Sensory Property and Phenolic Profile of Aronia Juice

Aronia berry juice is recognized for its unique sensory attributes, abundant phenolic compounds, and multiple health benefits. “Fruity” odor, majorly contributed by seven volatile esters, and astringent mouthfeel, due to flavan-3-ol polymers, are the most frequent descriptors of aronia juice. Aronia juice has not been widely accepted like blueberry juice, mostly owing to the unacceptable flavor. So, understanding the chemical components that contribute to the sensory attributes of aronia juice is important for further modification. In addition, aronia berry has the highest content of polyphenols among most berries. The major phenolic compounds in aronia juice can be categorized into phenolic acids, anthocyanins, flavonols, and flavan-3-ols. These bioactive compounds majorly contribute to the health benefits of aronia juice. Thus, depicting the phenolic profile in detail and summarizing the health benefits based on clinical trials are critical for introducing aronia juice. Lastly, some innovative processing technologies that have been utilized for aronia juice are reviewed for providing a perspective on their potential application in aronia industry. The overall purpose of this chapter is to provide detailed information about aronia juice from the perspectives of sensory, chemistry, nutrition, and engineering for the concerned readers, academic investigators, and industrial processors to promote the development of aronia industry.