Protecting your juice processing plant from
Alicyclobacillus contamination
samples taken from the juice processing facilities,
including water from fruit washing, water fromflume transportation, condensate water from theevaporator, and juice concentrate itself 2. Once
introduced into the process by fruit contaminatedfrom the soil, Alicyclobacillus may contaminate
the entire fruit juice production line. Application ofstandard pasteurization procedures — evencombined with additional disinfection methods —are often not sufficient to provide
a spore-free product.

Overview
In the current competitive environment, safety in
the Food and Beverage industry is a question ofcompany credibility and stability.
The emergence of novel spoilage heat-resistantspore-forming microbes such as Alicyclobacillus
species have further complicated productquality and safety challenges for the fruit juice
manufacturers. It has been reported that
Alicyclobacillus spoilage in the apple juice industry
may be responsible for annual economic losses ofmore than 400,000 US$ in Washington state, USA1.

Intensive heat treatment (e.g. UHT) would benecessary to kill spores of Alicyclobacillus fromjuice before filling, but this treatment may
influence product attributes such as flavor, taste,color, and nutritional value, and may also be costand energy–intensive.

Alicyclobacillus species, though non-pathogenic
and no-risk for human consumption, do cause
important economic damage.

The Challenge

Due to the serious and increasing threat that
Alicyclobacillus represents for the juice concentrateindustry, the European Fruit Juice Association(AIJN) has written a guideline listing the main
critical control points for juice processing 3.

The real challenge coming from Alicyclobacillusspecies is the heat resistance of spores. Typicalpasteurization conditions for juice or storage ofshelf-stable juice at elevated temperatures may
stimulate spore germination, leading to potential
juice spoilage. Furthermore, recent studies show
the isolation of A. acidoterrestris from different

Figure 1 shows the critical control points identified
for the apple juice process flow diagram.

Apples fruit
Washing

CCP

Milling

Mash
Tank

Rotative vaccum
filter

MudwaterCondensates

Juice
11 - 13˚ Brix

Straining

Retentate

Pasteurization
Up to 125˚C / 30 s

Juice
20˚ Brix

EnzymaticTreatment
2 - 3 hours
50˚C

50˚C

Finingagents
4 - 8 hours

CCP
Clarification

Clear Juice
20˚ Brix

PressingwaterCCP

Aroma

Residue

CCP

Color reduction
CCPConcentration
pomace

CCP
AJC

Key:
CCP: Critical Control Point
AJC: Apple Juice Concentrate

Figure 1 – Critical control points

Asepticfilling

FinalPasteurization
Up to 125˚C / 30 s

CCP

Clear Juice
42˚ Brix

Storage
Concentrate
70˚ BrixWater:
The standard chemical treatment of water may
lead to acceptable water quality but it isabsolutely critical to select the right oxidizing
agent type (peracetic acid, chlorine, hydrogenperoxide, hypochlorite, ozone or chlorine dioxide)and determine the right concentration andcontact time. Furthermore, for citrus fruits,chlorine residue can damage the essential oilwith chlorinated terpene.
Ultraviolet can also be used, but to ensure theeffectiveness of UV treatment, the exposure
time and the light density must be constantly
monitored, as well as the water turbidity that
may offer shade to bacteria.
Fruit Juice:
Ultrafiltration is widely used for juice clarification(e.g. apple juice). Theoretically, bacteria cells andspores should not be able to pass through themembrane of the system. However, experiencehas shown that product after the ultrafiltration
stage is not always free from Alicyclobacillus 3.
That’s why when suitable (e.g. fruit juice withoutpulp), additional barriers are used to achieve juice
stability before filling.
Storage tanks:
The intermediate storage of pasteurized juice intanks or containers is a critical control point as
storage temperature may be a catalyst for sporesto germinate.

Figure 2 – Pall Aria FB systems for water filtration

flume transportation, ensuring bioburden removaland effective water quality.
The use of OenopureTM or MEMBRAcart XL II filter
cartridges (Figure 3) downstream of Pall Aria FB
systems ensures the removal of spores from water.
Additionally, it enables users to monitor membrane
performance by doing integrity testing, asrecommended by AIJN.
Fruit juice control:
Flat depth filter sheets are widely used in theapple juice process before final concentration
steps, mainly for particle removal, turbidity stability,and Alicyclobacillus removal. Even if those filters
provide an economical solution with an acceptablelevel of safety against Alicyclobacillus, theThe Solutions
Following AIJN recommendations to cover main
important critical control points of the process,Pall has developed specific solutions to remove
Alicyclobacillus from water and juice.
Water control:
As the trend of todays food industry is to re-use
and recycle water as part of its sustainability
program, the re-use of condensates for fruit
washing and the re-use of water from flumetransportation are ways to optimize water usage
and save water costs. However, this is possible
only if appropriate water treatment is installed toremove Alicyclobacillus .
The Pall AriaTM FB membrane filtration system(Figure 2) consists of robust testable hollow fiber
modules installed on a stainless steel frame. The
system runs in an automatic mode through asimple and easy-to-handle program. The system
can be easily installed to treat difficult and criticalwater such as condensates water or water from

Figure 3 – Oenopure or MEMBRAcart XL II
0.45 µm cartridges for water and juice filtration

stringent requirements of the juice industry areleading to closed systems solutions.
SUPRAdiscTM II modules can provide the required
level of removal efficiency while offering no drip
losses, reduced handling costs, increased process
safety from back pressure shock, and 20 to 50 %reduced filtration costs thanks to longer service life.
Finally, in order to ensure safety against
Alicyclobacillus, performance monitoring can bedone by means of an integrity test. Pall Oenopure II
0.45 µm filter cartridges can be used for the controlof spores from fruit juice just before filling.
Storage tank protection:The use of an inert gas such as nitrogen has beensuggested, as well as the use of carbon dioxide on
top of concentrate storage tanks. Those gases
may be filtered in order to avoid additional
contamination from airborne microbes. Emflon®
sterilizing grade filters installed as a vent on top oftanks or containers are generally recommended.
The Benefits
Tables I and II show a performance comparison ofexisting solutions for water and fruit juice treatment.

