One hundred and thirty-four acai berries, 14 Concord grapes, one purple plum, one apple and one banana are the fruits that make up the “pound of fruit” inside a bottle of Naked Juice’s Purple Machine. The super-premium juice company, Naked Juice, Azusa, Calif., hasn’t deviated from its path since its acquisition at the beginning of the year by PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y.

“Naked Juice has grown really by sticking to who we are,” says Adam Carr, Naked Juice’s general manager. “Naked Juice is brand that strongly resonates with consumers. We are all about 100 percent juice and using the best bare naked fruit in all of our products.”

Naked Juice traces its origins back to 1983 to the beaches of Santa Monica, Calif., but really started coming to its own in 2000 when North Castle Partners, a private-equity firm in Greenwich, Conn., purchased the brand. North Castle Partners organized Naked Juice with a group of other smaller beverage companies that went by the name Ultimate Juice Co. Naked Juice soon grew large enough to function as its own entity at North Castle Partners.

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PepsiCo acquired Naked Juice at the beginning of 2007, close on the heels of its purchase of Izze Beverages. Both acquisitions add to the company’s portfolio of wellness options. Carr, who worked at PepsiCo prior to the acquisition, joined Naked Juice at the time of the purchase and has been leading the subsidiary ever since.

Naked Juice is organized under the Quaker Oats, Tropicana and Gatorade division of PepsiCo. “Brands such as Tropicana, Quaker Oats and Gatorade have a real commitment to health and wellness, so there is a natural fit for Naked Juice to join the QTG division of PepsiCo,” Carr says.

With sales of more than $150 million, Naked Juice offers more than 25 juices and juice smoothies with no added sugars or preservatives, and has been a leader in innovation.

“PepsiCo was very impressed with Naked Juice–its fantastic growth, its products and its brand positioning,” Carr says. “And so my philosophy coming into the business is to continue to foster what makes this company great and continue to foster the entrepreneurial environment that is very much embedded in the Naked Juice culture. The phenomenal innovation history and the ability to listen to our consumers and understand what they are looking for and to be able to quickly respond.”

Naked innovation

In the past two years, Naked Juice has introduced 12 new varieties, with the help of its consumers.

“We very much pride ourselves in having a set of processes that enable us to regularly talk to our consumers,” Carr says.

Naked Juice pairs consumer feedback with its Science Advisory Board’s expertise. A group of seven doctors, professors, nutritionists and food scientists in fields including safety, pediatrics, food handling, attributes of berries and probiotics work with Naked Juice on development and regulations. “We believe in the functional benefits that our products deliver, and our Science Advisory Board is a way for us to help ensure that we are always leading in innovation,” Carr says.

Naked Juice’s latest innovation demonstrates its ability to listen to consumers, understand what they are looking for, and the ability to quickly deliver. In September, Naked Juice released Naked Juice Probiotic nationwide. Consistent with its other juices and smoothies, the all-natural, no-preservative and no-sugar-added drink also has the benefits of probiotics and prebiotics. Tropical Mango Naked Juice Probiotic is a five-juice blend that contains bifidobacterium, which aids in digestive and immune health. The product also contains prebiotics to stimulate the good bacteria that already are in the digestive tract.

“What we’ve done at Naked Juice is developed and brought to market the first 100 percent juice product with a probiotic and a prebiotic in it,” Carr says. “When consumed regularly, our Naked Juice Probiotic may help the digestive and immune system, and we’re all about having a healthier digestive track and all about having a healthier immune system.”

“Probiotics are friendly microorganisms that really change the balance of the microorganisms that are in one’s digestive track,” Carr continues. “One’s digestive track is actually the largest and most important immune organ.”

Probiotics have appeared in Europe in several different forms for several decades. In North America, the few probiotic products on the market have shown up in the dairy category. North American consumers are just beginning to understand the benefits that probiotics offer, Carr says. Packaged in a 10-ounce container instead of the typical 15.2-ounce Naked Juice bottle size, Naked Juice Probiotic is bottled in the appropriate single-serving size for probiotic benefits, and provides more than two servings of fruit in each bottle.

“What you’re able to get in Naked Juice Probiotic is all the benefits associated with our juice and all of the great taste associated with our juice, but also the benefits that you get from the probiotic and the prebiotic,” Carr says. “… I believe that a lot of consumers who have come to see the great beneficial attributes of a probiotic will look for an alternative from dairy products, and will very much enjoy having the great attributes of Naked Juice Probiotic.”

