March 08, 2005

Got the Bolthouse Blues

I decided to tease my dad a little bit. Maybe he’ll be motivated enough to dust off the old juicer that’s somewhere in the kitchen. And in his defence, I don’t think he’s ever set foot in wal-mart.

Dear Dad,
So I did a little research on this great new bolthouse farms juice you're drinking. My comments in BLOCK...(and it pains me to say this, but the same goes for Tropicana Grovestand:)

From:
Q. Where is your juice made?
A. We make our juice daily in our newly constructed state of the art bottling facility located in the San Joaquin Valley of California.
THAT'S WHERE I WENT TO SCHOOL. NICE PLACE. BUT AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, PRETTY DARN FAR FROM NEW YORK. THE JUICE HAS TO GET TO YOU SOMEHOW, HUH?

Q. Is your juice perishable?
A. Yes! Our juice must be kept cold. Under normal refrigerated conditions, our juice can be safely enjoyed up to the expiration date printed on the bottle. (40 days from production)
HMMMM...IF IT MUST BE KEPT COLD IT MUST NEED REFRIGERATION ON THE RIDE FROM CA TO NY. YOU BOUGHT A CAR WITH NO AIR-CONDITIONER BECAUSE IT SAVED ON GAS. BOY OH BOY, THIS RIDE MUST EAT UP A REALLY RIDICULOUS AMOUNT OF GAS. AND WHAT'S THAT I HEARD ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING?

PLUS, LOOKS LIKE IT CAN STAY PUT IN THE REFRIGERATOR SECTION OF THE SUPERMARKET PRETTY MUCH FOREVER, AND WHAT'S THAT I HEARD ABOUT THEM NEEDING MORE ENERGY AND A NEW COAL OR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT? (NOT IN MY BACKYARD!!!!)

Q. How long will your juice stay fresh?
A. Once the bottle is opened, our juice should retain its fresh flavor for approximately 7-10 days. ensuring the best taste possible while still ensuring the safety of our product.
OH, GOOD, YOU CAN KEEP IT IN THE FRIDGE AT HOME LONGER THAN THAT POT OF LEFT-OVER SPLIT PEA SOUP.

Q. Where can I recycle your bottle?
A. Bolthouse juice bottles can be recycled anywhere that accepts P.E.T. #1 plastics.
OH, WHAT A RELIEF IT IS TO KNOW THAT AFTER THE BOTTLE HAS TRAVELEED CROSS COUNTRY, FILLING THE LUNGS OF MY FELLOW AMERICANS WITH SOOT, AND HELPING THIS CLIMATE CHANGE THING PICK UP SOME MUCH NEEDED SPEED, AT LEAST I CAN RECYCLE THE DARN BOTTLE.

Q. Where can I find your product?
A. Bolthouse Farms beverages can be found in the refrigerated produce section of your local grocery store.
LOCAL GROCERY STORE? WHAT'S THAT? CAN'T I GET IT CHEAPER AT WAL-MART ANYWAY?

HEY DAD, CHECK THIS OUT TOO...SOUNDS LIKE LOCALLY GROWN ORGANIC IS A REAL DOUBLE WHAMMY!!!!!
From: Grist Magazine
Date: Thu, 3 Mar 2005 12:19:40 -0800
To: daily-grist@lists.grist.org
Subject: DAILY GRIST, 03 Mar 2005

YOU SAY TOMATO, I SAY HIDDEN COSTS OF TRANSPORT
Locally grown food greener than organic, British study says

Though organic farming is relatively easy on the environment, buying locally grown food, even the pesticide-sprayed variety, is usually more earth-friendly than buying organic, a new study contends. Published in the journal Food Policy, the study found that the transportation of food over long distances -- anywhere outside a 12-mile radius -- can cause more harm than the growing of food with non-organic methods. Researchers calculated the hidden costs of farming and food transport and found that the U.K. would save some $4 billion a year in environmental and traffic costs if all food consumed was locally grown, and an additional $2.1 billion a year if all food were grown organically. The study authors called on supermarkets to label items with the number of "food miles" they travel to get to the store. "The most political act we do on a daily basis is to eat, as our actions affect farms, landscapes, and food businesses," said study coauthor Jules Pretty of the University of Essex.

straight to the source: BBC News, 02 March 2005

straight to the source: The Independent, Steve Connor, 03 March 2005

Posted by dbs at March 8, 2005 08:58 AM
Comments