Juice, Inc.

Recently Joe Cross, star of his documentary, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead announced a line of bottled juices called "Reboot Your Life".  They are being sold exclusively at Woolworths stores throughout Australia.  Woolworths has supported Joe's independent film endeavors to some extent.

As a dabbler in juicing, I have noticed some skepticism generated by Cross's corporate pursuit.  The basic crux expressed online by his followers can be summed up in the following way:

• The juice is beneficial because it is so raw and fresh, so that the packaging necessitates some preserving and processing, possibly negating some benefits.

• The plastic bottles they are sold in may release toxins into the juice.

Part of the charm and conviction of the documentary is the sincerity of Joe Cross as he suffers through 60 days of a juice fast and travels from coast to coast spreading the "good news" of raw juice.  He talks to all sorts of people and treats them with dignity and is living proof of the benefits.  There is no ulterior motive, no product he is trying to sell, no gimmicks.

Juice enthusiasts may be disillusioned as now Cross seems to be trying to profit...people may wonder what his motivations have been all along?  The Breville Juicer prominently featured in documentary did double it's sales since the release of the film.

However, the fact remains that juicers are a big investment; perhaps buying juice by the bottle is a good first step to a hesitant consumer?  Also, the juicing machine is a hassle to clean.  Many people would prefer to guzzle store bought juice rather than dirtying their kitchen.  Finally, the argument is made that isn't a bottle or two of the shelved juice better than a burger and fries at the drive thru?

Cross Crux

I for one am interested to see how sales will do down under, and whether or not it'll be offered in the U.S. in the future.  Personally I'd like to compare the taste to my own fresh juice.

Catch of the Day:
1 peeled cucumber
5 branches of kale
5 stalks of celery
1 apple
8 strawberries