ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE

An old colleague of mine once asked, “Is Minute Maid Orange Juice from concentrate bad for you?” This is a fantastic topic for us to speak about today. The great thing about this question is that it gives me the opportunity to clear up any misconceptions about fruit concentrate. I do not mean to pick on one specific brand of orange juice, but this is the kind that was served in the soda machine in my old employee cafeteria and was therefore the question that I was asked.

The simple answer is no, it is not bad for you. But why is that? Well, the first thing that throws people for a loop is the fact that it is made from concentrate. Many people believe that this means it is not 100% orange juice, but rather something less healthy. Allow me to alleviate your fears at this time. Concentrated juice merely means that the water was removed from it, making a powder. The reason to make concentrated juice is threefold:

1. It is lighter in weight and smaller in volume, allowing for easier transport.


2. One is able to transport a perishable fruit juice over a much greater distance without having to worry about preserving it. That means people that could never enjoy orange juice because they lived far away from oranges can now enjoy this delicious and healthy delight.


3. Drinking fruit juice from concentrate reduces the carbon footprint of transporting from the country of origin to the country of sale, thus benefiting the environment.

Now, you are probably thinking, some of the nutrition must have been lost during the concentration process. Surprisingly, no nutrition is lost. It is against FDA regulations to advertise 100% fruit juice if the concentrate does not contain 100% fruit juice. Minute Maid Orange Juice advertises that it is 100% orange juice. The FDA would fine them if they falsely advertised.

Okay, so now that we know that Minute Maid Orange Juice is made from 100% fruit juice, are there any other aspects of the juice that are less healthy than other juices? The first thing that comes to mind is calorie and sugar content. 8 fluid ounces of Minute Maid Orange Juice has 110 calories. This is higher than some other orange juice choices. Fruitopia, Light Orange Juice, and Premium Light Orange Juice all have approximately 60 fewer calories. Minute Maid also has 24g of sugar, which is somewhat high, but it does cut the bitterness. Other than this, it is quite nutritious and has high Vitamin C content and Potassium.

So next time you go for Orange Juice, don’t be afraid to grab some Minute Maid Orange Juice. On a side note, however, it would be much healthier to eat an actual orange rather than any type of orange juice, based mainly on the sugar content. Anyone on a low-carb diet should not drink juice, or pretty much any drink other than water for that matter. The sugar, and therefore the carbohydrate content, is sadly too high. Although strict low-carb diets don’t even allow the consumption of fruits at first, other than certain berries. I did it once and it was hell. I digress…AGAIN!