From ‘the Sydney Morning Herald’
Citrus Australia CEO Nathan Hancock said he was concerned “that sends a poor message to consumers … that you should be drinking diet soft drink rather than natural juices at a time when Australians are under-consuming fruit and vegetables.”
What Cirtus CEO Nathan Hancock omitted to say is that Orange Juice is not really fruit or vegetables in a full dietary sense.
It’s just Juice Mr CEO!
No amount of extra consumption of OJ or other natural fruit juices will make up for not eating fresh whole fruit.
If we used the same argument for sugar cane, raw sugar is just crystallised pure sugar cane juice and it too is poorly done by in star ratings. Perhaps have a glass of pure cane sugar juice for breakfast instead. It’s full of goodness (vitamins, minerals, fibre) and approx 50gms of sucrose or 12 teaspoons of sugar. Nah!
The alternative of eating a whole orange, peel excepted is likely much healthier. It takes typically 3 oranges to produce just one cup (250ml) of OJ. Which is not the same as eating 3 oranges for breakfast? My morning cuppa is more than 300ml. With no sugar, skim milk optional, it’s likely much healthier than the same in OJ.
Better to have some whole fresh fruit and skip the juice? OJ, Pineapple, Cane Sugar, …etc included.
The revised ‘Health Star’ ratings got OJ right IMO.
Now they need to sort out the sweeteners, natural or synthesised etc on low cal soft drinks to be sure they are not detrimental compared to consuming reticulated Aussie tap water.
