All oranges 12.0 million boxes
The 2025-2026 Florida all orange forecast released by the USDA Agricultural Statistics Board is 12.0 million boxes down 2 percent from last season’s final production. The total includes 4.50 million boxes of non-Valencia oranges (early, mid-season, and Navel varieties) and 7.50 million boxes of Valencia oranges.
The estimated number of bearing trees for all oranges is 20.7 million. Trees planted in 2022 and earlier are considered bearing for this season. Field work for the latest Commercial Citrus Inventory was completed in June 2025. Attrition rates were applied to the results to determine the number of bearing trees used to weigh and expand objective count data in the forecast model …
Please download the complete forecast here.
The first 90 days of the 2025/26 season confirm a scenario of adjustments in the exporting market of orange juice and citrus byproducts in Brazil. In spite of the tax exemption on the Brazilian orange juice in the United States, the performance of exports from July to September 2025 was below that verified in the same period last season.
According to data from Comex Stat, the total volume of juice exported in the partial of the 2025/26 crop to all destinations totaled 199.7 thousand tons (volume equivalent to concentrate juice – 66º Brix), for a decrease of 4 % compared to the same period in the year before, while the revenue dropped 15 %, to USD 751.3 million. The income decrease is attributed to low international prices because of high global supply.
For the first time in several years, shipments to the United States and to the European Union were equal, with roughly 48 % of participation each (in volume). The 13 % increase of sales to the US highlights the dependence of the country on the Brazilian juice. Exports to the European Union, in turn, dropped 8 %, influenced by the demand decrease after high prices and quality problems verified in the crop before. The result was a balance between these two important destinations.
Besides the international scenario, the low volume of domestic inventories in this beginning of the season, along with the small supply of the fruit, also influenced the decrease of shipments.
From this month on, with the intensification of the harvesting in Brazil and the increase of processing activities at the industry, shipments are likely to move up, specially to the European Union, which may replenish inventories.
The European Commission just released its proposal for the adjustment of customs duties on import of certain goods originating from the USA, as a result of the USA-EU “agreement” reached end of July 2025. Freshfel Europe is expressing its deep unease over such trade “deal” and its process. Beyond trade impact or benefit, this agreement raises multiple questions and concerns on fundamental international trade principles.
The President of the European Commission brought back from Scotland a one-sided and fully asymmetric agreement, with concessions that threaten reciprocal concept. This appalling outreach was brought to EU business after a negotiation process that breached basic principles of good governance, set aside commitment to transparency requiring meaningful a priori stakeholder consultation and failed to have been subject to a credible impact assessment. The deal also significantly weakens WTO, eroding the principle of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) clause and other multilateral rules while also deteriorating the integrity of future bilateral trade agreements.
On this background, Freshfel Europe expresses its deep concerns and outright opposition to the EU–USA trade deal, currently in its implementation process. Despite representing a limited part of the total bilateral trade between the EU and USA, fresh fruit and vegetables are once again taken as a bargaining chip for achieving other objectives, leaving European fresh produce businesses exposed to disproportionate tariff and unfair balance in regard to non-tariff conditions. This will further deepen the already existing trade deficit.
Philippe Binard, General delegate of Freshfel Europe commented: “Under the proposed deal, imports of US fruit and vegetables into the EU are fully liberalized removing with immediate effect existing tariffs to a full duty exemption. On the contrary EU exporters face a significant rise of tariffs to 15% when accessing the USA market”. This stark asymmetry hands a competitive advantage to US producers interested in exporting to the EU, while severely impacting the competitiveness of EU fresh produce on the USA market. Although additional duties will ultimately be borne by US consumers, it will overtime limit volume of EU fresh produce currently exported. The EU generous discriminatory move with fully fledge duty waiver for US fresh produce imported in the EU might lead other third countries to request similar concessions from the EU in light of the MFN clause.
Moreover, while the EU declared readiness to address US concerns on “non-tariff barriers” and other climate- related and sustainability matters, there is no such clear and unambiguous commitment by the USA to resolve longstanding Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures that have blocked or limited for decades EU exports of apples, pears, citrus, tomatoes, and many other products. Philippe Binard stated: “Excessive US SPS rules continue to keep EU fruit and vegetables out of the USA market, while US exporters might gain more access to EU market. The deal also generates conditions for an unequal playing field, between EU operators bound to comply with strict sustainability, climate and food safety requirements—such as CSRD, CDDD or PEFCR monitoring and reporting—while allowing US and other non-EU suppliers much greater flexibility or derogation on societal concerns or climate transition obligations. This move totally undermines the trustworthiness of the EU sustainability agenda and the competitiveness of EU business”.