The introduction of Naked Juice Probiotic follows the creation of the Naked Juice Energy family in May 2006. Naked Juice introduced Strawberry-Kiwi Kick and Orange Mango Motion Energy Smoothies in May and added Black & Blueberry Rush and Cherry Pomegranate Power last fall. Every Naked Juice Energy Smoothie provides 43 mg. of caffeine per serving through green tea extract and guarana; 100 percent of the recommended daily intake of niacin, riboflavin and vitamins B5, B6, B12 and C per serving.

“We listened to consumers and knew there was a real need for a natural energy product,” Carr says. “Hence, we created our energy line, and our energy line provides a natural source of caffeine.”

Naked Juices’ other lines of juices and smoothies all have been developed in much the same way of listening to consumers. Naked Juice’s Well Being line, including Tropical-C and Power-C, contain immune boosters such as vitamin C. The Superfood line includes Purple Machine and Gold Machine, both of which were released last year. Each Superfood beverage has a unique combination of fruits and vegetables, such as Gold Machine, a blend of kiwi, pineapple, yellow passion fruit and banana, boosted with 11 vitamins and minerals, including green tea, vitamin E and grape seed extract for skin health, the company says.

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Naked Juice also has a large Antioxidant family with flavors, such as Berry Blast, Pomegranate, Mighty Mango, Pomegranate Acai, Pomegranate Blueberry and Rainforest Acai. The company also offers Protein Zone, a pineapple, coconut, apple, orange and banana blend, with added whey and soy protein. And of course, Naked Juice offers a line of Just Juice drinks, including Apple, Carrot, O-J and Tangerine Scream.

“We’re excited to have brought to market 12 products in the past two years,” Carr says. “We’re excited to be at the forefront of innovation, and we know that being a leader at something always continues to make it a challenge to stay in that leadership position, and that’s an opportunity that we welcome.”

With more than 25 juices and fruit smoothies, Naked Juice extensively researches each of its varieties to find the right fruit combination. “R&D plays a large role in helping us listen to consumers, and finding fruits that deliver the benefits consumers are looking for and thinking about how to put them together in ways that they create exciting and great tasting products that our consumers expect from Naked Juice,” Carr says.

Nothing to hide

Naked Juice’s marketing takes a cue from its products–innovation is of the utmost importance. Naked Juice was founded in 1983 on the beaches of Santa Monica, Calif. The products were initially marketed “towel to towel,” Carr says. Essentially, the smoothies were taken to the beach in a backpack filled with ice, and marketers would go from towel to towel explaining the benefits of Naked Juice. The company’s grassroots marketing approach is consistent with its attitude today.

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Naked Juice’s marketing approach sets the company apart in the world of consumer products. Naked Juice’s grassroots program is about being in the market and educating consumers. “We believe that consumers want to not only taste our product and understand and see how great tasting the product is, but also our consumer being ‘believers’ in that they want to understand the attributes of the product,” Carr says.

Naked Juice consumers are “believers” in living a healthy lifestyle through a nutritious diet, Carr explains. “Naked Juice consumers believe in real food and they believe in the powerful impact real food can have on their lives,” he says. “A Naked Juice consumer believes in living today and believes in playing today. And what’s impressive about a Naked Juice consumer is they believe in doing the same again tomorrow.”

Building its base of loyal consumers, Naked Juice is beginning to develop a space for its consumers to talk on the Internet. The site named “Naked Juice Nation” is for Naked Juice consumers, called “Bare Believers” who want to talk and learn more about the brand, Carr says. The web site will launch in 2008 and will enable the company to have a dialogue with its consumers on an ongoing basis.

Through Naked Juice Nation and e-mail interaction with consumers Naked Juice plans to learn more about consumer wants and needs. “It’s that starting process for how do we deliver and innovate around what our consumers are looking for,” Carr says.

In addition to its Naked Juice Nation Web site, the company conducted marketing programs to talk to consumers in 10 markets this year. Led by an event manager and his or her team of brand ambassadors, the marketers attend events during the course of a summer in some markets and over the year in others. “We treat each relationship with our consumers on a real one-on-one basis,” Carr says. “We take the time to educate our consumers on the power of Naked Juice as well as letting them taste the product.”

The third element of its marketing program is its guerrilla marketing and sampling campaign, called “Fruit Protests.” “We stage a pretend protest, but it’s a protest to call for the end of free radicals,” Carr says. “We have people dressed up in fruit costumes and they are chanting on the streets of large cities calling for no-added sugar to juice, calling for no preservatives to juice, calling for the end of fake juice.

“It creates that interruption in peoples’ days as they are walking out to lunch and to just see something fun and exciting. It’s an opportunity for people to get educated on who we are.”

