If This Juice Is Made From Strawberries, Where's The Naturally Occurring Vitamin C?

John read our post yesterday about Naked Juice‘s decision to remove vitamins and herbal stuff from some of their product line, and forwarded us a response he got from the company a month ago. His question: if Strawberry Kiwi Kick contains 14 strawberries, why does the nutritional label say it contains 0% vitamin C? The answer is a good reminder of the difference between fresh food and food that’s been processed, conveniently packaged, and wrapped up in some healthy-looking branding.

John writes:

I saw your article on the Naked Juice Kiwi drink and thought I’d share this email I received in a response to my question about a month ago.

My Question: I’m a little confused about your strawberry kiwi kick drink. The label says it contains 14 strawberries however the nutritional label says 0% of your daily vitamin C. I’m fairly certain a cup of straberries contain at least 100% of Vitamin C

Their response:

We’re happy to answer your question about the vitamin content in our strawberry kiwi kick Naked Juice, particularly vitamin C.

While strawberries are a good source of Vitamin C, some of the Vitamin C content is lost during pasteurization, and oxidation after packaging is a factor. Also, the vitamin content listed on the package needs to be valid through the Enjoy by date and through testing, and the amount of vitamin C content has been negligible and labeled in accord with FDA guidelines.

If it’s Vitamin C you’re after, our Superfood smoothies have added boosts and our Power-C Machine contains 250% of your daily recommended Vitamin C per 8 oz. serving. To see our entire selection of Superfoods, please visit the following web address:[link]

(Photo: sigusr0)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.