The World Health Organization, has determined that in order to enjoy good well-being and prevent the development of diseases, one should consume five servings of vegetables and fruits daily. An excellent way to quickly and effectively provide them to oneself throughout the day is by consuming juices. Producers are aware of this and tempt with appetizing flavor compositions, colorful packaging, and assurances that the offered juice is natural and sugar-free. However, does every juice truly allow us to enjoy good health? How do NFC juices differ from the advertised ones?
NFC Juice – what does it mean?
The acronym NFC often appears on bottles of fruit and vegetable juices. It comes from the English language and means nothing other than not from concentrate. The juice is made by pressing crushed vegetables or fruits. No additional thickeners are used in its production. They can be enriched with natural origin flavors, as well as pulp and fruit puree, vitamins, and minerals. However, no water or concentrated juice is added during its production. The opposite are reconstituted juices, i.e., FC – from concentrate. NFC juices can be found both in a version with a short shelf life and a long one. Those that retain freshness for several days usually need to be kept at a low temperature.
How do NFC juices differ from regular juices?
So how do NFC juices, marked with the NFC acronym, differ from other popular juices? It's all about the entire production technology, which affects their taste and properties. Initially, the fruits or vegetables used for juices are thoroughly washed and then sorted. Next, they are crushed and pressed, squeezed, or pureed. The next step is pasteurization, bottling into cartons or bottles, and shock cooling.
Thanks to the pasteurization process, which is performed using modern technology, the juices do not lose any valuable vitamins or minerals. High temperature affects the juice for a certain time, allowing for the preservation of everything that is most valuable in juices. In many situations, instead of pasteurization, the HPP method, or high hydrostatic pressure, is used.
In the case of other juices, which can be found in most stores, the process looks a bit different. Juices are pressed and then evaporated. They are then delivered to the producer, where they are mixed with water and heated or enzymatically treated. They are filtered and concentrated. FC juices are clarified, for which gelatin is most often used.
Why should you drink NFC juices?
Health properties So why are NFC juices worth attention and should be chosen? It is undoubtedly a healthier alternative to FC juices, as they contain a valuable source of vitamins, fiber (which helps take care of the figure), polyphenols (fighting free radicals), pectins, microelements, and macroelements. Moreover, they are also rich in vitamin C, which strengthens our immune system. In NFC juices, one can find many important components that help take care of the condition of the eyes, as well as counteract heart diseases, osteoporosis, or the development of cancer. The sugar contained in the nutritional values of such juices comes only and exclusively naturally directly from the fruits, providing energy for the entire day.
