Minute Maid History:
Here’s a Good Story
Produced by the Coca-Cola Company - the world's leading marketer of premium fruit juices and drinks - there are now more than 100 different flavors and varieties of Minute Maid®readily available just about anywhere you find people with a thirst for good living. Here's the story of how we got there...
See Our History Since 1945 Get PDF Version
2013 - Minute Maid® launches four new light juice drinks, created to offer the great-tasting juice flavor people expect from Minute Maid, but with fewer calories.
2012 - Minute Maid Light Lemonade and Minute Maid Light Pink Lemonade, each with only 15 calories per 8 fl. oz. serving, make their debut in a new, clear 59 fl. oz recyclable PET bottle that allows people to see the goodness inside.
2011 - Minute Maid® introduces Pure Squeezed - a new line of three delicious never from concentrate 100% orange juices and a light orange juice beverage.
2010 - Minute Maid Orange Juice gets a makeover with the launch of its new large size and easy to use clear packaging.
2010 - Minute Maid Enhanced launches a new line of single serve products in three delicious flavors, so fruit juice boosts can be had on-the-go.
2007 - Minute Maid® launches a line of unique juices and juice drinks under the name Minute Maid Enhanced.
2002 - The Houston Astros and Minute Maid® partner up, and the Astros' ballpark officially becomes Minute Maid Park.
1987 - Coca-Cola Foods creates the first ever calcium-fortified 100% orange juice with the introduction of Minute Maid Orange Juice with Calcium, making it easy for OJ drinkers to get good stuff for their bones while they enjoy some orange goodness.
1980 - Coca-Cola Foods expands Minute Maid® beyond orange juice, adding lemonade and fruit punch to its repertoire.
1973 - Coca-Cola introduces ready-to-drink orange juice, expanding Minute Maid® from the freezer case to the chilled juice aisle and making the enjoyment of great orange juice as easy as opening a carton.
1964 - Duncan Foods, a Houston-based coffee business, merges with The Coca-Cola Company Foods Division, which includes Minute Maid®.
1960 - The Minute Maid Corporation is acquired by The Coca-Cola Company, marking its first venture outside of soft drinks.
1949 - Vacuum Foods renames itself the Minute Maid Corporation, adopting the name of its highly popular orange juice product. The name Minute Maid® was originally created by Boston Marketing firm back in 1946, implying the convenience and ease of preparation of this delicious orange juice.
1948 - Vacuum Foods (which eventually becomes the Minute Maid Corporation) launches a national radio campaign featuring Bing Crosby, kicking off a 30-year promotional relationship between Vacuum Foods and Crosby.
1946 - Florida Foods, renamed Vacuum Foods Corporation, ships the first frozen concentrated orange juice product in the U.S., which is named Minute Maid®. Consumers can now get great tasting orange juice any time of the year, creating a whole new retail beverage category!
1945 - The U.S. Army orders 500,000 pounds of powdered orange juice. Florida Foods Corporation wins the contract, but the war ends before the product ships.
