| Does it really matter where you buy Acai | | | | 5) Acai Should Never Be Overheated. During normal |
| Berry products? Absolutely! Not all Acai products | | | | pasteurization, high heat is involved. Any Acai juice |
| created equal! There so many factors that go into | | | | product should only be flash-pasteurized, which does |
| the processing of the Acai Berry, that customers | | | | not harm the enzyme level of the berry and is FDA |
| should know what to look for before buying! | | | | approved. |
| | | | 6) No Fillers Such as Soy or Maltodextrin in |
| Given the sudden popularity of this purple gem, many | | | | Processing. During the extraction of the pulp from |
| companies are jumping on the band wagon to | | | | the pit, fillers, chemicals and carriers should not be |
| produce as many Acai products as they can. That | | | | used. These items used in the manufacturing process |
| means the consumer needs to do their homework to | | | | remain a part of the end product, but are not |
| find a manufacturer that hasn’t taken any | | | | required to be listed on the label because they are |
| shortcuts in their processing and ingredients. If we | | | | not considered to be an “added ingredient.” |
| are not careful, we could end up with a product that | | | | 7) No Fillers or Water Added to the Product. Adding |
| has lost its active properties, is full of fillers or has | | | | fillers makes the Acai fluffier and bulks it up, so you |
| unwanted chemicals. | | | | are not getting as much Acai. Check the label for |
| Before you purchase Acai products, make sure the | | | | such fillers as soy, corn, maltodextrin, water and lots |
| product lines up with these standards: | | | | of other concentrated fruit juices. After all, when we |
| 1) Certified Organic Ingredients. When using | | | | buy Acai, we want Acai. |
| non-organic fruits, you could be exposed to | | | | 8) No Added Sugar, Artificial sweeteners, Fructose or |
| pesticides and other chemicals. A legitimate company | | | | Stimulants. Look to see that the Acai does not have |
| will produce a certificate to prove their product is | | | | added sugar. Sugar is not good for our immune |
| Certified Organic. Non-organic antioxidant products | | | | systems, weight and it can cause inflammation. Also, |
| can contain chemical pesticides, herbicides and other | | | | some products may have added stimulants like |
| toxins. | | | | caffeine or guarana. |
| 2) Acai Must Be Processed Within 24 Hours. Safely | | | | 9) No Chemical Preservatives. If we are seeking a |
| transporting this little gem, often called The Crown | | | | nutritional product for our health, why would we |
| Jewel of the Amazon, across the world is not an | | | | want to consume chemicals along with it? For |
| easy task! This highly potent berry starts losing its | | | | example, Sodium Benzoate appears in our soda and |
| active properties within 24 hours of being picked. As | | | | snack cakes, but why would we want it in our health |
| you can imagine, for companies that care about | | | | foods? In 2006, the FDA re-opened their |
| producing a quality product, this is no simple feat. | | | | investigations into the use of Sodium Benzoate in |
| 3) Acai and Other Ingredients That Are Not | | | | soft drinks, because of the discovery of |
| Processed in China. Many products on the market | | | | the breakdown into Benzene that can occur when |
| today are processed in China, where they are known | | | | mixed with ascorbic acid (vitamin C). |
| for using harsh chemicals and they do not have any | | | | 10) ORAC Lab Testing Done on Actual Product. Make |
| regulations for pesticide use, nor do they have | | | | sure the company’s reported ORAC |
| organic guidelines. Acai processing plants in China | | | | (antioxidant) levels are based upon tests done on |
| often use unregulated soy, fillers and/or chemicals in | | | | their actual Acai product and not just reports from |
| the extraction process. | | | | Acai right off the tree. Just because Acai Berries |
| 4) Freeze-Dried and Not Spray Dried Acai. To | | | | have a high ORAC score when picked, does not |
| preserve the berry’s nutrients, Acai must be | | | | mean it still does after the manufacturing. |
| freeze-dried. Spray drying involves heating the berries | | | | As we can see, not all Acai products are created |
| at high temperatures, which destroys the active | | | | equal. In fact, a person will have a hard time finding |
| properties. In this process, they are also sprayed | | | | Acai that can measure up to all 10 standards! So far, |
| with a carrier such as maltodextrin to dry them out. | | | | we have only found one Acai product line that |
| When this occurs, a large portion of the resulting Acai | | | | passes all of these tests and that is Amazon |
| powder is actually maltodextrin. | | | | Thunder! |