As processing companies reduced the pace of activities of oranges in early April, part of units was then focused on crushing the tahiti lime. According to players surveyed by Cepea, this scenario helps to flow non-standard fruits to processing activities, reducing the volume in the in natura market.
Due to the higher demand from the industry, quotations were firm. In the first three months of 2025, prices paid by the industry for the tahiti lime averaged BRL 25.06 per 40.8-kg box, 55 % above that in the same period last year and the highest considering the first quarter since 2019 (BRL 29.95/box), in real terms (IGP-DI March/25).
From April 7-10, the price average of the fruit delivered at the industry was at BRL 26.00 per box, upping 13.04 % compared to that verified in the last week of March. This scenario ends up keeping the price level close to BRL 30/box in the in natura market. Tahiti lime prices are at BRL 29.22 per 27.2-kg box between April 7 and 10, downing 2.2 % compared to the week before.
Fundecitrus (Citrus Defense Fund) released its report of the 2024/25 season on April 10, indicating that the citrus belt (São Paulo and Triângulo Mineiro) harvested 230.87 million 40.8-kg boxes, for a decrease of 0.65 % (or 1.51 million boxes) in relation to the first estimate (May/24), but upping 1.03 % (or 2.35 million boxes) compared to that projected in February/25. In relation to the previous crop, the decrease is by 24.85 %.
Intake of chicory root fibres significantly reduces body weight, BMI, fat mass and waist circumference
A new systematic literature review with meta-analyses, conducted by Reimer et alI, demonstrates that chicory root fibre intake promotes a significant reduction in body weight, body mass index (BMI), fat mass, waist circumference and, to a certain extent, body fat percentage. Based on this review, there is now even stronger evidence to show that supplementation with chicory root fibre can lead to clinically meaningful reductions in body weight and other weight management parameters.
Obesity is a major risk factor for diet-related non-communicable diseases. With one in eight people in the world living with obesity and 2.5 billion adults overweight,II weight management has become a global health priority. With this in mind, these findings are of key importance, as they demonstrate that chicory root fibre inulin and oligofructose are effective and should be incorporated into products that aim to deliver science-based, positive results.
Included in the systematic review with meta-analyses, considered the strongest methodology in the hierarchy of scientific evidence, were 32 randomised controlled trials and almost 1200 participants. The studies were selected based on an extensive literature search and review process that followed the guidelines of the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews and InterventionsIII and the PRISMA standards of quality for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses.IV The inclusion criteria for the studies were based on the consumption of chicory root fibre in randomised controlled trials that were designed to gauge its effect on body weight, BMI, total body fat, body fat percentage, or waist circumference in adults of all health conditions.
Body weight was the primary outcome parameter for the systematic review with meta-analyses. This was determined in 29 of the trials that involved 1184 adults, and these demonstrated that supplementation with chicory root fibre resulted in a statistically significant and clinically meaningful 2 % reduction in body weight compared with the placebo. A priori1 subgroup analysis based on chicory root fibre dose also highlighted a significant reduction in body weight at a dose of 10 g/d2. In addition, the review revealed that the effectiveness of chicory root fibre on weight loss was not reduced over time, but became even more pronounced. The researchers further reported that weight loss was achieved independent of the health status of the individual.
Alongside reduced weight, chicory root fibre was shown to support reductions in BMI, fat mass and waist circumference parameters. Also, when the supplementation lasted for at least 8 weeks3, a reduction in body fat percentage was noted.
Commenting on the findings, Prof. Dr. Raylene Reimer, University of Calgary, Canada, said: “Prebiotics have been investigated for their ability to modulate the gut microbiota and affect various aspects of metabolic health. This systematic review and meta-analyses show that inulin-type fructans, specifically those derived from chicory root, beneficially impact multiple facets of body weight management. Given the positive outcomes seen across a wide range of participants, chicory root prebiotic fibre could be an important tool to help promote improved weight management.”
BENEO’s prebiotic fibres, Orafti® Inulin and Oligofructose, are inulin-type fructans. They are natural, non-GMO, clean label prebiotic fibres that are derived from chicory root via a gentle hot water extraction method, unlike some other fibres that are artificially or chemically made. They can be used in a wide range of food and beverage applications including baby food, according to national legislations. As proven prebiotics, chicory root fibres (inulin, oligofructose) support a healthy gut microbiota and selectively promote the growth of beneficial microorganisms, such as Bifidobacteria, in the gut. Being prebiotics, they also trigger a cascade of metabolic effects, resulting in the promotion of satiety, thereby helping people to naturally reduce their food intake.
1A priori is a term applied to knowledge considered to be true without being based on previous experience or observation.
2This value is derived from the median of the investigated studies.
3This value is derived from the median of the investigated studies.
IReimer RA, Theis S, Zanzer YC. The effects of chicory inulin-type fructans supplementation on weight management outcomes: systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials. Am J Clin Nutr. 2024 Sep 21:S0002- 9165(24)00751-2. doi: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2024.09.019. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39313030.
