(introduction...)

Definition:

These products can be kept at room temperature for several months thanks to the presence of chemical preservatives. Most of these products are mainly fruit drinks with addition of sugar and water.

Principle:

This type of treatment is mainly used for fruit drinks with a greater degree of dilution; the pH being often greater than 5, it is necessary to decrease it to less than 4.2. The preservative is usually added before pasteurisation and processing is carried out at low temperature. The preservatives are selected on the basis of two criteria:

· The prevention of the development of bacteria, mould or yeasts in the product.
· The prevention of the effects of oxidation on the product.

Advantages:

· Simple technology and installation
· Possibility of packaging for low output production (reduced initial investment)
· Possibility to choose cost-effective packaging materials (PE bag)
· Product can be stored at room temperature

Disadvantage:

· Use of chemical additives (see annex 3)