Prickly Pear Concentrate
Prickly pear concentrate is the juice of the fruit of Opuntia ficus-indica, the cactus pear, evaporated under vacuum to a soluble solids level of about 60 to 65 degrees Brix. The colour comes from betalain pigments rather than anthocyanins, betanin and isobetanin in the red and purple varieties and indicaxanthin in the yellow and orange ones, which is why the shade is a bluish crimson rather than a berry red.
The fruit is unusual in being low in acid, with a single strength juice pH of roughly 5.5 to 6.0 and a mild, melon-like flavour carrying a faint vegetal note. Because the natural acidity is low, the concentrate is normally frozen or aseptically packed rather than relying on pH for stability.
The material is a viscous liquid, fully miscible with water and with sugar syrups, and it disperses without a hydration step. Betalains tolerate the pH range of most beverages but degrade with prolonged heat, exposure to oxygen and light, so processors favour short pasteurisation holds, low evaporation temperatures and opaque packaging where the colour contribution matters.
We source bulk Prickly Pear Concentrate from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Shanghai. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
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- Function
- Beverage ingredient
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Viscous red to purple liquid, free of foreign matter |
| Soluble Solids | 60.0-65.0 °Brix at 20°C |
| pH | 5.0-6.2 |
| Titratable Acidity | 0.5-1.5 g/100 g as citric acid |
| Betacyanin Content | ≥ 40 mg/100 g |
| Water Insoluble Solids | ≤ 1.0% |
| Heavy Metals (as Pb) | ≤ 10 mg/kg |
| Lead | ≤ 0.3 mg/kg |
| Arsenic | ≤ 0.2 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | ≤ 1,000 cfu/g |
| Yeast and Mould | ≤ 50 cfu/g |
| E. coli | Negative in 1 g |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
The trade covers single strength juice at about 12 to 14 degrees Brix, clarified concentrate at 60 to 65 degrees Brix and cloudy or pulp-containing concentrate at 45 to 55 degrees Brix, and the last of these carries more of the fruit character but needs agitation before use. Red and yellow fruit types are kept separate because the pigment chemistry and the finished shade differ.
Spray dried powders on a maltodextrin carrier are also produced for dry mix applications, typically at a juice solids content of 40 to 60 percent. Organic certified lots are common because much of the crop is grown with minimal inputs, and colour-standardised grades sold on betacyanin content rather than Brix are used where the concentrate acts mainly as a colouring foodstuff.
Applications
- Juice blends and nectars, where the low acidity lets it soften the sharpness of citrus or berry bases
- Flavoured waters and functional beverages, contributing a pink to magenta shade without a synthetic colour declaration
- Ready to drink teas and lemonades, where the melon note tastes refreshing rather than artificial
- Fermented and cultured dairy drinks, in which the acidic environment holds the betalain shade well
- Sorbets, ice pops and frozen desserts, where low process temperatures protect the pigment
- Sugar confectionery and jelly products, as a combined flavour and colour source
- Ready to drink alcoholic cocktails and hard seltzers, giving colour and a light fruit body
- Syrups and cordials for foodservice dispensing
- Nutritional supplement drinks and shots, where the betalain and vitamin C content supports the positioning
Brands Using Prickly Pear Concentrate
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Prickly Pear Concentrate on the ingredient label.
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Prickly Pear Concentrate
Top Prickly Pear Concentrate manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
Prickly pear concentrate is handled as a fruit juice concentrate rather than as a food additive. In the United States it is a conventional food ingredient and its processing falls under the FDA juice HACCP regulation at 21 CFR Part 120, with labelling as fruit juice concentrate from cactus pear or prickly pear. In the European Union it sits under the fruit juice framework established by Directive 2001/112/EC as amended, which sets the rules for reconstitution, permitted treatments and naming.
Where the concentrate is added for its colour, its status depends on how it was made. A juice produced by ordinary pressing and evaporation is treated as a colouring foodstuff and is declared as an ingredient, while a preparation in which the pigment has been selectively extracted and enriched is treated as a colour additive and needs the corresponding authorisation in the destination market. Codex covers the underlying product through its general standard for fruit juices and nectars.
Manufacturing Process
Harvested fruit is passed through a brushing machine that removes the glochids, the fine barbed spines on the skin, then washed and peeled or crushed whole depending on the pigment target. The mash is treated with a pectinase preparation at around 45 degrees Celsius to break down the mucilage, which is the main obstacle to yield in this fruit, and the liquid phase is separated on a decanter centrifuge or a belt press. Seeds and coarse solids are screened out and can be diverted to seed oil recovery.
The raw juice is clarified by fining and polish filtration, or by ultrafiltration where a bright product is wanted. Concentration is carried out on a multiple effect falling film evaporator run under deep vacuum so that the juice never exceeds about 60 degrees Celsius, since betalains lose colour quickly above that. The concentrate is pasteurised briefly, cooled and filled aseptically into bag-in-drum packs, or blast frozen and held at minus 18 degrees Celsius.
