|
“We
are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can
category in response to shifting consumer preferences,” The
Coca-Cola Co., which owns Minute Maid, said Wednesday in a
statement.
Minute Maid’s frozen juices – including several varieties of
orange juice, lemonade and limeade – will be discontinued by
April, with inventory available while supplies last, Coca-Cola
said.
For generations, Americans who wanted orange juice without the
work of squeezing fresh fruit cracked open a can and watched a
cylinder of frozen juice go ker-plunk into a pitcher. The
concentrated juice was mixed with water to make it ready for
drinking.
In 1946, Vacuum Foods Corp. became the first U.S. company to
ship frozen orange juice across the country, according to
Coca-Cola. It named the product Minute Maid; Vacuum Foods
eventually changed its name to Minute Maid as well. Rival
Tropicana, which still sells frozen canned juice, was founded in
1947.
Coca-Cola acquired Minute Maid in 1960, and 13 years later,
Minute Maid introduced ready-to-drink orange juice, which was
sold in the refrigerated case instead of the freezer and let
consumers skip the step of mixing it up. Minute Maid added
lemonade and fruit punch to its lineup in 1980.
In recent years, orange juice has struggled as other options,
like energy drinks and protein smoothies, have flooded the
market. Skyrocketing prices due to poor weather conditions in
Brazil and Florida haven’t helped; a 12-ounce can of frozen
orange juice cost an average of $4.82 in December, up 13% from
the prior year, according to U.S. government data.
Consumers also increasingly questioned the added sugar in
juices. Minute Maid launched Zero Sugar versions of its fresh
juices in 2020. But its frozen juices have languished along with
the broader frozen juice category.
U.S. sales of frozen beverages fell nearly 8% in the 52 weeks
ending Jan. 24, according to the market research firm NielsenIQ.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
|
|
