Putting the Squeeze on Juices ...
One of the reasons orange juice is so popular with consumers is because it's touted as being 'fresh'.
But did you know that some manufacturers are using aseptic juice and calling it 'fresh'?
Aseptic juice is freshly squeezed orange juice that is boiled to kill bacteria and then cold stored, in some cases for as long as 2 years.
Aseptic processing removes most of the nutrients found in orange juice, reduces the taste of the juice and changes its colour.
It's about as far from fresh as you can get.
But manufacturers are getting away with calling the product 'fresh' because of Australia's lax labelling laws.
Aseptic processing also means that fruit juice companies can purchase more oranges than they need when prices are cheap, and store the excess through aseptic processing, ripping off citrus fruit growers around Australia.
Consumers buy 'fresh' orange juice because they want to drink 'fresh' orange juice, not juice that's technically two years old.
'Fresh' has to mean 'Fresh'. Anything less is just misleading.