Another Coca-Cola Product: Simply Orange
December 26, 2007
Right after I put up the previous post about Coca-Cola’s new “pomegranate-blueberry” juice drink I saw the full-page, full-color ad in today’s New York Times, this one for Simply Apple, advertised as 100% pure-pressed apple juice (”never sweetened & never concentrated”). I don’t really know how much such ads cost but I know they cost enough so only really big companies can afford them (I’m guessing 80,000 more or less). But this ad provides no information about who owns the product other than some tiny print which says that Simply Apple is a trademark of the the Simply Orange Juice company. So I looked up Simply Orange; if its site gives a clue as to who owns it, I missed it. A Google search, however, produced entries from the ever-amazing Wikipedia as well as the company’s proud advertising company. These explain that Simply Orange is simply Minute Maid, and, therefore, simply Coca-Cola. I wonder why Simply Apple isn’t advertising its parentage?
Company ownership and contact info is another piece of information that should be on labels and all advertising. I don’t think one has to be too cynical to understand that Coca Cola/Minute Maid leaves that info out of the ad and the Simply Orange website for a reason.
Health claims, health scoring or tagging gimmicks are all marketing distractions to the real information needed to make an informed decision - who makes it, how they make it (industrial orange juice processing is nothing like home-squeezing), where it is made, and what is in it (ingredients and nutrients).
Comment by Anna — December 26, 2007 @ 2:18 pm
What’s the problem with the product? Are you saying that it’s not what it’s claimed to be?
Comment by Peter — December 26, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Once again, I agree with Anna.
My mother used to say that leaving out relevant information was a form of lying. Thus, telling the truth required something more than just presenting true facts.
Comment by Fentry — December 27, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
I’ll bet two cents the juice is from CHINA.
NL
Comment by norm — December 29, 2007 @ 7:58 pm
I’ll bet the juice is Chinese!
nl
Comment by norm — December 29, 2007 @ 7:59 pm
[…] writing on the wall, or are hedging their bets, and are already moving into less-processed food. Nutritionist Marion Nestle recently noticed a full-page ad for Simply Apple, a new juice that’s 100% apple juice, “never sweetened […]
Pingback by The Ethicurean: Chew the right thing. » Blog Archive » The jury is in: A review of Michael Pollan’s “In Defense of Food” — January 2, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
What food chain in Ontario Canada carries Simply Orange Juice
Comment by Joan Crea — April 22, 2008 @ 7:57 pm
It’s sad how many good intentioned smaller companies have been swallowed by convention big money companies, for one reason: good ol’ greed.
Heinz, Coca-Cola, all jumping on the band wagon, not because they are concerned that America is sick and want to take a positive role to make people healthier, but because there are higher margins.
Is it any secret that they don’t want the natural health, alternative medicine, juicing, vegetarians, vegans, raw foodists, nature loving hippie, health savvy among the general masses to associate their unhealthy, conventional product with the brands WE buy on a regular basis - no.
Most people don’t read labels, or fine print, or even ask questions when they should. If you are concerned about where your food is coming from, kudos to you, consider yourself quite the rare bird, indeed.
Take care,
Joe Boone
JuicingTips.com
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Comment by Juicing Tips — May 8, 2008 @ 12:20 am
Not sure if this is the correct place for this commet, But PLEASE ship more 5Alive juice to the US. Thanks.
Comment by Shawn — July 15, 2008 @ 9:24 am
The bottle of Simply Apple that I bought about an hour ago states that it contains juices from the U.S. and Canada. It doesn’t say that 100% of the juice is from those two countries, but there’s no mention of the juice coming from China.
Comment by Michael — October 12, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
[…] as a wellness company (see previous comments on the “Pomegranate-Blueberry” drink and Minute Maid Orange Juice). What do we think of this? « Today’s question: whole grainsThe Marilyn Manson […]
Pingback by What to Eat » Coca-Cola is promoting exercise! — January 7, 2009 @ 1:54 pm
I was surprised to see that some of the oranges, if not all , some from Brazil?? What gives? YOu advertise the fewest steps from tree to you and importing oranges requires a lot of steps…I am disappointed!!
Comment by Sharon Lipton — January 14, 2009 @ 11:24 am