The EU concessions on tariff conditions carry as well non-negligible collateral effects for the EU with major financial consequences. The tariff dismantling for US produce will reduce annually EU own financial revenues by an estimated 12 billion €. Philippe Binard added: “This will add more pressure on EU budget, already facing multiple cuts further harming European businesses and EU citizens. In the recent discussion of the upcoming MFF, we already experienced the far-reaching implications of budget cuts for agriculture and absence of resources to adjust activity to climate change challenges or to promote a shift towards a more sustainable and healthier diet”.
Some months ago, the European Commission was considering agriculture as essential for food security. Last July, the President of the European Commission completely forgot its commitments for EU agriculture competitiveness, its engagement to tackle climate change and the need to wisely manage EU own financial resources. This deal was claimed by its protagonists to offer predictability and stability, both essential for long-term business planning and investment. At a first glance, it is rather generating more uncertainties, being placed at the mercy of its counterpart threatening to seek more concessions from its weakened partner. This is already happening with the Digital Market Act.
Freshfel Europe calls for wisdom of EU policymakers of the Council and of the Parliament to reject this one- sided agreement and urgently seek fully reciprocal, non-discriminatory and fair market access conditions that are equally beneficial for EU operators. Otherwise, EU sustainability commitments, and EU credibility on the global stage are seriously at stake.
On July 17th, US President Donald Trump announced that he had secured from Coca-Cola an agreement to replace high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar as the sweetening agent in Coca-Cola. This can be understood as part of the Trump administration’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ initiative, which is partly characterised by increased scrutiny on the highly processed elements of Americans’ diet. However, simultaneous threats of increased tariffs on Mexican and Brazilian imports endanger the commercial desirability of Coca-Cola’s proposed reformulation, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s recent report “Industry Insights: The impact of tariffs on consumer packaged goods” reveals which CPG-relevant sectors are most affected by tariffs within specific trade relationships and how companies in these sectors will be affected. It also provides insights into consumer reactions to changes in the market caused by the imposition of tariffs.
Rory Gopsill, Senior Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The recent headlines indicate that the US’ reliance on sugar imports could become very damaging for US beverage manufacturers like Coca-Cola. This is because, over the last two weeks, the US threatened 50 % tariffs on Brazil and 30 % tariffs on Mexico. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Mexico supplied 33 % of the US’ sugar imports and Brazil provided 23 %.”
From a tariff-focused perspective, corn syrup is more desirable than sugar for US beverage manufacturers. This is because the US can supply corn syrup demand with domestic production but relies on imports to meet sugar demands. According to GlobalData’s Crop Area Production and Yield database, the US devoted 36.5 million hectares of land to corn cultivation, more than any other country except China. This strong domestic supply means the US is a major exporter of corn and does not need to rely on imported corn to meet the needs of domestic manufacturers.
Conversely, the US imported $2.4 billion worth of raw sugar in 2023, while exporting only $230 million, according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity. While the US is the second largest cultivator of corn globally, it is the 10th largest cultivator of sugar cane, resulting in comparatively weaker domestic production capabilities that results in the country’s reliance on imports.
Coca-Cola caught between ‘Make America Great Again’ and ‘Make America Healthy Again’
The policy conflict places Coca-Cola in a precarious position. Shifting away from corn syrup – abundant and cheap thanks to US subsidies – and toward cane sugar would already involve reformulation costs, new supplier negotiations, and possible consumer backlash. Add to that an additional cost surge from trade barriers, and the proposition could begin to undercut itself.
Gopsill concludes: “Solutions for Coca-Cola could involve increasing the proportion of their beverage that is produced in Mexico, where sugar cane is the normal sweetener. This could limit the reformulation and supply chain adaption costs. Avoiding new tariffs on Mexican imports being added as a cost to their business seems an unlikely prospect if the US makes good on its 30 % threat. If USMCA-compliant goods remain tariff-exempt, Coca-Cola should maximise the volume of sugar/finished beverage products it imports into the US from Mexico that are USMCA-compliant.”
On 3 June 2025, the US announced it would impose 50 % tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports. This move represented an escalation compared to the 25 % tariff previously imposed on such imports on 10 February 2025. These policies create challenges for US manufacturers and users of packaging made of imported steel and aluminum. However, domestic recycling is enabling US aluminum can manufacturers to avoid the worst effects of tariffs, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s recent report “Industry Insights: The impact of tariffs on consumer packaged goods” reveals which CPG-relevant sectors are most affected by tariffs within specific trade relationships and how companies in these sectors will be affected. It also provides insights into consumer reactions to changes in the market caused by the imposition of tariffs.
