Engineering Orange Juice

[eric/]

Found this interesting article on how Coca Cola manufactures it's orange juice brands, and thought it would shead some interesting light on the state of food and beverage manufacturing.

Don’t let the name fool you. Coca-Cola’s (KO) Simply Orange juice is anything but pick, squeeze, and pour. That cold glass of 100 percent liquid sunshine on the breakfast table is the product of a sophisticated industrial juice complex. Satellite imagery, complicated data algorithms, even a juice pipeline are all part of the recipe. “You take Mother Nature and standardize it,” says Jim Horrisberger, director of procurement at Coke’s huge Auburndale (Fla.) juice packaging plant. “Mother Nature doesn’t like to be standardized.”

At the core of Coke’s plan in the U.S. is 100 percent not-from-concentrate OJ, for which consumers are willing to pay as much as a 25 percent premium. Yet producing the beverage is far more complicated than bottling soft drinks. Juice production is full of variables, from weather to regional consumer preference, and Coke is trying to manage each from grove to glass

It requires analyzing up to 1 quintillion decision variables to consistently deliver the optimal blend, despite the whims of Mother Nature.”

The Black Book model includes detailed data about the myriad flavors—more than 600 in all—that make up an orange, and consumer preferences. Those data are matched to a profile detailing acidity, sweetness, and other attributes of each batch of raw juice. The algorithm then tells Coke how to blend batches to replicate a certain taste and consistency, right down to pulp content. Another part of Black Book incorporates external factors such as weather patterns, expected crop yields, and cost pressures. This helps Coke plan so that supplies will be on hand as far ahead as 15 months. “If we have a hurricane or a freeze,” Bippert says, “we can quickly replan the business in 5 or 10 minutes just because we’ve mathematically modeled it.”

Link
Do you think there is anything wrong with this?

[obeygiant]

That's really interesting but I can't see anything wrong with this. How else would they keep up with demand of the millions who drink OJ?

[eric/]

Originally Posted by obeygiant

That's really interesting but I can't see anything wrong with this. How else would they keep up with demand of the millions who drink OJ?

Sorry, I was trying to think of a good way to get a discussion about the topic going and couldn't really

[thekev]

I doubt anyone would be surprised that it's heavily processed. I mostly avoid juice. The same goes for soft drinks. Juice is mostly sugar without a lot of the nutritional benefit you'd receive if it was consumed as fruit. Especially with skinned fruits, you have a certain amount of soluble fiber content, so the sugar isn't absorbed quickly. The other problem is that not all vitamins that you'd expect to receive are extremely stable. I'm a little surprised by the growth.

[elistan]

I dislike the loss of taste variety. I get bored eating or drinking the same thing all the time.

I like the efficiencies and quality control.

I'm unsure about the up-to-eight-months of storage bit.

[niuniu]

Stopped drinking fresh juice over a year ago. Just water constantly throughout the day now, and some cheap concentrate stuff which I use to flavour water when I'm doing something outdoors.

[Technarchy]

Does it taste good and can I afford it?

That's really my only concern.

[bradl]

On the whole, what would concern me is the storing of the juice for up to 8 months, which would require pasteurization. While doing that for the right flavour in the juice blend, you sacrifice the vitamins and minerals that would come from the juice blend, as while the pasteurization (heat) process destroys harmful pathogens, it also destroys those nutrients that the body needs.

The other issue is the 'fiber optics' pipeline that the juice flows through for that mile. Unless that pipeline is treated or is glass coated, that juice is acidic, and acidic contents leech off of whatever it comes in contact with, taking in the chemicals it binds comes into contact with. Imagine how much of those contacts get absorbed into the juice over that mile. Really makes you wonder about how this is really blended and created.

If the company were smart, they'd vacuum freeze it then transport it. Yes, it is more expensive, but they would save the nutrients and have a much better and healthier tasting product.

Originally Posted by Technarchy

Does it taste good and can I afford it?

That's really my only concern.

Good tasting does not always mean good for you. Case in point: White Bread. But if you want it, as bad as the contents may be, knock yourself out. But if you get sick from it, don't expect us to subsidize your healthcare, because according to the Reds, that is Universal Healthcare, and that would just be wrong.

BL.

[elistan]

Originally Posted by bradl

The other issue is the 'fiber optics' pipeline that the juice flows through for that mile. Unless that pipeline is treated or is glass coated, that juice is acidic, and acidic contents leech off of whatever it comes in contact with, taking in the chemicals it binds comes into contact with. Imagine how much of those contacts get absorbed into the juice over that mile. Really makes you wonder about how this is really blended and created.

Uhh, the fiber optics bit is just a network link. Like a very long CAT-6 Ethernet cable. Fiber is necessary because copper can't carry the network signal that far.

