Odwalla
{{Short description|American food product company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Odwalla Inc.
| logo =
| type = Subsidiary
| genre =
| foundation = {{Start date and age|1980}}, in Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
| founder = {{hlist|Greg Andrew Steltenpohl|Gerry Keith Percy|Jeannine Bonstelle (Bonnie) Bassett}}
| defunct =
| location_city =
| location = Half Moon Bay, California, U.S.
| locations =
| area_served = United States
| key_people = {{ubl|Steven M. McCormick (COO and general manager)|James R. Steichen (SVP Finance and CFO)|Chris Brandt (director brand)}}
| industry = Consumer products
| products = Drinks, food bars
| services =
| market cap =
| revenue = US$187.9 million (2007)
| operating_income =
| net_income =
| assets =
| equity =
| owner =
| parent = Full Sail IP Partners
| divisions =
| subsid =
| homepage = {{URL|https://www.odwalla.com/}}
| footnotes =
| intl =
}}
Odwalla Inc. ({{IPAc-en|oʊ|ˈ|d|w|ɔː|l|ə}}) was an American health food company based in Dinuba, California. Founded in Santa Cruz, California in 1980 and formerly headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California from 1995 to 2020, the company's product lines included fruit juices, smoothies, soy milk, bottled water, organic beverages, and several types of energy bars known as "food bars".
The company experienced strong growth after its incorporation in 1985, expanding its distribution network from California to most of North America, and went public in 1993.
Odwalla juice caused a fatal outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 in 1996 because of numerous flaws in its safety practices, for which the company was found criminally liable. Despite industry norms, Odwalla originally sold unpasteurized juices, to avoid altering the flavor of its juices. Following the E. coli (Escherichia coli) outbreak and the death of at least one child, Odwalla adopted flash pasteurization and other sanitization procedures. Odwalla recalled its juices and experienced a 90% reduction in sales following the event. The company gradually recovered and, the following year, became profitable again.
In 2001, Odwalla was acquired by The Coca-Cola Company for US$181 million and became a wholly owned subsidiary. In July 2020, Coca-Cola announced it would discontinue the Odwalla brand by August 2020.{{cite news |last1=Wiener-Bronner |first1=Danielle |title=Coca-Cola is shutting down Odwalla juice |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/01/business/odwalla-juice-coca-cola/index.html |access-date=9 July 2020 |publisher=CNN |date=July 2, 2020}} The brand was sold to Full Sail IP Partners in 2021.{{cite news |title=Full Sail IP Partners acquires Odwalla from The Coca-Cola Company |url=https://www.foodbev.com/news/full-sail-ip-partners-acquires-odwalla-from-the-coca-cola-company/ |work=FoodBev Media |date=15 September 2021 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925072606/https://www.foodbev.com/news/full-sail-ip-partners-acquires-odwalla-from-the-coca-cola-company/ | archive-date=2021-09-25 | url-status=dead}} Its headquarters was relocated to its production facility some time in the early 2020s.[https://www.datanyze.com/companies/odwalla/55298132] Odwalla company profile, Datanyze.com, Headquarters - 1900 Davis Dr, Dinuba, California, 93618, United States; (800) 639-2552{{cite web |title=Our Difference |website=Odwalla Drinks |date=2022-03-30 |url=https://odwalla.com/our-difference/ |access-date=2025-01-01}}
History
=Origin=
Odwalla was founded in Santa Cruz, California, in 1980 by Greg Steltenpohl, Gerry Percy, and Bonnie Bassett.{{cite press release
| title = Odwalla Inc. 10-K405
| publisher = Odwalla Inc.
