Who Owns Simply Orange?

Simply Orange operates within Coca-Cola's sustainability framework, focusing on water stewardship, sustainable packaging, and responsible ingredient sourcing.

Water Stewardship: Coca-Cola's water stewardship program evaluates facilities for water security using the World Resources Institute Aqueduct 4.0 tool. In 2024, 96% of Coca-Cola system facilities were evaluated. Simply Orange's Apopka, Florida facility participates in water conservation and replenishment programs.

Sustainable Packaging: Simply Orange's carafe bottles are designed for recyclability. Coca-Cola's "World Without Waste" program includes commitments to make all packaging 100% recyclable by 2028 and use at least 50% recycled material in packaging by 2030.

Responsible Sourcing: Simply Orange requires high-quality fruit sourcing. Coca-Cola's responsible sourcing program covers agricultural commodities and raw materials used in juice production.

Citrus Industry Challenges: Florida citrus greening disease has devastated orange production in Florida. Simply Orange sources oranges from multiple growing regions to maintain supply. Coca-Cola has invested in agricultural research to combat citrus greening.

For more details, see Coca-Cola's sustainability report.

Simply Orange is recognized as the best-selling refrigerated orange juice brand in the United States by dollar sales. The brand has maintained this position since overtaking Tropicana Pure Premium in the 2010s.

Market Leadership: Simply Orange holds approximately 28% market share in the not-from-concentrate orange juice segment, making it the category leader.

Brand Innovation: The Simply brand's expansion from a single orange juice product to over 30 varieties across multiple beverage categories has been recognized as one of the most successful brand extensions in the beverage industry.

PFAS Class Action Lawsuit (2023-2024): In 2023, a class-action lawsuit alleged that Simply Tropical juice contained PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) despite marketing claims of "all-natural" ingredients. The lawsuit claimed the presence of these substances contradicted the brand's "nothing to hide" marketing. The case was dismissed by U.S. District Judge Nelson Roman in June 2024 for lack of standing, as the plaintiff had not tested the actual product purchased and did not demonstrate that PFAS levels were harmful. Coca-Cola defended its testing protocols and noted that trace amounts of such substances are increasingly detectable in many foods due to improved testing sensitivity.

Shrinkflation Concerns: In 2018, Coca-Cola reduced the standard Simply Orange bottle size from 59 ounces to 52 ounces while maintaining similar price points. This practice, common in the consumer packaged goods industry, has been criticized by consumer advocates as deceptive. The reduction was a response to rising input costs, particularly from Florida citrus greening disease.

Citrus Greening Disease Impact: Florida citrus greening disease has caused significant declines in orange production, driving up raw material costs for the entire orange juice industry. Simply Orange has faced challenges in maintaining supply and pricing stability as a result. Critics have questioned whether the not-from-concentrate premium positioning is sustainable given the declining Florida citrus industry.