Coca-Cola acquired Minute Maid in 1960, expanding beyond carbonated soft drinks.
Minute Maid began as a frozen orange-juice product developed by the Florida Foods Corporation. Its concentrated juice format allowed orange juice to be distributed more conveniently than fresh juice, helping create a substantial packaged juice business.
The Coca-Cola Company acquired the Minute Maid Corporation in 1960. The deal gave Coca-Cola a major non-carbonated beverage brand and broadened its portfolio beyond cola, lemon-lime drinks, and other fountain and bottled sodas.
Minute Maid is sometimes confused with brands that Coca-Cola launched internally, such as Sprite or Fresca. It was an acquisition. The brand later became part of Coca-Cola’s wider juice and beverage portfolio, with products sold in many markets under different names and formulations.