| date = 1996-08-31
| url = http://www.secinfo.com/dr6nd.92V1.htm
| access-date = 2008-08-20
}}{{cite web|url=http://www.hoovers.com |title=History |year=2008 |publisher=Hoovers.com |access-date=2008-09-06 }} Odwalla's production facility is in Dinuba, California. The trio took the idea of selling fruit juices from a business guidebook, and they began by squeezing orange juice with a secondhand juicer in a shed in Steltenpohl's backyard. They sold their product from the back of a Volkswagen van to local restaurants,{{cite news|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/10736693.html?dids=10736693:10736693&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+8%2C+1997&author=MARTHA+GROVES&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=1&desc=Juice+Left+in+Odwalla%3B+Company+Posts+Loss%2C+but+Sales+and+Cash+Up+Despite+Recall|title=Juice Left in Odwalla; Company Posts Loss, but Sales and Cash Up Despite Recall|last=Groves|first=Martha|date=1997-01-08|work=The Los Angeles Times (fee required)|access-date=2008-09-10|archive-date=2012-10-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015185352/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/10736693.html?dids=10736693:10736693&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+8,+1997&author=MARTHA+GROVES&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&edition=&startpage=1&desc=Juice+Left+in+Odwalla%3B+Company+Posts+Loss,+but+Sales+and+Cash+Up+Despite+Recall|url-status=dead}} employing slogans such as "soil to soul, people to planet and nourishing the body whole".{{cite web
|url= http://www.bevindustry.com/articles/odwalla-growwing-naturally
|title= Odwalla: Growwing [sic] Naturally
|date=2006-03-01|access-date= 2008-08-18
|work= Beverage Industry
}}
The name for their start-up, "Odwalla", was taken from that of a character who guided "the people of the sun" out of the "gray haze" in the song-poem "Illistrum", a favorite of the founders, which was composed by Roscoe Mitchell and performed by the Art Ensemble of Chicago jazz group, of which Mitchell was a member.{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1154/is_n2_v82/ai_14981633/
|title=Freshness by the bottle — Odwalla Inc.
|access-date=2008-08-07
|author=Kaufman, Steven B.
|date=February 1994
|work=Nation's Business
|publisher=BNET
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203035130/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1154/is_n2_v82/ai_14981633
|archive-date=2009-02-03
}}Strassman, Roy, "Drink No Evil" [biographical article on Steltenpohl], common ground; The Bay Area's Magazine for Conscious Community since 1974, July/August 2009, p. 14. Steltenpohl, Percy, and Bassett related this to their products, which they believe "help humans break free from the dull mass of over-processed foods so prevalent today".{{cite web|url=http://www.odwalla.com/WhoWeAre.jsp |title=Our Roots Go Deep |access-date=2008-08-07 |year=2008 |publisher=Odwalla Inc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509010301/http://www.odwalla.com/WhoWeAre.jsp |archive-date=May 9, 2008 }}
=Incorporation to 1996=
Odwalla was incorporated in September 1985 after five years of growth and expanded to sell products in San Francisco in 1988. Hambrecht & Quist Inc., a venture capital firm in San Francisco, was one of Odwalla's main investors at the time, investing several million dollars in the company. By 1992, the company employed 80 people at its company headquarters in Davenport, California, and sold around 20 different flavors of juice for between $1.50 and $2.00 a pint.{{cite news|url=http://www.mendeley.com/research/purifying-tainted-corporate-image-odwallas-response-e-coli-poisoning-1/ |title=Purifying a tainted corporate image: Odwalla's response to an E.coli poisoning |last=Thomsen |first=Steven R |author2=Rawson, Bret |year=1998 |work=Public Relations Quarterly |volume=43 |issue=3 |page=35 |access-date=2008-09-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304231608/http://www.mendeley.com/research/purifying-tainted-corporate-image-odwallas-response-e-coli-poisoning-1/ |archive-date=March 4, 2012 }} Odwalla went public in December 1993 (NASDAQ:ODWA); the company had 35 delivery trucks, almost 200 employees, and made about $13 million a year.{{cite web|url=http://www.inc.com/magazine/19930701/3643.html|title=Best Love of Product: True Believers|last=Bianchi|first=Alessandra|date=July 1993|work=Inc. Magazine|access-date=2008-09-06}} Soon afterwards, Odwalla expanded into new markets when it bought two companies in the Pacific Northwest and Colorado.
