Anyone else notice Tropicana juice is getting watery?

I haven't purchased Tropicana juice after the documentary on how they make the juice. It sounded a bit like they were messing with our food so I stopped buying it.

On a related note, though, I have noticed that the Classico tomato sauce which was my preferred brand, is super watery. It makes me wonder what it is I am buying and when I go to use it, my dish gets watery instead of thickened like I intended. Ragu has now become my preferred brand when I previously would never buy Ragu.

choclover wrote: ↑ I haven't purchased Tropicana juice after the documentary on how they make the juice. It sounded a bit like they were messing with our food so I stopped buying it.

On a related note, though, I have noticed that the Classico tomato sauce which was my preferred brand, is super watery. It makes me wonder what it is I am buying and when I go to use it, my dish gets watery instead of thickened like I intended. Ragu has now become my preferred brand when I previously would never buy Ragu.

Ragu is like the bottom feeder of sauces. That's so sad.

choclover wrote: ↑ ...On a related note, though, I have noticed that the Classico tomato sauce which was my preferred brand, is super watery. It makes me wonder what it is I am buying and when I go to use it, my dish gets watery instead of thickened like I intended. Ragu has now become my preferred brand when I previously would never buy Ragu.

Really? When did Classico get watery? This deserves its own thread! I haven't made pasta since my microwave broke, but have a lot of Classico left. I always thought that if a product's formulation changes, then it gets a new packaging design.

How does Tropicana make the juice? I used to buy the stuff regularly when I lived in the U.S. ($2 or so for 2 quart) but haven't regularly (i.e., more than once every 2 years) for a long time now.

As for tomato sauce, China has become a huge producer of tomato paste (rivals the U.S. - where the 3 plants owned by 1 individual in California puts out as much as all of Italy - and Italy) and that's where a lot of supply is coming from, even into the sources of tomato-based products processed by major brand names. This comes courtesy of Italian food equipment companies who made a fortune selling dozens of plants to China.

Your text to link here...

I am curious to know as well (re: Tropicana). There must be some kind of flavourings added to ensure the consistency given they all taste the same.

MadMonday wrote: ↑ I am curious to know as well (re: Tropicana). There must be some kind of flavourings added to ensure the consistency given they all taste the same.

Google it, this info has been out there for a while now.

https://scienceofrevenue.com/tag/how-tr ... e-is-made/

It turns out that the reality of Tropicana’s product is very different from the story told by the company’s slogans. The secret to Tropicana’s success is an innovative manufacturing process that preserves orange juice by removing oxygen from the freshly squeezed juice. Removing oxygen allows Tropicana to store the juice for long periods of time without freezing or reducing to concentrate. Unfortunately, it also permanently removes all of the natural flavor of the juice. Here is a summary from Civileats.com:

“The technology of choice at the moment is aseptic storage, which involves stripping the juice of oxygen, a process known as ‘deaeration,’ so it doesn’t oxidize in the million gallon tanks in which it can be kept for upwards of a year. When the juice is stripped of oxygen it is also stripped of flavor providing chemicals. Juice companies therefore hire flavor and fragrance companies, the same ones that formulate perfumes for Dior and Calvin Klein, to engineer flavor packs to add back to the juice to make it taste fresh. Flavor packs aren’t listed as an ingredient on the label because technically they are derived from orange essence and oil. Yet those in the industry will tell you that the flavor packs, whether made for reconstituted or pasteurized orange juice, resemble nothing found in nature. The packs added to juice earmarked for the North American market tend to contain high amounts of ethyl butyrate, a chemical in the fragrance of fresh squeezed orange juice that, juice companies have discovered, Americans favor. Mexicans and Brazilians have a different palate. Flavor packs fabricated for juice geared to these markets therefore highlight different chemicals, the decanals say, or terpene compounds such as valencine.”

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ How does Tropicana make the juice?

MadMonday wrote: ↑ I am curious to know as well (re: Tropicana). There must be some kind of flavourings added to ensure the consistency given they all taste the same.

Marketplace talks orange juice...

I have not been drinking the regular Tropicana lately, but I do have no complaints about the Tropicana Tropics (recently on sale @ Freshco) Orange strawberry banana. It's not watered down at all.
As for regular not from concentrate orange juice, I've been enjoying Oasis orange juice because it tastes good and not watered down.
Just be careful which one you buy because (for the same money) they have a not from concentrate Oasis and a mix of not from concentrate and from concentrate version.
For the money you're paying, you may as well buy the Oasis that is strictly not from concentrate.

