Sweetbird likes his fruit smoothies and is rather proud of them, but many people have asked how Sweetbird has been able to make his smoothies so delicious but with such a long shelf life and no need for chilled storage?Well, the magic lies in how the smoothies are produced. They are made with concentrated fruit juice and purees from a number of fruit growing co-operatives around the world which are certified to international fair-trade standards. It’s not just the ethically sourced fruit, but also the most environmentally responsible method of production. Using concentrates and pulps results in a smoothie with a lower carbon footprint (around 37.5% less carbon is produced from smoothies using concentrates than those using fresh fruit).But that is just the start. Unlike many of Sweetbird’s competitors, each bottle is made on the same line as the filling process, all of which is contained within a sterile environment. This means the bottles are not stored therefore eliminating the risk of dust or bacteria entering the bottle before being filled.Like all fruit smoothies Sweetbird’s are flash pasteurised (heated to between 80oC – 90oC for around 20 seconds) which kills off any nasties and retains the nutrient content. Before being filled with smoothie, every bottle is gas flushed with Nitrogen to help prevent oxidisation of the smoothie and to prevent any dents appearing in the bottle. This is also the reason why you may here a ‘pppssscchh’ when you open the bottle - it is not a sign that the smoothie has started fermenting!Sweetbird likes to make sure that our smoothies start their life in the celebrity style that they deserve, so we take a picture of each bottle to make sure they meet his impeccable standards. Once this is done they are wrapped up and shipped out.So is that all that makes Sweetbird Smoothies great? Well not only are they made from ethically sourced fruit, have a lower carbon foot print of many traditional smoothies, use a 100% recyclable PET bottle, been approved by the Vegetarian Society and for vegan diets by Viva! but they’re also lip smackingly good.
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Posted by Nicki Cole on September 9, 2008 at 12:39pm
Hello baristas, shop owners, and coffee enthusiasts. Are you interested in or employed in the ethical coffee movement? Do you buy or sell fair trade, direct trade, or otherwise socially responsible coffee? If so, consider helping me with my research on the ethical coffee market (fair trade, organic, direct trade, socially responsible, etc).I'm a graduate student in sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I'm researching the production, sale, and consumption of ethical coffee. I am interviewing consumers and those in the industry across the nation about why they buy it, how it is perceived as different from conventional coffee, and in what ways such choices affect coffee farmers.If you are affiliated with an ethical coffee serving establishment, consider posting a flyer for me to recruit consumers.If you are a consumer of ethical coffee and are willing to be interviewed, please drop me a line at nickilcole@umail.ucsb.edu, and you can also view my website www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~nickilcole/current%20research.htmlI'll be in the following locations in the fall, and would love to interview people in person when possible, but welcome phone interviews too.Seattle: October 5 through 18Portland, OR: October 20 through November 2San Francisco/Bay: November 3 through 16Please be in touch for more information!Peace,Nicki
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