There’s nothing that says “freshly squeezed” like a 1-year-old glass of orange juice in the morning. But when you think about it - that does not sound very refreshing or even very safe, does it?
“Fresh”: the expectation for orange juice.
Orange juice lovers reach for labels stating “freshly squeezed” which conjures up memories of the old commercial where a Florida orange grower reaches his arm from the orchard right through to a grocery store shelf. Consumers are promised that orange juice is “not from concentrate”, insinuating that our orange juice is just orange juice - nothing more and nothing less.
The reality of “fresh” orange juice may startle you.
The reality of orange juice is that yes, the juice is freshly squeezed and yes, it may not be from concentrate such as frozen, concentrated orange juice. However, the juice is not necessarily all natural orange juice without additives.
In the most popular orange juice factories, orange juice is indeed freshly squeezed; however, then it is placed into big holding vats where the oxygen is removed. In this state, orange juice can be kept up to one year. That’s right – a whole year.
Real orange juice tastes like real oranges – different with every batch.
Now, if you’ve ever had true freshly squeezed orange juice (where you watched it being made or made it yourself) you might remember that the orange juice tasted like the oranges themselves. If the orange was a really sweet one, the juice would be as well. If the orange was tart, the juice is tart. Have you noticed that all orange juice from one brand tastes the same without the variations we associate with a real orange?
Is it orange juice or chemical soup?
This is because once the orange juice is getting ready for packaging packets of orange flavor are added to it to make it have that trademark taste. You might ask why these added ingredients are not listed on the label. The reason they are not listed is because corporations extract these ingredients from oranges even though they process them tremendously afterwards. The packages of extracted and processed chemicals (ethyl butyrate being America’s favorite orange-flavored chemical) are considered part of an orange – so corporations do not label them.
Liquid sunshine is big business.
Business is business, and orange juice is big business to manufacturers. The amount of oranges that it would take to make orange juice taste like we imagine would require concentration, and we tend to think “fresh” is better for us. Unfortunately, concentrated orange juice has the same packages of chemicals added for that orange taste people love.
What alternatives are there?
With some peeling, actual oranges provide plenty of fiber, flavor, and fluid without concentrated chemicals or sugars added. Fruit itself is better for your health than juice in that the sugars are not concentrated from 6 fruits into one glass, unlike juice. Alternately, you can choose juice that is literally squeezed at the store or from a farmer’s market. Or if you continue to drink traditional juice, just do so understanding the reality of the labeling practices.
Which juice does your family deserve?
Next time you pour a glass of orange juice for yourself or for your family, think about it – do you really want a glass of ethyl butyrate to start your day – or a beautiful, truly fresh squeezed glass of orange juice?
Comments