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Frequently Asked Questions
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Company InformationWho started the Kagome company?
Ichitaro Kanie, a pioneer in tomato cultivation in Japan, founded Kagome in 1899. Kagome has since grown to become the dominant producer of Japanese tomato products and a major producer of other fruit and vegetable foods.
What is Kagome’s mission?
To enhance the health of people by creating fresh, natural foods, combining ancient wisdom of Japanese concepts like harmony and balance with the latest science to make foods that nourish the body and refresh the mind and spirit.
What does Kagome mean?
Kagome is a Japanese word that describes the weave pattern in vegetable baskets that are used to harvest tomatoes in Japan.
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Product Information
What are the Kagome 100% Juice Blends?
100% juice blended from 50% fruit and 50% vegetable juices to provide both a refreshing fruit taste and the healthful phytonutrients from vegetables.
What blended juices does Kagome offer?
Kagome 100% Juice Blends include: NEW Burgundy Berry Blossom, NEW Golden Peach Garden, Purple Roots and Fruits, Autumn Reds and Orange Carrot Blossom.
What are the fruits and vegetables found in these blended juices?
Burgundy Berry Blossom: Carrot, Purple Carrot, Beet, Spinach, Parsley, Watercress, Lettuce, Cabbage, Apple, Lemon, Strawberry, Wild Blueberry and Raspberry.
Golden Peach Garden: Carrot, Red Bell Pepper, Beet, Spinach, Parsley, Watercress, Lettuce, Cabbage, Apple, Orange, Peach and Lemon.
Purple Roots and Fruits: Purple Carrot, Beet, Lettuce, Spinach, Watercress, Parsley, Cabbage, Apple, Grape, Lemon, and Blueberry.
Autumn Reds: Tomato, Red Bell Pepper, Lettuce, Spinach, Watercress, Parsley, Beet, Cabbage, Apple, Grape, Grapefruit and Lemon.
Orange Carrot Blossom: Carrot, Spinach, Red Bell Pepper, Watercress, Lettuce, Parsley, Beet, Cabbage, Apple, Orange and Lemon.
How are Kagome Juices made?
The best vegetables from the best seeds in the world are processed using Kagome's proprietary Reverse Osmosis (for tomatoes) and Fresh Squeeze (for carrots) processes to retain the purest, freshest and most natural colors and flavors for Kagome Juices. In preparing Kagome Juices, there are no added minerals, artificial fortifications, artificial flavors, preservatives or sugar, resulting in a nutritious juice that is very true to nature.
What are low heat pureeing and the Reverse Osmosis process?
Low heat pureeing is part of Kagome's patented Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology for concentrating tomatoes. Tomatoes are gently cooked at very low heat while a puree is created by using pressure to remove water from the mixture via osmosis. The resulting puree has a brighter color and better fresh tomato flavor profile than the other pureeing methods that use twice the heat levels, resulting in color and fresh flavor loss as well as the development of cooked tomato soup type flavors. The puree is reconstituted with water, natural flavors, and added juices or vegetables to create Kagome 100% juices.
Where does Kagome get the vegetables that are used in its juices?
Vegetables used in Kagome Juices are grown around the world, in climates most ideal for their proper development. The soil used is carefully monitored and supplemented to ensure the vegetables contain exceptional color and flavor.
What is juice concentrate and why is it used?
Juice is concentrated by taking out the water to ship and store it more efficiently, and then water is added to bring it back to its original concentration during the production process.
How many servings of vegetables are in an 8-oz glass of Kagome 100% Vegetable Juice?
Two full servings of vegetables are in one, 8-oz glass of Kagome Vegetable Juices.
How many servings of vegetables and fruits are in an 8-oz glass of Kagome 100% Blended Juices?
One full serving of fruits and one full serving of vegetables are found in one 8-ounce glass of Kagome 100% Blended Juices.
How much juice should I drink?
Most Americans consume far less than the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. The 2005 USDA Dietary Guidelines advise Americans to consume 5-13 servings of fruits and vegetables each day, that’s two cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables. One 8-ounce glass of Kagome 100% Vegetable Juice fulfills the USDA guidelines for two full servings of vegetables. One 8-ounce glass of Kagome 100% Blended Juices equals one full serving of fruits and one full serving of vegetables.
How many calories are in a serving of Kagome juice?
In one 8-oz. serving:
True Vegetable Garden: 90 calories
Sweet Summer Tomato: 50 calories
Carrot Ginger Zinger: 100 calories
Golden Peach Garden: 100 calories
Burgundy Berry Blossom: 100 calories
Purple Roots & Fruits: 130 calories
Orange Carrot Blossom: 100 calories
Autumn Reds: 120 calories
All Kagome Juices are naturally fat free, trans fat free and cholesterol free.