Odwalla built a new production facility located in Dinuba, California, in 1994 in order to better meet production demands.{{cite web|url=http://www.dinuba.org/labor.html |title=Labor Pool |access-date=2008-08-12 |publisher=City of Dinuba |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071006151449/http://www.dinuba.org/labor.html |archive-date=October 6, 2007 }} The following year, the company moved its headquarters to Half Moon Bay, California.{{cite press release|title=Odwalla PomaGrand |publisher=Odwalla Inc. |date=2006-03-13 |url=http://www.beverageworld.com/content/view/5454/169 |access-date=2008-08-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203084516/http://www.beverageworld.com/content/view/5454/169 |archive-date=February 3, 2009 }}
Continual growth and outside investments during these years allowed the company to expand and grow: Odwalla's revenue tripled from 1994 to 1995, and in 1996 they made more than $59 million in sales, their highest ever.{{cite press release |title=Quarterly Report Form 10-Q |publisher=Odwalla Inc. |date=1997-11-29 |url=http://www.secinfo.com/dsVSa.718.htm|access-date=2008-08-20}} This constant growth made Odwalla one of the largest fresh-juice companies in America by 1996,{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/04/us/deadly-bacteria-a-new-threat-to-fruit-and-produce-in-us.html|title=Deadly Bacteria a New Threat To Fruit and Produce in U.S.|access-date=2008-08-11|author=Christopher Drew and Pam Belluck|date=January 4, 1988|work=New York Times}} when the company was selling its products to stores in seven states and parts of Canada.{{cite news|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-43827623.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150329163924/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-43827623.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-03-29|title=Odwalla|access-date=2008-08-19|author=Evan, Thomas J.|date=1996-07-01|work=Public Relations Quarterly}} It was estimated that they would reach $100 million in sales by 1999. Much of this growth resulted from the perception that Odwalla's products were healthier than regular juice because they were not pasteurized.
=1997 - 2001=
{{Further|1996 Odwalla E. coli outbreak}}
On October 7, 1996, Odwalla made a batch of apple juice using blemished fruit contaminated with E. coli resulting in one death and 66 sickened customers. The outbreak occurred because Odwalla sold unpasteurized fruit juices, though pasteurization had long been standard in the juice industry, claiming that pasteurization alters the flavor and destroys nutrients. Because of the lack of pasteurization and numerous other flaws in its safety practices, the company was charged with 16 criminal counts of distributing adulterated juice. Odwalla pleaded guilty, and was fined $1.5 million: at the time, the most significant penalty in a food poisoning case in the United States.
Image:Odwalla future shake.jpg
Despite a net loss for most of 1997, Odwalla worked to rehabilitate its brand name. In addition to advertising its new safety procedures, Odwalla released its line of food bars (its first solid food product line) and entered the $900 million fruit bar market.{{cite news
|url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56974164.html
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150329163923/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-56974164.html
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= 2015-03-29
|title= Juice maker Odwalla, Inc
|access-date= 2008-08-18
|date= 1998-09-14
|work= Food & Drink Weekly
}} Another new product was the {{vanchor|Future Shake}}, a "liquid lunch" aimed at younger consumers.{{cite news|url=http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-5547119_ITM|title=California-Based Odwalla Inc. Unveils Soy-Based Shakes|last=Woolfolk|first=John|date=1997-05-14|work=Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News |access-date=2008-09-10}} Because of these efforts, Odwalla was again profitable by the end of 1997, reporting a profit of $140,000 for the third quarter.{{cite press release
| title = Agreement Reached Between Odwalla, Inc. and U.S. Attorney in Fresno, CA.
| publisher = Odwalla Inc.
| date = 1998-07-23
| url = http://www.secinfo.com/dsVSa.71A5.d.htm
| access-date = 2008-08-19
}}
Having recovered, the company worked to expand geographically into markets like Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.,{{cite press release
| title = Odwalla Inc. 10-K405
| publisher = Odwalla Inc.