Has more sugar than pop and costs more. There is a reason why OJ is becoming less popular in the USA year by year. People are starting to understand this is just pop in disguise with very limited benefits. Orange juice domestic consumption in the United States from 2008/2009 to 2017/18

Becks wrote: ↑ Really? When did Classico get watery? This deserves its own thread! I haven't made pasta since my microwave broke, but have a lot of Classico left. I always thought that if a product's formulation changes, then it gets a new packaging design.

The jars did get skinnier but they made them taller so people wouldn't notice.

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ How does Tropicana make the juice? I used to buy the stuff regularly when I lived in the U.S. ($2 or so for 2 quart) but haven't regularly (i.e., more than once every 2 years) for a long time now.

As for tomato sauce, China has become a huge producer of tomato paste (rivals the U.S. - where the 3 plants owned by 1 individual in California puts out as much as all of Italy - and Italy) and that's where a lot of supply is coming from, even into the sources of tomato-based products processed by major brand names. This comes courtesy of Italian food equipment companies who made a fortune selling dozens of plants to China.

Your text to link here...

Here is one link I could find that describes what is going on with Tropicana but the show I watched might have been played on CBC (it was a few years ago):

https://scienceofrevenue.com/tag/how-tr ... e-is-made/

I see now other posters found both references I posted.

On the subject of orange juice, you really can't beat fresh-squeezed orange juice and it's not difficult to prepare.

However, orange juice is high in sugar and calories (yes, even the unsweetened kind) so you may find your weight increasing if you consume a lot of it.

eat the fruit. ditch the juice.

ShoNuff2 wrote: ↑ eat the fruit. ditch the juice.

Sure enough. Pretty much the same with all fruit. At least the fibre prevents some of the sugar from being digested and absorbed.

choclover wrote: ↑ I haven't purchased Tropicana juice after the documentary on how they make the juice. It sounded a bit like they were messing with our food so I stopped buying it.

On a related note, though, I have noticed that the Classico tomato sauce which was my preferred brand, is super watery. It makes me wonder what it is I am buying and when I go to use it, my dish gets watery instead of thickened like I intended. Ragu has now become my preferred brand when I previously would never buy Ragu.

Ragu tastes terrible in my opinion. Not sure how you’re able to eat it. And I pretty much eat everything.

On the Tropicana note, I’ve noticed no difference. Did you buy the orange juice or one of its fruit juices?

thriftshopper wrote: ↑ Sure enough. Pretty much the same with all fruit. At least the fibre prevents some of the sugar from being digested and absorbed.

the fibre will slow the absorption to minimize any sugar spikes. it will also fill you up quicker and keep you full longer.

ShoNuff2 wrote: ↑ the fibre will slow the absorption to minimize any sugar spikes. it will also fill you up quicker and keep you full longer.

You forgot the most important thing. It makes pooping a breeze

toronto19850 wrote: ↑ Ragu tastes terrible in my opinion. Not sure how you’re able to eat it. And I pretty much eat everything.

On the Tropicana note, I’ve noticed no difference. Did you buy the orange juice or one of its fruit juices?

I shared the same opinion of Ragu as you until I noticed the drop in product quality for Classico. Then Prego became my preferred brand. Then Prego product quality also dropped and became watery. Tried Ragu and was shocked at how it wasn't as bad as what i remembered. Maybe I am just getting old.

For Tropicana, I used to buy the 100% not from concentrate OJ but I haven't bought it in probably 5 years or more since the story aired about what they do to it.

choclover wrote: ↑ I shared the same opinion of Ragu as you until I noticed the drop in product quality for Classico. Then Prego became my preferred brand. Then Prego product quality also dropped and became watery. Tried Ragu and was shocked at how it wasn't as bad as what i remembered. Maybe I am just getting old.

For Tropicana, I used to buy the 100% not from concentrate OJ but I haven't bought it in probably 5 years or more since the story aired about what they do to it.

I’m not a huge pasta guy but my dad uses ragu. Tastes terrible everytime I’ve tried it in the past year. I have a bottle of Prego and great value. The Prego is more for pasta and great value tastes more like pizza sauce. But I use either or whenever I feel like eating pasta
Tastes way better than ragu that’s for sure. Ragu has a bitterness to it and the other two I buy have a sweetness to it. I read different batches can have different flavours though. Maybe that’s why