GB1535983A - Clarification of citrus juice - Google Patents

Abstract

1535983 Clarifying beverages NOVO INDUSTRI AS 2 Aug 1977 [4 Aug 1976] 32576/76 Heading C6E A method of clarifying lemon or lime juice involves treating the juice to be clarified with microbially produced pectolytic enzymes in an amount corresponding to a pectolytic activity comprising a pectinesterase activity in the range of from 5 PEU/kg of juice to 75 PEU/kg of juice and a polygalacturonase activity in the range of from 300 PGU/kg of juice to 4500 PGU/kg of juice, and colloidal silica in an amount corresponding to between 0.45 and 3 g solid SiO 2 /kg of juice, in any order or simultaneously, at a temperature in the range of from 10 to 50 C, storing the thus-treated juice for a period in the range of from 10 minutes to 5 hours, separating the thus-treated, stored juice from the precipitate and collecting the clarified juice. The units of enzymatic activity PEU and PGU are defined in the Specification. The pectolytic enzyme may have been derived from Aspergillus niger. The colloidal silica employed may have a specific surface area of between 20 and 500 m<SP>2</SP>/g. The silica may be one in which a minor proportion of the silicon has been substituted with aluminium viz. 0.1-2% of aluminium. The stored juice is separated from the precipitate by decantation of the major part, followed by centrifugation of the residual mixture of juice and precipitate. A final filtration of the clarified juice is performed using diatomaceous earth.