Shelf Life of Fruit Juices in Oxygen Permeable Packages

The fruit juice and fruit juice drink industry—as is the food industry in general—is undergoing radical packaging change. During the last few years, traditional glass and metal packages have been replaced by paper-foil-plastic aseptic and hot fill packages. Recent advances in plastic coextrusion technology show that high barrier plastic packages will provide additional packaging alternatives in the future. This paper discusses the barrier characteristics of these newly developing packages which will be necessary to provide adequate product quality protection. Emphasis is placed on the oxygen barrier requirements of the finished package.