The Minute Maid Company

Industry	Beverage
Founded	1945; 80 years ago (1945) (as Florida Foods, Inc.)
Headquarters	Sugar Land Town Square First Colony, Sugar Land, Texas, U.S.[1]
Key people	J. Alexander M. Douglas Jr. (President of North America Group of Coca-Cola)
Products	Fruit juices, soft drinks
Number of employees	1,900[2]
Parent	The Coca-Cola Company
Subsidiaries	Simply Beverages
Website	minutemaid.com

Minute Maid is an American brand of beverages, usually associated with lemonade or orange juice, but which now extends to soft drinks of different kinds, including Hi-C. Minute Maid is sold under the Cappy brand in Central Europe and under the brand "Моя Семья" (Moya sem'ya, "My Family") in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Minute Maid was the first company to market frozen orange juice concentrate,^[3] allowing it to be distributed throughout the United States and served year-round. The Minute Maid Company is owned by The Coca-Cola Company, the world's largest marketer of fruit juices and drinks. The firm opened its headquarters in Sugar Land Town Square in Sugar Land, Texas, United States, on February 16, 2009; previously it was headquartered in the 2000 St. James Place building in Houston.^[1]

The company was originally incorporated in 1945 as Florida Foods, Inc, then later became Vacuum Foods Corporation.^[3] It employs over 1,900 people and has over $2 billion in sales (1997 est.).^[4]

In 1945, the National Research Corporation (NRC) of Boston, Massachusetts, developed a method of dehydrating medical products for use in the U.S. war effort. The US Army wanted to extend this process to nutritious food, so NRC created a new subsidiary, the Florida Foods Corporation. Led by John M. Fox,^[5] Florida Foods Corporation won a government contract worth $750,000 for 500,000 lb (227,000 kg) of powdered orange juice for the war.^[4] The war ended and the contract was canceled before the factory could be built, but with investment, the company moved forward with a product.^[4]

Rather than selling powder to the public market, the company decided to create frozen orange juice concentrate, using a process that eliminated 80 percent of the water in orange juice. A Boston marketing firm H. A. Loudon Advertising came up with the name Minute Maid, implying the juice was quick and easy to prepare.^[4]

The first shipment took place in April 1946. The same month, the company was renamed Vacuum Foods Corporation.^[3] With limited funds for advertising, Fox himself went door to door giving free samples, until demand skyrocketed.^[4] In October 1948, TIME magazine announced that entertainer Bing Crosby was to employ a 5-day a week radio show to promote Minute Maid. The magazine article gave further details:

"Minute Maid (retail price: 29¢ a pint and a half) got into the field first in 1945, at a new $2,300,000 plant in Plymouth, Fla. With little cash to advertise, it lost $450,262 the first two years. Last year it finally turned the corner. Says Vacuum’s President John M. Fox: “Why, this orange juice thing is the wonder of the grocery world. Ask anybody.” Anybody in the frozen food industry agreed—and Birds Eye, Snow Crop and others began to put out their own concentrate. Nevertheless, Vacuum’s sales increased so much that President Fox announced last week that the net profit for its last fiscal year was $179,865. Demand is so great, said Fox, that Vacuum has had to allocate shipments and is thinking of setting up a California plant. The shortage temporarily takes some of the bloom off the Crosby deal. But Vacuum hopes to step up output enough to fill the new orders Crosby will bring in. And in the scramble for the new market, Vacuum figures that Crosby is just the Pied Piper needed to lure customers away from the old brand names."^[6]

The Crosby radio show ran until October 1950 and the ability to purchase fresh-tasting orange juice at any time of year, far from where oranges are grown, proved popular, and led to the company's national success.^[4]

In October 1949, the company adopted the name Minute Maid Corp.^[4] In late 1954, Minute Maid purchased rival Snow Crop.^[7]

The Minute Maid company was purchased by Coca-Cola in 1960.^[4]

In 1967, Minute Maid relocated to Houston, Texas, and joined with Duncan Foods to form the Coca-Cola Foods division. ^[8]

In 1970, the company was involved in a scandal in the United States about bad housing, often referred to as "slave quarters", and working conditions of Minute Maid farm laborers in Florida. The United Farm Workers stepped in to support the workers. NBC reported on the issue in a 1970 documentary called Chet Huntley's Migrant: An NBC White Paper.^[9] In response to the bad press and a boycott in Florida, the company established a program that improved the workers' situation.^{[citation needed]}

In 1973, the company released its first ready-to-drink, chilled orange juice product in the United States, entering an "orange juice war" with Tropicana.^[4]

