Concentrated, Not From Concentrate, Fresh Squeezed Defined

There you are in the juice section of your favorite grocery store with every kind of juice you can think of surrounding you.  Some say, "Made From Concentrate", Not From Concentrate" or "Fresh Squeezed".  Which tastes better?

When fruit is processed by the different manufacturing companies, the juice can be processed in three different ways:  Concentrated, non-concentrated or freshly squeezed.

When a juice company decides to process its juice choosing the concentrated method, all water is removed in the very beginning.  This way water can be added back later.  Consumers who purchase juice that is "Made From Concentrate" are buying juice that the manufacturer has already reconstituted.  In the frozen food section of your local grocer, you will also find concentrated juices that you can reconstitute yourself.

"Not From Concentrate" means the juice you've purchased has zero water added and has not been reconstituted in any way.  Most of the time, manufacturers will pasteurize non-concentrated juice and may add a bit of the peel for the actual fruit to enhance flavor.

In terms of which is healthier, there usually isn't that much difference between the two.  Always read the label for nutritional value.  Be mindful of those that add a ton of sugar.

Now, if you squeeze a few oranges for your morning orange juice fix yourself, that is truly the meaning of fresh-squeezed.  But does it mean the same when the big corporations put it on their juice labels?  Yes, it does.  The law does not allow juice companies to say, "Fresh-Squeezed Juice" unless the fruit being used is squeezed and packaged without any processing including pasteurization.  But you have to be careful as some labels will try to trick you with a play on words like, "Fresh-Squeezed Taste" or "Made From Fresh Squeezed".

None of these fruit juice processing methods are harmful or bad for you, it comes down to your own taste buds and the amount you want to pay for your morning juice.