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In its second year of “The Fruit Will Set You See Protests,” Naked Juice conducted Fruit Protests in San Francisco, Seattle and New York City.

In addition, Naked Juice extends its marketing all the way to the bottle itself. Carr explains that if one watches a consumer buy a Naked Juice, they take a bottle of Naked Juice off the shelf and start reading the packaging. On front of the bottle, in addition to seeing the name of the product, they see the family name, the “100 percent juice smoothie” and “No added sugar” tags, and Naked Juice’s Pound Promise of “a pound of fruit in every bottle.” Consumers then turn the bottle to its side, and have the opportunity to ready about each product’s personality. In marketing terms, “the romance copy,” allows Naked Juice to give each of its products a witty personality. Then, consumers can rotate the bottle around and see the list of fruits that are inside and see the functional benefits a product boasts. In the case of Mighty Mango, consumers can clearly see that in one bottle they are getting a mango, a couple of apples, an orange and a quarter of a banana.

“Consumers really understand the anatomy of the bottle, and they have the ability to turn it around and really figure out what they want to get today,” Carr says. “As a result of that, we have really strong sales across all of our product families, and we are really excited to be able to offer consumers great choice. Great choice both in terms of fruits that they are looking to consume and great choice as well with respect to functional benefits that they are expecting to get.”

The Naked truth

In addition to being a catchy name, Naked Juice defines what the products are. “Naked stands for the all-natural element of our product,” Carr says. “When consumers think about Naked Juice they think about a fruit stand in a bottle. Naked Juice is sold in the produce section predominately because it is the closest thing to pure fruit that you can get to, and that’s something that we take really seriously at Naked Juice.”

With Naked Juice’s commitment to remaining the nimble grassroots marketing company that it is and its dedication to releasing innovative products, the company plans to continue the growth that the brand is seeing and be the leader of super-premium juice category as well.

“We’ll continue to deliver great tasting, 100 percent juice products that meet what our consumers are looking for,” Carr says.

RELATED ARTICLE: Needing to get Naked.

Naked Juice is dedicated to developing and delivering its juice smoothies and juices to its consumers. In order to do that, the company is flexible with its distribution system and offers three ways for customers to receive product. One, Naked Juice allows customers to come to its plants in Azusa and Glendora, Calif., or one of its nearby warehouses and pick up the order. “Customers often are coming to the California area and picking up other fruit,” says Adam Carr, general manager of Naked Juice. “It’s a very economical way for customers to actually pick up our product.”

Naked Juice also delivers to its customers’ warehouses and through a chilled-distribution network. Since Naked Juice is a fresh, refrigerated product it always needs product and deliver it to the store. The route sales reps stock the shelves and handle the merchandising. “It’s really a way for our customers to offer everything that Naked Juice can offer to their consumers in a real worry-free way,” Carr says.

“We’re really proud of this hybrid approach to distribution, and we really think it’s the best way to serve our customers and ultimately our consumers by ensuring we have the broadest range of distribution possible,” he says.

Yes, most supermarkets do now stock several brands of Acai Juice. You can usually find Sambazon and Bossa Nova in single serving sizes in the chilled section, and often some of the mega brands like V8 on the shelves. We have a mini-review on those brands below, and will be adding more in the coming days, as well as a poll to let visitors vote on their favorites.

In general, supermarkets do not stock the best quality Acai Products, as they are forced to compete on price rather than quality. The bigger the brand name, the less expensive their product will be, and the less actual acai juice you will be getting.

In addition to the price wars the big brands must battle to find shelf space, they also demand a product that can sit in the warehouses and on the shelves for 12-18 months. Unfortunately, a whole Acai Puree that contains the pulpy fiber and omega 6 & 9 fats will not last that long.

So, they either “clarify” it, by straining out the pulp. Or, they freeze-dry the puree to powder, then “reconstitute” it by adding water. This product is very stable and can even be called 100% Acai Juice, no matter how much water they add when reconstituting it. But it has almost none of the good omega fats and fiber, and much less of the antioxidents than Acai Puree. Then, to make more money, these mega brands often mix the juice with less expensive fruit juices. They end up with 10-20% acai in the finished product.

We do not mean to say that the Acai Juice you find in the supermarket is worthless. It is probably better for you than many other juices on the shelves. Just realize what you are getting. Some of the most commonly available brands are review below. I particularily enjoy the Bossa Nova.

Supermarket brand Acai Juices

Naked Juice

For taste, this is my absolute favorite, hands down. Like a lot of their juices, they use purees for the Acai and Banana. So it has a nice thick texture. Like all the other retail brands, it’s not really an acai juice (check out the ingredients – water and apple juice first), and has a lot of calories. But is a nice choice to grab after a workout. $4 for 15 ounces.

