According to the VdF, the German Association of Fruit Juice Producers, 2015 was a good year. There are three main reasons for this success but the most important reason is the increase of fruit juice consumption with one litre per person per year (to 33 liter). Furthermore the apple juice-pressing season closes satisfactorily, ever after the low estimated harvests in July with 400 million litres. And finally the VdF share of deposits for glass bottles increased for the first time in years. “We are glad to end the year 2015 on such a positive note. It shows that the fruit juice industry is on the right track for the future,” states Klaus Heitlinger director of the Association in Bonn.
Increased fruit juice consumption
The recent results of the GfK (Society for Consumer Research) show that for the first time in years the German consumers drank more fruit juice and fruit juice based products. That means an end to the downward trend in the consumption per person that has been going on for years. The consumption per person increased from 32 to litres in 2014 to 33 litres in 2015. Especially the share of high quality juices grew continuously and the cooled juices as well as the juices from regional orchards have convinced consumers to drink more natural fruit juices.
The apple juice-pressing season closes better than expected
The in July estimated amount of 450,000 metric tons of orchard apples were indeed supplied to the pressers al over Germany, partly due to the good prices for these apples. They were mainly used for the un-concentrated juices. Overall more than 400 million litres of apple juice were pressed this season.
Better for the environment: glass bottle deposit system
The associations own deposits system showed a slight increased of its share this year, after several years of decreasing numbers. At the moment 300 fruit juice producers in German use the associations’ deposits system for glass bottles. Glass bottles are the ideal containers for fruit juice. They are completely impermeable and odorless and tasteless. It doesn’t absorb smells and colors and therefore doesn’t influence the product it is holding. Due to these special characteristics a single bottle can be re-used 50 times, and stays inn circulation for about six years. Furthermore the bottles can be recycled; they can be melted down and made into a new bottle as often as possible. Those benefits of the glass bottle are increasingly appreciated by the consumers.
