Juice pressing is a big craze these days, but there is a misconception out there about its health benefits in comparison to juice squeezed by centrifugal home / commercial juicers. There is a notion that cold pressing of juice doesn't create any heat, during the process of juicing-this is not true. Why is this important? Because while it is correct to say that too much heat can kill the nutritional benefits in fresh juice, some heat is necessary to kill the bacteria in the juice.
In the slow juicing method, heat is actually emitted during the HPP process, because of the friction created during the pressing. This process of pressing is used as a substitute for pasteurization, to allow for a longer shelf life. The press uses pressure, while the pasteurization method involves increasing the temperature of fruit, to kill bacteria, followed by quickly reducing the temperature to cool it.
Speaking of cooling...This is where the myth is created...If one were to put a commercial juicer and a juice press in a cold room, where the temperature were 40 degrees, put the product (fruits and vegetables) in that room, at the same temperature as the machines and the room itself, juice the product, and measure the final temperature at the end of the process... you would wind up with the same result. In other words, a centrifugal or commercial juicer doesn't increase the heat of the end product... the temperature it is juiced at does.
So now the question is which type of process is actually healthier? A juice that is pressed two days ago, miles away, bottled, driven to a restaurant or supermarket, and laying on a shelf for several days, or a juice that is squeezed on premise, on the spot in front of your customers? The answer is the on site commercial juicer. Why? Because when a commercial vegetable juicer or commercial orange juicer squeezes the fruits on site, the nutrients (vitamins and enzymes) are instantly available to the customer. They aren't squeezed days before. This is important because fresh juice has a short shelf life...Therefore those instantaneous nutrients dull out over the course of the bottled juice's tenure. Not to mention its price point comparison makes it hard to purchase for many people.
All of this being said, it is important to use refrigerated fruits and vegetables when operating a juicing program to offer the best quality juice to your customers. Nothing attracts customers more than a well displayed juicing program where fresh squeezed juice is made in front of and for your clients. Not only is it less expensive, but it's healthier!