Organic Production Increases Antioxidant Levels and Sensory Quality of Mandarin Orange Juice

Spain is the second leading producer in the  world of mandarin oranges, and the main supplier of mandarin oranges and juice  moving through international markets.  A team of Spanish scientists grew  conventional and organic oranges on the same farm, using the same irrigation  methods and variety of tree.  The study  was carefully designed to eliminate or control other sources of variation in  the nutrient and sensory quality parameters addressed by the team.

The conventional blocks of  oranges were treated with up to nine herbicides and four insecticides.  Weeds were controlled in the organic trees  with cultivation, and insects were controlled with neem oil and pheromone  traps.

Interestingly, the team  reported few differences between the conventional and organic oranges at the  time of picking, although the organic fruit was marginally smaller and  contained 13% more Vitamin C.  But in the  juice, the team reports that organically grown mandarin oranges produces juice  that:

• Is more intensely  colored, and has a superior aroma and taste,
• Contains higher  levels of all eight minerals studied (in three cases by 50% or more),
• Has a 40% higher  concentration of total carotenoids (Vitamin A).

Source: F. Beltran-Gonzalez et al., “Effects of agricultural  practices on instrumental colour, mineral content, carotenoids composition, and  sensory quality of mandarin orange juice, cv. Hernandina,” Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 2008