In 1996, the company's name was changed from Minute Maid Corp. to The Minute Maid Company.^[4]

The Coca-Cola Company sold its Minute Maid orange groves in Florida in 1997. The United Farm Workers again took the side of the orange growers during this time.^[10]

In 2001, the Minute Maid division of Coca-Cola launched the Simply Orange brand, which "uses a computer-modeled blending of citrus sources with the intent for the consumer to enjoy a uniform taste year-round".^[5]

In 2002, Minute Maid bought the naming rights to re-brand the Houston Astros ballpark from Enron Field to Minute Maid Park.^[8]

In 2003, Minute Maid's division fully merged with Coca-Cola North America.^[8]

In Australia, Minute Maid is marketed as Keri Juice Co.^[11]

• Keri Apple
• Keri Orange
• Keri Apple Fruity Drink
• Keri Apple & Blackcurrant Fruity Drink

• Minute Maid is marketed under the brand Cepita del Valle.
  • Apple, Homemade Apple, Homemade Orange, Multifruta, Nutridefensas Apple, Nutridefensas Orange, Orange, Peach, Pineapple
• Aquarius
  • Apple, Grape, Grapefruit, Lemonade, Multifruta, Orange, Pear, Pink Grapefruit
• Slightly Sparkling Aquarius
  • Zero Calories Citrus, Zero Calories Lemonade, Zero Calories Pear
• Aquarius Zero
  • Apple, Grapefruit, Lemonade, Orange

• Minute Maid Mais - Del Valle^[12]
  • Apple, Cashew, Cashew Mango, Grape, Guava, Mango, Orange, Passion fruit, Peach, Homemade Orange

• Minute Maid 100% Juice
  • Pure Squeezed Orange Juice, Pulp Free Pure Squeezed Orange Juice, Home Squeezed Style Orange Juice, Original Orange Juice, Pulp Free Orange Juice, Low Acid Orange Juice, Apple Juice, Apple Grape, Grapefruit Juice, Fruit Blend, Tropical Orange, and Mixed Berry
• Simply Orange Juice
• Fortified Juices
  • Original Orange Juice with Calcium and Vitamin D, Orange Tangerine with Calcium and Vitamin D
• Juice Drinks
  • Fruit Punch, Berry Punch, Cranberry Punch, Grape Punch, Mango Punch, Orange Guava Punch, Peach Punch, Raspberry Punch, Orange Punch, Cranberry Cocktail, Pink Grapefruit Cocktail
• Lemonades
  • Lemonade, Pink Lemonade
• Tim Horton's Bottled Coffee
  • Regular, Double Double, IcedCapp Moca

• Del Valle

In Costa Rica Minute Maid sells Hi-C products.

• Minute Maid is marketed under the brand Andina Del Valle^[13]

Marketed under the name 美汁源(MěiZhīYuán) with the following variants:

• Minute Maid Pulpy (Orange) - first billion dollar Coca-Cola brand to emerge from China^[14]
• Minute Maid Aloe & White Grape Juice
• Minute Maid Red Grape Juice
• Minute Maid Vit.C Lemon
• Minute Maid Grapefruit
• Minute Maid Exotic Fruits
• Minute Maid Peach
• Minute Maid Super Milky

• Minute Maid 100% fruit Juice^[15]
  • 100% Orange Juice - Orange Juice drink with 100% orange juice
  • 100% Apple Juice - Apple Juice drink with 100% apple juice (Granny Smith)
  • Red Sensation - 100% juice drink made with apple, raspberry, and blackcurrant juices
• Minute Maid InCase Juice Drinks
  • Banana-Pineapple - enhanced with vitamins and calcium
  • Banana-Cherry -Blackcurrant - enhanced with vitamins and calcium
• Minute Maid Nectar Juice Drink
  • Tropical - juice drink made from orange, apricot, guava, mango, passion fruit and sugar
• Minute Maid In The Cafe
  • Orange
  • Strawberry
  • Apple
  • Tomato
  • Raisin
  • Peach

• In the Dominican Republic Minute Maid came to market in December 2007 with orange flavor, and in May 2008 launched the flavors of raspberry, apple and strawberry, in summer 2009 and launched the flavors of pear and carrot.

• Minute Maid Pulpy orange juice
• Minute Maid grapefruit juice
• Minute Maid lemonade juice
• Minute Maid aloe vera juice
• Minute Maid apple juice

• Minute Maid is sold under the brand name Tropi by company Vífilfell.

