I went to Starbucks today for my usual cup of Joe and noticed some changes in the refrigerator section. There was no longer a supply of Naked Juices, but rather a new juice and smoothie brand called Evolution Fresh. Immediately I picked one up to check the nutrition label and it was much better than the Naked brand that was their previous supplier- less sugar, packaged cold and all fresh ingredients. For those of you that don’t know it’s no surprise as Naked is owned by Pepsi. When I heard this I about freaked because I don’t think people should support large corporations that provide food and drink items that are causing harm to our society! Yes, people can make their own choices, but from the perspective of someone wishes for everyone to make good choices, this is alarming. After doing some research, I found that Starbucks purchased Evolution Fresh last November and recently made the switch in the retail store.

Evolution foods provides a product that is HPP (high pressure pasteurization). This technique allows the liquid to be pasteurized in the bottle using little to no heat, maintaining the juice’s nutritional value as well as prolonging the shelf life.  Other juices like Naked and Odwalla uses a  technique called Flash Pasteurization, which uses high temperature heat for 15 – 30 seconds to kill off bacteria and microorganisms.  The main difference would be the use of heat to pasteurize the beverage, as flash pasteurization’s use of heat may slightly shorten the juice’s shelf life and also cause the loss of some vitamins.

“We believe in following nature’s lead. We’re not taking credit for what’s been perfected, just making it a little easier to get. We cold-press and squeeze whole fruits and vegetables in our juicery every day, to bring you juices alive with vitality and full of what nature intended. You deserve to drink something you feel good about, because it makes you feel good. Here’s to your vibrant energy, it’s your time to thrive!”

Check out Evolution Fresh today!