Rory Gopsill, Senior Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: ” Unlike many other industries that rely significantly on metal imports, beverage can manufacturers in the US obtain a considerable share of their raw materials from recycled sources. The Aluminum Association reports that over 70 % of the aluminum utilised in domestic beverage cans is derived from recycled content. This closed-loop supply chain provides can manufacturers with a degree of insulation from US tariffs on imported aluminum as part of efforts to safeguard domestic industries and address trade imbalances with China and other exporting nations.”
In 2025, 99.6 billion rigid metal beverage cans are forecast to be sold in the US, according to GlobalData’s Primary Packaging and Outers Database. The Aluminum Association’s assertion that over 70 % of aluminum used in domestic beverage cans is recycled suggests that, of the total, 70 billion rigid metal beverage cans are made of recycled aluminum, leaving roughly 30 billion with significant exposure to tariffs on aluminum.
Tariffs create both opportunities and challenges for US recycling
Can manufacturers typically choose recycled aluminum over virgin aluminum because it is financially and environmentally less costly. This is because producing usable aluminum via recycling requires 95 % less energy than producing usable aluminum from scratch. In this respect, tariffs could create opportunities for US-based aluminum recycling plants as tariffs create yet more financial incentives for packaging manufacturers to utilise recycled materials. In other respects, however, tariffs create problems for the US’ recycling industry. For example, shipping recycled materials across national borders in North America is complicated by tariffs, with only US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)-compliant goods being tariff exempt.
Gopsill concludes: “In a volatile economic climate, where global supply chains are increasingly politicised, the US beverage can sector’s embrace of recycled aluminum stands out as a model of resilience. By leveraging domestic, sustainable materials, the industry not only reduces environmental impact but also cushions itself from macroeconomic shocks – proof that circularity and competitiveness can go hand in hand.”
The US has imposed 10 % tariffs on Brazilian orange juice exports, while the majority of Mexican orange juice exports are likely to be USMCA compliant and therefore tariff-exempt.
This scenario creates opportunities and threats for orange juice exporters in both countries. On the one hand, burdened with a 10 % tariff, Brazilian exporters’ share of the US orange juice market could be under threat from tariff-free Mexican exporters.
On the other hand, if demand for Mexican orange juice soars among US importers as a result of US tariffs making Brazilian orange juice exports more expensive, then a greater percentage of total Mexican orange juice production could be redirected away from the domestic market and into the US. This would reduce Mexico’s domestic supply, which could result in increased prices for domestic orange juice consumers, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Rory Gopsill, Senior Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Avoiding price inflation is likely to be a priority for the Mexican Government as well as domestic orange juice brands and retailers, because Mexican consumers are already under financial pressure.”
According to GlobalData’s Q1 2025 Global Consumer survey, 56 % of Mexican consumers are extremely or quite concerned about their personal financial situation, and 60 % are extremely or quite concerned about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on their financial situation. Moreover, 47 % of Mexicans are switching to cheaper brand alternatives to deal with rising prices, and 38 % are switching to cheaper retailers. Mexican orange juice brands and the retailers selling them will be wary of increasing prices for these reasons.
However, greater collaboration between Brazil and Mexico could result in controlling the balance of trade between the two countries’ US orange juice exports, and partially avoid the US tariffs.
Annually, the US consumes a greater volume of juice than any other country in the world. In 2024, the US consumed 5.3 billion litres of juice, considerably more than the runner-up, China, which consumed 1.4 billion litres in the same year, according to GlobalData’s Segment Insights Database, accessed May 2025. Figures from the Observatory of Economic Complexity, accessed May 2025, confirmed that the US exported $633 million worth of fruit juice in 2023 and imported $3.44 billion in the same year. As these figures demonstrate, the US is heavily reliant on fruit juice imports to meet domestic demand, especially orange juice, which is the most consumed fruit juice in the US, according to the USDA.
Brazil is the largest exporter of orange juice to the US, sourcing 75 % ($570 million) of the US’ non-frozen/spirited/fermented orange juice in 2023, and 44 % ($203 million) of the US’ frozen non-fermented/spirited orange juice in 2023. For Mexico, these figures were 16 % and 49 % respectively, making it the second largest exporter of orange juice to the US, according to The Observatory of Economic Complexity, accessed May 2025.
A potential solution to the challenges confronting both Brazil’s and Mexico’s orange juice exports to the US could be for Brazil to sell more orange juice to Mexican producers, who could then use it to produce juice blends that are exported to US markets. This is because, according to Fresh Plaza (2025), 60 % of juice blends can originate from third countries and still be USMCA compliant.
