How to Read a Fruit Concentrate Certificate of Analysis

A Certificate of Analysis, commonly called a COA, is one of the most important documents in an industrial fruit-ingredient transaction.

But it is frequently misunderstood.

A COA should not replace the agreed product specification. Instead, the specification defines what the buyer expects, while the batch-specific COA records analytical information for the supplied lot.

This distinction is already consistent with the quality approach on the Juicerfo site, where product specification review and batch documentation are treated separately.

Brix

Brix is usually one of the first values reviewed for fruit juice concentrate.

It helps confirm soluble-solids concentration and can also influence formulation calculations.

But Brix must be considered together with the fruit type and the rest of the analysis.

A concentrate can meet Brix while failing another important characteristic.

pH and titratable acidity

pH and acidity are related but are not interchangeable measurements.

For the buyer, both can affect flavour balance, formulation behaviour and processing decisions.

The most useful approach is to compare the batch values with the agreed acceptable range rather than evaluating the number in isolation.

Colour and turbidity

Colour can be critical in apple, grape, pomegranate, sour-cherry, carrot and many other ingredients.

Turbidity or transmittance may be equally important where a clarified ingredient is required.

A clear beverage manufacturer has a different visual target from a smoothie producer.

This is why specifications must be application-specific.

Microbiological information

Depending on the product and agreed specification, microbiological analysis may include indicators such as total viable count, yeast, mould and product-specific organisms or food-safety parameters.

The actual tests and limits should come from the agreed technical specification and applicable market requirements.

Authenticity and fruit-specific parameters

Professional juice evaluation goes beyond routine chemistry.

The AIJN Code of Practice is designed to support assessment of identity, quality and authenticity and includes fruit-specific reference guidelines.

For some fruits, buyers may therefore review additional authenticity markers or specific undesirable compounds rather than using one generic COA format for every product.

TDS vs COA

The TDS describes the commercial product and its expected or agreed parameters.

The COA reports information associated with a specific batch.

For a significant B2B order, they should be reviewed together.

Buyer takeaway

A good procurement question is not:

“Do you have a COA?”

It is:

“Does the batch-specific COA demonstrate conformity with our approved specification and intended application?”

That distinction makes the Technical Articles section sound like it was written for real procurement professionals rather than general consumers.