Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

It is National Breakfast Week (27 August – 2 September)

It is National Breakfast Week (27 August – 2 September).

Rather than a debate on whether to opt for cereals, yoghurt or toast, how about a piece looking at orange juice, which the majority of British people consume first thing in the morning? We can offer a spokesperson from The Serious Food Company (which has over twenty years experience in juice production), to interview or talk to on two issues. We can also provide samples to taste and comprehensive press information.

Feature Idea 1 - The difference between juices

From Concentrate, Not from Concentrate, Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice, ambient or chilled…….. All these options are available in your average supermarket but what is the difference between them and does it matter which one you pick?

-Freshly squeezed is the whole fruit and is sent to the UK and squeezed for immediate use.

-Concentrate juice has been picked, squeezed and concentrated (all the natural water present in the juice has been evaporated to leave a sticky syrup) in the country of origin. This ‘concentrated juice’ has then been frozen and shipped to the UK to be packaged. On arrival, the juice is then reconstituted and restored by adding the same amount of water but from the national water supply rather than which is found naturally in the fruit. This reconstituted concentrate functions similarly to sugars and it is difficult for the consumer to know the contents.

-Juice not from concentrate is taken from the fruit and squeezed in the country of origin. It is pasteurised (at a higher temperature than the freshly squeezed juice) to extend life and frozen or aseptically packed (sealed to prevent germs, fermentation or putrefaction) for up to a year before being sent to the UK, re-pasteurised and re-packaged.

It is all quite complicated so The Serious Food Company can act as a guide through the different fruit juice jargon and help you pick the right juice for you at breakfast time.

Feature Idea 2 - Vitamin C content of fresh juice

Did you know that freshly squeezed orange juice actually contains nearly three times as much vitamin C as a glass of concentrate juice? This is because freshly squeezed orange juice comes from whole oranges which are squeezed in the UK for immediate use and, because of the reduced level of processing, it retains a higher level of Vitamin C than other juices. On an average 150ml serving of orange juice (which also equates to one portion of ‘5 a day’), a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice contains 188% of a person’s Recommended Daily Allowance(RDA), a glass of NFC 125% and a glass of concentrate juice just 58%. Freshly squeezed juice also has a fresher, stronger and more intense flavour which is more refreshing than concentrate or not from concentrate juice.

Again, a spokesperson from the Serious Food Company is available to highlight this issue and what juices you should be picking on your way to work or at the supermarket.

For further info on The Serious Food Company please visit www.seriouslymmm.co.uk.

For interviews, photography and samples please contact Nicola Hamilton at Lawson Dodd on 020 7535 1355 or nicola.hamilton@lawsondodd.co.uk