Cold-pressed juice facts for kids
Cold-pressed juice is a special type of juice. It's made using a powerful machine called a hydraulic press. This machine squeezes fruits and vegetables very hard to get out all their juice. Other ways of making juice, like using fast-spinning blades, create heat. The cold-press method uses no heat, which some people believe helps keep more good stuff in the juice.
If cold-pressed juice isn't treated to make it last longer, you need to keep it in the fridge. It usually stays fresh for about three days. After that, some of the healthy parts, like phytochemicals and micronutrients, start to break down. Some juicers have special ways to slow down this process, so the juice can last a little longer.
This type of juice has been made for many years. But it became much more popular in some countries around 2013. Cold-pressed juices are often more expensive than other juices. This is because they are made from 100% fruits and vegetables. They don't have extra ingredients like sugar or water added. For example, a small bottle of cold-pressed juice in the United States might cost up to US$12.
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How Cold-Pressed Juice is Made
Making cold-pressed juice involves two main steps. First, the fruits or vegetables are chopped into tiny pieces. Think of it like shredding them into a pulp. In big factories, a fast-spinning metal disc does this job. The produce goes into a large tube and then falls into a special filter bag.
The second step uses the hydraulic press. This machine puts the shredded produce under extreme pressure. It squeezes the pulp between two strong plates. This pressure makes the juice and water drip out into a tray below. What's left behind in the filter bag is the fiber from the fruits and vegetables. This leftover fiber is often composted or used in other ways.
A special type of cold-press machine was invented in 1983. It made it easier and faster to load and empty the fruit pulp.
After the juice is squeezed out, it can be drunk fresh. Or, companies might treat it to make it last longer. Two common ways are High-Pressure Processing (HPP) or pasteurization. These methods help kill tiny germs that could be harmful. They also allow the juice to stay fresh for about 30 days. Without these treatments, like homemade juice, the healthy parts start to break down within about six days in the fridge.
Why Cold-Pressed Juice Costs More
Cold-pressed juices can be quite expensive. A small bottle might cost US$10 to US$12. One big reason for the high cost is the special equipment needed. The HPP machines used to make the juice last longer can cost a lot of money. They can range from US$800,000 to over US$2 million!
Even without the machine cost, the process of making each bottle adds to the price. This can be an extra US$0.25 to US$0.45 per bottle. This doesn't even include the cost of shipping the juice.
Rules for Cold-Pressed Juice
There are rules about how raw juice is made and sold. These rules can be different depending on where you live. In the United States, for example, raw juice can usually only be sold directly to customers. If a company wants to sell it to stores, the juice must go through a special process. This process must reduce the amount of microorganisms (tiny living things) by 100,000 times.
There are different ways to do this. Heat pasteurization and ultraviolet light filtering are two examples. But in the cold-pressed juice world, HPP is the most common method.
Juice makers also need to have a plan called HACCP. This plan helps them find any points in the making process where the juice could get dirty. They also have to regularly test the juice to make sure it's clean and safe. They must keep records of these tests for health inspectors to check.
Also, in some places like the US, juice bottles must have a nutrition facts label. This label tells you what's inside the juice, like its nutrients and ingredients. It also shows who made it.
See also
In Spanish: Jugo prensado en frío para niños
