Minute Maid was originally developed for the U.S. Army during World War II.
The National Research Corporation developed a process for producing concentrated orange juice that could be frozen and later reconstituted. The U.S. Army supported work on the process because it wanted a practical source of vitamin C for troops. The war ended before the product could be supplied as planned, so the technology moved into the civilian market.
The frozen concentrate was branded Minute Maid and became commercially successful after the war. Its name suggested convenience and speed, helping distinguish it from juice that required more preparation. The brand later expanded into refrigerated and shelf-stable juice products.
Coca-Cola acquired Minute Maid Corporation in 1960. This history makes Minute Maid a useful example of how wartime food research influenced the later rivalry between Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in the juice market.