by Linda McCandless
Geneva, NY - The department of Food Science & Technology at hosted 130-plus registrants from 54 different companies at a Juice Technology Workshop at Cornell's Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva on Aug. 12 and 13. The attendees came from as far away as China, Ireland, Argentina, and Canada as well as from 15 states across the U.S., from Washington to New Hampshire to Georgia. The program was organized by food scientist Don Downing with the help of Seneca Foods and Pepsi Cola.
"The large number of companies who sent representatives to the Juice Technology Workshop demonstrates the usefulness of this type of program to private industries," said Director Jim Hunter. "And, the number of people from the private sector who shared their knowledge with the other participants shows the advantage of the partnership between the university and commercial companies.
"It's good for business and the consumer benefits when new technologies lead to better quality products," said Hunter. "The Station is proud of its role in organizing and carrying out this major event, and it was fortunate that Don Davidsen, the Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets, and Assemblyman Oaks were on campus at the time and we were able to broaden their vision of the role of the Experiment Station."
At the workshop, presentors from industry and academia presented updated information on subjects such as juice extraction, enzymes in juice processing, filtration technology, principles of concentration, blending and thermal processing, packaging opportunities, factors affecting haze formation in fruit juice, flavor components in grapes, identification of flavor components in fruits, in-plant sensory quality assurance, indices for juice quality, color stability in fruit juices, microbiology of fruit juice products and fruit juice authenticity. The program ended with a round table discussion of research needs and a pilot plant demonstration on juice extraction, filtration, and concentration.
The round table discussion centered on such subjects as commercial definition of juice, challenges in maintaining juice quality while pushing for greater yields, as well as patulin and E.coli safety issues. Discussions also included the possible use of electronic technology to create a forum for juice manufacturers to discuss issues of mutual interest.
A highlight of the program was the after-dinner presentation, on Monday evening, by Nick A. Emanuel of Cargill Citro-America Inc. who addressed the subject, "The International Juice Concentrate Market." A point of interest for domestic apple juice processors was Emanuel's comment: "If China had the technology for juice manufacturing, it has the potential to satisfy the entire U.S. market with just 25% of their apple production."
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