A product is more likely to be USMCA compliant if it is manufactured in the US, Mexico, or Canada, and made of materials sourced in these three countries. Mexico devoted more hectares to orange cultivation than any other country (except for India, Brazil, and China) in 2024, according to GlobalData’s Crop Area Production and Yield database. It would make sense for Mexican manufacturers to convert home grown oranges into orange juice for domestic consumption to maximise supply chain and administrative efficiencies.
Gopsill adds: “Brazilian exporters could mitigate losses in their share of the US import market by increasing the volumes of orange juice they sell to Mexican producers. Simultaneously, Mexican producers could use the Brazilian oranges to produce USMCA compliant orange juice and sell it to the US without burning through domestic orange juice supplies and increasing domestic orange juice prices, which would be a positive result for both nations.”
Ingredion leads investment round to accelerate start-up’s advanced technology for naturally reducing sugar
FoodTech start-up Better Juice, Ltd., announced its collaboration with Ingredion, Inc., a leading global provider of specialty ingredients to the food and beverage industry. Ingredion Ventures, Ingredion’s venture investment arm, will lead the Series A funding round for Better Juice which will fast-track penetration of its breakthrough sugar reduction solution into the US juice market.
Better Juice’s innovative sugar reduction technology removes simple sugars in juice-based beverages, concentrates and other natural sugar-containing liquids. The Company developed an enzymatic technology, which converts sugars into non-digestible compounds, such as dietary fibers and non-digestible sugars, while maintaining the natural profile of vitamins, minerals and organic acids in the final product.
“This important partnership step is truly exciting,” enthuses Gali Yarom, co-founder and co-CEO of Better Juice. “It dovetails perfectly with the Better Juice strategy to penetrate the North American market. Ingredion was impressed by our non-GMO technology, and its uses in a wide variety of applications. This move will open doors to leading food and beverage companies seeking sugar-reduction solutions for their products.”
“The Better Juice technology adds a completely new dimension to our portfolio of sugar reduction solutions for food and beverage brands on a mission to meet increased consumer demand for less sugar,” says Nate Yates, Sugar Reduction Business Leader at Ingredion. “This technology also provides manufacturers with more options to successfully reduce sugar without compromising on great taste or nutrition.”
Clean-label conversion
The environmentally friendly clean-label conversion process applies proprietary beads composed of non-GMO microorganisms which produce enzymes. These enzymes convert the juice’s composition of fruit sugars including sucrose, glucose, and fructose into better-for-you prebiotic fibers and other non-digestible molecules. This enables sugar reduction by 30 to 80 percent.
“This alliance will accelerate our go-to-market journey,” explains Eran Blachinsky, PhD, co-founder and co-CEO of Better Juice. “Ingredion’s capital support will allow us to extend the technology to other liquids with natural sources of sugar, such as milk, beer, and wine.”
This achievement follows Better Juice’s well-established partnership with GEA Group, one of the largest suppliers of food processing technology.
Better Juice primed for commercialisation
Better Juice’s solution has successfully advanced to commercial scale in the U.S. In recent years, it demonstrated its full proof of concept in collaboration with juice manufacturers in the U.S. and Asia. These companies are now poised to progress to the next stage of commercialisation. Better Juice is now fully prepped for market entry, with a capacity to process 250 million liters of sugar reduced juice per year.
Since 2022, the groundbreaking GEA Better Juice Sugar Converter Skid is included in GEA’s test center in Ahaus, Germany. Better Juice collaborates with GEA for manufacturing the bioreactor, and together they install the technology in customers’ facilities.
“Better Juice has achieved important milestones in the past two years and has positioned itself as the leading company for reducing simple sugars from natural sources,” notes Amir Zaidman, VP of The Kitchen Hub. “The timing is perfect for serving the rapidly expanding trend of consumers striving to cut down on simple sugars in their diet.”
About Ingredion
Ingredion, Inc. (NYSE: INGR), headquartered in the suburbs of Chicago, is a leading global ingredient solutions provider serving customers in more than 120 countries. With 2022 annual net sales of nearly $8 billion, the company turns grains, fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based materials into value-added ingredient solutions for the food, beverage, animal nutrition, brewing, and industrial markets. With Ingredion Idea Labs® innovation centers located around the world, and approximately 12,000 employees, Ingredion co-creates with customers to fulfill its mission of bringing the potential of people, nature, and technology together to make life better.
On November 2, 2023 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) proposed to revoke the regulation authorising the use of brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in food. The FDA conducted studies that clearly show adverse health effects in animals in levels more closely approximating real-world exposure. Therefore, the FDA can no longer conclude that this use of BVO in food is safe.
