Carbonation of not from concentrate apple juice positively impacts shelf-life

The commercial viability of not from concentrate fruit juices is practically limited due to spoilage. Carbonation has been used to extend the shelf-life of beverages. However, there are no systematic studies examining the effect of carbonation on juice quality or shelf-life. Here, the efficacy of carbonation using carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas and dry ice was compared with that using carbonated water, the common carbonation method in beverage industry. The amounts of dissolved CO₂, sugar concentration, soluble solids concentration, browning index, ascorbic acid concentration, and microbiological growth after carbonation were measured to determine the juice quality. During 8 weeks of storage, carbonated apple juice exhibited fewer quality-related changes in terms of the browning index and ascorbic acid degradation compared with noncarbonated apple juice. Moreover, low microbial contamination and enhanced preservative effects were detected in the carbonated apple juice. Thus, carbonation of apple juice might be effective for improving its quality characteristics and extending its shelf-life.