IIWorld Health Organization, Obesity and Oveweight, 1 March 2024, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
IIIHiggins JPT, Thomas J, Chandler J, Cumpston M, Li T, Page MJ, Welch VA, eds. Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. 2nd Edition. John Wiley & Sons: Chichester (UK). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781119536604#:~:text=Cochrane%20Handbook%20for%20Systematic%20Reviews%20of%20Interventions.%20Editor?msockid=19fad51910c86e391a14c18d110e6fd8
IVPage et al. (2021) The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ 372:n71. https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n71
Better Juice and GEA report successful pilot trials on clear juices, concentrates for leading fruit juice producers
FoodTech start-up Better Juice, Ltd. announces its highly successful completion of a series of pilot trials for reducing simple sugars in natural berry and other fruit juices. In partnership with GEA Group, one of the largest suppliers for food processing technology, Better Juice hosted several prominent forest fruit juice manufacturers from the EU, the U.S., Australia, and Brazil to give their personal brands a sugar-reduction makeover using their groundbreaking sugar-reduction technology.
The trials were conducted at the pilot unit established last year in GEA’s innovation center in Ahaus, Germany. Accommodating the GEA Better Juice Sugar Converter Skid, the site is equipped with continuous flow columns containing Better Juice’s sugar-reducing beads. During the trials, the team was able to reduce the simple sugar content by 30 % and 50 % across a range of forest fruit juices, including strawberry, cherry, and blueberry, while preserving their characteristic flavours and textures.
“Forest fruit juices contain 10 % or more sugar, with berry and cherry juices comprised of 10 % – 20 % sucrose and the remainder fructose and glucose,” explains Eran Blachinsky, co-founder and Co-CEO of Better Juice. “Our technology reduces the loads of all three of these simple sugars. This will allow more people to enjoy berry-based juices.”
Forming Better Juice’s proprietary sugar-reduction beads are non-GMO microorganisms that naturally convert the juice’s composition of sucrose, glucose, and fructose into prebiotic oligosaccharides and other non-digestible fibers, while retaining their natural complement of vital nutrients.
“By implementing a ‘plug-and-play’ approach, we were able to produce fruit drinks with the same nutritional value and mouthfeel as the original products, with only a slightly toned-down sweetness,” reports Gali Yarom, Better Juice co-founder and Co-CEO. “The feedback was most promising, with several companies expressing a strong interest in continuing to work with us to bring these products to market. We are currently in advanced discussions with several major US-based fruit juice companies to install our technology in their juice production systems. We project sugar-reduced forest fruit juices will reach the shelves early next year.”
The treatment process proved successful for both clear NFC (not from concentrate) juices and dense concentrates as well as pulp-retained juices. A significant number of juice manufacturers worldwide use concentrates to reduce shipping costs by evaporating the water and adding it back in at the destination during bottling.
Forest fruit juices are naturally abundant in pulp, which is why many juice companies strive to retain these fiber-rich fruit solids in their products. Better Juice’s technology has been designed to handle pulp and ensure it remains in the juice, eliminating the need for filtering. This not only helps to preserve the nutritional benefits of the fruit, but also delivers a satisfying texture that consumers love.
“Since the opening of the pilot facility last year, we have hosted dozens of companies from all over the world to test their juice brands on our technology as well as on other fruit-based products, such as jams,” adds Michael Harenkamp, Sales Support Engineer for Non-Alcoholic Beverages for GEA. “We are excited by the emerging demand for naturally sugar-reduced juices in the marketplace. Some of the participants are major global players who have expressed genuine enthusiasm about our combined solution and the prospect of giving their products a new competitive edge with lowered-sugar fruit juices that are still as nutritious and refreshingly delicious.”
Study reveals environmental benefits of StePac’s modified atmosphere packaging
Addressing the need for extensive reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, StePac, L.A. Ltd. analysed supply chains it is closely involved with to assess how its advanced packaging preserves quality of fresh produce during handling, shipping, and storing, and by doing so reduces waste and saves GHG emissions.
The sustainable shelf-life extension packaging experts commissioned researchers at Wageningen Food & Biobased Research facility, Netherlands, to quantify the GHG emissions associated with the use of its Modified Atmosphere (MAP) products across numerous supply chains worldwide. Results exceeded expectations, with the MAP products demonstrating abilities to reduce CO2 emissions dramatically.
The recent spate of global weather events, from crippling droughts to European heat waves, has pushed climate change worries to the very forefront of consumer concerns. CO2 emissions are recognised as the leading GHG implicated in climate change. Moreover, food waste is a second major concern of today’s eco-savvy consumers, yet few discussions of food waste focus on its negative impact on GHG emissions.
“Food waste contributes c. 8 % of all GHG emissions associated with climate change, the biggest threat to our planet,” states Gary Ward, PhD, Business Development Manager for StePac. “By creating sustainable modified atmosphere packaging solutions which extend produce freshness often by 50 – 100 %, StePac has demonstrated through this research, that it helps lower GHG emissions by reducing waste in the fresh produce supply chain and often facilitating sea transport instead of air transport of produce to distant destinations. The reduction in GHG emissions far exceeds those generated in the full lifecycle of the packaging itself.”