The studies were conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences’(NIEHS) Division of Translational Toxicology (formerly the Division of the National Toxicology Program), to assess unresolved toxicological questions. Results from these studies demonstrate bioaccumulation of bromine and toxic effects on the thyroid – a gland that produces hormones that play a key role in regulating blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, metabolism and the reaction of the body to other hormones.
BVO is a vegetable oil that is modified with bromine. As authorised, it is used in small amounts, not to exceed 15 parts per million, as a stabiliser for fruit flavouring in beverages to keep the citrus flavouring from floating to the top. When used, BVO is required to be listed as an ingredient on the label as “brominated vegetable oil” or as the specific oil that has been brominated, such as “brominated soybean oil”.
Over time, many beverage makers have reformulated their products to replace BVO with an alternative ingredient. Today, few beverages in the US contain BVO.
The higher demand for orange juice from the United States raised the Brazilian exports of the commodity in the first two months of the 2023/24 exporting season (July and August). The average price paid for the national juice increased in that period too, influenced by low inventories and the lower output in Brazil. The higher volume exported and the valuation of the Brazilian juice abroad resulted in a significant increase in the revenue of exporters.
According to data from Secex (Foreign Trade Secretariat), Brazil exported 182.9 thousand tons of Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ) Equivalent in July and August, 4% more than the volume shipped in the same period of 2022. Revenue totaled USD 397.9 million, a staggering 20% up in the same comparison.
As for the types of juice exported, shipments of Not-From-Concentrate (NFC) orange juice increased 19 %, and revenue, 25 %; of FCOJ, the volume exported decreased 3 %, while the revenue rose 17 %. The different performances of the exports of these types of juice are linked to the higher demand from the US for NFC juice, whose volume sent to the North-American country rose a staggering 51 %.
The United States
For one more season, the US have been importing orange juice from Brazil. In the first two months of the current season (23/24), the US imported 50.5 thousand tons of FCOJ, an increase of 38 % compared to that in the same period of 2022/23. Revenue totaled USD 113.2 million, 57 % higher, in the same comparison.
Lower orange production in the US because of the 2022/23 crop of Florida – which has decreased 62 %, according to the USDA – and lower supply from Mexico, the second major supplier of orange juice to the US, led the country to raise imports from Brazil.
European Union
To the European Union, Brazil exported, in July and August, 112.6 thousand tons of orange juice, a slight 3 % up from that last season. Revenue totaled USD 241.9 million in the two first months of the season, 14 % higher, in the same comparison.
Crop Estimates
According to data released this week by Fundecitrus, the 2023/24 harvest in the citrus belt (São Paulo State + the Triângulo Mineiro) is expected at 309.34 million boxes of 40.8-kg each, stable compared to that estimated in May but 1.5 % lower than the output from last season. It is important to highlight that this volume is a lot lower than the industry’s needs to meet the demand from abroad and replenish inventories, which are currently very low.
As Chinese consumers are more focused on healthier beverages compared to their US counterparts, the country is witnessing a significant rise in consumer low-calorie soft drinks. Low-calorie soft drinks volumes increased at a triple-digit rate in China between 2019-2022, while the volumes grew by only 10 % in the US, finds GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Global Data forecasts that in China, the volumes of low-calorie beverages will record a positive growth rate of 11.3 % in 2023, while in the US, it will be 2.2 %, albeit the US soft drinks market is much more mature and developed. The low-calorie market share in the soft drinks sector was 17 % in the US in 2022, while it was 2.4 % in China.
Dragos Dumitrachi, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: The carbonates category is the biggest winner regarding the growth of low-calorie beverages. Major brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi are continuing to invest in low-calorie variants and the trend is picking up globally. In China, low-calorie volumes are forecast to increase by 13.1 % in 2023, while the US will record a minimal 1.5 % rise in volume. “Since 2019, boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the health trend in the soft drinks sector has accelerated across the globe. In 2022, the world saw China and the US clash on multiple fronts. In the soft drinks consumer market, a similar opposing evolution scenario is taking place between the two countries.”
The carbonates category is the biggest winner regarding the growth of low-calorie beverages. Major brands such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi are continuing to invest in low-calorie variants and the trend is picking up globally. In China, low-calorie volumes are forecast to increase by 13.1 % in 2023, while the US will record a minimal 1.5 % rise in volume.
According to a recent GlobalData consumer survey*, when asked which feature consumers are actively looking for when making a purchase, a significantly higher proportion of Chinese consumers (49 %) said it is essential for the product to be good for physical fitness/health, while in the US, only 29 % find it essential.
