FDA Warns Consumers About Potential Health Risk With Juices Incorporated Juice Products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to consume any juice products or other beverages from Juices Incorporated (aka Juices International and Juices Enterprises) of Brooklyn, N.Y. The company's carrot and beet juice products have the potential to be contaminated with Clostridium botulinum, a bacterium which can cause botulism, a serious and potentially fatal foodborne illness. Consumers are warned not to consume these products even if they do not look or smell spoiled.

Botulism can cause the following symptoms: general weakness; dizziness; double-vision; and trouble with speaking or swallowing. Difficulty in breathing, weakness of other muscles, abdominal distension and constipation may also be common symptoms. People experiencing these symptoms after consuming carrot or beet juice products from Juices Incorporated should seek immediate medical attention.

Although previously distributed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, Juices Incorporated products were recently found in retail establishments and restaurants in the New York City area, and consumers may have moved the products beyond this region.

The following Juices Incorporated juice products pose a particular concern for Clostridium botulinum contamination:

Carrot Juice DrinkCarrot & Beet Juice DrinkCarrot & Ginger DrinkDouble Trouble Carrot PunchGinger Beet JuiceBeet Juice Drink

The products are packaged under the following brand names:

Juices IncorporatedJuices InternationalJuices Enterprises

On October 7, 2010, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a complaint for permanent injunction against the owners of Juices Incorporated after FDA inspections revealed continuing violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, including insanitary conditions at the Juices Incorporated facility. Under a January 3, 2011 Consent Decree of Permanent Injunction (Consent Decree), the owners of Juices Incorporated are required to stop manufacturing and distributing any articles of food, including all juice products and other beverages, until they correct the food safety deficiencies and insanitary conditions at their facility.

Subsequently, on June 21, 2012, U.S. District Court Judge Sandra L. Townes for the Eastern District of New York issued an Order to Enforce Consent Decree after the owners of Juices Incorporated failed to comply with the requirements of the Consent Decree. FDA investigators recently confirmed that Juices Incorporated and its owners continue to manufacture and distribute juice products and other beverages in violation of the Consent Decree and the Court's Order to Enforce Consent Decree.

Although Clostridium botulinum has never been found inJuices Incorporated's juice products, FDA is concerned about the firm's continuing production of potentially hazardous juice products despite the requirements of the Consent Decree and Order to Enforce Consent Decree. Because the company was ordered not to manufacture or distribute any food, FDA is also warning consumers not to consume other Juices Incorporated beverages, including but not limited to: Ginger Beer Drink, Agony Peanut Punch, Front End Lifter Magnum Punch, Irish Sea Moss, Cashew Punch, Sorrel Drink, Pineapple Twist, Soursop Juice, and Corn Punch. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act refers to unsanitary conditions as insanitary.

SOURCE: FDA, May 10, 2013

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New Organic Juice Directory Finds Fresh-Pressed Options Near You

There are few things in life more refreshing than a freshly pressed glass of fruit or veggie juice -- and these days, we've got way more options than your typical orange or tomato varieties. (Just try this Ginger and Green drink and your life will never be the same. I'm serious.) The problem is, DIY juicers are super expensive -- and it's not always easy to find a juice bar that's serving up truly healthy bevvies, without tons of sugary add-ins or residual pesticides from non-organic ingredients.

That's where this amazing new resource, PressedJuiceDirectory.com, comes in. Recently launched by organic food blogger Max Goldberg, the site has curated listings (more than 700 so far, with new locations being added daily) of the best places to get your juice on by city and state. To be listed, a location must (1) use organic ingredients, (2) serve pressed juices (i.e. not from concentrate or other extraction methods, which provide fewer nutrients), and (3) offer a green juice on the menu.

And it's not just traditional food-and-drink venues that make the list; you may discover that a nearby gym, retail store, or Pilates studio serves up the good stuff, too. And if you happen to live in or be visiting a city where juice bars just haven't caught on yet, there's also a directory of companies that will overnight organic pressed juices and deliver 'em straight to your door. I think we can all drink to that!  

What's your favorite fresh juice recipe -- and where do you get it? Tweet us at@amandaemac and @SELFmagazine.

RELATED LINKS:

Image Credit: CN Digital Studio

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how do fellow juice makers log their home made juice?

I cant find any nutritional info on the website for fresh juices made from veggies or fruits. other than a few that would be sold in store such as carrot. are there any resources on the internet, or books, that might have the nutritional information for plain raw fruit and vegetable juice?

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DIET TRIALS: The Raw Juice Diet

We put the Raw Fairies five-day Glow detox cleanse to the test. Hungrily.