Can I consume Kagome juices if I am on a low carbohydrate diet?
Kagome juices are made from all natural, fresh fruits and vegetables. Many low carbohydrate diets recommend eating vegetables and fruits as part of the meal for sustaining weight programs. Kagome juices have a low Glycemic Index compared to fruit juices because they contain vegetables.
How do Kagome Blend juices’ Glycemic Index (GI) compare to other fruit juices?
Blends contain vegetables that are naturally low in GI. Therefore, Kagome Blends have lower GI than most 100% fruit juices.
Does Kagome use any artificial ingredients in its juice products?
No. All of Kagome’s products are naturally pure, never made with artificial additives, preservatives or flavors, delivering a true to nature taste.
What is the sodium level found in Kagome 100% Vegetable Juices and Kagome 100% Blended juices?
The USDA defines a low-sodium food to be less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving (8oz). Kagome 100% Vegetable Juices contain 100-290mg of sodium per 8-oz serving, making it a low sodium or light in sodium juice. Sodium levels in many vegetables juices can climb to over 800mg per serving.
Kagome 100% Blended Juices are also a low sodium juice, containing less than 110mg of sodium per 8-oz serving.
How does Kagome compare nutritionally to other vegetable juice brands?
Kagome juices are made to deliver the best natural taste and color, through its patented RO process, which stem from Kagome’s respect for nature. Kagome products are high in phytonutrients and antioxidants, such as lycopene in its red products, vitamins and minerals, and lower in salt.
What are natural flavors? What is the benefit of using natural flavors? What do natural flavors contain?
Natural flavors are added to provide "spice" to the taste of the juice. Flavors include ginger, lime, orange, lemon, and spice extract. Natural flavors are derived from real fruits, vegetables, and spices.
Where do the natural flavors found in Kagome 100% Juices come from? What are they?
The flavors found in Kagome juices are composed from natural sources such as lemon, lime, ginger, orange, apple, celery, grapes, peach, raspberry and blueberry.
Why are Kagome 100% Vegetable and Kagome blended juices more expensive than other juices?
1) Only the best and purest vegetables are used in Kagome products. To maintain this high quality standard of ingredients Kagome must grow its vegetables all over the world wherever the most ideal growing conditions are for the vegetable.
2) Kagome uses a proprietary Reverse Osmosis for its tomato based products to retain the original color and aroma of the vegetable in the juice. Other methods, which use higher heating processes, can destroy color and flavor.
3) Kagome conducts regular tests on their juices to ensure the products contain specified levels of health benefiting antioxidants.
4) In the blends products, Kagome uses unique and rare vegetables to create its refreshing taste and nutritional profile. For example, Kagome uses purple carrots in its Purple Roots and Fruits.
Can I cook or bake with Kagome juice?
Yes. Use it just like other juices to enhance flavors in sauces, juice blends, soups, and other recipes.
Kagome 100% Blended Juices are a great choice for making smoothies to give you a perfect blend of vegetables and fruits.
Can I use Kagome 100% Blended Juices in smoothies?
Yes. Use it just like other juices to enhance flavors in sauces, juice blends, soups, and other recipes.
Kagome 100% Blended Juices are a great choice for making smoothies to give you a perfect blend of vegetables and fruits.
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Health Benefits & NutritionWhat health benefits are associated with Kagome 100% Juices?
Kagome Juices’ provide a natural supply of phytonutrients, containing antioxidants that are believed to maintain a healthy immune system, lower the risk of some cancers, maintain a healthy heart, and other benefits such as maintaining vision and memory function. Kagome juices also offer some macronutrients such as Vitamin A, C and Potassium.
What is Nature’s Color Wheel?
Educational tool for consumers that explains which phytonutrients are in each color of juice. For example, one phytonutrient in tomatoes is lycopene, which makes tomatoes red and provides numerous health benefits.
What are phytonutrients and antioxidants? Why do we need them?
Phytonutrients are natural plant compounds that may provide a variety of health benefits. Many of the bright colors in fruits and vegetables come from phytonutrients.
Antioxidants fight against toxic compounds, such as free radicals in the body that can injure cells. Free radicals may damage unsaturated fatty acids, proteins and DNA. It is believed that free radical damage may also contribute to heart disease, aging, hardening of the arteries, cancer, arthritis, cataracts and other health problems. Fortunately, this destructiveness can often be reversed or prevented with antioxidants from fruits and vegetables such as lycopene and beta-carotene.
