JAPAN FIRM LAUNCHES ORANGE-FLAVORED JUICE WITHOUT ORANGES AMID RISING COSTS

NAGOYA, March 28 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- In the face of rising import costs due partly to the poor crop of oranges globally, Japanese food and beverage maker Kagome Co. has launched an orange-flavoured juice without actually using the fruit, Kyodo News reported.

After roughly two years of development, the orange taste was replicated by using the company's unique technology, combining ingredients including yellow carrots grown in New Zealand and apples, the manufacturer said.

In recent years, orange prices have surged in Japan, which relies largely on imports, as poor harvests in major producing countries such as Brazil coincided with a weaker yen, leading to suspended sales of orange juice.

According to trade data, the import price of orange juice stood at about 980 yen (US$6.10) per litre in 2025, nearly four times that of 2020.

The new product, called Beyond, was introduced earlier this month to supermarkets and convenience stores across the country as a 100 per cent vegetable and fruit juice. It comes in a 195-millilitre box and costs around 140 yen.

Yellow carrots used in the juice have a natural sweetness, while apples were added to enhance the sweet taste. Other ingredients included pineapples and lemons.

Kagome said on its product website that vegetables and fruits with relatively stable supplies were chosen as ingredients.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO