Juiced

Deconstructing Ocean Spray's "Wonderberries."

Freedom of Speech does indeed extend to the right to use deceptive language to encourage people to buy products. But we don't have to like that. Why do we put up with this garbage?

I don't buy my food blindly. I already know that most juice products do not contain what they pretend to. So when I bought a bottle of cranberry juice the other day I actually spent quite a bit of time looking at the products and considering my choices. But they suckered me nonetheless.

Note first the proud banner that Ocean Spray presents to the consumer

100% Juice. Cranberry

There's a clear implication that this product contains 100% Cranberry juice, but the truth is very much otherwise. This product contains


Ingredients: 100% Fruit Juice from Grape Juice, Cranberry Juice and Apple Juice (Filtered water, Juice Concentrates)

Note that there is no listing of the actual percentages of these three "juices." By context we can infer that there is less Cranberry Juice than Grape in the product.

No Sugar Added

This is an oldie but a goodie. There's a clear implication that no sugar has been added to the product, or that it is low in sugar, but the truth is very much otherwise. This product contains 12% sugar, mostly due to the use of the Grape and Apple Juice Concentrates.

A gold seal symbol reading 2009 Chef's Best Award BEST TASTE

There's a clear implication that some independent organization has rated this product as tasting better than others. The fine print on the bottle reads "The Chef's Best (R) Award for Best Taste is awarded to the brand rated highest overall among leading brands by independent professional chefs".

I hereby challenge Ocean Spray to reveal the members of this organization and the specific details of the taste tests they conducted. Who owns the "Chef's Best" trademark? Those "independent" chefs?


No Artificial Colors or Flavors 100% Vitamin C

There's a clear implication that we will be drinking pure Cranberry Juice. But the truth is very much otherwise. As the fine print on the label says, "CRANBERRY FLAVORED JUICE NATURALLY SWEETENED WITH TWO JUICES FROM CONCENTRATE WITH ADDED VITAMIN C." I don't have time to prove the wild assertion that the Vitamin C is actually a flavoring, not added for nutritional reasons at all. "100% Vitamin C" of course refers to a recommended daily allowance of this chemical.

A few questions about this hype:

1. Are "We" really the family of Ocean Spray growers? Or are we a marketing copywriter just pretending?

2. Do Ocean Spray's "wonderberries" really have "almost magical nutrients"? That would really mean "not magical," wouldn't it?

3. Did the Native Americans really believe in cranberries' healing powers? Probably at least two Native Americans did, sometime in history. It would be interesting to hear from Ocean Spray which native americans they are referring to. Was that really why the indians brought Ocean Spray to that first Thanksgiving?

4. Does every glass help cleanse and purify your body and immune system? Arguably this drink does cleanse your body, because yes, it is mostly water. Is there any basis whatsoever for the claim that Vitamin C strengthens your immune system? Everyone likes Vitamin C, but I don't believe this is a real fact.



Generally speaking, I avoid the Ocean Spray brand anyway, because I know it to be overpriced and branded. My careful reading of their bogus claims is another powerful reason not to buy their products.