Minute Maid will stop selling its frozen juice concentrates in the United States and Canada, The Coca-Cola Co. announced, marking the end of a product line that has been a staple of American kitchens for decades.
In a statement, Coca-Cola said the decision reflects changing consumer preferences, as shoppers increasingly favor fresh and ready-to-drink juice options.
“We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in response to shifting consumer preferences,” the company said Wednesday.
The frozen concentrates, which include orange, lemon and lime varieties, will be phased out beginning in April, with products remaining on shelves only while supplies last.
The move ends more than 80 years of frozen juice distribution, a format that helped cement orange juice as a breakfast staple in the United States. For generations, consumers relied on the familiar ritual of sliding a frozen cylinder from a can into a pitcher, adding water and serving it as a convenient alternative to freshly squeezed juice.
The origins of Minute Maid date back to 1946, when Vacuum Foods Corp. became the first U.S. company to ship frozen orange juice nationwide. The product was branded Minute Maid, and the company later adopted the name before being acquired by Coca-Cola in 1960.
Minute Maid expanded its lineup in 1973 with the introduction of ready-to-drink orange juice, allowing consumers to pour and drink directly from the container.
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In recent years, however, orange juice has faced growing competition from a crowded beverage market that includes energy drinks, protein shakes and other alternatives, contributing to shifting demand.
With reporting from The Associated Press.
