KANSAS CITY — Juice is jumping in popularity, fueled by innovation in the market and consumer desire for healthier and more natural options.

While the category has experienced declines in recent years, the U.S. juice market is projected to grow in revenue by 1.48% and in volume by 0.69% by 2019, according to a report by Research and Markets. This growth stems from consumer demand for more organic, clean label offerings, which several juice makers are providing.

“Organic juice is often cold-pressed and is not made from artificially ripened fruits and vegetables that are sprayed with harmful pesticides and chemicals,” the report said. “These days, consumers are concerned about the origin and quality of raw materials.”

Offering an organic option free of bioengineered ingredients, Zola Fruits of the World is launching Acai Juice with Mango and Chia. The juice is made with sustainably harvested acai, mango and ground chia. The U.S.D.A. Organic certified juice is vegan and gluten-free and contains no cholesterol, preservatives, dairy, bioengineered ingredients or B.P.A.

Innovation in the cold-pressed juice category has drawn health-conscious consumers’ attention to the juice market, according to Mintel’s 2016 global annual review of the juice and juice drinks market.

Cold-pressed juices - Campbell's 1915 juice, Hain's Blueprint juice, Lumi juice
Several companies have already embraced the cold-pressed juice trend, including Campbell Soup, Hain Celestial and Lumi Co.

“Cold-pressed juices tend to feature heavy vegetable content and a focus on vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other nutrition attributes rather than the traditional 5-a-day messages,” Mintel said. “Many cold-pressed brands have their roots in juice cleanse or detox programs, and have thus helped some consumers reconsider juice as a tool for weight management.”

The Naked Juice Co. is catering to consumers seeking cold-pressed beverages with the launch of its new Naked Cold-Pressed Juice line. The juices come in five varieties: Bright Greens, which combines apple, cucumber, celery, romaine lettuce, lemon, kale, spinach and wheatgrass; Hearty Greens, which includes celery, apple, romaine lettuce, cucumber, orange, spinach, lemon, wheatgrass, kale and spearmint; Bold Beet, which offers beet, carrot, cucumber, apple, lemon, orange and ginger; Lively Carrot, which mixes carrot, apple, lemon, cucumber, orange, vanilla and turmeric; and Cool Pineapple, which blends pineapple, cucumber, lemon and filtered water. Made with fruit and vegetables cold-pressed directly into the bottle, the juices are Non-GMO Project verified and contain no preservatives or added sugars.

The topic of added sugars has become a hot button issue after the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released in January, suggesting Americans strictly limit their added sugar intake. As a result, more consumers have been wary of added sugars, which often appear in fruit juices.

To counter this trend in the market, Harvest Hill Beverage Co. is introducing Juicy Juice Teasers, which are sweetened only with fruit juice and contain no high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar or artificial sweeteners. Made with decaffeinated and caffeine-free teas, the beverages come in peach, berry, Half & Half, and apple flavors.

Ilene Bergenfeld, Harvest Hill Beverage Co.
Ilene Bergenfeld, c.m.o. of Harvest Hill Beverage Co.

“By blending juice and tea, we’ve created a lower-sugar, refreshing beverage that tastes delicious,” said Ilene Bergenfeld, chief marketing officer of Harvest Hill Beverage Co. “Our research found that older kids are looking for more beverage variety, but most options have sugar and/or caffeine. Juicy Juice Teasers is a beverage both moms and kids will reach for in the grocery store aisle and at home.”

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