Continue reading...

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Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure

Dec. 14, 2012 -- Drinking a glass of beet juice may have an immediate impact on lowering blood pressure, according to a new study.

The study shows that within hours of drinking it, beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by an average of 4-5 points among a small group of healthy men.

Researchers say that drop may seem small, but on a public health level a reduction like that would equate to a 10% reduction in deaths due to heart disease.

“It’s promising that we can see an effect from a single dose,” says researcher Leah Coles, PhD, a research fellow at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia. “That effect might be even greater over the long term if they are drinking it day upon day.”

Previous studies have shown that beet juice, also known as beetroot juice, can lower blood pressure in a laboratory setting. But researchers say this is the first study to look at the effects of adding beet juice to a heathy person’s diet without making any other diet or lifestyle changes.

The results appear in Nutrition Journal.

In the study, 15 men and 15 women drank either 17.6 ounces of a beet juice beverage consisting of about three-fourths beet juice and one-fourth apple juice, or a placebo juice. They were then monitored for 24 hours. The same procedure was repeated two weeks later, with those who drank the placebo on the first round receiving beetroot juice on the second.

Among both men and women, the results showed a trend to lower systolic blood pressure six hours after drinking the beet juice.

But when researchers limited their analysis to men only, they found a significant reduction of about 4.7 points among those who drank the beetroot juice.

Previous studies have also suggested that beetroot’s blood-pressure-lowering effects may not be as strong in women.

In this case, Coles says it may be partially explained by the fact that the women in the study tended to be older, and many were on prescription medications, such as oral contraceptives.

Experts say it’s the high concentration of nitrates in beets that are responsible for the benefits.

In a lengthy biological process, nitrates from dietary sources like beets and leafy green vegetables are converted to nitric oxide within the body. The nitric oxide then relaxes blood vessels and dilates them, which helps the blood flow more easily and lowers blood pressure.

“Whether from foods or from juice, you are seeing a consistent effect of nitrates in lowering blood pressure,” says registered dietitian Norman Hord, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. “It’s probably the most potent blood-pressure-lowering component of the diet.”

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Beet Juice Lowers Blood Pressure

ByJennifer Warner
WebMD Health News Reviewed byBrunilda Nazario, MD

Dec. 14, 2012 -- Drinking a glass of beet juice may have an immediate impact on lowering blood pressure, according to a new study.

The study shows that within hours of drinking it, beet juice lowered systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure reading) by an average of 4-5 points among a small group of healthy men.

Researchers say that drop may seem small, but on a public health level a reduction like that would equate to a 10% reduction in deaths due to heart disease.

“It’s promising that we can see an effect from a single dose,” says researcher Leah Coles, PhD, a research fellow at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, Australia. “That effect might be even greater over the long term if they are drinking it day upon day.”

Lowering BP: Exercise Tips for Getting Started

Beetroot Benefits

Previous studies have shown that beet juice, also known as beetroot juice, can lower blood pressure in a laboratory setting. But researchers say this is the first study to look at the effects of adding beet juice to a heathy person’s diet without making any other diet or lifestyle changes.

The results appear in Nutrition Journal.

In the study, 15 men and 15 women drank either 17.6 ounces of a beet juice beverage consisting of about three-fourths beet juice and one-fourth apple juice, or a placebo juice. They were then monitored for 24 hours. The same procedure was repeated two weeks later, with those who drank the placebo on the first round receiving beetroot juice on the second.

Among both men and women, the results showed a trend to lower systolic blood pressure six hours after drinking the beet juice.

But when researchers limited their analysis to men only, they found a significant reduction of about 4.7 points among those who drank the beetroot juice.

Previous studies have also suggested that beetroot’s blood-pressure-lowering effects may not be as strong in women.

In this case, Coles says it may be partially explained by the fact that the women in the study tended to be older, and many were on prescription medications, such as oral contraceptives.

Nitrates Behind Blood Pressure Effect

Experts say it’s the high concentration of nitrates in beets that are responsible for the benefits.

In a lengthy biological process, nitrates from dietary sources like beets and leafy green vegetables are converted to nitric oxide within the body. The nitric oxide then relaxes blood vessels and dilates them, which helps the blood flow more easily and lowers blood pressure.

“Whether from foods or from juice, you are seeing a consistent effect of nitrates in lowering blood pressure,” says registered dietitian Norman Hord, PhD, MPH, an associate professor at College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore. “It’s probably the most potent blood-pressure-lowering component of the diet.”

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