Ingredients: Water, Apple Juice, Pomegranate Juice Concentrate, Acai Puree, Banana Puree, Red Grape Juice Concentrate, White Grape Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Soy Lecithin.

Sambazon

The Original Blend contains a mixture of: Organic Acai Puree, organic agave, organic lime juice and contains less than 0.5% of organic natural flavors, organic soy lecithin and citric acid. Although this product uses some puree, and therefore retains some acai omega fatty acids, amino acids and fiber, it is watered down quite a bit and contains less than 20% acai berry in the final product. They have several different flavors that are mixed with different fruit juices. Price is normally around $4.95 for 8 ounces

Ingredients: Organic Acai Juice, Organic Agave Organic Acerola Juice, Organic Blueberry Juice, Organic Pomegranate Juice, Organic Natural Flavors, Organic Soy Lecithin, Citric Acid.

Bossa Nova

The Original Flavor contains a mixture of: Wild-harvested Acai Juice, Organic Agave Nectar, Natural Flavors, Citric Acid. This is a clarified juice, so is lacking important acai nutrients such as omega fatty acids, protein (amino acids) and fiber. But it is not mixed with other juices, other than the Agave Nectar used as a sweetener. It is also less watered down than most supermarket brands, and tastes very nice! Is a bit more expensive than others at nearly $5 for 8 ounces.

V8 Acai Fusion

The 800 pound gorilla of juice brands is now jumping on the Acai Bandwagon! Of course, this is an Acai Juice in name only – just check out the ingredients below. It has a little reconstituted Acai “juice”, but is far less than 10% of the total. It doesn’t taste anything like Acai, but is probably a good choice to get for the kids because of that. And is very inexpensive at $7.99 for 46 ounces.

Ingredients:

Reconstituted Vegetable Juice Blend (Water and Concentrated Juices of Purple Carrots, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes), Reconstituted Fruit Juice Blend (Water and Concentrated Juices of White Grapes, Apples, Acai, Blueberries, Limes), Contains Less than 2% of the Following: Plant Sterols, Natural Flavoring, Lemon Juice Solids, Malic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Natural Flavoring (Contains Malic Acid), Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate).

Whilst scientists are keen to investigate and prove the benefits of so-called “super foods”, we — the consumer — are keen to reap the rewards of these investigations. With the acai berry’s popularity soaring, scientists have been working overtime to see just what it is that this unique fruit can do for as. As the multitude of proven, tangible benefits offered by the humble acai berry mount almost daily, so the popularity of the berry grows even quicker in response.

It was with great excitement that I read a University of Florida study on the effects of the acai berry upon leukemia cells. The lab tests executed by the boffins in the Florida labs showed that extracts from acai berries triggered a self-destruct response in up to 86% of leukemia cells tested. The tests were, it seems, in direct response to some of the claims made by manufacturers, distributors and retailers of acai-based products. Stephen Talcott is quoted in the article as saying:

Acai berries are already considered one of the richest fruit sources of antioxidants. … This study was an important step toward learning what people may gain from using beverages, dietary supplements or other products made with the berries.

Acai berries are not alone in having the properties necessary to attack leukemia in controlled lab tests. Grapes, guavas, mangoes and many other fruits contained the antioxidants which were identified as being responsible for the startling results. Berries — and acai berries in particular — are renowned for having a very high ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity — the measure used to determine the antioxidant capacity of different foods) rating, and may be particularly effective at combating the cells.

The type of antioxidant that produces this behavior is the anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are particularly effective against molecules called ‘free radicals’ which are harmful to some of our body’s cells. Free radicals are produced either as by products of the body’s functions or introduced into our system by pollutants such as cigarette smoke and gas fumes. At the very extreme free radicals can actually change the DNA of a cell and thus introduce a cancer into the body.

Talcott went on to explain that although the test results were very encouraging and showed good activity against the cancer cells, it did not necessarily mean that acai berries could prevent or cure leukemia in people. When active leukemia in people was considered, there are too many variable factors that come into play which may influence the antioxidants’ chemical activity. This is, of course, not to say that it doesn’t help against leukemia cells in humans, just that scientists are unable to prove anything as yet.

This is undoubtedly a very exciting discovery, but why has it taken until now for scientists to uncover the potential benefits of acai berries? Stephen Talcott again:

One reason so little is known about acai berries is that they’re perishable and are traditionally used immediately after picking. Products made with processed acai berries have only been available for about five years, so researchers in many parts of the world have had little or no opportunity to study them.

