Improved flavor of navel orange and grapefruit juices by removal of bitter components with .beta.-cyclodextrin polymer

Use of beta -cyclodextrin polymer at 1 g of polymer/50 mL of juice in a continuous flow fluid-bed or a batch process lowered the major bitter compnents limonin, nomilin, and naringin in grapefruit juice and limonin and nomilin in navel orange juice by about 50%. Taste panel members preferred the juices with reduced bitterness when compared to the control juice. The polymer treatment did not significantly affect the soluble solids, total acid, or ascorbic acid contents of the joice, but it did lower the oil level about 40%, and several other trace constituents were also partially removed. alpha -Cyclodextrin polymer was also effective in removing bitter components from these juices.