Also, even with diminished nutrition (which isn't much, based on a quick search) I'd rather have pasteurized product than not.

[bradl]

Originally Posted by elistan

Uhh, the fiber optics bit is just a network link. Like a very long CAT-6 Ethernet cable. Fiber is necessary because copper can't carry the network signal that far.

My bad. I misread. Initially it looks like they were transferring the whole entire thing down a fiber optic-type pipe. As a sysadmin, I know what it is, and should have known better or read better. mea culpa. Still, the point stands on the pipe. Unless they are doing some routine cleaning, corrosion could still occur, so I'd hope that they would have the right protections against such a thing.

Also, even with diminished nutrition (which isn't much, based on a quick search) I'd rather have pasteurized product than not.

Fair enough, as that is what you may like. But the problem would still exist. The difference here is that with pastuerization, you'd still need to drink more of it to get the nutrients that would be there without pastuerization.

Note: what I meant by freezing would not be frozen juice from concentrate, that is entirely not what I was alluding to. But vacuum freezing it, getting it to the bottling plant, thawing it out into bottles (not plastic; see aforementioned leeching) would get you the best product with the nutrients needed.

BL.

[hulugu]

Originally Posted by Technarchy

Does it taste good and can I afford it?

That's really my only concern.

That's a pretty short list.

I'd add, is it good for me? Or, more complexly, are there health effects from drinking it or a lack of benefits? Is it higher in sugar or HFS? Does this process change the chemical makeup?

And, is this sustainable? How much energy are we putting in to get Coca-Cola to make orange juice when it's possible to get a couple of oranges from a nearby grove and smash 'em myself?

[VulchR]

IMO if their process works and is safe, I'm not too bothered. One of my friends in graduate school was a chemical engineer and suffice it to say the OJ process described in the OP's post is organic compared to the production of Cheez Whiz.

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by VulchR

IMO if their process works and is safe, I'm not too bothered. One of my friends in graduate school was a chemical engineer and suffice it to say the OJ process described in the OP's post is organic compared to the production of Cheez Whiz.

True, but I'd expect processed cheese to have all kinds of **** in it. Orange Juice, not so much.

[elistan]

Originally Posted by bradl

My bad. I misread. Initially it looks like they were transferring the whole entire thing down a fiber optic-type pipe. As a sysadmin, I know what it is, and should have known better or read better. mea culpa. Still, the point stands on the pipe. Unless they are doing some routine cleaning, corrosion could still occur, so I'd hope that they would have the right protections against such a thing.

Yeah, the drawing isn't too clear.

Regarding the pipeline - food products have to be handled in very specific ways. Ever see a beer brewery, winery, cheese plant, or basically any other sort of food processing facility? Stainless steel galore. With regular cleanings. And regular testing. (There can still be issues due to imcompetence or fraud of course, but the pipeline itself isn't an issue.)

Fair enough, as that is what you may like. But the problem would still exist. The difference here is that with pastuerization, you'd still need to drink more of it to get the nutrients that would be there without pastuerization.

One article I found was on the Livestrong site - they said that while vitamin C is diminished, a glass of OJ will still pretty much give you your RDA. Other nutrients aren't impacted.

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Originally Posted by rdowns

True, but I'd expect processed cheese to have all kinds of **** in it. Orange Juice, not so much.

That's the point - the OJ described above doesn't have any kinds of **** in it. It has OJ, and that's it.

[steve knight]

Originally Posted by elistan

I dislike the loss of taste variety. I get bored eating or drinking the same thing all the time.

I like the efficiencies and quality control.

Most Americans don't agree when you think fast food and processed foods.
watched a how it is made and they said a year storage i think. So it is more canned orange juice then anything else.

[Technarchy]

Originally Posted by hulugu

That's a pretty short list.

I'd add, is it good for me? Or, more complexly, are there health effects from drinking it or a lack of benefits? Is it higher in sugar or HFS? Does this process change the chemical makeup?

Not a concern. If I can live off MRE's for several years and not die a little OJ is good to go.

Though, I don't even like OJ that much. Too acidic. I prefer lighter juices.

[JohnLT13]

Originally Posted by Technarchy

Does it taste good and can I afford it?

That's really my only concern.

I agree. But as I dont drink a lot of it, one 8oz glass a week maybe. Any benefits or risks associated with it does not concern me at all. OJ tastes good with sunday morning breakfast.

[Zombie Acorn]

Get a juicer, it tastes better.

[bradl]

Originally Posted by Zombie Acorn

Get a juicer, it tastes better.

I agree.

Though I'll see you the juicer and raise you with growing your own oranges then juicing them.

BL.

[MacNut]

Originally Posted by Zombie Acorn

Get a juicer, it tastes better.

Screw that, get one of these.