| date = 1998-08-29
| url = http://www.secinfo.com/dsVSa.71S3.htm
| access-date = 2008-09-10
}} and by the end of 1998 reported that revenue had surpassed pre-crisis levels. Growth continued over subsequent years,{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_July_1/ai_55049958
|title=Odwalla Sales Increase 24%, Fiscal Year 1999 Momentum Continues; Odwalla Enters Atlanta Market As Geographic Growth Continues
|access-date=2008-08-18
|date=1999-07-01
|work=Business Wire
|publisher=BNET
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203035004/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_July_1/ai_55049958
|archive-date=2009-02-03
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_July_6/ai_63179563
|title=Odwalla Announces Return to Profitability; Odwalla and Fresh Samantha Merger Completed in May
|access-date=2008-08-18
|date=2000-07-06
|work=Business Wire
|publisher=BNET
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203034136/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_July_6/ai_63179563
|archive-date=2009-02-03
}} in part through the $29 million acquisition of {{vanchor|Fresh Samantha}}, a large juice company based in Saco, Maine, in 2000.{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_May_3/ai_61875835
|title=Odwalla Completes Merger With Fresh Samantha
|access-date=2008-08-18
|date=2000-05-03
|work=Business Wire
|publisher=BNET
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203034141/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2000_May_3/ai_61875835
|archive-date=2009-02-03
| title = Annual Report Form 10-K
| publisher = Odwalla Inc.
| date = 2001-09-01
| url = http://www.secinfo.com/dsVSa.4FA3s.htm
| access-date = 2008-08-20
| archive-date = 2020-01-01
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200101065658/http://www.secinfo.com/dsVSa.4FA3s.htm
| url-status = dead
|url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6965664.html
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160210132148/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-6965664.html
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= 2016-02-10
|title= Odwalla drops Fresh Samantha
|access-date= 2008-08-18
|date= 2003-07-30
|work= Oakland Tribune
}} This allowed Odwalla to expand into additional East Coast markets, but incurred high transportation costs as products had to be shipped across the United States from California. To address this problem the company announced plans to build a second production facility in Palm Beach County, Florida. However, facing difficulties in obtaining building permits and allocating sufficient funds, the project was first delayed and eventually cancelled.{{cite news
|url= http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-7005138_ITM
|title= Half Moon Bay, Calif.-Based Odwalla to End Its Fresh Samantha Juice Line
|access-date= 2008-08-18
|author= Salisbury, Susan
|date= 2003-08-04
|work=Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News}} Odwalla produced and sold products under both its own and the Fresh Samantha brand names for a few years; however, in 2003, the company decided to stop selling juice under the Fresh Samantha name and to only sell Odwalla-brand juice.{{cite web
|url = http://www.fool.com/ddouble/2000/ddouble001127.htm
|title = Odwalla Gets Juiced Up
|access-date = 2008-08-11
|author = Munarriz, Rick Aristotle
|date = 2000-11-27
|publisher = The Motley Fool
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081005135647/http://www.fool.com/ddouble/2000/ddouble001127.htm
|archive-date = 2008-10-05
}}
=2001 - 2020=
Odwalla was purchased by The Coca-Cola Company in 2001 for $15.25 a share, a deal which totalled $181 million and was unanimously approved by the Odwalla board of directors.{{cite press release
| title = EX-99.(A)(2) · Letter to Shareholders
| publisher = Odwalla Inc.
| date = 2001-11-06
| url = http://www.secinfo.com/dsVSa.4F9S9.c.htm
| access-date = 2008-08-20
|url= https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/20011031/cokeodwalla310/to-juice-up-its-offerings-coke-buys-odwalla
|title= To juice up its offerings, Coke buys Odwalla
|access-date= 2008-08-08
|author= McClam, Erin
|date= 2001-10-31
|work= The Seattle Times}} Under the terms of the merger, Odwalla's management stayed on as heads of the company, and it was "folded" into Coca-Cola's Minute Maid department.{{cite web
|url = http://www.fool.com/news/foolplate/2001/foolplate011030.htm?terms=odwalla&vstest=search_042607_linkdefault
|title = Coke Swallows Odwalla
|access-date = 2008-08-11
|author = Marino-Nachison, Dave
|date = 2001-10-30
|publisher = The Motley Fool
|url-status = dead
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090203073245/http://www.fool.com/news/foolplate/2001/foolplate011030.htm?terms=odwalla&vstest=search_042607_linkdefault
|archive-date = 2009-02-03
}} The acquisition was one of several similar mergers which were aimed at expanding Coca-Cola's product line to include non-carbonated drinks.{{cite web
|url= http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/oct2001/pi20011022_7264.htm?chan=search
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090203033450/http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/oct2001/pi20011022_7264.htm?chan=search
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= February 3, 2009
|title= Tucker Anthony Reiterates Buy on Coca-Cola
|access-date= 2008-08-11
|date= 2001-10-22
|work= BusinessWeek}}{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_21_41/ai_94327778
|title=New Age drinks go mainstream: mega manufacturers betting trend is more than passing phase
|access-date=2008-08-18
|author=Duff, Mike
|date=2002-11-11
|work=DSN Retailing Today
|publisher=BNET
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203034207/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_21_41/ai_94327778
|archive-date=2009-02-03
}} Odwalla benefited by obtaining up to a 124.3 percent premium on shares of the company, as well as from the stability and strength that ownership by The Coca-Cola Company offered.{{cite press release | title = Odwalla Inc. SC 14D9| publisher = Odwalla Inc.| date = 2001-11-06| url = http://www.secinfo.com/dsVSa.4F9S9.htm| access-date = 2008-09-15}} Under "Reasons for the recommendation of the Board; Factors considered" Odwalla also was able to expand into new markets because of Coca-Cola's well-established distribution network.