• Minute Maid Pulpy Orange Drink - Orange Juice drink made from concentrate.
• Minute Maid Nimbu Drink - Lemon juice drink
• Minute Maid Apple - Apple juice
• Minute Maid Mixed Fruit - A mixed fruit juice
• Minute Maid Mango - Mango Juice Drink
• Minute maid Mosambi (Minute Maid Sweet Lime) - pulpy citrus limon juice
• Minute Maid 100% - Grape, Apple, Orange^[16]
• Minute Maid Lychee drink
• Minute Maid Tender coconut drink 100% natural and refreshing drink
• Minute Maid Gritty guava

• Minute Maid Pulpy - Juice drink made from concentrate with some orange pulp.
  • Orange, O'Mango (Orange and Mango), Tropical (Apple, Mango, Pineapple, Guava, Passion fruit)
• Minute Maid Pulpy Apple Crush - Apple Juice drink made from concentrate with some apple bits.
• Minute Maid Pulpy Aloe Vera with White Grape - White Grape juice drink made from concentrate with some aloe leaf meat.
• Minute Maid Pulpy Fruit Bite
  • Orange, Pineapple, Mango
• Minute Maid Refresh - Orange juice drink.
• Minute Maid Nutriforce
• Minute Maid Nutriboost

• Minute Maid Fruit Plus - Juice drink.^[12]
  • Apple Guava, Lemon Lime, Orange Peach
• Minute Maid Qoo
  • Orange, Apple, Yoghurt
• Minute Maid Craftz Mint Lemonade
• Minute Maid Smoothie
  • Mango Carrot Mix (Banana, Mango, Apple, Lemon, Carrot) with some apple pulp
  • Acai Banana Mix (Apple, Banana, Grape, Lemon, Peach) with some apple and acai pulp
• Minute Maid Otona no Zeitaku Ringo - 100% apple juice with carbonate and flavor.
• Minute Maid Morning Fruit
  • Cassis and Grape
  • Pink Grapefruit Blend (Grapefruit, Apple, Grape)
  • Orange Blend (Orange, Grape, Apple, Mandarin Orange, Lemon)
  • Healthy Formula Acai Mix (Grape, Cassis, Blueberry, Acai extract)
  • Healthy Formula Pomegranate Mix (Apple, Pomegranate, Grapefruit, Cranberry)
• Minute Maid Orange 100%
• Minute Maid Pink Grapefruit 100%
• Minute Maid Peach Blend 100% (Peach, Apple, Grape)
• Minute Maid Red & Green Apple 100%
• Minute Maid Grape 100%
• Minute Maid Fruit & Vegetable (Orange, Grape, Apple, Lemon, Pineapple, Carrot, Celery, Parsley, Pumpkin)
• Minute Maid Morning Jelly - Jelly drink.
  • Minute Maid Morning Banana
  • Minute Maid Morning Mango
  • Minute Maid Morning Apple
• Minute Maid Aloe & White Grape - White Grape juice drink with some aloe leaf meat.
• Minute Maid Hachimitsu Yuzu (Honey and Yuzu) - Shikoku Yuzu juice drink with honey.

• Minute Maid is marketed under the brand "Piko".

juice/nectar: apple, apricot, peach

• Minute Maid - Mango Orange.
  • Contains a mixture of Mango and Orange
• minute maid pulpy orange 100%

Minute Maid - Tropical Contains a mixture of tropical fruits

Now available in Boost (Value added with milk and Vitamins) and Nutri Defensus,

• Minute Maid - Pulpy
  • Contains pure orange juice and orange pulpy

• Del valle Forte - Fruit Juices and Nectars.
  • Apple, Orange, Grape, Peach, Pineapple, Mango, Tomato, 100% Orange Juice, 100% Apple Juice, Fibramix (Apple, Pineapple and Pear mix) and Fruits (Strawberry, Banana, Guava, Pineapple, Mango and Orange mix)
• Minute Maid Revita - Fruit Drink.
  • Limoné (Lemon), Marandú (Apple, Orange and Peach) and Melondía (Watermelon and Cantaloupe)
• Minute Maid Nutri+ - Fruit Juice.^[12]
  • Apple, Orange, Grape, Peach

• Minute Maid 100% fruit Juice
  • 100% Orange Juice - Orange Juice drink with 100% orange juice
  • 100% Apple Juice - Apple Juice drink with 100% apple juice
  • 100% Tomato Juice - Tomato Juice
  • 100% Mulityfruits - Multifruits

In New Zealand, Minute Maid is marketed as Keri Juice Co.^[17]

• Keri Apple
• Keri Kitchen Pineapple
• Keri Pulpy Pineapple
• Keri Pulpy Orange
• Keri Cranberry
• Keri 50% less sugar

Minute Maid entered the Pakistani market in 2008. Here they have used the same advertising concept as they have used in India i.e. "where is the pulp?".

