Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Ingredient SpotlightJuice & Juice Drinks

Vegetable juices get creative

By Lori Sichtermann
February 7, 2011
Mott's Medleys


Not too long ago, thoughts of vegetable juice conjured images of bland liquids or something that was part of a Bloody Mary mix. However, in the past several years, offerings of vegetable juices have expanded, thus growing its appeal.

As explained by Vincent Birien, marketing manager for Diana Naturals, Congers, N.Y., 10 to 20 years ago a limited variety of vegetable juices was available.

“They weren’t as accepted back then as they are today,” he says. “And, vegetable juice concentrates weren’t as developed as they are today.”

Within the last handful of years, vegetable juices and concentrates have stepped it up with regard to their appeal. Today’s vegetable juices are no longer a tasteless chore insisted upon by moms everywhere. Instead, they’ve become flavorful and functional enhancements to the daily diet.

Healthy minded
When it comes to vegetable consumption, the old rule of thumb called for vegetables to be part of a five-servings-a-day regimen in combination with fruits. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now suggests a variance regarding the amount one consumes of these good-for-you items. The new gauge is based on a person’s age, sex and amount of regular physical activity.

In order to get a healthful mixture of fruits and vegetables, the CDC suggests people eat a sampling from the color wheel. As the organization states, eating fruits and vegetables of different colors provides a wide range of valuable nutrients, such as fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C.

This color coding of sorts has been beneficial to the promotion of vegetables and, thus, vegetable juices. As Birien explains, many consumers have turned to vegetables juices as a way to add color to their diet.

“The color benefit is one of the main uses of vegetable juices,” he says. “There are some varieties which are really strong in color pigments, such as orange carrot, purple carrot, pumpkin and red bell pepper.” Other examples of colorful options include green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon and white onions.

Matter of taste
Although consumers might not be packing black bean juice in their lunch sacks or workout bags, these items have been incorporated as ingredients in other healthful beverages. Diana Naturals, for example, offers a variety of vegetable concentrates, such as bell pepper, pumpkin, red beet, spinach, broccoli and celery. These items offer a number of possibilities for use as ingredients in juice drinks and blends, the company says.

Similarly, Vegetable Juices Inc., Bedford Park, Ill., offers more than 50 types of vegetable juices and concentrates for use as ingredients. As the company explains, concentrates make it easier to add vegetable servings to juices. They also can be used as a natural source of sweetness or to reduce sodium content, Vegetable Juices says.

Maintaining healthfulness is one of the reasons people turn to vegetable juices as an additive in their diets. But, during the past several years, vegetable juice offerings have expanded. Today’s healthful blends include the flavors of butternut squash, chipotle peppers, roasted garlic, tomatillos and even fire-roasted tomatoes, suppliers say.

When it comes to mixing flavors with functions, Birien and Diana Naturals have noticed some interesting trends in vegetable juices.

“The most popular one is garlic for the benefits it has on the cardiovascular system,” Birien explains. “But, artichoke juices have become popular ingredients for their help with digestion.”

Much of the recent growth vegetable juices have experienced as ingredients is due to increased exposure of vegetables that are native to different countries and cuisines. As Birien explains, Diana Naturals works to develop a wider variety of vegetable juices, purees and concentrates based on trends from around the world.

However, with endless possibilities, not every blend is a sure attention grabber.

“We always consider specific tastes for savory and beverage applications,” Birien says. “For instance, a kale juice concentrate may fit a Japanese beverage profile, but it won’t necessarily have the same audience in the United States. However, a spinach juice concentrate would be more appropriate for the Western palate.”

As more vegetable blends enter the ingredient market, beverage-makers will benefit.

“It’s just the beginning, and we are very optimistic for the future,” Birien explains. “We will continue to discover great benefits and functionalities of veggie juices based on taste, natural color, health and nutrition.” BI

KEYWORDS: health and wellness vegetable juice

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Lori Sichtermann is a contributor to Beverage Industry magazine.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • top 100 beverage companies

    Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

    For the global beverage market, mergers and acquisitions...
    Wine & Spirits
  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

Celsius Fizz Free

CELSIUS launches new Fizz-Free flavors

PepsiCo.jpg

PepsiCo advances AI agenda

Narragansett Beer 1975 cans

Narragansett Beer celebrates 50 years of ‘Jaws’

Top 100 Beverage Companies of 2024

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Smaller sectors growing for juice drinks

    See More
  • Antioxidants make acai a go-to superfruit

    See More
  • Ingredient Spotlight: Consumers continue to crave cranberry

    See More
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing