March 16, 2026
Squeezing more from every orange
Orange juice is a breakfast classic, yet the citrus industry is anything but calm. Trained engineer and citrus expert, Rüdiger Flocke of GEA, helps producers capture every drop and turn once-overlooked peel into a new source of value in this fast-changing market.
Trained engineer, Ruediger Flocke, Area Sales Manager, Pure Flow Processing division, GEA, has 20 plus years of expertise in citrus processing.
Oranges: a 7,000-year journey from East to West
Oranges were once simply traded as fresh fruit, highly prized for their burst of flavor and nutritional qualities. First cultivated in China, oranges have found their way across numerous continents. Today, they’re at the heart of a global industry. Thanks to technological progress, the citrus industry contributes to a variety of products across many applications. The history of this globally loved fruit is fascinating in its own right, but in recent years, new challenges have emerged, threatening – and ultimately reshaping – citrus production. Most importantly, climate change, combined with the threat of a microscopic pest, is gradually pushing traditional growing regions toward irrelevance, while opening up opportunities elsewhere.
Climate change upsets orange production in the Americas
The effects of climate change – including extreme weather events like hurricanes, drought and heat waves – are severely reducing crop yields, especially in Brazil and Florida. Climate change opens the doorway for new pests and bacteria which thrive in warmer conditions.
Citrus greening disease disrupts orange grove yields
Traditional orange growing regions like Spain, Brazil and the U.S. – particularly Florida – face serious challenges. Citrus greening disease, also known as yellow dragon disease or HLB (huánglóngbìng) – its Chinese name – is spreading in these regions to the extent that the global map of citrus cultivation is being redrawn. The disease is transmitted by the Asian citrus psyllid, a tiny bacteria-carrying insect. It renders fruit inedible, forcing producers to remove infected trees given there is no effective treatment available.
According to GEA engineer and citrus processing veteran, Rüdiger Flocke,“The increasing frequency of hurricanes in Florida has greatly disrupted the industry there. Sadly, these weather events have spread the disease across the entire state. Even so, our local partners tell us as bad as the hurricanes and greening disease are, drought is an even bigger challenge.”
The orange juice concentrate market shifts and adapts
These environmental factors have caused a global shortage of orange juice concentrate, driving commodity prices sharply upward. “Orange juice has never been a quick or easy way to make money,” says Flocke. “Brazil, for example, has chosen not to replant its orange groves. Sugar cane, which can also be used to produce biofuel, is a far more resilient option than orange trees for them.” Global commodity prices reflect this shift: Last year, a ton of orange juice concentrate peaked at USD7,000 – nearly triple what it was just two years ago.
But where some are bowing out, others are stepping in to fill the production gap. In North Africa, particularly Egypt and Morocco, as well as in Mexico, producers are entering the juice and citrus oil markets and gaining ground. Egypt, for example, has expanded its cultivation areas and, thanks to ideal weather conditions and a focus on quality, has significantly increased its exports, including to Europe. Traditionally 90 to 95 percent of its crop was sold on the fresh market as whole fruit. Today, they are redirecting part of this volume to juice and concentrate production. This shift opens up new opportunities in the market – including new investors. Meanwhile, price levels are returning to normal.
The art and challenge of juice production
Modern extraction methods for orange juice were introduced in the 1940s. Today, the industrial processing of citrus fruits is more complex, but thankfully more efficient. Oranges do not naturally give up their juice and pulp readily. Peeling is the first challenge, followed by getting beneath the white, sticky, fibrous layer. The orange-colored outer peel, or flavedo, is rich in bitter compounds, while the inner layer, the albedo, contains a high concentration of pectin. These two natural protective layers require specialized processing techniques to turn an orange into drinkable juice. Producing one ton of orange juice concentrate, requires roughly 10 to 12 tons of fresh fruit and multiple processing steps:
1.
Juice extraction:
Unlike stone-or pomaceous fruits, which are crushed and pressed, citrus fruit requires specialized machines designed to efficiently separate juice from the peel and the peel oil. The most common method presses the fruit from the outside inwards through a tube, minimizing the release of bitter compounds and pectin.2.
Finishing:
The resulting juice is passed through a machine which removes the coarsest pulp particles. This ensures the product is becoming the right consistency.3.
Separation:
Because the product still contains solids after finishing, a special separator is ideal for this step to further refine the concentrate.4.
Pasteurization, evaporation, cooling, packaging:
Further processing ensures the product is safe for consumers. Excess water is removed to reduce storage and transport costs. Finally, the liquid is cooled before it is packaged.GEA introduces pulp removal breakthrough with innovative separator
What makes citrus solids unique is that they are flowable. GEA developed a separator (GSI 300 CPR (constant pulp removal)) that allows pulp to be continuously removed using a separating disc and a second centripetal pump. Depending on the viscosity, the pulp is either returned to the separator – to extract every last drop of juice – or sent directly to the solids tank. “The result is there are virtually zero juice losses. Because part of the stream is continuously removed from the machine, the separator delivers significantly higher throughput capacities than a standard separator,” explains Flocke.
Creating value from orange processing byproducts
Beyond juice and orange concentrate, the true economic value of citrus fruits lies in its byproducts. These are the parts of the fruit that would traditionally be discarded. Today, these components provide valuable revenue streams, significantly boosting profitability. One of the most sought-after is citrus essential oil. It is found in the oil glands of the flavedo – the fruit’s outer peel layer. A common flavoring and fragrance ingredient, citrus essential oil is used in the food, cosmetics and perfume industries.
Whether it’s orange, grapefruit or lemon oil, these valuable citrus oils are used across industries – from cosmetics to food.
The oil is extracted by puncturing or abrading the peel and then washing it with water. Modern processing systems can recover 75 to 90 percent of this valuable ingredient. “Our centrifuge turns it into a clear and usable final product. While GEA’s control system – dubbed the ‘self-thinker’ – optimizes the solids discharge in the separator, ensuring high reliability and maximum oil yield,” explains Flocke. What makes it so special? The GEA system opens automatically at exactly the right moment, avoiding valuable oil loss with every discharge which ensures product quality. The recovered oil may be further processed at low temperatures, removing waxes that reduce quality. With citrus oil prices rising sharply, this step has become more important than ever.
GEA is a trusted partner in an evolving industry
As the citrus market continues to evolve, demand remains high. “Citrus-based beverages are popular with consumers globally. This, along with the growing importance of citrus fruits to food scientists – are driving impressive growth in this market,” says Flocke. GEA is a reliable strategic partner with comprehensive expertise and innovative technology, helping traditional citrus producers and new entrants stay profitable in this dynamic market.
