Vol. 8, Issue 1, Part D (2026)

Fruit juices are consumed worldwide for their pleasant sensory attributes and nutritional value, although their high moisture content and sugar concentration make them highly susceptible to microbial growth, enzymatic reactions, and degradation of heat-sensitive nutrients during storage. Although conventional thermal processing is still very effective in causing microbial inactivation, several undesirable changes, such as colour loss, flavour deterioration, and lower vitamin retention, commonly occur. Non-thermal preservation technologies have recently received considerable attention due to growing consumer demand for beverages with minimal processing and clean labels. This review critically discusses the impact of thermal and non-thermal preservation strategies, such as high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, cold plasma, and pulsed light, on storage stability in fruit juices. The roles played by chemical preservatives, natural antimicrobials with special emphasis on chitosan, and various packaging materials in the prolongation of shelf-life are discussed. Special attention is paid to microbial behaviour under different storage conditions, including enzymatic stability, nutrient retention, colour preservation, and sensory quality. The review discloses that no single preservation method is going to give positive results concerning long-term stability; rather, integrating appropriate technologies of processing with natural preservatives, active packaging systems, and storage conditions yields better outcomes in preservation.