FAQ about Agave Nectar

Does Blue Agave need to be refrigerated?
No. It can be stored at room temperature. Volcanic Nectar has a 2 year shelf life.

Are All Agave's Created Equal?
Not exactly. Even though you may see different kinds of labels in the market, all agave comes from three different sources. If you look closely at those sources (chemical analysis) you'll see there is quite a difference in the 3 different agave products. Below are the results posted by each company.

Sugar Analysis

Leading Brands of Agave

Volcanic Nectar
Blue Agave

Agave Source #2

Agave Source #3

Fructose
Glucose/Dextrose
Maltose (corn sugar)
Mannitol
Sucrose (table sugar)
Raffinose
Maltodextrose
Tetramaltose
Others not listed
Glycemic Index
Glycemic Load

47.6%
16.7%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
27
1.6

85%
16%
0.2%
1.5%
3.0%
0.2%
0.0%
0.0%
7.0%
39
--

67%
28%
1.45%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
1.22%
0.73%
0.0%
46
--

What is Blue Agave?

The Blue Agave Nectar is a desert succulent, not a cactus as some have been led to believe. It is a species that is native to Mexico. There are many kinds of agave through out Mexico; however the Blue Agave Nectar flourishes in volcanic soil. Although Tequila and Mezcal and its other variants are made all over Mexico and throughout the world, the mountainous state of Jalisco, Mexico is its birthplace. The primary reason for this is that soil in that region comes from the old volcanoes that make up the mountain range. If you ever get an opportunity to visit take special notice at the soil. It shimmers like glitter from all of the nutrients. The Blue Agaves are more hearty and plentiful here than anywhere else in the world. Click here to learn about the extraction process.

Is Blue Agave Raw?

If you just look at the labels, you can become easily confused. There are NO label laws in the U.S. to prevent companies from using the word RAW. Some companies claim they scoop out agave from the core of the Agave plant and place it into bottles for the Raw food market. That technique would work if you were extracting agave for use as Tequila because the agave would ferment. The blue agave purchased in bottles on shelves used for sweetening, baking or manufacturing is not extracted that way. Not only would the agave ferment it would be a daunting task filling millions of bottles by hand.

Volcanic Nectar has conducted internal testing to see when enzymes start to breakdown at certain temperatures and different time durations. We now have it down to an exact science. Because there are various definitions of RAW, we have chosen to let you decide for yourself. Our Volcanic Blue Agave Nectar agave is never heated above 118F.

Is Volcanic Nectar produced the same way as Corn Syrup?

No. There is NO starch found in Volcanic Nectar Blue Agave. We do not use chemical processes to extract our agave either. Read further down to learn more.

What is the difference between Blue Agave Nectar and Blue Agave Syrup?

Nothing. It's the same thing.

Why do we call our Blue Agave Syrup Volcanic Nectar?

Our Blue Agave grows in the Volcanic Soil of Mexico. We used to call it Blue Agave, but we couldn't trademark that name and others were benefiting from test results that only Volcanic Nectar had achieved.

Do the added sugars in other agaves really make a difference on my blood sugar?
Yes.

How can some Agave’s say they have a low Glycemic Index?
Technically... they can't. In order to make a statement on a label like that, the product must be tested by a U.S. FDA certified company able to conduct human In Vivo clinical studies, which is the only legal product claim substantiation accepted by the United States government, including the FDA & FTC. If you look at the other Glycemic Testing that has been done, it is from groups the FDA won’t recognize. They use extremely small doses, a scientific algorithm, test it with people who don't have diabetes in countries like Australia, Canada and Mexico . Click below to see the definitions of Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load.

Glycemic Index Defined

Glycemic Load Defined

It is an FDA violation and Federal offense to print incorrect information on a label, such as stating a product is "Low Glycemic" if it is not. It is an FTC violation to state a product is "Low Glycemic" on brochures, advertisements and product materials if it is not.

Additionally, the physical consequences of diabetics, hypoglycemics, and persons with insulin-related disorders consuming high glycemic products, believing them to be low glycemic, can be profound. Products that claim to be low glycemic, and in reality, are not low glycemic, open themselves to lawsuits for fraud, FDA violations, FTC violations, class action suits, and medical damages.

With clinical evidence of the glycemic properties of a product, manufacturers can provide customers, as well as government agencies, finite proof that their product has been proven to be low glycemic.

Research shows unnatural fructose in agave is not good for you. We Agree!

Since the negative writers of agave articles have never contacted us directly, we can’t refute any of their statements because they were understandably researching someone else’s product. In fact, we’ve been saying some of the same things for years! The only thing we truly disagree with is the painting of all agave with one big brush.

We can say with a certainty that we have never found starch in Volcanic Nectar Agave as is found in High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS). While we are not experts on all HFCS processing methods, we have never seen research on the health benefits nor a Low Glycemic rating on HFCS. Volcanic Nectar Agave has the lowest fructose content of any agave we’ve seen and has NEVER been close to the 70-97% fructose levels discussed in these articles.

We’ve conducted research on the various “colors” of agave in the market and believe they have different chemical compositions. A dark agave is not necessarily the result of accidentally burning the product or due to poor quality control in Mexico. Again, the research discussed was from another manufacturer and we don’t offer different colors, so we can’t say exactly what may be added to produce the variances.

As far as we know, Global Goods Inc. is the only agave company who has conducted Human In Vivo clinical research (http://www.globalgoods.com/glycemictestingagavenectar.html) on how agave interacts with the body, with an emphasis on those suffering from diabetes. It’s true that others have tried to make health claims based off of our Volcanic Nectar Agave research and whether they are true or not, we cannot say. We can only stand behind our product, our research with people suffering from Diabetes, and our testimonials (http://www.globalgoods.com/testimonials.html). In spite of Volcanic Nectar Agave’s Low Glycemic Index and the many testimonials referenced above, we encourage diabetics to consult competent medical advice in determining if Volcanic Nectar Agave would be a good sweetener for them.

In one such article they actually refer to Volcanic Nectar and we quote;

"Is There Really a "Safe" Organic Agave?

Part of the problem leading to the confusion is that there are some natural food companies that are indeed committed to excellence and in providing the best product possible. But let me assure you that in the agave industry, this is the minority of companies.

Nevertheless, these ethical companies seek to provide an outstanding product. There are a few companies who commit to and actually achieve these criteria and actually:

Work with the indigenous people,

Use organic agave as the raw material, free of pesticides

Process it at low temperatures to preserve all the natural enzymes

Produce a final agave product that is closer to 50% fructose instead of over 90%"

Does this mean you should drink Volcanic Nectar Blue Agave straight from the bottle at every meal? Heaven’s No! Volcanic Nectar Agave is still a sugar and needs to be consumed as such. We believe there should be moderation in all things. However, we feel that if we don’t overwhelm our bodies with unnatural or heavily processed foods, our bodies will be able to distribute and utilize the benefits of everything we eat.

Sincerely,

Brian Oaks
President
www.GlobalGoods.com

Click here to see the Chemical Analysis of our Volcanic Nectar Blue Agave.

Have more questions? Click here to let us know...

24oz net wt. Agave Nectar
(more agave than competitors)

$6.50

3 Pack Agave Nectar
(24 oz each)

$17.49

1 Gallon Bottle Agave Nectar

Free Shipping

$49.95

5 Gallon Blue Agave Nectar

Free Shipping

$179.95


12 (24oz) Bottles Agave Nectar Free Shipping $69.95	24 (24oz) Bottles Agave Nectar Free Shipping $119.95	4 Gallons Agave Nectar Free Shipping $159.95	900 Squeezable Agave Packets Free Shipping $179.95