Dumitrachi concludes: “This data shows that since the outbreak of the pandemic, whilst both markets show a high level of innovation towards low-calorie launches, Chinese consumers are more concerned about making informed health decisions within the beverage space in comparison to US consumers. Manufacturers in China and the US are set to increase the number of launches to capitalise on this trend throughout 2023.”
*GlobalData Q3 2022 Consumer Survey – China consisted of 532 respondents
The 2022/23 orange crop from Florida is expected to total 28 million boxes of 40.8 kilograms each, the lowest since 1935/36 and 32 % down from that last season, according to the estimates from the USDA.
However, the damages caused by hurricane Ian have not been considered yet. Thus, the recent report has concerned the agents in the citrus sector. The USDA’s next estimates are supposed to be released on Nov. 9th, however, the damages caused by hurricane Ian are not expected to be considered in that report yet, which is supposed to happen in the December’s report.
Thus, local agents believe Florida’s production will be at least 40 % lower than that forecast by the USDA. In 2017/18, when Florida was last hit by a hurricane (Irma), production decreased by 34.6 %, and agents agree that Ian was more destructive than Irma. Besides the damages caused to crops, warehouses and equipment were destroyed too.
In this context, the United States’ necessity of importing orange juice – which was already growing up – is expected to increase even more, which may raise Brazilian juice exports to the country. However, it is important to consider that supply has been low in Brazil, where ending stocks are forecast to be lower than the strategic level (of 250 thousand tons). In August, CitrusBR estimated the ending stocks in the 2022/23 Brazilian season (by June 2023) to total 140 thousand tons, considering higher exports to the USA – however, this increase did not consider the effects of hurricane Ian on Florida crops and production.
So far, imports are following opposite trends in the US, depending on the type of juice: for Not From Concentrate juice (NFC), imports are rising, while for Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ), they are fading. According to Florida’s Citrus Department, from October/21 to August/22, the US imported 9 % less FCOJ than that in the same period of the previous season; however, the imports of NFC juice increased by 43.9 %. On the other hand, ending stocks of both types decreased: 39.5 % for FCOJ and 25.3 % for NFC juice.
Brazil is the US’s major juice supplier. Considering FCOJ, 50.1 % of the total imported by the US in 2021/22 came from Brazil, which was followed by Mexico (42.4 %). Considering NFC juice, 78.6 % of the total imported came from Brazil, against 20.5 % from Mexico.
BRAZILIAN MARKET – The demand for oranges was low in the Brazilian market in the first fortnight of October. According to Cepea collaborators, the unstable weather (with rains and periods of lower temperatures) and the holiday on October 12 constrained consumption. Still, prices remained firm, majorly underpinned by the supply in the in natura market, which is being controlled. For tahiti lime, values faded, due to lower demand. But still, they continued at high levels.
Better Juice partners with GEA and US juice maker to commercialise reduced-sugar juices.
FoodTech start-up Better Juice, Ltd. sealed its first commercial deal to bring reduced-sugar juices one step closer to supermarket beverage aisles. The company inked an agreement with a major US fruit juice manufacturer for commercial installment of its sugar-reduction technology.
This is Better Juice’s first official commercial venture in its long-term collaboration with GEA Group, AG, Germany, a world leader in process engineering for the food and beverage sectors. The two companies joined forces in a strategic move to scale up and promote the sugar-reduction technology throughout the global beverage market.
Start-up receives patent and a self-affirmed GRAS approval
Better Juice was granted a patent for its sugar-reduction enzymatic process in Europe. Armed with recent self-affirmed GRAS status, the company is out to market its innovative system to food and beverage manufacturers worldwide. “These achievements, together with GEA’s knowhow and cutting-edge technology, will open doors to work more closely with food and beverage companies,” explains Eran Blachinsky, PhD, co-founder and co-CEO of Better Juice.
Better-Juice’s patented enzymatic technology uses all-natural ingredients to convert fructose, glucose, and sucrose sugars into prebiotic and other non-digestible fibers. The juice passes through a continuous flow bio-reactor housing non-GMO microorganism that transform the unwanted sugars into beneficial, non-digestible molecules. It boasts capabilities to reduce sugar loads by up to 80 %, while preserving the full complement of vitamins and other nutrients inherent in the fruit. The process moderates the sweetness of the juice, while intensifying the fruit flavour.
Sugar-reduced juices will line the shelves next year
Under the new venture, GEA will design, manufacture, and install the bioreactor that reduces sugars, and offer follow-up technical support. Better Juice will produce the microorganisms for the enzymatic process. According to the first commercial order, the fruit drinks manufacturer will produce natural juices with a minimum sugar reduction of 30 %, and anticipates the product to arrive in supermarkets by spring 2022.
