Most Health Drinks Are Cooked. Ours Isn't.

Most health drinks are basically cooked.

Here's what we mean: traditional beverage processing uses prolonged high heat to kill bacteria and extend shelf life. It works. But it also destroys the nutrients you're paying for.

At Orange Toucan, we do things differently. Every can is aseptically processed - and that choice isn't just a manufacturing detail. It's the reason the moringa, ginger, and turmeric in your can actually deliver what the label promises.

What Is Aseptic Processing?

Aseptic processing sterilizes the beverage and the packaging separately, then combines them in a sterile environment. Instead of blasting the sealed product with heat for extended periods, we use High-Temperature Short-Time (HTST) treatment - heating for just seconds rather than minutes.

The result? The same level of food safety as traditional methods, but with dramatically better nutrient retention.

The Research Is Clear: Heat Kills Nutrients

Studies consistently show that traditional thermal processing degrades heat-sensitive compounds...exactly the ones that make functional beverages worth drinking.

Vitamin C:
Research published in food science literature shows that aseptically processed orange juice retains up to 90% of its vitamin C content, compared to just 60-70% in conventionally processed products. That's a 20-30% difference in the very nutrient most health drinks advertise.

Vitamin A and Carotenoids:
One study found that carrot juice processed at 135°C for just 2 seconds retained 92% of its vitamin A, compared to 75% using slower thermal systems. The brief exposure makes all the difference.

Curcumin (from Turmeric):
This is a big one for us. Research shows that curcumin - the anti-inflammatory compound that makes turmeric valuable - begins degrading at temperatures beyond 100°C. One study found that turmeric loses approximately 85% of its curcumin when cooked for 15-30 minutes.

Traditional processing would destroy the very ingredient we built our drink around.

Why This Matters for Orange Toucan

Every can of Orange Toucan contains:

• 500mg of moringa — rich in vitamin C, iron, calcium, and antioxidants
• Fresh-pressed turmeric — for its anti-inflammatory curcuminoids
• Ginger — another heat-sensitive anti-inflammatory compound
• Real fruit juice — 51-65% per can, never from concentrate

These aren't just label claims. They're functional ingredients that require gentle handling to remain functional.

When we chose aseptic processing, we made a deliberate trade-off: higher production costs for a product that actually delivers what it promises. The moringa nutrients survive. The turmeric's curcumin stays intact. The ginger compounds remain bioactive.

The Bottom Line

There's a difference between a drink that lists healthy ingredients and a drink that delivers them.

Traditional processing treats the beverage like it needs to survive a war — blasting it with heat until nothing survives. Aseptic processing is surgical: eliminate the harmful stuff, preserve the good stuff.

That's why we chose it. Because 500mg of moringa should mean 500mg of moringa that actually works.

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The research behind this post comes from peer-reviewed studies on aseptic processing and curcumin stability, including publications from the Journal of Food Science, PMC, and Britannica's food science resources. Want to dig deeper? Email us — we're happy to share the full sources.