A TikTok creator is raising eyebrows after alleging that Joe & the Juice misleads customers about a key ingredient in its drinks.
Hunter Stoler (@healthwithhunter), who describes himself as a wellness advocate, shared his discovery in a video that has now been viewed over 456,500 times.
Stoler starts by addressing fans of the chain.
“If you get juices from Joe and the Juice, you need to hear this because I’m 99.9% sure you don’t know this, and you need to know it,” he begins.
He explained that while waiting for a meeting at the cafe, curiosity got the best of him.
“I was sitting there with my cold brew, waiting for someone, and I’m like, ‘By the way, could you just show me the olive oil that you use?’” he says.
That’s when things took a surprising turn. According to Stoler, a staff member went to the back and returned with a tin labeled as 95 percent canola oil and only 5 percent olive oil. Yet, Stoler claims the app and employees explicitly refer to it as olive oil.
“Do you guys want to know what they use?” he asks viewers. “95 percent canola oil, 5 percent olive oil in every juice at Joe and the Juice.”
A hidden ingredient?
Stoler says the oil is added to juices as an emulsifier, making them creamier and easier to mix. But he questions its inclusion, especially in a drink marketed as healthy.
“I asked the person working there. She said because it’s healthy and it also is an emulsifier,” he says. “It makes it flow better and it also makes it creamier and thicker, which, if you’re having a juice, juices do not need to be thick like a smoothie.”
For those looking to avoid this ingredient, Stoler mentions there’s an option to remove it—if you order through the app and specifically request no oil.
“The only time they don’t do it is if you’re on the app ordering and you choose no oil, which is crazy to think about,” he says.
Can Stoler’s claims be confirmed?
While the Daily Dot couldn’t confirm the specific brand or type of olive oil Joe & the Juice uses, Stoler’s claim that the ingredient is present in all of its signature juices appears to hold up.
Looking at the Allergens and Nutrition section on its website, a juice like the Green Tonic—which lists kale, celery, cucumber, olive oil, and ice—also includes a warning for potential allergens such as gluten, milk, eggs, soybeans, tree nuts, and sesame. These warnings would theoretically cover canola oil if it is indeed an ingredient.
The Daily Dot reached out to Joe & the Juice for more information.
However, the claim that canola oil is unhealthy appears to be misleading. As stated by Dr. Guy Grosby for Harvard-published The Nutrition Source, “Although care must be taken in handling and processing of canola oil and other vegetable oils, canola oil is a safe and healthy form of fat that will reduce blood LDL cholesterol levels and heart disease risk compared to carbohydrates or saturated fats such as found in beef tallow or butter.”
@healthwithhunter I have never been a juice person, but if you are someone who goes to Joe & The Juice and gets one of these, make sure you’re ordering it without any oil. It’s so disappointing that they don’t disclose this and that they hide a 95% canola oil blend as olive oil…
♬ original sound – HEALTH WITH HUNTER
Viewers react
In the comments section, viewers were appalled at the allegation. Others working at Joe & the Juice locations abroad had a different experience.
“Absolutely not no need for oil in any juice,” said one viewer.
“Canola oil is a crime,” wrote another.
“I work at J&TJ in the UK and we use 100% olive oil, I have just doubled checked to make sure too,” shared a third.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Stoler via email and Instagram direct message. It also contacted Joe & the Juice via its website contact form.
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