a day ago
Soon Your Orange Juice Will Have Even Less Real Orange In It
Bottled orange juice, a staple of all-American breakfast tables, has never been as natural as it seems. Orange juice was beloved in Florida and California at the turn of the 20th century, but it didn't travel well. In the 1930s, citrus farmers tried to freeze and can the juice to transport it further afield, but the process yielded a nearly undrinkable product. When the US government was searching for solutions to get more Vitamin C to soldiers during World War II, scientists discovered that removing water enabled OJ to be frozen and safely shipped. And thus, concentrate was born.
The concentration process strips juice of its natural oils, so juice companies had to add flavor and fragrance back later, using oils and essences derived largely from peels. These scientific innovations brought OJ into more American homes and diners than ever before. They also laid the groundwork for the study and development of citrus flavors, now a nearly $5 billion market.