Odwalla continued to grow following the acquisition. This growth resulted in part from new product releases, which included a line of PomaGrand pomegranate juice (released at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival), two flavors of energy drinks,{{cite press release|title=Getting Serious |publisher=Odwalla Inc. |date=2007-11-12 |url=http://www.beverageworld.com/content/view/33993/144/ |access-date=2008-08-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203084419/http://www.beverageworld.com/content/view/33993/144/ |archive-date=February 3, 2009 }} and three flavors of "Soy Smart" drinks, which contain soy protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium.{{cite web
|url= http://www.bevindustry.com/articles/healthful-beverages-to-watch-in-2007
|title= Healthful Beverages to Watch in 2007
|access-date= 2008-08-07
|work= Beverage Industry
Coca-Cola promoted Odwalla products in 2006 when the company aimed at removing carbonated soda products in schools.{{cite web
|url= http://www.fool.com/investing/value/2006/05/11/dueling-fools-coke-bull.aspx
|title= Dueling Fools: Coke Bull
|access-date= 2008-08-11
|author= Saletta, Chuck
|date= 2006-05-11
|publisher= The Motley Fool}} Odwalla continued to have good growth in 2007, when Coca-Cola, squeezed by poor growth in its North American markets, issued a company-wide hiring freeze; Odwalla, because of its good performance, was one of the few exceptions to the rule.{{cite web|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/content/hotjobs/careercenter/articles/2008/07/14/cokefreeze_0712.html |title=Section of Coke Freezes Hiring |access-date=2008-10-19 |date=2008-07-16 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080826070126/http://www.ajc.com/news/content/hotjobs/careercenter/articles/2008/07/14/cokefreeze_0712.html |archive-date=August 26, 2008 }}
=2020 - today=
In July 2020, Coca-Cola announced the permanent discontinuation of all Odwalla products, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the brand not having shown growth in three consecutive years (a subset of the corporation's which comprise less than 2% of its total revenue).{{Cite web|last=Devenyns|first=Jessi|date=2 July 2020|title=Coca-Cola is discontinuing Odwalla juice|url=https://www.fooddive.com/news/coca-cola-is-discontinuing-odwalla-juice/580934/|access-date=15 June 2021|website=Food Dive}}{{Cite web|last=Maloney|first=Jennifer|date=1 July 2020|title=Coca-Cola to Close Odwalla Juice Business|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/coca-cola-to-close-odwalla-juice-business-11593619918?mod=article_inline|access-date=15 June 2021|website=The Wall Street Journal}} Coca-Cola sold the brand to Full Sail IP Partners in 2021. Its headquarters was relocated to its production facility in Dinuba, California, some time in the early 2020s.[https://www.datanyze.com/companies/odwalla/55298132] Odwalla company profile, Datanyze.com, Headquarters - 1900 Davis Dr, Dinuba, California, 93618, United States; (800) 639-2552
Production
Image:Odwalla display stand grocerystore.JPG
Odwalla used what it characterized as "fresh-sourced" produce (fruits and vegetables that had recently been harvested) to make many of its products,{{cite web|url=http://www.odwalla.com/Freshology.jsp |title=Freshology |access-date=2008-08-07 |publisher=Odwalla Inc. |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080714023622/http://www.odwalla.com/Freshology.jsp |archive-date=July 14, 2008 }} as well as organic oats for food bars and certain tropical fruits in a frozen purée form, purchased from an outside source and blended with fruit juice. Because Odwalla used fresh produce, some juices were seasonal.{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n5_v163/ai_15433389
