Fruit Juice Industry’s Transition Towards Sustainability from the Viewpoint of the Producers

Abstract

The fruit juice industry needs to ensure that its business is carried out within the planetary boundaries. Accordingly, this work aims to provide the views towards sustainability of the worldwide fruit juice industry, as key stakeholders in the food industry supply chain. This research identifies the current sustainability priorities within the sector and provides insights on the existing information gaps. A questionnaire was launched during spring 2022 among the International Fruit Juice and Vegetable Association members to obtain a current overview of the sector. The data shown here includes key fruit juice stakeholders from 20 countries across the globe, ranging from quality assessment to economic/social/environmental sustainability and general managers. A set of answers on the perceived meaning of sustainability and the possible measures to reduce the environmental impacts are gathered and classified. According to the results of this questionnaire, carbon footprint and social aspects emerge as the main hotspots. Overall, results show an increasing concern in the fruit juice industry towards holistic sustainability (environmental/social/economic) and clearly point to customers as a main driver to implement sustainability measures rather that complying with regulations. With this set of information, this work is ready to lay the groundwork for future studies in the area of sustainability in the food sector, while it may guide industry in its efforts to fulfil 2023 and 2050 climate targets.

Evaluation of energy and nutrient content of fruit juices and similar beverages in Türkiye and their investigation in terms of sustainability

“…These aspects of sustainable development are crucial to securing the future of the juice industry. For this reason, fruit juice and similar beverages should be produced within the limits of sustainability (Esturo et al, 2023). From this point of view, it has become essential to focus on the sugar contents, sugar amounts, fructoseglucose syrup contents, and production and packaging techniques of fruit juice and similar beverages that all age groups can reach.…”

“…Energy consumption depends on processing time and temperature, and the primary energy consumption in juice bottling plants emerges from juice pasteurization, bottle cleaning, and cooling. Water footprints between 0.6 and 1.48 L per liter of juice are reported in the juice industry (Esturo et al, 2023). Some processing methods can reduce water consumption by recycling or reusing water at different stages of production.…”

“…In different studies conducted in Türkiye, the greenhouse gas rate for orange production was determined as 0.08 kg CO2 -eq/kg (Saltuk et al, 2022), and for apple, grape, pomegranate, and strawberry as 0.09, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.78 kg CO2 -eq/ kg, respectively (Eren et al, 2019). On the other hand, the waste generated during fruit juice production from citrus fruits corresponds to approximately half of the whole fruit weight and 10-30% of the fruit weight for apple juice production (Esturo et al, 2023). Sour cherries, pomegranates, and strawberries are other industrial fruits that generate high amounts of waste.…”

“…Considering the environmental sustainability and health consequences of food production and consumption, the necessity of a global food system transformation is discussed to achieve significant and ambitious changes in sustainability (Grosso et al, 2020). In this context, there is a growing need to evaluate the fruit juice industry, an essential economic activity in the world, regarding sustainability (Esturo et al, 2023).…”

“…The fruit juice sector faces various challenges to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, such as providing healthy and safe working conditions (related to SDG 8), reducing waste from production (related to SDG 12), protecting the ecosystem (related to SDGs 14 and 15) and rational use of natural resources. Environmental sustainability and the impact of food production on the planet have come to the fore through increased consumer awareness of the nutritional benefits of fruit juices without added sugar, sweeteners, and preservatives for a healthy and quality lifestyle (Esturo et al, 2023).…”