What is the difference between juice and nectar. What is the difference between juice and nectar How is fruit juice different from nectar

Today, one has only to go to any supermarket, one can simply be amazed, the modern store is so striking in its richness of choice, and juices and nectars attract with bright and colorful packaging. In the distant times of scarcity, this could only be dreamed of. Once upon a time, one or two types of juice modestly stood on the shelves, and today there are whole rows of them, at least 7-10 names, in addition to traditional juices, nectars have also appeared.

Now buyers stand for a long time and think: “What to take? Juice or nectar? Moreover, on the multi-colored boxes it is so temptingly written: “100% natural juice” or “100% natural nectar”. To get answers to similar and other questions, you first need to understand: what is juice, and what is nectar?

Juice - a general characteristic of the drink

Juice is basically "liquid fruit" or "liquid vegetable". That is, everything superfluous was removed from it and only one tasty liquid was left.

Juice is obtained by pressing the most ripe and juicy fruits or vegetables. There are several types of juices:

Freshly squeezed juice- fresh in another way, it is obtained as a result of mechanical processing of the fruit, using a juicer or some other technique. Fresh is popular in restaurants, cafes, but you can cook it yourself if you have a good juicer on hand. This juice contains the most vitamins, but it must be consumed immediately, as it quickly sours.
pasteurized juice- such juice is first extracted through extraction, then pasteurized, that is, heat treated, and then poured into boxes, bags or jars. This is what we see in the main quantity on store shelves.
"Reconstituted" juice- first it is extracted through pressing, then all excess liquid is removed and the so-called "concentrate" is left. Further, the concentrated juice undergoes heat treatment, it becomes pasteurized. After that, the necessary liquid (water) is again added to it and poured into packages, where it is indicated that the juice is “reconstituted”.

According to the requirements of the state quality standard, it is not customary to add dyes, preservatives, flavors and sugar to the juice. If sugar is still present, the manufacturer must indicate in what quantity so that the consumer knows what he is buying.

Also, the required content of juice in its pure form should be not less than 80%. A high concentration in juice is allowed, but no less, otherwise this product cannot be called juice.

Fruit pulp.
Fruit puree.
Lemon acid.
Sugar.
Preservatives (acceptable by Gost).
Flavors (natural).
Drinking water.

The nectar, according to the rules of the state standard, should contain at least 25% juice or puree. More juice is acceptable, but not less. A drink containing less than 25% juice will no longer be called a nectar, but a juice drink. Nectar is made in cases where it is impossible to make the necessary concentration of juice from fruits or berries. For example, not juice is made from currants, but nectar, because there is little juice from it and it is necessary to add sugar, without it the taste will turn out sour.

Differences between juice and nectar

Thus, both juice and nectar are healthy fruit drinks that perfectly quench thirst, have a tasty and pleasant fruity taste, and also contain many vitamins and microelements. But there are significant differences, let's consider them in more detail:

Juice content. Juice is a drink made up of 80-100% fruit juice. Nectar contains a much smaller proportion of juice - 25 - 50%.
Presence of sugar. Juice rarely contains sugar, but if it does, it's in small amounts. In addition to sugar, sweeteners are also added to the nectar.
Various additives. Juice contains nothing but fruit juice and, in rare cases, sugar. Flavorings, sugar, sweeteners, oxidizing agents (citric acid), preservatives, fruit puree can be added to the nectar.
Availability of water. There is no water present in the juice, except for the reconstituted one. Nectar contains more water than fruit juice itself. Water is the main constituent of nectar.

Thus, juice and nectar are certainly healthy fruit drinks that fit perfectly into the human diet and make it complete. But when buying, you must carefully read the composition of the product, perhaps some components are contraindicated for a person, it is especially important to know this for people with diabetes. Also, if you buy juice for a child, you should carefully read the instructions on the package, it indicates at what age you need to give, and if possible, consult a doctor about this.

Currently, in the regulatory framework of the CIS countries, there is a significant difference in the terms and definitions of “juice”, “nectar”, “juice-containing drink”.

JUICE according to the European classification is defined as a liquid that contains from 85% to 100% juice (15 - 150 grams of sugar or an acidifier per liter is allowed).

