How to Identify Natural Lemon Juice from Fake

According to SAEDNEWS, lemon juice is not just a simple flavoring but an essential ingredient in cooking. Since using fresh and natural foods is a key factor in maintaining good health, consumers should not easily fall for counterfeit lemon juice products. Identifying genuine lemon juice from artificial or mixed varieties can be challenging. For this reason, this guide explains how you can distinguish natural, authentic lemon juice from low-quality or fake products using a few simple methods and tools commonly available at home.

If you find it difficult to recognize the difference between real and fake lemon juice, this guide is for you. Below are practical ways to identify authentic lemon juice.

How to Identify Natural Lemon Juice

Presence of Pulp and Seeds

One of the main characteristics of natural lemon juice is the presence of pulp and lemon seeds. In fact, nearly half of natural lemon juice consists of the pulp found inside the lemon, which usually settles at the bottom of the bottle.

Color and Appearance

Natural lemon juice has a lighter, more authentic color compared to artificial lemon juice. When shaken or left to settle, natural lemon juice shows a fresh greenish tint in its sediment, while chemical or artificial lemon juices are usually yellow and appear dull or dry in color.

Sourness and Taste

Natural lemon juice has a milder sour taste. When tasting a spoonful, it delivers freshness without an overwhelming sharpness. In contrast, artificial lemon juice is much more acidic, and even a small amount can cause an intense sour sensation.

Changes in Taste and Color When Exposed to Air

Natural lemon juice changes quickly when exposed to heat or sunlight. Its color darkens, and its taste gradually becomes similar to unripe grape juice. Artificial lemon juice, however, does not change as noticeably and maintains a relatively stable color.

Be Aware of Common Fraud Techniques

Although the above methods can help identify fake lemon juice, it is also important to be aware of the tricks used by producers to imitate authenticity.

Lemon Juice with Pulp That Is Not Natural

Since lemon juice containing pulp is commonly associated with being natural, some producers add citrus pulp to artificial lemon juice to make it appear genuine. Therefore, the presence of pulp alone should not be considered definitive proof of authenticity, and consumers should avoid purchasing lemon juice from unreliable brands or sellers.

Not Every Sour Taste Comes from Lemon Juice

A common method of producing fake lemon juice involves using citric acid or lemon essence. In this process, water is mixed with citric acid to create sourness, food coloring is added for appearance, and salt or flavoring is used to minimize differences in taste and smell compared to real lemon juice.

Bitter Lemon Juice Is Not Necessarily Fake

An important point to note is that bitterness does not indicate that lemon juice is fake. During industrial production, large machines apply pressure to lemon peels, which can release bitter compounds into the juice. Therefore, a slightly bitter taste does not necessarily mean the lemon juice is artificial and should not be used as a decisive indicator of fraud.