“This new agreement marks an exciting milestone in our mission to get our sugar-reduction technology off the ground, to penetrate the US market, and to expand our global footprint,” enthuses Blachinsky. “We’ve officially launched our drive to help consumers enjoy reduce sugar in their favourite fruit juice.”
“Scaling up is always a challenge,” confesses Gali Yarom, co-founder and co-CEO of Better Juice. “But when your partner is GEA, with its vast industrial food processing capabilities and global presence, the acceleration of the Better Juice commercialisation is much faster and brings added value to the supply chain. Imagine—in just a few months, affordable, reduced-sugar fruit juice will be a ready option for American consumers.”
The equipment has been tested in GEA’s quality assurance facility in Germany and can be easily integrated into existing juice production lines, providing product at a capacity of up to 200 liter per hour. Total production capacity of reduced-sugar juices can be adjusted to the manufacturer’s needs.
“Better Juice has incredible potential to transform the global juice industry,” notes Colm O’Gorman, Head of Sales Management for GEA’s Global Technology Center for Non-Alcoholic Beverages. “As consumer demand for lowered-sugar beverages continues to surge, we are eager to join Better Juice on this momentous journey. We look forward to delivering products that address one of the top consumer needs of reducing their sugar intake, especially in daily beverages.”
Although energy drinks have witnessed steady year-on-year (YOY) growth in the US recently, Coca-Cola has decided to discontinue its Coca-Cola Energy brand after 17 months in the market, in a bid to sharpen its product portfolio – a move that highlights the gap in the market for hybrid innovations, writes GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Holly Inglis, Beverages Analyst at GlobalData comments: “Coca-Cola Energy’s launch in the US was long awaited; despite the US market size, it was one of the latter markets to begin sales after many regions in Europe. At a time where the energy drinks market is flourishing, it is interesting that Coca-Cola has chosen to pause sales of a potential future cash cow.”
According to GlobalData, the US energy drinks market grew by 10 % in 2020* and was buoyed by a flurry of innovations such as Monster Mule ginger flavoured drink or Moonlight Wingman Smart Energy. Despite COVID-19 lockdown restrictions throughout the year, the category remained a key purchase choice for many consumers across the country.
In GlobalData’s latest survey, 73 %** of US consumers stated that energy boosting ingredients are nice to have, or essential to purchasing decisions. Interestingly, this comes at a time where health and wellness trends are prevailing and where energy drinks have, in the past, come under scrutiny for high sugar and unfavourable additive content. Manufacturers have worked to offset this by adding functional claims or unique flavour innovations to their beverages.
Inglis continues: “GlobalData’s survey found that 82 % of US consumers stated that immunity boosting ingredients have a positive influence on their purchasing decisions***, reinforcing that there is opportunity for beverage manufacturers to innovate energy drinks products that combine health and wellness claims with energy-boosting ingredients. The US energy drink market is highly competitive, so it is important that producers stay ahead of the curve in terms of beverage trends. It is plausible that Coca-Cola’s energy drink line risked falling behind in the long-term, due to a lack of flavour dynamics and health-halo claims.”
Despite COVID-19 restrictions across much of 2020, the US energy drinks market grew by a sizeable share and is expected to maintain a similar fate in 2021. Consumption from home is the new norm, and producers will continue to innovate retail offerings that promote this trend. Continued drive towards digestive health will persist, reflecting high potential for hybrid innovations that combine natural energy boosting ingredients with added vitamins and gut health claims.
*Data taken from GlobalData’s Annual Soft Market Analyser – US
**GlobalData’s Q1-21 Consumer Survey Results – North America
***GlobalData’s Q1-21 Consumer Survey Results – North America – Combined responses: “Essential / Key driver of purchase” and “It is nice to have”
Completition of wind power transition advances Company’s global operations to 27.5 % renewable electricity, aligns with Twentyby30 and RE100 commitments
Crown Holdings, Inc. is now operating all 14 of its beverage can plants in the U.S. and Canada on renewable energy. It is the first metal packaging manufacturer to achieve this milestone, which is the result of a 15-year wind power Virtual Power Purchase Agreement (VPPA) with Longroad Energy. With the VPPA in effect and all of Crown’s manufacturing facilities in the U.K. already completing a similar transition, 27.5 % of the Company’s global operations are now using renewable electricity.
This accelerated usage of alternative power sources serves as a major step in Crown’s plan to employ 60 % renewable electricity by 2030, 90 % by 2040 and 100 % by 2050—targets established in Crown’s Twentyby30 initiative, a comprehensive sustainability program that addresses climate issues among other areas of urgent global concern. The action also supports Crown’s Twentyby30 goal to decrease Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within its global operations, targeting a 50 % combined reduction in absolute Scope 1 (fuel) and Scope 2 (electricity) emissions. The transition reflects Crown’s commitment to the RE100, which is led by The Climate Group and CDP and focuses on accelerating the transition to zero carbon grids at global scale.