Juices can be divided into three categories:

1. Natural fresh juices
These include, for example, orange juice, which you make yourself from fresh oranges. You need to drink such juice immediately, because after 10 minutes there are practically no vitamins left in it. Of course, this juice is the best, the most useful, it does not contain any sugars or any additives (unless you add them yourself).

2. Juices of direct extraction by industrial production (directly obtained from fruits and vegetables) and sterilized to increase the shelf life. Such juices may contain preservatives and colorants.

3. Reconstituted juices - juices made from concentrate with the addition of water. This juice goes through the following procedure - water is extracted from the fruit, which facilitates storage and transportation, and when the juice is bottled and bagged, the same amount of water that was extracted is again added to it. If sugar has been added to such juice, then this should be indicated on the label. The fruit content in this juice is 100%.

It is the latter type of juice that is most often found in our trade. Juices are also divided into clarified, unclarified, with pulp.

Sugar is added to juice to improve its taste. For example, cherry, blueberry, blueberry, raspberry juices without sugar are very acidic.

NECTAR contains 25-50% juice, water, sugar, citric or ascorbic acid, fruit or berry puree. Juices in nectars can be mixed and most often reconstituted from concentrate. Their minimum shares depend on the type of berries and fruits, which is strictly regulated by GOST.

At least 25% juice in nectars from passion fruit, black, white and red currants, bananas, guava, papaya, lemons and limes, sweet apples.

Not less than 30% of juice - in nectars from blackthorn, plums, mountain ash, cranberries. At least 35% of the juice is in cherry and mango nectars. Not less than 40% of juice - in nectars from rose hips, sweet cherries, blueberries, raspberries, apricots, strawberries, mulberries. Not less than 45% of juice - in nectars from peaches. Not less than 50% of juice - in nectars from quinces, apples, except for sweet ones, pears, citrus fruits, except for lemon, lime and pineapples.

By the way, it is impossible to make 100% juice from some fruits and vegetables due to the mushy state of their pulp.

MORS - liquid product from fresh and frozen berries, which contains at least 15% berry juice or puree. Fruit drink can also be made from concentrated juice.

And yet, choose juices (and only juices!) with a low sugar content and minimal processing (unclarified). Unclarified juices also contain the natural polysaccharide pectin. It is able to bind ions of heavy metals, radionuclides and remove them from the body. It can also lower the level of cholesterol in the blood, but for this juice you need to drink a lot. It is best, of course, to drink freshly prepared juices, and not with a six-month or more shelf life. The presence of pulp in the juice is desirable, because. Fruit pulp contains a wide variety of nutrients.

Nutritionists divide juices into cleansing, nourishing and antioxidant (antioxidant).

Purifying: apple, cabbage, celery, morov-apple-beet, juice from germinated grains of wheat and other cereals. The addition of lemon to sweet juices is recommended.

Nutrients: melon-banana, banana-mango, melon-strawberry, mango-pineapple. These sweet exotic fruits produce little juice, so you can add juicy strawberries, kiwis, raspberries and other sweet berries.

Antioxidant: apricot-strawberry, tomato, orange-grapefruit, orange-carrot, apple with red currant. In short, you can use all fruits and berries with a high content of vitamin C. It is worth recalling some rules for drinking natural freshly prepared juices. You need to drink them on an empty stomach or between meals - an hour and a half before or after a meal. Alternate sour citrus juices with alkaline ones - carrot or, for example, cabbage. Add 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable oil to carrot and tomato juice. As you know, the carotene contained in them is well absorbed only in combination with fats.

One of the most important products are juices and all kinds of nectars used for food. They are very useful for both children and adults, because the content of vitamins and other components in them is quite high. Many people love juices for their unique sweet taste. Modern stores can provide the buyer with a lot of different options for a drink. However, on the shelves there are not only juices, but also fruit nectars, juice-containing drinks. At first glance, it seems that these products practically do not differ from each other, but this is not so. Find out how juice differs from nectar, and how these drinks are similar.