What phytonutrients are in Kagome 100% Blended Juices?
We have tested for certain beneficial phytonutrients in our colorful juices and found many benefits with these colorful, phytonutrient-rich fruits and vegetables. For example, Purple Roots and Fruits and Burgundy Berry Blossom contain anthocyanin, found in beets, purple carrots, grapes and blueberries; Autumn Reds contains lycopene; Orange Carrot Blossom and Golden Peach Garden contain Beta-carotene.
Do Kagome Blends have more phytonutrients than other blended products?
Most blended products on market are 80% fruit juice and 20% vegetable juice. Kagome's higher vegetable content provides higher levels of vegetable based phytonutrients than other blended products. For example, our Orange Carrot Blossom contains higher levels of Beta-carotene than a typical 80% fruit orange product.
What is lycopene? How much lycopene can be found in Kagome Juices? How does lycopene benefit your health?
Lycopene gives tomatoes and some other red fruits and vegetables their distinctive red color. It is a carotenoid, related to the better-known beta-carotene, and functions nutritionally as an antioxidant.
Kagome's Sweet Summer Tomato Juice contains 25mg of lycopene, and Kagome's True Vegetable Garden Juice has 23mg of lycopene per 8-oz. serving.
As a natural antioxidant, lycopene is believed to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation. Research suggests that diets rich in tomatoes and tomato products may have long-term health benefits.
What is beta-carotene? How much beta-carotene can be found in Kagome Juices? How does beta-carotene benefit your health?
Beta-carotene is a form of carotene that is widely distributed in nature and most efficiently converted by the body to vitamin A. Kagome's Carrot Ginger Zinger Juice contains 22mg of beta-carotene per 8-oz. serving.
Beta-carotene functions to prevent oxidation and has been shown to enhance the immune system and prevent cancer and heart disease.
What other health benefiting phytonutrients can be found in Kagome Juices?
Kagome juices are a source of naturally occurring phytonutrients, not just lycopene and beta-carotene. Phytonutrients are natural plant compounds that may provide a variety of health benefits. Many of the bright colors in fruits and vegetables come from phytonutrients. They include classes such as bioflavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, many which are being studied for their anti-oxidant and anti-aging effects.
Are fruits and vegetables good for you?
Fruits and vegetables are recommended by the USDA for at least 5 servings per day. It is recommended that you eat fruits and vegetables from a wide variety of colors as each color provides different benefits and different levels of phytonutrients. Colors have been associated with health benefits in the context of a low fat diet that is rich in fruits and vegetables.
Purple vegetables and fruits have been associated with promoting healthy aging, memory function and urinary tract health.
Orange and yellow vegetables and fruits have been associated with promoting eye health and supporting the immune system.
Red vegetables and fruits have been associated with promoting heart health as well as memory function.
I eat lots of fruits and vegetables, why is this better?
Your body can absorb nutrients in fruits and vegetables more easily in juice form rather than eating them raw because it doesn't have to work so hard to digest them.
What about combining fruits and vegetables, is that okay?
The concern over combining fruits and vegetables is a digestive matter. But when the fruits and vegetables are in juice form, the body doesn't have to work to digest them and they are readily absorbed.
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Environmental Efforts
Do Kagome juices contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
Kagome does not use any GMOs in the production of its vegetable juices. Kagome’s entire seed stock does not contain GMOs. Further, Kagome requires Non-GMO Certificates from all outside vegetable and fruit suppliers to verify vegetables and fruits do not contain GMOs.
What type of quality checks and tests are conducted on Kagome Juices?
Specified lycopene levels, and other antioxidant levels, are tested in Kagome Juices continuously during production. Samples are also sent to an outside analysis center for confirmation of the results. In addition, Kagome products are tested for safety for a variety of agricultural chemical residues.
Are Kagome products Organic?
Kagome juices are not USDA certified organic and do not contain the USDA Organic seal, however, Kagome is dedicated to purity. Therefore, Kagome juices test “pesticide residue free” and contain no artificial additives, preservatives or added sugar. There are also no GMOs.
What is Kagome doing to create sustainable growing practices?
Kagome is a leader in helping to create sustainable growing methods. Kagome grows its vegetables all over the world, so practices do vary by where the vegetable is grown. Kagome does not use GMOs in any growing process. Kagome is developing standards and offering guidance for minimizing the use of chemicals to control pests through integrated pest management techniques and reduction of fertilizer use to maintain sustainable soil life and to maximize plant growth.
What environmental causes and efforts does Kagome support?
