Understanding Monavie's Freeze Drying Process

MonaVie is comprised of a blend of 19 fruits which provides a wide spectrum of antioxidants and phytonutrients that assist in maintaining good health by inhibiting harmful free radicals.

The açai berry plays a significant role in this process as it is the fruit with the highest recorded ORAC score on a per gram basis among all other fruits and vegetables tested to date.  Because of this unique fruit and the amazing nutritional properties that it holds, research has shown that by freeze-drying the berry, most, if not all of the potent phytochemicals can be retained as opposed to other forms of drying processes.  MonaVie uses a patent-pending protected freeze-dried açai (known as OptiAcai) as its star ingredient in their juice blends.

Nutritional labels list a product's ingredients in order from greatest to least.  MonaVie lists "proprietary blend of açai freeze dried powder and puree" as the first ingredient, denoting that it is present in the highest concentration, compared to the other 18 fruits.

Degradation or loss of nutritional value is the main reason that the Açai berry must be picked and processed within the first 48 hours. MonaVie processes the Açai fruit into a pulp containing 14% solids (pulp). This pulp is immediately frozen, put into a drum, and shipped for later use. The pulp/puree is kept frozen until it is ready to be blended into the finished MonaVie product. To process the freeze dried powder used in MonaVie, frozen açai pulp is used and placed on trays which enter a freeze drying chamber. This freeze-drying has many benefits.

Benefits of Freeze-Drying:
*     Retains original characteristics, including: color, form, size, taste, texture, nutrients
*     Cold storage not required
*     Reconstitutes to original state when placed in water
*     No waste
*     Shelf stable at room temperature
*     The weight of product is reduced by 70 to 90 percent, with no change in volume
*     The product is light weight and easy to handle
*     Saves on shipping-removal of water reduces weight; no refrigeration required
*     Low water activity virtually eliminates microbiological concerns
*     Offers highest quality in a dry product compared to other drying methods

Low temperatures ensure that the powerful phytonutrients remain intact. Other drying methods where high temperatures are used, destroy the phytonutrients. MonaVie has tested freeze dried Açai powder nine months after its production date and the nutrients levels were still at the same levels they were at when the freeze dried powder was tested after production.

On top of using the freeze dried açai berry MonaVie does not clarify the açai puree. Açai has a high amount of lipids or fats. Depending on the region of Brazil and time of harvest, the amount of fat from the açai can vary.  If you pour MonaVie into a cup or look at the blend in the bottle you will notice a green oily substance. This oily substance is fat that comes from the açai berry.

If you look at other açai juice drinks you will notice that this is not contained in their drink.  These deposits that you see in the MonaVie blend are nothing more than the healthy fats known as mono and poly-unsaturated fats which are derived from the large amount of Açai in the formula.

Many companies pull out these healthy fats to make the appearance of the juice more pleasing.  This process is known as clarification.  Clarification involves the removal of fats, fibers and other beneficial nutrients, which is where 50% of the nutrient value is found.  But, unlike other beverage companies,  MonaVie uses acai pulp and freeze-dried powder so you receive every nutritional benefit this superfruit has to offer.

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