Orange Juice

[Andrew10]

Hi Everyone,

I was just wondering if flordia natural orange juice is gluten free.

Thanks a lot Andrew

[sa1937]

Is there anything in it that would make you suspect it's not gluten-free?

[psawyer]

I can't imagine why there would be gluten in plain fruit juice. If anybody has a confirmed example, please share it.

[eatmeat4good]

It should be gluten free, but if you are having trouble with it, you might have an allergy to citrus, or your villi might not be able to handle it yet. Weird things happen with many different foods in the process of healing the Celiac digestive tract.

[xjrosie]

Actually, the way liquid orange juice (as opposed to frozen) is produced, it is possible there could be gluten in it.

I was told that the best way to guarantee that your orange juice is gluten-free is if you buy the frozen type, which is pure concentrate.

When they make liquid oj, they add flavors that make it taste more "orange-y". That's why you'll notice a flavor difference between brands. I mean, if orange juice is orange juice, there shouldn't be a difference in taste no matter what brand you buy, right?

[Gemini]

Actually, the way liquid orange juice (as opposed to frozen) is produced, it is possible there could be gluten in it.

I was told that the best way to guarantee that your orange juice is gluten-free is if you buy the frozen type, which is pure concentrate.

When they make liquid oj, they add flavors that make it taste more "orange-y". That's why you'll notice a flavor difference between brands. I mean, if orange juice is orange juice, there shouldn't be a difference in taste no matter what brand you buy, right?

Depends on what type of oranges are used. They would also have to list whether flavorings are used and I have never seen oj with flavorings listed on the carton. Last of all....flavorings rarely contain gluten. You should always check your source but I have never come across any flavoring that contained gluten in the 7 years I have been gluten free. The odds of oj containing any gluten are next to none.

[kareng]

Actually, the way liquid orange juice (as opposed to frozen) is produced, it is possible there could be gluten in it.

I was told that the best way to guarantee that your orange juice is gluten-free is if you buy the frozen type, which is pure concentrate.

When they make liquid oj, they add flavors that make it taste more "orange-y". That's why you'll notice a flavor difference between brands. I mean, if orange juice is orange juice, there shouldn't be a difference in taste no matter what brand you buy, right?

I saw this on TV a couple of weeks ago, too. It didn't mention anything about gluten. Apparently, they add some concentrated orange flavor (from other oranges) because when they mass process, it looses some flavor.

I saw that on TV, I'll see if I can find something.

[kareng]

I don't know why you would say it has gluten. Here we go:

After oranges are picked, they are shipped off to be processed. They are squeezed and pasteurized and, if they are not bound for frozen concentrate, are kept in aseptic storage, which involves stripping the juice of oxygen in a process called "deaeration," and kept in million-gallon tanks for up to a year.

Before packaging and shipping, the juice is then jazzed up with an added flavor pack, gleaned from orange byproducts such as the peel and pulp, to compensate for the loss of taste and aroma during the heating process.

Different brands use different flavor packs to give their product its unique and always consistent taste. Minute Maid, for example, has a distinctive candy-sweet flavor.

Kristen Gunter, executive director of the Florida Citrus Processors Association, confirmed that juices are blended and stored and that flavor packs are added to pasteurized juice before shipping to stores.

Flavor packs are created from the volatile compounds that escape from the orange during the pasteurization step.

But, she said, "It's not made in a lab or made in a chemical process, but comes through the physical process of boiling and capturing the [orange essence]."

The Food and Drug Administration does not require adding flavor packs to the labeling of pasteurized juice (which includes the from-concentrate as well as the not-from-concentrate versions), because, "it is the orange,"

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[Lisa]

That's a bit of a turn-off for me.... and I love orange juice.

I wonder if the concentrated version would be less tampered with?

[xjrosie]

I never said it DID have gluten, I said it COULD have gluten.

If it doesn't specifically say "gluten-free" on the package, there is no guarantee that there isn't gluten in it. There are all sorts of additives to orange juice.

The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional. Natural flavors include the natural essence or extractives obtained from plants listed in 182.10, 182.20, 182.40, and 182.50 and part 184 of this chapter, and the substances listed in 172.510 of this chapter.

Straight from the FDA website. It doesn't say anything about the natural flavoring coming directly from the source it is related to (such as orange flavoring from oranges). They can use anything they want as long as it's derived naturally from a food source.

[Lisa]

If it doesn't specifically say "gluten-free" on the package, there is no guarantee that there isn't gluten in it. There are all sorts of additives to orange juice.

There is no legal standard adopted in the US to determine what is to eligible to be labeled gluten free. Gluten free labeling is totally voluntary at this time.

I would prefer to be a good label reader, to insure for myself that what I am eating is suitable for my diet. A product labeled "gluten free" means nothing to me at this time....just sayin'

[Lisa]

They can use anything they want as long as it's derived naturally from a food source.

No, as I understand it to believe that they don't have to list any additives of flavors if it's derived from an Orange source.

If wheat were added, it by law would be required to be listed as a source or ingredient.

I would find it highly improbable that OJ would contain any gluten.

[Lisa]

I like this...it has pictures

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But, of course, the human factors could have eaten a bologna sandwich for lunch or suffin'

[xjrosie]

I like this...it has pictures

Open Original Shared Link

But, of course, the human factors could have eaten a bologna sandwich for lunch or suffin'

Good for you. You just made my point by providing a picture of how FROZEN OJ is made. The issue I brought up was with supposed "fresh" orange. You see, that cute little tank where they do the blending is where they add all the extra stuff in. Frozen OJ bypasses that whole stage.

From Open Original Shared Link

Even on the Meijer website, it stated that natural flavors may contain gluten or allergens.

On the "Is That Gluten Free?" app (which I know is not 100% but pretty darn good) I see that Kroger and Meijer both list their OJ as gluten free, but Tropicana, Minute Maid, and Florida's Natural don't even come up on the list.

From what I've read about the companies who have decided to put the "Gluten Free" guarantee on their label, at least the national brands, they are reliable enough to trust that they mean it when they mark it. I would still be wary of all foods that DON'T guarantee gluten-free, because you just don't know what might have mixed with it.

[Lisa]

Good for you. You just made my point by providing a picture of how FROZEN OJ is made. The issue I brought up was with supposed "fresh" orange. You see, that cute little tank where they do the blending is where they add all the extra stuff in. Frozen OJ bypasses that whole stage.

From Open Original Shared Link

Even on the Meijer website, it stated that natural flavors may contain gluten or allergens.

On the "Is That Gluten Free?" app (which I know is not 100% but pretty darn good) I see that Kroger and Meijer both list their OJ as gluten free, but Tropicana, Minute Maid, and Florida's Natural don't even come up on the list.

From what I've read about the companies who have decided to put the "Gluten Free" guarantee on their label, at least the national brands, they are reliable enough to trust that they mean it when they mark it. I would still be wary of all foods that DON'T guarantee gluten-free, because you just don't know what might have mixed with it.

Honey, there is NO guarantee. BUT we have come to trust SOME companies who will clearly disclose all sources of gluten....Kraft, Unilevel, Hormel

Just because a product is not listed does not mean it contains gluten. Learn to read labeled and don't rely on lists. Learn to walk on your own.....imagine your freedom!