WTF Friday

I've decided that I need to come up with a theme that gives me a place to bitch on a regular basis so without further ado, let me introduce you to:

WTF Friday

Might be one long bitch session or rant, could be a break down of several annoyances that have accumulated all week or an injustice or rip off.  Like the idea?  Then join in and let the bitching begin!

So here is my first official post for WTF Friday!

Bursting That Orange Juice Bubble

With all the talk of H1N1 and the cold season approaching, parents are flocking to the grocery stores stocking up on Vitamin C packed cartons of 100% Pure Orange juice.  But before you dig out your wallet and fork over your hard-earned money, do yourself and your budget a favor and read on.

Have you ever wondered how "fresh" orange juice can be available during all 12 months of the year when the popular Florida Valencia oranges are only in their prime during the months of March until June?

If you read from the cartoons of brands like Tropicana and Minute Maid, you will see the words "Natural, Pure and Squeezed from Oranges" just to name a few.  If you watch their television commercials, you will see that refrigerator door open up into a grove of pristine looking orange trees where the farmer will pass through a carton of his finest, fresh orange juice. Problem is, they leave out what happens between that grove and refrigerator.

Now for a little Orange Juice Storage 101

When you compare prices at the supermarket, many of us believe that by spending that extra $2 or $3 for pasteurized juice over the frozen tube you add water to, you are getting a better product. Right?... Wrong!  The truth is that this cost difference is not in the making of the product but rather in the cost to store it. Right now, the popular storage method of pasteurized orange juice, ie that refrigerated carton, is Aseptic Storage. This process involves stripping the juice of oxygen so it doesn't oxidize while sloshing around in those huge storage vats where it can be stored for a full year. The "from concentrate" on the other hand, is a real space saver during storage.

Ever wonder how they manage to keep the flavor consistent from one carton to the next as well as all year round?

Here's where it gets really interesting. When pasteurized orange juice is stripped of that pesky oxygen before being stored, it also loses all of its flavor. So guess what the juice companies did? They hired flavor and fragrance companies just like the ones who develop those $100 perfumes, to "engineer" flavor packs to add to this sugary and tasteless "juice".  These flavor packs not only make the juice taste fresh, but also make it taste how we "expect" fresh orange juice to taste.

The reason we don't see Flavor packs listed on the label is because they fall just under that thin line of being an ingredient. Technically, they are derived from orange essence and oil, sounds "natural", doesn't it. These flavor packs, whether made for reconstituted or pasteurized orange juice do not resemble anything found in nature. As a matter of fact, the packets used in the production of most orange juice being marketed in North America usually contain high amounts of ethyl butyrate, a chemical in the fragrance of fresh squeezed orange juice. Each market, be it American, Mexican, or wherever has a different palate so each flavor pack is designed to appeal to the specific country where the juice is to be sold.

These individual formulas give each brand their trademark taste which is why it remains consistent regardless of when the oranges were at their peak of freshness. For the most part, all flavor packs share the same source of inspiration, that perfect Florida Valencia orange in spring.

So next time you are in the grocery store picking up that expensive carton of pasteurized orange juice, don't be fooled by the picture of that straw sticking out of a perfect orange on the label. Take a minute, close your eyes and then picture that straw sticking out of a bottle of Chanel No. 5.

There, now that's more like it!