's burgeoning citrus industry, visit UGA Today.

Authors:
Ashley N Biles
Experts/Sources:
James Gratzek
Thermal imaging technology could improve the production of fruits and vegetables. CAES News
Thermal imaging may help fruits, veggies stay fresher longer 10/28/24 Savannah Peat
Before your favorite produce arrives at the grocery store, it must be carefully harvested and maintained across long stretches of time. A recent University of Georgia review suggests new temperature measuring technologies could make that process much simpler, amid growing agricultural challenges fueled by fluctuating climates. Maintaining temperature, humidity and light is critical to ensuring fruits and vegetables don’t spoil or deteriorate rapidly. Temperature spikes are the root of adverse outcomes, so monitoring these changes quickly and accurately is key.
Cairo, Georgia CAES News
New funding for UGA faculty to address rural issues 09/16/24 Baker Owens
The Rural Engagement Workshop for Academic Faculty at the University of Georgia has announced the list of funded faculty seed grants to address issues in rural Georgia. The grants offer funding between $5,000 and $10,000 for faculty to engage with rural Georgians on issues that are critical for their communities. The program encourages collaboration between faculty in UGA schools and colleges with faculty in Public Service and Outreach and UGA Cooperative Extension already working throughout rural Georgia.
goldenlatte CAES News
UGA researchers develop ‘instant’ version of trendy golden milk latte 08/21/24 Jordan Powers
Nestled among cappuccinos and traditional espresso lattes, a unique, golden-hued beverage has grown increasingly popular on cafe menus over the past several years. Advertised as a caffeine-free, healthy coffee alternative, “golden” turmeric milk is a take on haldi doodh — a traditional Indian beverage often used as an at-home cold remedy. Now researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have developed a new method to make a plant-based, instant version of the beverage.
Northern Thai food CAES News
Exploring the world through food 07/30/24 Sameeka Prabath Rajamani
From the agricultural revolution to globalization, food has always held a defining role for humanity, with foodways serving as the foundation of many cultures and civilizations throughout history. “We talk about food around the dinner table. The food choices we make, the origins of the foods, and where they come from are fascinating,” said Ronald Pegg, one of three University of Georgia instructors for “The Impact of Food and World History and Culture,” a class that takes students on an interdisciplinary exploration of how food shapes societies.
20240111 NC ADT MARCM 041 CAES News
CAES student follows her zeal for food safety to UGA School of Law 07/09/24 Lillian Dickens
The career world is wide open for students at the University of Georgia, a life lesson third-year student Emily Harris learned as a food science major in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Harris plans to attend the UGA School of Law to pursue a degree in food regulation and law this fall, a unique path she discovered through classes in the Department of Food Science and Technology.
A team of researchers at CFS, led by director Francisco Diez, studied the potential uses of antimicrobial blue light to eliminate pathogens in manufacturing facilities. CAES News
CAES researchers ensure a safer global food supply 06/07/24 Jennifer L Reynolds
In 2018, the United Nations General Assembly established June 7 as World Food Safety Day to bring awareness of foodborne risks and “to celebrate the myriad benefits of safe food.” With 25 faculty members involved in food safety microbiology, the University of Georgia has one of the largest teams of food safety researchers of any university. Their research and collaboration efforts contribute to a growing body of knowledge that ensures producers and consumers have the latest information about food safety.