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Fresh Vegetable & Fruit Juices vs. Packaged Juices: How Do They Compare?
by
William Paice
As vegetable and fruit juicing has grown in popularity, many people have come to wonder what the difference is between fresh juices made at home or at a juice bar and the bottled ones available at the grocery store. You may wonder if fresh fruit and vegetable juices are worth the price of investing in a home juicer or buying freshly pressed drinks at a restaurant.
First, it is important to distinguish between different types of product. Shelf-stable juice is pasteurized and preserved in such a way that it does not need to be refrigerated. Shelf-stable products are packaged in aseptic packs, cans, glass bottles, or plastic bottles and last for a long time without spoiling.
A second category are pasteurized: these are perishable and must be refrigerated, having a shelf life of anywhere from two weeks to several months. This includes most orange juices. These products are not packaged in totally oxygen-free environments so they do eventually spoil, but shelf life is extended by exposing the juice to heat in a process called pasteurization.
There is also a third category can be found at the grocery store. This type is comprised of juices that purport to be “fresh” or “fresh-squeezed” and are found in sealed bottles in the refrigerated section of the store. Consumers may be confused by what the term “fresh” means in this case.
These juices were generally never boiled, are not from concentrate, and were made more recently than other juices. However, they tend to be made at least a day (or possibly several days) before you purchased them, and have therefore partially oxidized, reducing vitamin C content and negatively affecting taste.
Truly fresh vegetable and fruit juices are those which are made with a home (or commercial) juicer and should ideally be consumed within 30 minutes of being made. They contain enzymes and vitamins that pasteurization destroys and that longer-term storage degrades. Fresh vegetable and fruit juicing produces juices that contain all of the fresh goodness of the whole fruit or whole vegetable, uncompromised by excessive processing.
It is worth noting that there is a significant difference in the taste of processed juices versus fresh juices. Fresh juices contain a higher water content and generally have a lower concentration of sugar because they have not been concentrated in any way. They contain small amounts of healthy dietary fiber, as visible in the cloudiness of some fresh juices, and have a flavor that is far preferable to many palates.
Remember that even orange juice or any other juice in the refrigerator section of your local grocery store is processed and likely exposed to high heat during preparation. This compromises its health benefits for you and your family.
Between the higher sugar in processed juices and the way the pasteurization process kills not only harmful bacteria but also nutrients and enzymes, the choice is clear. From a health perspective, fresh juice is always preferable. Vegetable and fruit juicing has many nutritional benefits and shelf-stable pasteurized juices are best left on the shelf.
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William Paice is Editor and Founder of juicing site MEGAjuicing.com
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Fresh Vegetable & Fruit Juices vs. Packaged Juices: How Do They Compare?