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Food Adulteration in Times of Orange Despair

An interview about greed and truth in juice.

Author

Jan van Iperen
October 19, 2024

For Professionals in the Juice and Citrus industry

A special weekend edition with an interview that aligns perfectly with the time we’re in: What happens when we blend – apparently – irresistible greed with a staple breakfast item in times of extreme challenges?

Orange Juice is not always so straight-forward…

With orange juice prices through the roof, there is an increase in rumor and news about food fraud. But is that really happening?

I (Jan, J in the interview) had the chance to talk about it with the most experienced and unbiased professional in this field, Mikko Hofsommer (M in the interview), the general manager at GfL Berlin. His reputation precedes him, and his laboratory is at the forefront of juice authenticity analysis.

Since 1984 (!) GfL Berlin helps manufacturers, traders, bottlers, food retailers, all parties involved in the value chain to ensure the quality, authenticity and (legal) safety of your raw materials/products. For this purpose, they offer the necessary analytical portfolio, know-how in assessment, and other services.

The Interview

J: Mikko, always great to talk to you and I know you will appreciate the bluntness of the first question: Have you seen adulterated orange juice in your lab?

M: Hey Jan! YES, unfortunately we have. And I must say, it is not surprising at all. Always when there is a shortage of supply and rocket high prices respectively, you will find people trying to outsmart the others. In the recent years we have seen this in different types of products such as coconut water or passion fruit for example.

J: Yes, I remember that. And even though we hope to see better behavior in our industry, we’re not even in shock about it. But does that mean that our beloved industry is full of fraudsters?

M: No! Let me get that straight. There is no reason to believe that there are more crooks in the juice industry than in any other industry. Whether we look at fake spare parts in planes or fake cancer medication, everything is being faked. In contrast to others, e.g. plant protection products, the juice industry has a long history of awareness about this topic and are investing in corresponding analytical controls. GfL is happy to work with the main quality assuring organizations in the industry to make sure we have as much insights and control as possible in that regard.

J: Understood. Now let’s zoom in on the adulteration as you have seen: What does that look like, what analysis is required and how do you detect it?

M: We have seen different types of adulterations. Some are already detectable by sensory means, meaning an orange juice concentrate should not taste/smell like a beverage compound. Others are more sophisticated and will even surpass standard lab testing by less experienced colleagues. For example we recently had a orange juice concentrate in the lab which contained approx. 30% added sugar, water and some acid. Obviously you will not detect that when looking for Brix and acidity.

Based on constituents like potassium, malic acid and others we had a low estimated fruit content which is already a warning sign but what gave the final poof was the analysis of so called Krueger Formiates.

J: Now we are talking chemistry! Please explain that to our readers.

M: To “dilute” a juice concentrate’s sugars is the most common adulterant. A usual test to detect that is the analysis of stable carbon isotopes (13C). However one must know that this works only for sugars from C4 plants such a cane or corn. A smart fraudster, if I may say so, will use beet sugar for example and here 13C analysis is relatively useless. Such an addition ca be detected via SNIF-NMR (developed by Eurofins in the 80s) or the Krueger Formiates. This concept was developed by Dana Krueger from KFL in the U.S.. Here one looks at non- exchangeable deuterium isotopes which can differentiate between sugar from an orange or beet very clearly.

J: Wow. I’ll make sure to link to corresponding research and guidelines for my readers. This topic is so interesting, yet I understand the sensitivity of it.

Mikko, with your long history in this industry, your experience and network at the highest level, what would be your advise for stakeholders dealing with orange juice concentrate? What can they do to sharpen their alertness, whom do they signal to and what is a good flow for action? And yes, you can be biased about which lab to use. ;)

M: At the very beginning of my career in the juice business, an old hand gave me the following advice, which in my opinion is still the most important. He said: “Mikko, if a price is too good to be true, then it probably isn't true.”

So with regards to the current crisis, be careful. My recommendation to avoid being taken for a ride would be:

  1. Make sure your procurement knows the product and ideally the supplier. Too often I have seen buyers without any awareness on the topic nor a distinct knowledge of the sensory attributes of what they are buying. There is a German saying “greed eats the brain”. Does that makes sense in English as well?

  2. Invest EUR 500 in lab tests before spending EUR 100K on an unknown product.

  3. And last not least (and yes, I’m biased here!) the lab you choose should know what they are doing. A report is only worth the money if it has a clear conclusion which will stand in court also. I should emphasize, however, that this is a scenario that I do not recommend to anyone.

J: Thanks Mikko, that is really helpful. I trust that the readers will understand the importance of taking transparent and appropriate steps, even with the slightest suspicion of fraud.

Thanks for your time and your continuous contributions to making this industry operate at the highest possible quality level. 

On your way out, please share where people can learn more about you, GfL and how they can best reach you?

M: Sure, they can visit gfl-berlin.com and reach out to me via [email protected] or find me on LinkedIn.

J: Brilliant! Thanks Mikko! Looking forward to a next conversation covering a more positive topic in our industry!

M: For sure! Till next time!

Further reference:

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