Minimum life based on 'use-by' date of product. Average life based on last week's deliveries. Life guarantee shown based on delivery tomorrow with the Life guarantee starting the following day. Vitamin C is already an established ingredient in juices and nectars, mostly because of its antioxidant properties. COVID-19 has contributed to the development of drinks with more added nutrients that can have a positive impact on the immune system. These drinks often use citrus and tropical juices as ingredients with added complex vitamins, minerals (especially zinc) and probiotics. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has contributed to the development of many immunity-boosting products, including juices. According to research by Mintel, the COVID-19 outbreak has prompted 45% of consumers in Europe to add more nutrients into their diet, while 29% has reported being more interested in foods that can support your immune system since the start of the pandemic. After orange juice, pineapple juice accounts for the largest import share with 15%, followed by grapefruit juice (5%), lemon juice (4%) and tropical fruit juice (3%). The largest import growth was noted for NFC pineapple juice, for which imports almost doubled in 5 years from 4.1 thousand tonnes in 2016 to 8 thousand tonnes in 2020. Other juices with particularly strong annual import growth were concentrated pineapple (13% average growth), NFC grapefruit juice (12%) and passion fruit (10%).

According to the German Juice Association, orange flavour accounts for 1 quarter of the retail sales of juices and nectars. The real share of consumption is larger (more than one-third), as it includes additional quantities in freshly squeezed oranges, smoothies and other drinks. Citrus and tropical juices are very popular ingredients in juice mixes with the addition of vitamins, called multi-vitamin juices. Their use as an ingredient in smoothies, functional drinks and flavoured waters is also increasing fast. As Europe’s largest markets for citrus and tropical juices, France, Germany and the United Kingdom are interesting focus markets. Spain and Italy, also processors of citrus fruit, are attractive markets because they consume large quantities of tropical juices. The Netherlands, while it is the largest importer, re-exports most of its imported quantities and is rather a small consumer. However, the country is home to some of the largest European traders, providing distinct opportunities and insights and an entry point for the whole of Europe. Germany is the largest juice market in Europe, with a very strong and increasing offer of organic juices. However, apple juice is more popular than citrus and tropical flavours. German imports of citrus and tropical juices have increased at an average annual rate of 2% over the last 5 years, reaching 590 thousand tonnes in 2020. Most of these imported juices are used for domestic consumption, but large quantities are also exported to other European countries, with France and the United Kingdom being the main markets. According to ‘Financial Food’ (based on combined Nielsen and Kantar data), the consumption of fruit juices in Spain has continued to decrease despite the impact of COVID-19. The total volume of fruit juices and nectars sold in 2020 was estimated at 734 million litres. Fruit juices accounted for 41% of consumption, while the remaining 59% were nectars (with a 25-99% juice content). Orange juice is the most popular flavour with a share of around 36%, followed by pineapple with 26%. Other tropical fruits account for around 15%.The total annual consumption of fruit juices and nectars in Italy is estimated at more than 600 million litres. Due to consumers’ sugar concerns, the consumption of juices has been decreasing since 2015, but this decline slowed down in 2020 under the influence of COVID-19. Consumption of smoothies and fruit-milk drinks is increasing. In the fruit juice category (not counting nectars), orange juice flavour accounts for around 30% (33 million litres), followed by pineapple (22%), tropical (19%) and grapefruit (12%). Organic juices have a market share of around 3.5% in volume. Certain types of tropical fruits and juices are promoted to European consumers as products with specific health benefits. Some claims for those products are based on clinical research, but some products still need more research to support marketing claims. Popular tropical juices include açaí berry (high antioxidant content), acerola (rich in vitamin C), Aloe vera (treats constipation and is rich in antioxidants), noni (may improve immunity and joint health), ginger (treats nausea and seminal motility) or turmeric (treats inflammation and symptoms of osteoarthritis). Recovery of aroma – the water removed during evaporation contains aroma essences. To preserve aroma, the first vapours (rich in essence) are commonly taken from the evaporation tubes and condensed. The acquired liquid is further processed to get a concentrated aroma essence. This essence is commonly sold together with the concentrated juice. Brazilian orange juice accounts for nearly 60% of citrus and tropical juice imports. The main reason for such large imports is the presence of Brazilian producing giants in Rotterdam – Cutrale (Continental Juice BV) and Louis Dreyfus. Also, the leading European processor and trader, Döhler, sells large quantities of juices through its Dutch representation (Doehler Holland BV). Examples of other Dutch traders of tropical and citrus juices are SVZ, Ariza (specialised in organic products), Prodalim, Verbruggen Juice Trading and Santos Enterprise Food. Citrus and tropical juices mainly consist of the liquid contained in citrus or tropical fruit. Tropical fruit is grown in tropical regions (the climatic zone surrounding the Equator), while citrus fruit more specifically belongs to the genus Citrus. Due to climatic conditions, tropical fruit cannot be produced in Europe, except in a few isolated islands that belong to European countries. Some citrus fruit is grown and processed into juices in Mediterranean Europe. Still, most citrus juices are imported because domestic production cannot satisfy European demand.

An interesting example of a developing country supplier of organic citrus and tropical juices is the Peruvian company Frutosa. Frutosa is a private venture, supported by several associates, including the Pronatur growers collective, which supplies organic fruit for the production of purees. Frutosa successfully entered the European market in partnership with French aromatic and fruit ingredients supplier Astier Demarest. SustainabilityConsumption of organic citrus and tropical juices is increasing, following a general organic food growth trend. According to a report by the European Commission, the most imported organic juices in 2020 were from Mexico (21,500 tonnes), Turkey (18,900 tonnes), Brazil (4,900 tonnes) and Peru (1,200 tonnes). Citrus and tropical juices are also mixed with fruit and vegetable purees to create more attractive flavours in smoothies and other organic drinks. Like in other European countries, French consumers’ concerns about the high sugar content in juices have influenced consumption. Consumption of all juices continued to decrease in 2020, but due to the impact of COVID-19, retail sales and at-home consumption performed better compared to out-of-home consumption. Total consumption decreased from 1.65 billion litres in 2010 to 1.24 billion litres in 2020. Orange juice accounted for 43.1% of the market, pineapple for 3.5%, other single tropical fruits for 2.1%, grapefruit for 1.7% and mandarin/clementine for 1.7%. Some European countries (such as Spain and Italy) produce citrus juices, but production is not sufficient to satisfy local demand. Europe imported 1.8 million tonnes of tropical and citrus juices from non-European countries in 2020.