Quality of Retail Florida‐Packed Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice as Determined by Consumers and Physical and Chemical Analyses

Six commercial Florida‐packed frozen concentrated orange juice samples drawn from the U.S. retail market on a monthly basis for 1 yr were evaluated for sensory attributes, color (by colorimeter), Brix, acid, and bottom pulp. Consumers rated flavor “like moderately” on a 9‐point hedonic scale for every sample. The degree of sweetness and tartness of samples was “just right;” bitterness was somewhat excessive and color was somewhat too light (P < 0.05). Generally, as the °Brix to % acid ratio increased, the flavor improved, and the closer to “just right” was the degree of sweetness, tartness, and bitterness. A significant amount of bitterness was perceived as tartness or lack of sweetness (P < 0.01). Plant‐to‐plant variation was found in ratings of flavor and colorimeter color and °Brix to % acid ratios.