Useful properties of juice and nectar

Both drinks have a number of beneficial properties for the body. Their use has a positive effect on the general health of a person. In order for the body to be stronger and not subject to disease, it is recommended to drink juice and nectar. The difference in the content of useful components in these drinks is quite large, but despite this, they still have a number of common useful properties:

Beneficial effect on human skin. Due to the high content of vitamin A in the drink, the skin will be in good condition. There will be no oily sheen on it, various problems will be eliminated.
Regulation of blood sugar levels. The composition of nectar and juice includes PP-elements that have a beneficial effect on the regulation of sugar levels.
Prevention of the development of certain diseases. Do not forget about the content of vitamin E, which contributes to the good functioning of the heart, which prevents the occurrence of many heart diseases.
Influence on increasing the growth and strength of bones.

Differences between juice and nectar

Let's see how juice differs from nectar:

Ease of obtaining nectar. Unlike juice, nectar can be obtained from all types of fruits and berries, while juice is squeezed out only from fruits with a high percentage of water content.
The percentage of natural ingredients. Juice differs from nectar in a rich amount of vitamins and the naturalness of the product. Thus, 85-100% of the resulting concentrate is present in the juice. The corresponding indicators of nectar leave much to be desired: only 25-50% of juice was found in it.
preservatives and dyes. There are no substances harmful to the body in the juice: preference is given to natural additives and components. In the manufacture of nectar, dyes, flavors, and harmful additives are used.

What should be preferred

Having compared these drinks, their useful qualities and other advantages, having learned how juice differs from nectar, it is recommended to purchase the first of them. It contains many more vitamins and substances that have a beneficial effect on the body.

Nevertheless, not everyone can afford to regularly buy natural juices - the price for them is quite high. In the event that you cannot afford to buy fruit or vegetable juice often, you can buy nectar, but its consumption should not be very frequent.

The ideal solution to this problem is to make drinks yourself. You can make both nectar and juice at home. The differences between them will be only in the amount of pulp in the drink - in nectar it should be reduced to zero. Unfortunately, not everyone can do this: not everyone has their own dacha or garden. Speaking of homemade juices, it is worth noting that they contain 100% of useful substances, because no harmful additives are used in their preparation.

When choosing a product, it is worth clarifying for whom you are buying it. In the event that you choose it for a child, you should pay attention to special children's juices. As a rule, the content of harmful substances in them is reduced to zero. In their manufacture, only the most ripe and juicy fruits and vegetables are used.

However, if you choose a drink for yourself, you can safely take juices in which the content of harmful substances will be minimal. Do not believe the "100% juice" icons located on the front of the box. Carefully read the composition of the product, and only then buy it.

Now you know the difference between juice and nectar, and you will be able to apply the acquired knowledge in order to correctly choose the right, and most importantly, healthy product on the supermarket shelf.

Today packaged juices are extremely popular among buyers. On the shelves of supermarkets you can find bright multi-colored packages of various sizes with all kinds of juices. But besides these drinks, in stores you can also see cardboard bags that say "nectar".

Many buyers, not knowing that nectar is not the same as juice, buy it and use it, thinking that they are getting vitamins and other useful substances with it. But in fact, this is a completely different product, very vaguely reminiscent of juice.

What is nectar

Nectar is a drink based on juice. But it is only 25-50% here. The remaining components are water, berry or fruit puree, sugar and citric acid. Here it is necessary to take into account the fact that from fruits such as, for example, kiwi, apricot or banana, due to their reduced juiciness, it is almost impossible to prepare one hundred percent juice. The taste of some juices is generally non-existent. For example, it is impossible to drink a currant drink in an undiluted state, since it has an incredibly tart taste. Therefore, in this case, the best way out is nectar.

Nectar is a product containing varying amounts of juice. Its percentage depends on the type of fruit used to make the drink. So, nectars from bananas, limes, all varieties of currants, sweet varieties of apples, papaya, lemons, passion fruit and guava should contain at least 25% juice. If nectars are made from plums, cranberries, thorns or rowans, then they must have at least 30% juice.

Strawberry, apricot, mulberry, raspberry, blueberry and cherry drinks must contain at least 40% juice. Peach nectar should contain at least 45% juice. And 50% juice content is noted in nectars from quince, unsweetened apples, pineapples, citrus fruits (except lime and lemon) and pears.

