The Juice and Smoothie Association (JASA) Defines the Ubiquitous Smoothie

CHINO HILLS, CA--(Marketwire - June 20, 2007) - Dan Titus, director of The Juice and Smoothie Association (JASA), pontificates about smoothies and the $2.5 billion dollar juice bar industry: A plethora of smoothie product introductions have confused consumers. Smoothies seem to be everywhere, but what are they anyway?

The sound of whining blender. The subtle smell of fresh orange scent. The clean, fast paced atmosphere. Ah, this can't be imitated. You are in a juice and smoothie bar. You are about to experience a definitive culture all its own.

Smoothies, which got their start in the 1960s in the beach communities of Southern California, can now be found as menu items at most causal restaurants. Made-to-order (MTO) smoothie companies, like, Juice It Up!, Robek's Juice, Juice Stop, Jamba Juice and Planet Smoothie, provide consumers with what we define as a platinum and gold smoothie experience, whereby the smoothie is made fresh to order with fresh ingredients. It's 'show time' in the juice bar when a customer orders a smoothie that is custom made to their personal specifications.

Smoothies are getting a lot of press these days. Funny thing, most people still don't know what a smoothie is. Ask five different people what a smoothie is and you will get five different answers. Consumer education needs to improve.

When we published our first smoothie book, Smoothies! The Original Smoothie book, in 1999, there were four smoothie books on the market. If you do a search on Amazon using the word smoothie, you'll get over 4,800 hits! Editors of food magazines, newspaper reporters and authors of cookbook series have added juice and smoothie books as part of their product lines. Therefore, consumers continue to be confused by what these 'experts' portray and even more confused by the plethora of prepackaged products sold in containers, which are typically nectars, purees and/or kefir yogurt/cultured milk combinations.

Founded in 1998, The Juice and Smoothie Association is dedicated to educating consumers about the benefits of juicing and smoothies worldwide. For example, the primary drivers for smoothies are taste, convenience and service; with branding playing a secondary role in purchasing decisions. However, this is changing as brand awareness and consumer education increases.

Have you had your MTO smoothie today?

Contact Information: Contact: Dan Titus The Juice and Smoothie Association, JASA www.smoothiecentral.com C/O Juice Gallery Multimedia www.juicegallery.com V/F (909) 597-0791 Sales (800) 710-8163 Free newsletter: www.juicegallery.com/brochure.cfm