It is generally recognized that an increased consumption of fruit and vegetables of most types can be closely associated with a decreased risk of contraction of a number of afflictions including heart disease and cancer. Finding that the acai berry is super-charged with the necessary antioxidants is a very exciting step toward to making the world a healthier place.

References

1. Nordlie, Brazilian berry destroys cancer cells in lab, UF study shows, University of Florida News. Source [retrieved 19 Feb 2009]
2. Sterling, Got Anthocyanins?, NewHope.com. Source [retrieved 19 Feb 2009]

If you have ever suffered from an occasional bout of heartburn, then you know how uncomfortable it can be. Just imagine if you had to deal with it several times a week! Unfortunately, this is a reality for many people around the world.
Heartburn is a major symptom of a condition called acid reflux or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), in which liquid contents of the stomach back up into the esophagus. This liquid often contains acid, a digestive enzyme called Pepsin, and bile. These three substances can cause inflammation in the esophagus and can also damage its lining. People who suffer from acid reflux will often feel chest pain, taste a bitter or sour liquid in their mouths, have trouble swallowing and constantly feel the need to clear their throat.
GERD is usually a chronic condition, and once someone acquires it, he will suffer from its effects for the rest of his life. The effects are particularly painful if the lining of the esophagus has been damaged. The symptoms of occasional acid reflux are traditionally treated with pharmaceuticals such as antacids, which work to neutralize the acid in the stomach. But antacids are relatively ineffective in chronic cases because they don’t have the ability to heal the damage to the esophagus lining. An overuse of antacids can also lead to constipation or diarrhea.
The good news is that a new natural cure for acid reflux may have been found in the powerful Acai berry of the Amazon. In addition to many other health-enhancing properties such as the ability to lower cholesterol levels, fight off cancer, and prevent the signs of aging, Acai is also rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants are agents that help prevent free radicals (unstable atoms with one or more unpaired electrons) from damaging the membranes of healthy cells. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals and stop their harmful effects by lending the unstable atoms an electron. Because antioxidants protect the weakening of cells by free radicals, they help boost the immune system and better prepare the body to fight against infections.
The wide range of cell-nurturing antioxidants contained within Acai Berry can help protect and repair a lower esophagus lining that is damaged by GERD. Their neutralizing effect will also suppress the acidity in the stomach when reflux starts to occur. Because Acai Berry is an unprocessed food, it also provides for natural way of fighting acid reflux and can reduce the need to gulp pills every time an attack of heartburn occurs.

It hasn’t taken long for the acai berry to become the world’s most talked about health food. The fruit has received a wave of good publicity and all of a sudden, everyone wants a piece of it. The world is full of skeptics and there are numerous people who aren’t convinced about the benefits of an acai diet. One brand that could be about to prove those doubters wrong is Acai Zone.

First, a bit of background on the acai berry itself. The acai berry is a fruit native to the Brazilian rainforest. South Americans have been enjoying the benefits of an acai diet for years, but it’s only recently that the rest of the world has been informed about the fruit.

The berries spoil within about one day of being harvested. This means that it is near impossible to export the berries in their raw form, which is why so many companies operate online stores through which they sell acai berry products, such as Acai Zone.

Acai berries are rich in beneficial substances. They contain high levels of antioxidants, fiber, amino acids, fatty acids and more. The fruit has been linked to anti-aging, weight loss, increased energy levels, enhanced libido, better overall health and more.

There are a large number of companies selling acai berry products and supplements. What makes Acai Zone different is that it is a unique line of products. Pure Acai Products recently inked a deal with Apex-Nutra to manufacture the Acai Zone range of acai berry products using the highest quality ingredients and the most cutting edge technology available.

Acai berry products became popular almost overnight. It only took a few mentions on national television by stars such as Oprah Winfrey and Rachel Ray to generate a national buzz. Throw in dozens of magazine articles, news stories, documentaries and books and you have the world’s newest superfood, but people still didn’t know who to trust when it came to ordering the products.

There are so many companies selling acai products and supplements, which is why Acai Zone has raised the bar. It’s a product that nobody else can offer. Acai Zone comes in three forms. Acai Ultra Slim is aimed at people looking to lose and keep off excess pounds. Acai Maxx is an energy booster and mood enhancer. Finally, Acai Rejuvenate is for anyone who wants to look and feel younger. These products are available in juice and supplement form.

The Acai Zone line of products is certainly worth looking into. If you’ve never considered an acai diet, now might be the time.

Find out more about acai berry products at Acai Zone.