Canned Fruit in Syrup Water or Juice and What Brix Means

What Brix Actually Measures

Brix is the percentage of dissolved solids, in practice mostly sugar, in the liquid in the can. Our fruit lines are packed at three bands: 11 to 14 percent, 14 to 17 percent and 18 to 22 percent. The fruit itself does not change between the bands. What changes is the syrup around it, and with it the taste and the way the product is positioned.

In Syrup

Syrup at 14 to 17 or 18 to 22 percent is the traditional pack. It suits dessert use, bakery filling and markets where canned fruit is bought as a sweet product. The higher band is common in catering formats where the fruit will be drained and used as a component.

In Juice

Fruit in juice usually sits at the lower brix band and is the format retailers reach for when the range is positioned around health. It costs more to produce than syrup and the shelf price normally reflects that, so it is best used as a tier rather than as the whole range.

In Water

Water packing gives the plainest result and is used where the buyer will add their own syrup, sauce or preparation. Manufacturers who control the sugar in their own final recipe often prefer it, because it removes a variable they cannot adjust after the can is opened.

Choosing for a Market

There is no single correct answer, which is why we run three bands rather than one house standard. The practical approach is to match the incumbent product on the shelf you are trying to enter, then decide whether you are positioning above or below it. Send the importing country with your enquiry and the specification can be built around that.

Which Fruits Are Available

Yellow peach, pear, apricot, strawberry, grape and fruit cocktail are all available across the three brix bands and the three packing mediums. Lychee is packed in syrup at 14 to 17 percent.