Aroma recovery is the process of capturing volatile flavour compounds that evaporate during juice concentration and returning them to the concentrate or storing them as a separate aroma fraction, preserving the fresh fruit character that would otherwise be lost.
In trade practice
During evaporation, the first vapour fractions, richest in volatile esters and aldehydes, are condensed separately in a dedicated aroma stripper and held under refrigeration. The recovered aroma is blended back into the finished concentrate at a defined addition rate or sold separately to flavour manufacturers. Buyers of premium concentrate specify whether aroma-added or aroma-stripped product is required, as this affects flavour profile and labelling. Aroma fraction quality is assessed by sensory panel and gas chromatography in supplier technical audits.
In a specification
A concentrate specification should state whether aroma recovery is required, the addition rate of the recovered fraction, and any analytical benchmarks for key volatile markers agreed between buyer and supplier.