The presence of heavy metals in foods, fruit juices and wines is still a matter of debate. Certain amounts are natural and unavoidable, higher concentrations might be the result of contaminations. There is only a small gap between  positive effects and essential functions in nutrition on one hand, and toxic effects of higher concentrations on the other hand. This has lead to the introduction of limits for heavy metals in foods and beverages. A report from the Research Center Geisenheim gives informations on the presence of different heavy metals and aluminium in fruit juices and nectars. Also the change of heavy metals during the processing of black currant juice and possible sources of contaminations are reported. Read more...

Several fining procedures for clear apple juices are used in the industry. Beside the classical fining procedure with for example gelatin, silica sol and bentonite, some companies are using a combination of bentonite and activated coal to get a polyphenol stabilization. Some precautions to hit the right dosage of both agents must be taken to assure a high quality of the apple juice. Read more...