Juice Key Terms

Allow juice terminology to help you make an educated decision

There is more to juice than just buying it off the shelf. Juice is served in many different ways — from an ingredient in a smoothie, to out of a box. The nutritional values differ depending on whether the juice has been pasteurized or if it contains pulp. Juice labels indicate whether or not the juice is from concentrate. Learn how to select the right juice for your own needs by familiarizing yourself with key terms.

 

Organic juice

Organic juice is made only with fruits and vegetables that were grown to specific organic standards. Although the use of some fertilizers and pesticides is allowed on organic crops, the use is dramatically less than that for traditional crops.
Try: Organic Trade Association explains why organic is the way to go.

Natural juice

Natural juices are free from preservatives and processing that can cut down on the nutritional content. Natural juices are also sweetened only by the raw fruits and vegetables themselves rather than with added sugar.
Try: The Living and Raw Foods Marketplace explains the differences between processed and natural juices. It also outlines the benefits of drinking natural juices.

Not-from-concentrate, from-concentrate

Not-from-concentrate means that the water has never been extracted from the juice prior to being packaged. From-concentrate means that the water was extracted from the juice to be added again later.
Try: Florida's Natural provides a visual diagram to show the difference between not-from-concentrate and from-concentrate.

Phytochemicals

Although phytochemicals are not a crucial part of your nutritional diet, they can provide you with an increased protection against illness and disease. Phytochemicals can be found in all fruits and vegetables, as well as grains, beans and herbs. In fact, most foods contain some amount of phytochemicals.
Try: Phytochemicals explains what phytochemicals are and how they work.

Pulp

Pulp refers to the pieces of raw fruit or vegetables that can be found in juices made from citrus fruits. Juices such as orange juice are more commonly known for containing pulp, but many unprocessed juices may also contain pieces of pulp.
Try: Bio-Medicine outlines how pulp can provide an additional nutritional benefit.

Pasteurization

Most juices are pasteurized due to food safety concerns. When juice is pasteurized, it is heated to a safe temperature that kills off bacteria that could be potentially harmful if consumed.
Try: The Boulder County Government explains why the pasteurization process is so important to our health.

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