Minute Maid played a big role in making orange juice a breakfast staple when it started selling frozen juice in 1946. But now, 80 years later, its parent company, Coca-Cola, is stopping sales of frozen juice concentrates in the U.S. and Canada. They say they want to focus on fresh juices that people prefer today.
Coca-Cola’s announcement states, “We are discontinuing our frozen products in response to shifting consumer preferences.” By April, Minute Maid’s frozen juices—like various orange juices, lemonade, and limeade—will no longer be available, though existing stock will be sold until it runs out.
For many years, people enjoyed the simple process of preparing orange juice by adding water to a frozen cylinder that plopped into a pitcher. The concept of frozen juice started in the U.S. with Vacuum Foods Corp., which later rebranded as Minute Maid. Interestingly, rival Tropicana, which still offers frozen juice, began its journey just a year later in 1947.
In 1960, Coca-Cola acquired Minute Maid. Not long after, in 1973, they introduced ready-to-drink orange juice, letting customers skip the mixing step entirely. By 1980, they had expanded their lineup to include lemonade and fruit punch.
Today, the market for orange juice faces big challenges. The popularity of energy drinks and protein smoothies has surged, making competition fierce. Weather-related issues in major orange-growing regions like Brazil and Florida have also caused prices to rise sharply. For example, a 12-ounce can of frozen orange juice hit an average price of $4.82 in December 2022, a 13% increase from the previous year, according to U.S. government data. People are also more conscious about sugar in juices. To adapt, Minute Maid launched Zero Sugar versions of its fresh juices in 2020, but its frozen juices lagged behind.
Recent data from NielsenIQ shows that U.S. sales of frozen beverages, including orange juice, fell nearly 8% in the year ending January 24. Consumers’ changing tastes and concerns about health seem to be steering them away from traditional frozen juice products, marking a significant shift in the beverage landscape.
As we see brands evolve, it’s clear that tastes and trends dictate what remains on the shelves. If you want to read more about this change in consumer behavior and market dynamics, check out this report from NielsenIQ.
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