Does glass bottled orange juice taste bad because of leached metals?
I refuse to get glass bottled orange juice any more even when it's on sale because it tastes bad to me.
It seems like every glass bottled orange juice I've ever had tastes bad compared to orange juice stored in plastic or cartons. Does the orange juice leach metals (like lead) from the glass? Does that make it taste bad?
Corollary question: if I'm right, and it leaches so much metal from the glass, why do they still sell it in glass?
Best Answer
My guess is that limonin is responsible for the orange juice in the glass bottles not tasting as good as the carton juice. Limonin is a very bitter substance naturally arising from orange juice. Removing it is difficult and limited by patents. The Tropicana's of this world (which tend to sell in cartons) use centrifuges and these special beads to debitter the juice, but other companies resort to mixtures of Valencia juice (which doesn't produce juice that goes bitter after a few hours) with other less expensive cultivars that will add bitter notes.
The limonin develops a few hours after the juice is squeezed. So if the juice is fresh, it is the balance of sugar and acid in the fruit that has the biggest impact on its flavor. Also, commercial juice needs to be pasteurized, which add to the flattening of the flavor.
The soda-lime glass used for containers in the US and many other countries leach very little of their elements into a solution as acid as orange juice (recycled glass leaches more and glass with phosphates, less).
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Quick Answer about "Does glass bottled orange juice taste bad because of leached metals?"
No implications, but its something to consider. It could be as simple as the brand difference. They might possibly use different varieties of oranges, one might be concentrated, another might be fortified with vitamins/minerals.Why does my orange juice taste like metal?
E-Tongue Analysis of Orange Juice Spiked with Limonoids. Nomilin is present in lower concentrations than limonin in orange juice and imparts a bitter and metallic taste [22].Can you drink orange juice from a metal container?
Do not store highly acidic food and drink in metal containers. When placed in metal containers, highly acidic food and drink such as carbonated drinks, lacto-fermented drinks, and fruit juice can result in metal dissolving into food.Why does my orange juice taste weird?
Just like everything else in the world, orange juice also has an expiration date. This is because orange juice oxidizes over time, which will cause microorganisms to infiltrate the juice. This results in a change in color and an unpleasant sour taste.Does orange juice react with stainless steel?
Stainless steel is an alloy of nickel, chromium, and iron that is specially designed to be corrosion resistant. So it is able to withstand immersion in orange juice (a very mild acid) without corrosion.Big\u0026Skinny - Orange Juice Taste Test
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