We’re always pleased here at Jersey Bites when we catch wind of new Jersey-based food products. It does our Jersey hearts good to see local businesses grow and prosper.
We recently got an offer to sample a new product called “Heart Juice,” so we decided to give it a try. Heart Juice is the brainchild (or heart throb?) of Ray Li (a Rutgers alum) and John Vitug, (a Kean University alum). It is formulated with Hawthorn berries and Reversatol from red grapes, and is fortified with vitamins and antioxidants as well as other heart healthy ingredients.
The two founders decided to create Heart Juice as a weapon in the fight against heart disease. Got to love that! They recently came in second in a Rutgers University business competition, and rolled the first bottles of Heart Juice off of the production lines in August of 2011. Their story of how they moved 22 pallets of Heart Juice to their warehouse one pallet at a time is very engaging: http://www.heartjuice.com/our-news
I tried the sample that Ray and John sent me and was impressed. The Pulse Berry flavor was sweet, but not too sweet, and quenched my thirst beautifully. There is no high fructose corn syrup, either. Another bonus-each bottle only has twenty calories and they use glass bottles, which is an environmentally friendly touch. On their website they have some great smoothie recipes that really bump up the heart healthy benefits by adding fresh fruits. http://www.heartjuice.com/recipes.
Heart Juice came to be after Ray and John saw Ray’s college professor and several loved ones suffer from the impact of high cholesterol and heart disease. It’s great to see young people making a difference, and I hope that Ray and John achieve success with their new and worthwhile venture. Heart Juice can be found at the locations listed here: http://www.heartjuice.com/stores
Beth Christian, Burlington County Regional Editor subsisted primarily on cheeseburgers and liverwurst sandwiches during childhood and refused to try most new foods. Her culinary horizons were expanded during her college days in Schenectady, New York, where she learned the joys of trying slow-simmered Italian dishes, Szechuan cuisine, and everything in between. When not engaged in the practice of law in Monmouth County, Beth is busy scouting out interesting restaurants, farmer’s markets and food purveyors near her home in Burlington County. Beth’s primary dining sidekick is her husband John, but she also enjoys having her daughter Meghan, son Michael and her wonderful friends come along for the ride. Email Beth at BChristian@JerseyBites.com