Jan Broeze, PhD, Senior Scientist of Sustainable Food Chains at the Wageningen Food & Biobased Research, has developed a “field to fork” calculator to estimate greenhouse emissions associated with different aspects of fresh produce production and shipping. Calculations took into consideration the GHG emissions associated with the different plastic packaging solutions throughout the lifecycle including the end-of-life (incineration, landfill and recycling). It also included data provided by StePac pertaining to waste reduction based on research and commercial experience. Nine scenarios were examined, including melons from Honduras to the UK (Xtend® Bulk), blueberries from Peru to China (XflowTM), stone fruit from Spain to Brazil (Xtend bulk), and broccoli shipped domestically in Brazil (XgoTM Retail).
Foremost, the results showed that GHG emissions related to plastics production, use and end-of-life are relatively small compared to other GHG emissions along the food supply chain. For example, in the shipping of melons from Honduras to UK, the cultivation, harvest, and postharvest handling represented 41 % of the total GHG emissions of 701 kg CO2/ton of melons. Transportation represented 48 % of the GHG emissions. On the other hand, Xtend packaging represents only 3 % of the total CO2 emissions and the end-of-life represents only 1 % of the total CO2 emissions yet contributed significantly to reducing CO2 emissions by minimising waste. This was typical of all of the scenarios evaluated.
In one example, shipping unwrapped Galia and Cantaloupe melons from Honduras to the UK in 25 + days, resulted in a high waste of nearly 18 %. Due to its low water-vapor transmission rate (WVTR), polyethylene packaging with MAP properties is unsuitable and can result in waste levels of 12.5 % or greater, mainly due to microbial decay. The use of Xtend packaging with relatively high WVTR levels that eliminate excess moisture plays a key role in reducing the waste in sea freight to a minimum of less than 3.5 %. This reduction in waste, when compared to polyethylene packaging, represents a reduction in 6 % of the GHG emissions or 940 kg CO2 equivalents per container loaded with 20 tons of melons. In tangible terms, shipping four containers of melons in Xtend saves the equivalent annual CO2 emissions produced by an average vehicle, estimated at 3020 kg.
“Global warming poses some of the greatest risk to the health of the planet we live on,” states Ward. “In order to combat it, we need to reduce GHG emissions. The outcome of this research demonstrates the value of our bulk and retail packaging in doing so by reducing waste in the fresh produce supply chain and facilitating sea as an alternative to air freight. Based on the research, StePac estimates that across all supply chains in which its packaging is used, it saved in excess of 100,000 tons CO2 emissions in 2022—equivalent to the annual amount produced by 31,000 automobiles.
“This research clearly shows that StePac’s MAP solutions for fresh produce can contribute to reducing global GHG emissions by facilitating sea freight and by reducing waste in the supply chain,” attests Broeze. “The savings associated with their use far exceed the emissions generated in the life cycle of the packaging, establishing that they have a positive environmental impact.”
The trading pace in the market of in natura orange was slow in Brazil in the first fortnight of October. Besides the lack of high quality fruits, rains in São Paulo State limited harvesting activities and lowered the available supply even more. Demand, in turn, was low too, mainly due to the Brazilian holiday on October 12, when liquidity usually decreases.
Purchasers reduced pear orange acquisitions, opting for lower priced varieties, such as valencia. From October 1 to 15, pear orange quotes averaged 32.90 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, on tree, 6.8 % up compared to that in the same period of September. Valencia oranges, however, were traded at 28.89 BRL per box, 8.9 % up in the same comparison.
Regarding tahiti lime, rainy weather hampered fieldwork and prices rose in the first fortnight of October. From Sept. 30 to Oct. 15, tahiti lime quotes averaged 81.98 BRL per 27-kilo box, harvested, 21.6 % up in the same comparison. Precipitation, on the other hand, should favor fruit growth on tree, based on the estimates for a slight supply increase this month.
2019/20 SEASON – The first purchase offers for the oranges from the 2019/20 crop have started to be reported in the market of São Paulo State. On an ad hoc basis, large-sized processors have bid prices around 22 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, harvested and delivered at processors, with the possibility of a bonus in the sales price of orange juice in the international market. Processors bidding prices have been lower than in the spot market this season (at 24 BRL per box for prompt-delivery).
In general, according to agents from processors, farmers are cautious regarding closing trades in advance, since the next season output is still uncertain. Although blossoming was considered positive in most orchards, the weather will be crucial for a good flower settlement – in the same period last year, many fruitlets were lost, reducing production in the 2018/19 season.
Besides, the result of the Presidential Election in Brazil may influence both the exchange rate and, consequently, the price received by processors for orange juice sales in the international market. The farmers consulted by Cepea that have already been contacted by processors, mainly for renegotiation, say they will wait for a better definition in the coming months to decide whether to sell or not their fruits.
Brazilian citrus farmers believe the next orange crop in São Paulo will have positive results, mainly in the orchards located in southern state, where the weather is more favorable (with rains interleaved with sunny days). Farmers are focused on the central area of the state, where intense heat and smaller rain volumes have already caused fruitlets to drop.
