New sorbent gel forms of cellulose esters for debittering citrus juices

Methods are described for the preparation of cellulose esters in gel forms suitable for the removal of the bitter principle limonin from orange juice without requiring prior centrifugation of the juice and without introducing sorbent fines into the product. Bitter orange juice was successfully debittered by holding several days in containers with linings of the esters in gel form, by batchwise agitation with gel cubes or beads, and by passage through columns packed with these materials. These processes provide the basis for methods suitable respectively for in storage, batchwise or inline debittering treatments on an industrial scale. Cellulose acetate gel beads were used to debitter eight successive batches of juice, the sorptive capacity of the beads being regenerated by washing with water between treatments. The preparation of these gel beads batchwise or by a continuous drop‐tower procedure is described, using only materials approved for use in food processing.