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PepsiLvr
05-14-2004, 06:43 AM
From CNN.com Article (http://money.cnn.com/2004/05/14/news/fortune500/coke_pepsioj.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes)

Coke, Pepsi to unveil low sugar OJ products

Soft-drink rivals cater to consumers on low-carbohydrate diets with new orange juice offerings.
May 14, 2004: 7:40 AM EDT

ATLANTA (Reuters) - Coca-Cola and Pepsi said they'll launch lower-sugar orange juice products as the two leading soft-drink companies battle for consumers on low-carb diets.

Coca-Cola said it had begun shipping its Minute Maid Premium Light product, with about half the calories and sugar, to grocery stores and mass merchandisers across the United States. Minute Maid is a unit of the Atlanta-based company.

"Minute Maid Premium Light orange juice beverage provides an alternative to juice drinkers looking to stay fit and healthy without having to forgo taste," said Donna Shields, a health and nutrition strategist at Coca-Cola.

The new drink contains 50 calories and 10 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving. Coca-Cola said its price would be comparable to other Minute Maid Premium 64-ounce and multipack orange juice products.

The rollout comes at a time when Coca-Cola is battling No. 2 PepsiCo Inc., its main rival, for the allegiance of health-conscious consumers in North America, the largest market for the two beverage companies.

The companies have already announced plans to launch mid-calorie versions of their flagship cola brands in the United States this summer.

Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo. said Thursday that it was rolling out a revised version of its Tropicana Light 'n Healthy orange juice product, which debuted in 64-ounce cartons in the United States earlier this year.

It will contain 55 calories and 11 grams of sugar per 8-ounce serving, about 20 percent less than the drink that hit stores in January. A Tropicana spokeswoman said the entire rollout would be completed during the next two months.

Although the introduction of low-calorie orange juice appears to make sense in a market where low-carbohydrate diets have become the rage, there is a possibility they could cut into sales of other Minute Maid and Tropicana juices.

DeusXM
05-14-2004, 07:06 AM
Maybe I'm just very stupid, but I've never particularly thought of orange juice as being high in sugar anyway.

Do they sweeten orange juice in the US? I ask because here pretty much all orange juice is clearly labelled 'unsweetened'. I appreciate that obviously there are natural sugars present in the fruit but from my personal experience, fructose (the main fruit sugar) has very little, if any, effect on my bg, which is why I've never rated it as a hypo treatment.

Ashtur
05-14-2004, 07:29 AM
Deus: I don't think it's sweetened here either, but it is considered high surar. I haven't tried any since my dx, mostly because I'd rather eat my carbs than drink them, but some people I know say that it spikes their BG faster than anything else.

PepsiLvr
05-14-2004, 07:49 AM
I know that they recommend it as a treatment for hypos. I haven't had any since my dx either.

Katjic
05-14-2004, 07:53 AM
Deus,

You can buy unsweetened orange juice here (most of them are unsweetened), but they rise my blood sugar fast so I don’t drink it that much.
I believe that ½ cup of unsweetened orange juice has about 15 gr of carbs which is usually enough to treat hypo .
I would rather have a toast for my breakfast then drink half a cup of orange juice
:p

DeusXM
05-14-2004, 11:00 AM
Wow, guess I must just be odd then. I'd never dream of treating a hypo with orange juice.

Oh well, guess everyone's different.

Belinda
05-14-2004, 05:42 PM
It is unsweetened here but of the total carbs most are sugar. It is quick to treat hypos....just had a glass....Also on the juice thing there is new minute maid ligth drinks...lemonade, tropical something and others that are only 5 carbs each. I also so in the store reduced sugar Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes!!!! Still lots of carbs but less then the original kind. THIS CARB CRAZE (HOPEFULLY WILL LAST) IS A DIABETICS DREAM!!!!!!!!

Jenny
05-27-2004, 04:18 PM
Well, now if only they would make these drinks without high fructose corn syrup??

am1977
05-27-2004, 04:27 PM
I did see the reduced sugar Froot Loops in the store the other day, but I don't think there is a dramatically less amount of carbs than the regular version. In fact, I rather have the regular kind, they probably taste better and they are less expensive.
Just my opinion, but if anyone tries them I hope they will post if they are any good. :)

soremom
05-27-2004, 05:59 PM
Unless it is an Orange Drink, Orange Juice is not sweetened in the states. I am not sure how they would lower the sugar since the sugar in it is from the oranges, but then I don't make orange juice.

I do use it for hypo's, am now, because we I get low to chew something gets hard for me to do. It is easier to swallow a liquid and it brings it up quicker for me so I can get something to eat.

I have tried the light leomande and it is good. A nice change of pace.

Kim

HeatherP
05-28-2004, 08:15 PM
Anybody else tried the new Crystal Lite orange drink? They're kind of acting like it's an OJ substitute.

They've got the color down, and it's okay, but it just ain't orange juice.