• Minute Maid Pulpy Orange
• Minute Maid Pulpy Tropical
• Minute Maid Pulpy Nimbu/Lemon (Launched in 2012 and discontinued the same year)

• Minute Maid is sold under the brand name Frugos del Valle.^[18]
• Frugos Néctar de Naranja (Orange Nectar)
• Frugos Néctar de Manzana (Apple Nectar)
• Frugos Néctar de Durazno (Peach Nectar)

• Minute Maid Fresh, ready-to-drink juice
• Minute Maid Pulpy Orange, with real pulp bits
• Minute Maid Pulpy Mango-Orange, with real pulp bits
• Minute Maid Pulpy Four Seasons, with real pulp bits
• Minute Maid Eight O'Clock, powdered juice drink

• Frugos

Marketed under the brand Cappy and has the following assortments:

• Cappy Orange
• Cappy Peach
• Cappy Sicilian Red Orange
• Cappy Pear
• Cappy Sour Cherry

Minute Maid is marketed under the brand "Моя семья" (eng. "My family"). Also Minute Maid Pulpy Orange is selling under the brand "Добрый" (eng. "Kind")

• Minute Maid AntiOx - Combination of fruit juices with antioxidizing properties.^[19]
  • Orange, Raspberry and Haw, Pineapple, Blackcurrant and Plum
• Minute Maid Clásicos - Unsweetened fruit juices.^[19]
  • Orange, Peach and grape, Pineapple and grape, Multifruit
• Minute Maid Duofrutas - Mix of fruit juice, skimmed milk and vitamins.^[12]
  • Mediterranean, Tropical
• Minute Maid Limón&Nada - Lemonade drink available in Spain.^[20]
  • Classic, Mint.
• Minute Maid Selección - Fruit juices and nectars.^[19]
  • Orange, Tomato, Apple, Pineapple, Peach, Grape
• Minute Maid Premium - 100% fruit juices.^[19]
  • Orange, Pineapple, Orange with Calcium
• Minute Maid SojaPlus - Drink with fruit juice and soy.^[19]
  • Latin fruits

• Minute Maid Premium Orange Juice and Premium Blends (Frozen & Refrigerated) - Fruit drinks^[12]
  • Original, Original + Calcium, Country Style, Extra Vitamin C and E plus Zinc, Kids+, Home Squeezed Style, Home Squeezed Style + Calcium, Pulp-Free, Low Acid, Light, Orange Tangerine + Calcium, Orange Passion + Calcium
• Minute Maid Blends
  • Orange Cranberry, Orange Passion, Orange Strawberry Banana, Orange Tangerine
• Minute Maid Premium Lemonades - Juice drinks.^[12]
  • Country Style Lemonade, Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, Limeade, Cherry Limeade, Lemonade Iced Tea, Raspberry Lemonade, Soft Frozen Lemonade, Orangeade
• Minute Maid Premium Punches - Juice drinks.^[12]
  • Fruit Punch, Berry Punch, Tropical Punch, Citrus Punch, Grape Punch, Mango Punch, Peach Punch.
• Minute Maid Active - Orange juice drink enriched with Glucosamine HCI.^[12]
• Minute Maid Coolers - Fruit beverages.^[12]
• Minute Maid Pomegranate Blueberry Flavored Blend of 5 Juices - This product was the target of a 2014 false advertising lawsuit. POM Wonderful, a company selling 100% pomegranate juice sued the Coca-Cola company because the Minute Maid product contains only .3% pomegranate juice and 99.4% apple juice.^[21][22]
• Minute Maid Heart Wise - Orange juice drink naturally sourced with plant sterols.^[12]
• Minute Maid Juice Box - 100% juice drink.^[12]
  • Apple Juice, Fruit Punch, Grape, Orange Tropical, Orange, Mixed Berry, Lemonade
• Minute Maid Juice To Go - Juice drink marketed in plastic bottles to drink on the go.^[12]
  • Apple, Apple Cranberry, Apple Cranberry Raspberry, Apple Grape, Berry, Citrus Blend, Cranberry, Cranberry Grape, Cranberry Lemon, Fruit Punch, Grape, Graprefruit, Lemon Raspberry, Orange, Pineapple Orange Juice, Raspberry Strawberry
• Minute Maid Just 10 - Fruit punch flavored juice drink.^[12]
• Minute Maid Enhanced - Mango Tropical, Strawberry Kiwi, Pomegranate Berry 12-oz PET, all enhanced with yerba mate for a natural energy lift; 27% juice blend^[12]
• Minute Maid Lemonades and Fruit Drinks - Fruit drink.^[12]
  • Lemonade, Pink Lemonade, Raspberry Lemonade, Limeade, Fruit Punch, Strawberry Passion, Tropical Citrus, Berry Kiwi
• Minute Maid Light - Low calorie fruit drinks.^[12]
  • Lemonade, Raspberry Passion, Mango Tropical, Guava Citrus, Cherry Limeade
• Minute Maid Multi-Vitamin - Orange juice enriched with vitamins.^[12]
• Minute Maid Premium Juices & Cocktails
  • Apple Juice, Grape Juice Cocktail, Ruby Red Grapefruit Blend, Cranberry Apple Cocktail
• Disney Hundred Acre Wood 100% Juice Beverages
  • Apple Strawberry, Apple Grape, Apple Raspberry Peach, Apple Cherry Banana
• Minute Maid Soft Drinks
  • Orange, Diet Orange, Lemon Lime, Diet Lemon Lime, Grape, Fruit Punch, Strawberry, Pineapple, Black Cherry
• Simply Orange - premium not-from-concentrate fruit juices
  • Simply Orange: Grove Made (high-pulp), Country Stand (medium-pulp), Original (pulp-free), Calcium (pulp-free with 32% Dietary Reference Intake of calcium), With Mango, With Pineapple
  • Simply Lemonade, Simply Lemonade With Raspberry
  • Simply Limeade
  • Simply Grapefruit
  • Simply Apple
• Minute Maid Aguas Frescas - a flavored non-carbonated juice beverage inspired by Latin American drinks.
  • Strawberry, hibiscus, mango, pineapple horchata.

