A nostalgic juice option that has been in stores since 1946 is going the way of the dodo.
The Coca-Cola Company announced last month that it is discontinuing Minute Maid frozen juice concentrates in the U.S. and Canada and shifting further focus to fresh juices preferred by modern customers.
“We are discontinuing our frozen products and exiting the frozen can category in response to shifting consumer preferences,” Coca-Cola Co., which acquired Minute Maid in 1960, said in a statement.
The frozen juices, including orange juice, lemonade and limeade, will be discontinued by April, with inventory available while supplies last, Coca-Cola said.
A fixture in kitchens for decades because of their simplicity, the frozen juice was simply dropped into a pitcher and mixed with water to create juice without the effort of squeezing.
Minute Maid introduced ready-to-drink orange juice in the 1970s and 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, according to the Associated Press. Skyrocketing prices due to poor weather conditions in Brazil and Florida have also worked against consumers.
U.S. sales of frozen beverages fell nearly 8% in the 52 weeks ending Jan. 24, according to the market research firm NielsenIQ.
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