Useful features of nectar

Do not think that nectar is a very unhealthy drink. It also has its benefits and should definitely be included in your diet. So, nectar has a good effect on the condition of the skin. Due to the fact that nectars contain vitamin A, the skin will have an excellent condition - oily sheen and other problems will be eliminated.

Like juice, nectar regulates blood sugar levels. As part of these drinks, PP elements are noted, which have a beneficial effect on sugar adjustment. In addition, the use of the aforementioned liquids prevents the development of certain ailments - vitamin E contained in liquids contributes to the excellent functioning of the heart and thereby prevents the occurrence of many diseases associated with this organ. Nectars also have a positive effect on the strength and increase in bone growth.

Everything you need to know about juices

If everything is more or less clear with nectar, now it is necessary to find out what natural juice is. Natural is not the juice that is sold in stores in cardboard boxes, but the one that is prepared at home, immediately before use. Natural juices or fresh juices are drinks that are squeezed out of vegetables or fruits, and they do not contain any chemicals or preservatives in their composition. These are environmentally friendly products enriched with useful components and recommended for everyday use.

Natural juices, like nectars, can be made at home. They need to be cooked before you plan to use them. It is impossible for a freshly squeezed drink to “remain idle” for a long time. In this case, he will lose his useful qualities. The only exception is the beet composition. Due to the fact that such a product is enriched with destructive components, after cooking it is better to keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Rules for drinking natural juices

In order for natural juice to bring as much benefit as possible, it must be drunk following some recommendations:

It is better to use it half an hour before a meal. Since the drink is absorbed rather quickly in an empty stomach, it will immediately enter into biochemical processes.
After eating, it is better to refrain from drinking such juices. Mixing with food, they will provoke the release of a large amount of gases in the intestines.
A natural liquid derived from fruits or vegetables is best drunk through a straw. And after using the product, it is recommended to rinse your mouth with water.
Juices from vegetables (the only exception is tomato juice) should be drunk in small portions, and beetroot drink is generally best diluted with water at first.

Juice drink

A juice-containing drink is also isolated, which is a product that contains only 10-40% of natural juice. Sugar, citric acid, artificial flavors, sugar substitutes, colors, pulp stabilizers and other food additives are usually added to such formulations. If this is a juice-containing composition from vegetables, then it still contains herbs, spices, pepper and vinegar. There are no vitamins in these drinks. But they can quench their thirst.

Home-squeezed juice from fresh fruits or vegetables is what the body needs. Self-preparation allows you to save the maximum benefit and not worry about its quality. But not everyone has such an opportunity, so you have to buy what the stores offer. In their assortment there are not only juices, but also nectars. What is the difference between them?

Juice

If the package says "Juice", then the liquid obtained from fruits or vegetables should be at least 85%. The presence of a small amount of sugar or oxidizing agent is allowed. Sugar, for example, is added to a cherry or blueberry product - without it, they are very sour.

The maximum benefit, of course, is fresh or freshly squeezed fruit liquid. The product can be prepared independently or ordered in a cafe. Fresh retains its benefits only for about 10 minutes after receiving - mechanical processing in a juicer or other device.

Industrial production involves the use of one of the following methods:

Reference! The manufacturer must indicate the addition of sugar on the label. The standard prohibits the simultaneous use of sugar and oxidant. Juice can be enriched with useful elements - potassium, calcium and vitamins.

The product can be with pulp - it is usually made from pears, apples, peaches and plums, as well as clarified and unclarified. The latter do not contain pulp, but retains a natural appearance, is distinguished by viscosity and the presence of sediment. From the clarified variety of products, all small particles are removed. This is done by filtering or settling.

Nectar

The product, called nectar, contains 25 to 50% liquid obtained from plant materials. In addition, its composition is supplemented with water and sugar. Citric acid is added, to achieve a richer consistency - fruit puree. For cooking, reconstituted juices are most often used.

The percentage of presence of fruit liquid depends on the type of plant material and is strictly regulated.

Table: percentage of juice in nectar

What do products have in common?

Vegetables and fruits serve as raw materials for obtaining liquid food products. Its use has a positive effect on human health. The nature of the beneficial effects provided depends on the type of plant material used for production.