Titratable acidity is a measure of the total acid content of a food product, determined by titration with a standard base and expressed as a percentage of the predominant organic acid, and is a standard specification parameter for fruit purees, juices, concentrates and fermented products.
In trade practice
In fruit ingredient trade, titratable acidity is measured alongside Brix to characterise the sugar-acid balance, which affects flavour profile and suitability for a buyer’s formulation. For berry purees and concentrates, citric acid is the reference acid; for apple products, malic acid is used. Suppliers report the result on the certificate of analysis, and buyers’ QA teams verify it at intake using a standard titration method. A mismatch between declared and measured acidity can indicate dilution, over-concentration or incorrect raw material.
In a specification
A specification states titratable acidity as a minimum and maximum percentage, names the reference acid and the test method, and links the parameter to the Brix value where a Brix-acid ratio is required.