Table I – Comparison of Alicyclobacillus
killing or removal from water withdifferent existing solutions
Water treatment/filtration

Log reduction

50 – 200 ppm chlorine for10 minutes
1000 ppm chlorine or 4 %hydrogen peroxide for10 minutes
40 ppm chlorine dioxide for
30 seconds
Oenopure II 0.45 μm filters

2 – 355546> 7.9 4, 8

Table II – Comparison of Alicyclobacillus
killing or removal from apple juice withdifferent existing solutions
Juice filtration

Log reduction

Flocculation + fining agents
Ultrafiltration (20 – 50 kDa)
Flat depth filter sheets FA050
Oenopure II 0.45 μm filters

1 – 27
2 – 677.5*> 7.9 4, 8

* Internal Pall studyThe Pall Aria FB membrane filtration system
can provide:• Simple single-step water treatment• Consistent water quality production• High microbial removal◆ Stainless steel hygienic design andautomatic disinfection when the systemstays out of operation for more than 24hours◆ Typically 6 log removal for Cryptosporidium
oocysts and Giardia cysts• Overall cost improvement◆ Low chemical consumption, low energy
consumption and minimal water losses
Flat depth filter sheets FA series can provide:• Proven retention efficiencies of Alicyclobacillus
acidoterrestris• Minimized color adsorption• Capability of being steam sterilized
SUPRAdisc II modules with K series depth filter
sheets can provide:• Avoidance of contamination risk by a closed
filtration system• Increased process yields due to elimination ofdrip losses• Prolonged service life of 20 – 50 % due tobackflush capability• Ease of handling and quick filter change-out• Resilience to back pressure shocks due torigidity of the hardware support structure
Oenopure or MEMBRAcart XL II 0.45 µm filters
can provide:• Highest safety level against Alicyclobacillusacidoterrestris 8• Capability for juice and water applications• Filter performance monitored by integrity
testing• Low hold-up volume for minimal productlosses• Steamable in situ
Emflon sterilizing grade filter options canprovide:• Highest efficiency for airborne spores removal• Highly hydrophobic membranes• Filter performance monitored by integrity
testing• Options available that are steamable in situ
There are no global water or food regulations.
Food contact compliance information for ourrecommended products may be found atwww.pall.com. Please contact Pall to verify thatthe product conforms to your national and/or
regional regulatory requirements.

References:About Pall Corporation

1. Kang, D.H. (2006). Development of Simple
Differenciation Method between Guaiacol
Producing and Non-guaiacol Alicyclobacillus.
Study in progress. Washington State University.
2. Groenewald, W. Gouws, P.A., Witthuhn, R.C.
(2009). Isolation, identification and typificationof Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris andAlicyclobacillus acidocaldarius strains fromorchard and fruit processing environment inSouth Africa. Food Microbiology, 26, 71 – 76.
3. AIJN (2008). Alicyclobacillus Best Practice
Guideline. European Fruit Juice Association,Brussels.
4. Removal of Thermoacidophilic Bacteria Spores(TAB) by Oenopure II 0.45 µm Filter Cartridges,
Technical report FBTPD 1004, www.pall.com.
5. Orr, R. V., Beuchat, L. R. (2000). Efficacy of
disinfectants in killing spores of Alicyclobacillus
acidoterrestris and performance of media
supporting colony development by survivors.
Journal of Food Protection, 63 (8), 1117 – 1122.
6. Lee, S.Y., Gray, P.M., Dougherty, R.H., Kang,D.H. (2004). The use of chlorine dioxide tocontrol Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores Iaqueous suspension and on apples.
International Journal of Food Microbiology, 92,121 – 127.
7. Bahçevi, K. S., Gökmen, V., Serpen, A., Acar, J.
(2003). The effects of different technologies onAlicyclobacillus acidoterrestris during apple juice
production. European Food ResearchTechnology, 217, 249 – 252.
8. Rationale for thermoacidophilic bacterial (TAB)
spore removal by 0.45 µm membrane cartridge
filters. Technical Bulletin FBTBTABEN,
www.pall.com.

Pall Corporation is a global filtration, separation andpurification leader providing solutions to meet thecritical fluid management needs of customers
across the broad spectrum of life sciences andindustry. We work with our customers to advance
health, safety and environmentally responsibletechnologies. Pall Food andBeverage provides products andservices to ensure productquality and maintain processreliability in beverage and foodproduction. Our solutions also
assist in consumer protection,
the reduction of operating costs
and waste minimization.

Visit us on the Web at www.pall.com

Food and Beverage
New York, USA+1 866 905 7255
+1 516 484 3600

Pall Corporation has offices and plants throughout the world. For Pall representatives in yourarea, please go to www.pall.com/contact

toll freetelephone

foodandbeverage@pall.com

Please contact Pall Corporation for product applicability to specific National legislation
and/or Regional Regulatory requirements for water and food contact use.
Because of technological developments related to the products, systems, and/or services
described herein, the data and procedures are subject to change without notice. Please
consult your Pall representative or visit www.pall.com to verify that this information
remains valid.
© Copyright 2012, Pall Corporation. Pall,
trademarks of Pall Corporation.
® indicates a trademark registered in the USA.
Corporation.
FBACBRENa, Emflon, Oenopure, SUPRAdisc and Pall Aria areis a service mark of PallNovember 2012