Some people discovered a green slime in the straw of their juice box. The green slime was also found on the edges of the juice box when the people cut open the box. The juice box was not expired. The green slime can be found in many boxes of juice especially in children juice boxes since these juices don’t contain preservatives. The slime is created by the fermentation of sugars when air leaks into the box. The puncture will not cause leaking of the juice, since it is very small, but the air can get inside of the juice easily.
Although this slime is not dangerous, it is disgusting. Moreover, these juices are not healthy because they contain a lot of sugar and calories. As with food rich in fat and salt, these drinks rich in sugar cause the body to release opiates that make cravings for more juice. This causes the addiction to junk food.
The more sugars children consume, the more they will want juices and junk food, and refuse to eat healthy dinners and snacks. Too much drinking of these juices, which means increased consumption of sugar, can cause tooth decay, diarrhea and flatulence.
The opinion of pediatricians about these juices is:
• Infants below six months should not consume juices unless constipation occurs.
• There are no benefits from fruit juices for children between 6 months and 6 years. Instead, choose fruits since they are rich in fibers and nutrients.
• Children between the age of 1 and 6 years should not drink more than 4 to 6oz/d of juice. Children between the age of 7 and 18 years should not drink more than two servings.
• Children should never drink unpasteurized juices.
Fruit juices are appealing to children and they are convenient so we often give them to our children. However, we don’t know if there is mold in the juice box if we don’t cut open it. Therefore, give your children water or natural homemade juices when they are thirsty.
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