As per the client’s request, we selected four tropical fruits—Peach, Mango, Pineapple, and Orange—to be used as individual variants in our clean-label fruit drink formulation. Each fruit presented unique challenges in terms of colour, flavour, and taste, which had a direct impact on the sensory profile of the final product. Managing this diversity was one of the most demanding aspects of the formulation process.

Another major challenge we faced was the limited shelf life of the diced fruits procured from our vendors, typically lasting only 3–4 days. This required us to complete the formulation and processing within that window, adding time sensitivity to an already complex project. We’ll explore the sensory impact of each fruit and our shelf-life management strategies in future updates.

All fruits were thoroughly washed with potable water and then rinsed with 100 ppm chlorine solution, followed by a second rinse to ensure the removal of any residues. This step ensured microbiological safety before processing.

Each fruit was diced and blended individually to maintain control over consistency and flavour. Where needed, water was added to adjust concentration. We carefully monitored and adjusted the fruit-to-water ratio, pH, and °Brix levels to achieve the desired sensory experience, sweetness, and texture.

The beverages were pasteurized at 72°C for 2 minutes and then rapidly cooled to 4°C. This thermal treatment helped to control microbial growth while preserving the product’s organoleptic properties such as taste, aroma, and appearance.

A cold-fill technique was used to fill the pasteurized beverages into sterilized PET bottles, which were then hermetically sealed. The bottled samples were stored at 4°C for post-production quality assessments, including microbial analysis, flavour retention, and physical stability testing.