• Minute Maid Pulpy orange juice
• Minute Maid grapefruit juice
• Minute Maid lemonade juice
• Minute Maid grape aloe vera juice
• Minute Maid apple aloe vera juice
• Minute Maid Pulpy Tropical Fruit Juice

• Caribbean Bottlers Ltd

• Sonfil: Orange Juice

• Minute Maid Teppy Orange Drink - Orange Juice drink made from concentrate.

• Minute Maid Punch Honey pear
• Minute Maid Punch Apple
• Minute Maid Grape
• Minute Maid Orange
• Minute Maid Pulpy Orange
• Minute Maid Pineapple
• Minute Maid Punch Peach
• Minute Maid Guava
• Minute Maid Tropical
• Minute Maid Mango

• Bibo
• Hi-C
• Bacardi Mixers
• Odwalla Beverages
• Qoo
• Five Alive Citrus Beverages
• Bright & Early Breakfast Beverages
• Minute Maid Frozen Fruit Bars
• Minute Maid Deli^[23]
• Minute Maid Fresh^[23]
• Minute Maid Soft Drink,^[23] largely replaced by Coca-Cola's Fanta line.^[24]
• Minute Maid Splash^[23]

In September 2024, Coca-Cola issued a recall on an estimated 13,152 cases of mislabeled Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade for containing sugar.^[25]

Minute Maid original offices were located in New York. John M Fox, president of the company announced on October 20, 1957, that Minute Maid Headquarters would be moved to a new building located on the corner of US 441 and Hwy Route 50 in Orlando, Florida.

Minute Maid has its headquarters in an office building in the Sugar Land Town Square development in First Colony,^[26] Sugar Land, Texas.

In 1985, The Coca-Cola Company purchased the 2000 St. James Place in Houston from Bechtel Corporation for Minute Maid. Minute Maid moved into the new office building the following year.^[8]

In 2007, Coca-Cola retained New York-based Corporate Realty Consultants and Boyd Commercial LLC of Houston to sell 2000 St. James Place. The company negotiated with Planned Community Developers to lease an office building in Sugar Land Town Square.^[8] Then, in January 2008, Minute Maid announced plans to move its headquarters to Sugar Land.^[27] The headquarters building is located at Sugar Land's town center and opened on February 16, 2009. The city of Sugar Land gave the company a $2.4 million tax incentive to move its headquarters there.^[28]

On March 6, 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Coca-Cola announced it was closing Minute Maid's office in Sugar Land and would join the operations with the company's base in Atlanta, Georgia.^[29]

• Cappy
• Economy of Houston
• List of lemonade topics

• Media related to Minute Maid at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website