“Made from 100% fresh orange juice,”this is what we often see on orange juice labels at the supermarket. We patronize them. That is why, companies keep on selling them. But how do we really know if what it says is real? I guess, we’ve never been too curious to know.
It’s very hard to find a product in the market today that is not artificially flavored or made. I have been suspicious about the orange juice brands that I used to drink on a weekly basis, but never did I find the time to have some research done on them. We must admit, we used to check the labels for the things that we want and we do not want in the products that we plan to buy. I find this trend a little discouraging when I found out about the “real orange juice”that many popular brands would say is just a faux. Have we ever thought that oranges are seasonal fruits? That it is impossible to make them into fresh bottled juices and put in grocery racks for months? I guess not. I did not, until now.
Unfortunately, this is a sad truth for many orange juice lovers out there. Because oranges are seasonal, there are times that its flavors may tend to be a little different over time. Have you ever had a few oranges that tasted the same? Well, technically we would say, “all oranges taste the same.”But that is not the case. It seems that juice companies have mastered the flavors of a fresh orange and what consumers are looking for. Wherever you go, your favorite brand of orange juice will always taste the same, that’s a fact. If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself. It has something to do with the consistency of flavors that the manufacturers have been able to master all these years. The technique of extracting a real orange fruit to get the exact flavor, the addition of artificial flavors, and preservatives, made this thing possible. A real orange juice’s flavors are subtle, sweet but not overpowering, just enough to freshen the palate, while bottled and processed orange juices can be very sweet, a little annoying yet addicting to the palate.
Another interesting fact is that how some juice companies are able to put in there a real orange pulp and able to preserve them for months? Remember that fruits and vegetables do not last that long, even when refrigerated, unless they are showered with a few artificial preservatives. Even if the label says, “no artificial flavoring and preservatives are added,”is just impossible to believe in. Many moms and dads are being tricked to buying and giving their kids a bottle of Tropicana or Minute Maid, and the like to have that fresh orange and real orange pulp experience. This is a pretty clever and effective marketing strategy, I believe. And yeah, another thing is that, you can only squeeze limited amounts of juice from a fresh orange fruit, imagine how many oranges you need to squeeze to make a regular sized bottle of the so-called “fresh”orange juice that never runs out of stock in the market.
If you really want to give your kids the best healthy products possible, keeping it fresh is always a must. If you have time, make your kids some freshly squeezed orange juice, and you will be assured that no artificial flavors are served on each glass. Powdered and ready-made fruit juices are not only cheap in the budget but a cheap option for your health. Fight your cravings for commercialized products, and start living healthy by eating the healthiest and freshest food products possible.