Kagome is an environmentally responsible company that provides safe and recyclable packaging that are resource conserving; makes optimum use of agricultural raw materials and reduces waste; minimizes carbon dioxide emissions; and implements environmental conservation measures in Kagome factories.
Why does Kagome use PET bottles vs. glass? Are Kagome bottles recyclable?
Kagome packages its juices in recyclable plastic bottles. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is the most commonly used consumer plastic in the United States for bottled beverages. Kagome uses PET because of its lightweight material and shatter resistance. PET has been extensively tested for safety. Yes, Kagome bottles are recyclable.
Are Kagome bottles recyclable?
Yes, Kagome bottles are recyclable.
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AllergensAre there any allergens in Kagome juices?
No. Our products do not contain peanuts, milk, soybeans, eggs, fish, crustaceans, wheat or tree nuts. Kagome juices are gluten free.
Is Kagome gluten-free?
Yes. Our products do not contain glutens.
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Product StorageDoes Kagome use preservatives in its juice products?
No, Kagome does not use any preservatives.
How can it be stored if it has no preservatives? What is the shelf life?
Kagome juices are pasteurized to make them safe for shelf stable distribution. They are best tasting and freshest if used within 9 months after production. Additionally, for best quality and freshness, Kagome recommends that its products are refrigerated after opening.
Are Kagome juices pasteurized?
Yes, all bottled juices are pasteurized. We pasteurize our juices so that everyone can enjoy Kagome juices safely. In addition, our products are made with low, safe pH levels, which helps keep products safe during distribution to the consumer. Kagome products do not have to be refrigerated. Kagome does not use any artificial flavors, added sugars or preservatives to hinder its natural flavor.
Do Kagome Juices need to be refrigerated? If so, how long should they be refrigerated after opening?
For best quality and freshness, Kagome recommends that juices be refrigerated immediately after opening. They do not have to be refrigerated during shipping or when on the shelf before opening. We would recommend that the juices be consumed within 4 to 7 days after opening to maintain maximum quality.
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Product AvailabilityWhere can I purchase Kagome Juices?
Kagome Juices can be purchased at your local, natural health food stores and select supermarkets with a natural juice department. To find a store nearest to you, please click here.
Can I purchase Kagome online?
Yes, you can purchase Kagome juices on our website at Shop Kagome.
Why can’t I find Kagome Juices at the store that you list as selling it?
Not all stores carry Kagome Juices. Ask your Natural Foods manager to order it for you.
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Online ShoppingHow do I place an order online?
Ordering on our website is easy. Select the product, size and quantity and click "add to cart" and this item will be added to your shopping cart. After your order is placed, you will receive a confirmation email that your order has been received.
Do you ship Kagome juices internationally?
We ship anywhere in the continental U.S. Currently, we do not ship internationally.
Is my order taxable?
There is no sales tax on any of our Kagome juice products.
What are your billing options?
We accept Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover and JCB.
When will my credit card be billed?
When your order is shipped, your credit card will automatically get charged.
What shipping methods are available?
We use FedEx ground for all orders.
What are your shipping rates?
Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the weight and destination of your order. For a limited time, Kagome is offering $4.99 Shipping on any product that you buy online. Start Shopping today at Shop Kagome.
What is your return policy?
Please refer to our Return & Exchange Policy in our customer service section.
Will my transaction be secure?
We recognize that many visitors to our site are concerned about the information provided to us and how we treat this information. Please refer to our Privacy Policy to assure you that we take our responsibility to protect customer information seriously.
How long will it take to receive my order?
Your order will be processed and shipped within 2-3 business days (excludes weekends). Please allow 3-5 business days for delivery.
Who should I call if I encounter any technical issues with placing my order?
You may contact us via email at [email protected] or call us toll-free at 1-800-461-5236.
Can I use my Kagome coupon toward my online purchase?
At this time, we are not accepting any coupons on-line. If you wish to redeem your coupon, you may redeem it at any of our retail locations.
What happens if a product is out of stock?
If an item is out of stock, you will be notified when attempting to place your order that the product you are ordering is currently out of stock. Out of stock items generally arrive in our warehouse within 3 to 5 business days. If you provide us with your email address, we can notify you once the product is in stock. Otherwise, you can check back within 3 to 5 business days to see if the product is available.
If I wish to cancel my order, how do I do that?
If for some reason, you wish to cancel your order once you've received notification that your order has been received, please contact customer service at 1-800-461-5236 to request that your order be cancelled. If your order has not yet been processed, we will cancel your order. However, if your order has already been processed and is ready to ship, we can not process a cancellation. The customer service representative will be able to inform you about the status of your order.
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