Published: October 19, 2026
NFC stands for not from concentrate: juice that is extracted, heat-treated and packed without being concentrated or reconstituted. Concentrate, by contrast, is juice from which most of the water has been removed by vacuum evaporation; the buyer reconstitutes it by adding water.
Main differences
| Aspect | NFC juice | Concentrate |
|---|---|---|
| Process | Extraction, filtration, heat treatment and filling | The same, plus vacuum evaporation |
| Concentration | The fruit’s natural level | High; for mango, 65–72 °Brix |
| Storage and transport | Larger volume: you ship all the fruit’s water | Much lower volume and weight |
| Flavour and aroma | Closest to fresh fruit | Depends on the evaporator’s aroma recovery |
| Typical customer | Premium beverages | Beverage and food industry |
How NFC juice is made
On a blueberry line, for example, the sequence is:
- Gentle washing in a vortex or ultrasonic washer (28–40 kHz, with air bubbles), because the skin is thin.
- Optical sorting with RGB/CCD cameras and pneumatic rejection of defective fruit.
- Crushing with adjustable particle size.
- Pressing on a continuous, low-pressure belt press.
- Filtration with a plate filter or ultrafiltration.
- Homogenisation at 20–40 MPa.
- Heat treatment: pasteurisation at 85–95 °C or UHT at 110–137 °C.
- Filling, hot or aseptic.
For citrus, extraction changes: an automatic extractor works on halves or whole fruit and recovers oil from the peel, and a low-temperature vacuum deoiling and deaeration system removes oil and air from the juice.
How concentrate is made
After extraction, the juice goes through a vacuum evaporator. Working under vacuum lets the water evaporate at low temperature, which protects the flavour. For mango, a falling-film evaporator takes the product to 65–72 °Brix; for citrus, a multi-effect evaporator with aroma recovery is used.
The concentrate is sterilised and packed in 200 or 1,000 L aseptic bags or in aseptic drums, formats designed for sale to other manufacturers.
Which suits your plant?
- NFC juice if your customer wants a premium product and values the taste of fresh fruit.
- Concentrate if you sell to industry or ship to distant markets, where cutting volume and weight lowers storage and freight costs.
- Both: extraction and filtration are shared, and the evaporator can be added as one more module of the line.
If your plan includes both products, say so in your first enquiry: sizing the line with the evaporator in mind is simpler than adding it later.