We have all heard about the current juice craze, but is it actually worth buying your juices from the supermarket or should we be producing our own juice. You may have seen cold pressed, fresh or raw juices on the supermarket shelves, but are the supermarkets selling us something a little different to what we originally expected? In this blog post, we will discuss the main differences between home-made and shop bought juice.
The Benefits of Juice
Drinking juice will change your diet and your health dramatically, as you will receive an abundance of nutrients that will help your body work efficiently. Drinking juice is like drinking all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes from a fruit or vegetable, which is much more enjoyable than eating a plate full of vegetables. Many people we have spoken too are often concerned about the lack of fibre they receive from juice. Yes, juice does not contain insoluble fibre, but it does still contain soluble fibre which can easily be broken down in the stomach. Soluble fibre can help give your digestive system a break from digesting processed foods, which means a happier gut and a healthier body.
Store Bought Juice
The main difference between store bought and homemade juices are the process in which they are made.
When manufactured, the juice will go through a process that uses heat to kill possible microorganisms, this process is called pasteurisation. The majority of manufacturers who produce juice use high-pressure processing, which is a low-temperature preservation method which enables the juice to have a longer shelf life, this is commonly known as HPP.
Once the juice has been bottled, the bottles are then subjected to high pressures of up to 85,000 PSI; you wouldn’t even reach this pressure if you went to the bottom of the ocean. This pressure kills 99% of living microbial content which then prolongs the juices shelf life by 30-40 days, compared to homemade juices shelf life of only 2 days. If you want to determine whether your juice is made 100% raw just check the sell-by date, if your juice goes off in a couple of days then you know it's been made naturally without any pasteurisation.
However, HPP does have some benefits including a safer juice product. This is mainly because the process kills any bad bacteria that may have been present in the juice. HPP also prolongs the use by date, you can experience the taste of fruits that are not available in your locality, packaged juices provide juices of the fruits which are not in season and it saves all the time that goes into peeling and juicing fruit and veg at home.
It is now FDA law that juice must undergo a process like HPP if being sold and distributed to resellers. However, if the maker is selling direct to a consumer, this process is not required. This is why certain juice bars can sell juice that has not been processed as they have made it in-house.
In recent years certain companies have been in the news about whether or not they are using the right terms on there packaging. So, if your ever in doubt always read the packaging and look out for the word cold pressed, this usually signifies the juice has been through HPP. 100% raw juices, on the other hand, will display the following message “WARNING: This product has not been pasteurised and, therefore, may contain harmful bacteria that can cause serious illness in children, the elderly, and persons with weakened immune systems.”
Is HPP That Bad?
HPP has its pros and cons, but its main downfall is the modification of certain enzymes within the fruits and vegetables. This modification has an impact on flavour, which is where some companies will use artificial flavours to compensate. As the fruits and vegetables we eat already contain micro-organisms, it is very unlikely you will get ill from drinking juice. This only really applies to people with low immune systems.
Why Juice?
Juicing is such a good habit to get into as you’re giving your body all of the important nutrients in a liquid form. The best part of juicing is that you get to choose whats put in it, giving you the confidence you are drinking exactly what you want to drink. Not to mention you will have much more energy if you incorporate juice into a well balanced healthy lifestyle. So what are you waiting for, crack out that juicer and get juicing your favourite fruit and veggies.