|title=Beverages turn icy … and steamy - beverage sales - New Food Products Annual - Industry Overview
|access-date=2008-08-18
|author=Dornblaster, Lynn
|date=1994-04-15
|work=Prepared Foods
|publisher=BNET
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203035526/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3289/is_n5_v163/ai_15433389
|archive-date=2009-02-03
}} Under the "It's Still the New Age" section.{{cite news
|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_Dec_20/ai_58307855
|title=Season's Squeezings from Odwalla: 100% Pure Squeezed Tangerine Juice; Now's the Time for Tangerine
|access-date=2008-08-20
|date=1999-12-20
|work=Business Wire
|publisher=BNET
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203035000/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_Dec_20/ai_58307855
|archive-date=2009-02-03
}} Fruit availability and price were also affected by adverse weather, disease, and natural disasters. Throughout the year, Odwalla juice colors and flavors changed slightly because different types of fruit were used.
After the E. coli outbreak, Odwalla improved the safety of several of its production processes. Before the fruit entered the factory, it was washed, sorted and sanitized. Once it reached the plant, the apples, carrots, and citrus fruits were separated and washed again. The fruit was pressed to get the juice, which was then flash pasteurized and bottled.{{cite web
|url=http://iac.rutgers.edu/redirect.php?rf=SF0244CaseStudy
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203102034/http://iac.rutgers.edu/redirect.php?rf=SF0244CaseStudy
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=2009-02-03
|title=Food Manufacturing Industrial Assessment
|access-date=2008-08-20
|date=2002-06-13
|format=PDF
|publisher=U.S. Department of Energy
}} A sample underwent quality testing, and, if it passed, the batch was shipped in refrigerated trucks to various distribution centers in the United States. Odwalla juice had a relatively short shelf life compared to other beverages and thus required refrigeration. However, the shelf life was considerably extended after the introduction of flash pasteurization in 1996 and a new plastic bottle in 2001. Generally, Odwalla products were sold in special Odwalla-brand displays at grocery and convenience stores, instead of being intermixed with other products.
Products
=Drinks=
Odwalla Inc. produced many flavors of fruit and vegetable drinks, as well as dairy-free soy milk (marketed under the "Soy Smart" name), "PomaGrand" pomegranate juice, "Serious Energy" caffeinated fruit juice,{{cite web
|url=http://www.csnews.com/csn/products/pack_bev/product_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003650160
|title=Odwalla Serious Energy
|access-date=2008-08-20
|date=2008-08-25
|work=Convenience Store News
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203041617/http://www.csnews.com/csn/products/pack_bev/product_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003650160
|archive-date=2009-02-03
}} bottled spring water, and Odwalla's Superfood smoothie line of products (see green smoothie), which are viewed as the core products of the company and are made of various fruit purées, wheat grass, and barley grass. These products accounted for roughly 95 percent of Odwalla's revenue in 2001.
