Some German supermarkets are selling carrot, beet and mixed vegetable juice prepared from Dutch vegetable residues. Research by Applied Plant Research (PPO) of Wageningen UR and the industry has shown that this yields an economically attractive product.
Residues of materials from agriculture and food industry are often used as animal feed. Residues of organically grown vegetables can, however, also be used for the production of vegetable juice.
In the Netherlands about 33.000 tonnes of organic winter carrots are processed annually, leaving a residue of 4500 tonnes. Of the annually processed 3700 tonnes organic red beet about 15 per cent remains as residue. Bio juice can be pressed from those residues. In Germany, vegetable juices have already been a popular drink for many years.
PPO scientists have, together with the industry and a polytechnic, investigated the perspectives of organic vegetable juices prepared under this production concept. Aspects such as origin and quality of the organic raw produce and market demand were studied. These organically-produced juices are already being sold in German supermarkets since October 2007.