Relying on a Texas-based wind farm, the VPPA generates more than 440,000 MWhs of electricity, helping prevent over 310,000 metric tons of carbon emissions each year—the equivalent to taking at least 67,000 passenger vehicles off the road for one year. The renewable power offsets 100 % of the energy usage within Crown’s U.S. and Canadian beverage plants, which account for over 20 % of the Company’s global Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.
Global Cold Pressed Juice Market is estimated to grow at a substantial CAGR in the forecast period as the scope, product types, and its applications are increasing across the globe. Cold-pressed juice implies usage of a hydraulic press to extract juice from vegetables and fruit, different from further procedures such as single auger or centrifugal.
The factors that propel the growth of the Cold Pressed Juice Market include growing number of diabetic patients, fatness problems, growing dietary and health concerns among clinicians, Changing lifestyle, and beauty and detoxifying benefits offered by juice. On the other hand, the factors that may hamper the growth of the market include high price of cold pressed juice.
Cold Pressed Juice Market may be explored by nature, type, distribution channel, and geography. Cold Pressed Juice Market may be explored by nature as Conventional, and Organic. The “Organic” segment led the Cold Pressed Juice Market in 2018 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance by 2024. Cold Pressed Juice Market could be explored based on type as Mixed Fruits and Vegetables, Fruits, and Vegetables. The “Mixed fruits and vegetables” segment led the Cold Pressed Juice Market in 2018 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance by 2024 owing to high demand and rising concerns concerning numerous health issues.
Cold Pressed Juice Market could be explored based on distribution channel as Hyper/Super Market, Convenience Stores, Internet Selling, and Retail/Grocery Stores. The “Hyper/Super Market” segment led the Cold Pressed Juice Market in 2018 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance by 2024.
Cold Pressed Juice Market is categorized based on geography into North America, Latin America, Japan, Middle East and Africa, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, and Eastern Europe. Europe and North America accounted for the major share of the Cold Pressed Juice Market Size in 2018 and will continue to lead in the forecast period.
The key players contributing in the robust growth of the Cold Pressed Juice Market comprise Pressed Juicery, Evergreen Juices Inc., Suja Life, Liquiteria, PepsiCo Inc., Evolution Fresh, LLC, JustPressed, Hain BluePrint, Inc., Organic Avenue, Organic Press Juices, and Juice Generation. The leading companies are taking up partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, and joint ventures in order to boost the inorganic growth of the industry.
US markets are poised to achieve continuing growth as Cold Pressed Juice Markets support better nutrition.
An increasing number of diabetic patients, terrible obesity issues, and increasing nutritional and health concerns among clinicians are having an impact on the Cold Pressed Juice markets as people turn to good nutrition as a supplement to medications. Changing lifestyle impacts the market. The cold pressed juice market can be primarily divided into two broad categories: raw juices and HPP. The HPP is packaged in plastic.
Independent brands comprise a higher percentage than is usual for other markets. The cold pressed juice market is comprised in part of smaller stores and from sources that operate as small entities. In other markets it is usually the case that the known brands dominate a market. What is different here with cold pressed juices is that cold pressed juice is better when it is really fresh. This requirement mitigates against large company usual methodical, slow ways of working. It is even more difficult than the milk market when the juice is not pasteurized.
A USD 4.3 billion market in the US in 2017 is expected to reach USD 8.1 billion by 2024, growing in response to demand for food that has more nutrition in it and is tasty.
The full report “Cold Pressed Juice Market” is available with Radiant Insights, Inc. at www.radiantinsights.com.
In the trade dispute with the US, European Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom has warned a full-on transatlantic trade war is „not in anybody’s interests“. She said: “We have made it clear that a move that hurts the EU and puts thousands of European jobs in jeopardy will be met with a firm and proportionate response.” However, she confirmed that a provisional list of targets has been drawn up and is being shared with EU member states to respond to Mr. Trump’s trade war with tariffs on US whiskey, orange juice and peanut butter.
Concerns about a possible global trade war have been intensifying due to Trump’s plan to introduce tariffs on steel and aluminum imports and due to the resignation of Gary Cohn, who had been a pro-trade White House adviser.
European Commission press conference by Commissioner Cecilia MALMSTRÖM
Provisional list of targets has been drawn up e.g. with tariffs on US whiskey, orange juice and cranberries.