Odwalla juice was sold in individual 12 fl oz (formerly 450 millilitre or 15.4 US fl oz) bottles made of plant-based recyclable HDPE plastic,{{cite web |url=http://www.odwalla.com/good-story/good-to-the-earth |title=Good To The Earth - Fresh Juices & Fruits From Natural Ingredients |publisher=Odwalla |access-date=15 December 2012 |archive-date=14 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114204252/http://www.odwalla.com/good-story/good-to-the-earth |url-status=dead }} as well as larger 64 US fluid ounce (1.9 litre) containers.{{cite press release|title=Coca-Cola Foodservice Meets Restaurant Operators' Juice Needs with Odwalla, Simply Orange, Minute Maid and More |publisher=The Coca-Cola Company |date=2008-05-17 |url=http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/pdfs/fs/fs_pr6.pdf |access-date=2008-08-13 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225132100/http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/pdfs/fs/fs_pr6.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2009 }}{{cite web
|url=http://www.csnews.com/csn/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002155178
|title=Odwalla's PomaGrand Juices
|access-date=2008-08-26
|date=2006-03-13
|work=Convenience Store News
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203041723/http://www.csnews.com/csn/search/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002155178
|archive-date=2009-02-03
}}
Odwalla's juice, because of production costs, was "typically sold at prices higher than most other juice products", and the price of the juice could vary over time because of weather or disease affecting the supply of fruit and vegetables.
Odwalla's sugar content could be even higher than Coca-Cola's. For example, Odwalla's "Mango Tango" had 3.67 grams of sugar per ounce—almost 1 full teaspoon of sugar in every ounce of juice.{{Cite web|url=http://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=17253EAA-7592-11E0-A55F-1231380C180E|title=Lose weight & improve your health with a real food diet {{!}} Fooducate|website=www.fooducate.com|language=en|access-date=2017-07-07}} Coca-Cola contains 3.25 grams of sugar per ounce.{{Cite web |title=Lose weight & improve your health with a real food diet {{!}} Fooducate |url=http://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=17253EAA-7592-11E0-A55F-1231380C180E |access-date=2017-07-07 |website=www.fooducate.com |language=en}}[http://www.fooducate.com/app#!page=product&id=1CE36D32-E10C-11DF-A102-FEFD45A4D471] This translates to 44 grams of sugar (nearly four tablespoons) in a 12-ounce "Mango Tango" versus 39 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce Coke.
Throughout its history, Odwalla produced and subsequently withdrew various juice flavors due to their lower popularity, including the Odwalla Superfood Amazing Purple,{{cite news
|url= http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-143161190.html
|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160210132148/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-143161190.html
|url-status= dead
|archive-date= 2016-02-10
|title= Royal Treatment from Odwalla
|access-date= 2008-08-07
|author=Toops, Diane
|date=February 2006
|work= Food Processing
}} Soy Vanilla,{{cite web|url=http://www.bevindustry.com/Archives_Davinci?article=1996 |title=New Products |access-date=2008-08-07 |publisher=Beverage Industry |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203061859/http://www.bevindustry.com/Archives_Davinci?article=1996 |archive-date=February 3, 2009 }} and Pomegranate Mango drinks.
=Food bars=
In September 1998, Odwalla began to sell energy bars made with fruit and grains, called food bars,{{cite web|url=http://www.odwalla.com/SiteMap.jsp |title=Odwalla Bars |access-date=2008-08-12 |publisher=Odwalla Inc |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607210226/http://www.odwalla.com/SiteMap.jsp |archive-date=June 7, 2008 }} as an alternative to its drinks in an attempt to raise revenue following the 1996 E. coli outbreak. The first three flavors released were Cranberry Citrus, Organic Carrot & Raisin, and Peach Crunch. Within eight weeks of their release, the Odwalla Bar was one of the top-selling energy bar brands in the market.{{cite news|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_March_17/ai_54127122|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710085212/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_March_17/ai_54127122|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-10|title=Odwalla Raises the Bar Again; Chocolate Raspberry and Fruity C Monster Join Odwalla Bar Nourishment Ensemble|date=1999-03-17|work=Business Wire|publisher=BNET|access-date=2008-09-19}} The bars came in a variety of flavors, and weighed {{convert|2|oz|g|abbr=off}} per bar. As of 2001, before Odwalla was acquired by Coca-Cola, food bars accounted for less than five percent of Odwalla's revenue.
See also
{{Portal bar|Companies|Drink|Food|San Francisco Bay Area}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.odwalla.com/ Odwalla]
- {{Twitter}}
{{Coca-Cola brands}}
{{Energy bars}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Drink companies based in California
Category:American companies established in 1980
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1980
Category:1980 establishments in California
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Category:Products introduced in 1980
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Category:Products and services discontinued in 2020
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