# What does "1% juice" mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 12, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293 "2012-01-12T15:55:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cookie\_eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b19c9b/32.png) [@cookie\_eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cookie_eater)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/1 "2012-01-12T15:55:34Z")
I remember an old Sunny D commercial where at the very end it was quickly said “contains one percent juice.” What exactly does that mean? What is the other 99 percent? Additives? If so, why would that be mentioned on the very front of the juice carton instead of in fine print? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/2 "2012-01-12T16:06:30Z")
The other 99% is water, sugar, and flavorings. The “1%” in the ad (and also very likely on the label) is there because they call it a “juice drink”, and there is likely some legal requirement to display how much actual juice is in it (so that consumers don’t get fooled into thinking they’re buying actual fruit juice). ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/3 "2012-01-12T16:08:34Z")
Sunny D is not juice, it’s just a fruit flavored “drink” that happens to have a little bit of juice in it. I thought it was slightly more than 1% juice (maybe 5%), but, regardless, the vast majority of the product is water, HFCS, and some flavoring. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/4 "2012-01-12T16:12:21Z")
And, as an aside, SunnyD actually makes for a pretty decent marinade for steak fajitas and chicken. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/5 "2012-01-12T17:27:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > And, as an aside, SunnyD actually makes for a pretty decent marinade for steak fajitas and chicken. I’d prefer not to marinate my food in high fructose corn syrup, but thanks anyway. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/6 "2012-01-12T17:32:38Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > The other 99% is water, sugar, and flavorings. > > The “1%” in the ad (and also very likely on the label) is there because they call it a “juice drink”, and there is likely some legal requirement to display how much actual juice is in it (so that consumers don’t get fooled into thinking they’re buying actual fruit juice). I’d pretty much have to agree with this. Even with 1% they can still technically say it contains real fruit juice and call it a juice drink. If it contained no juice, they couldn’t say that and would have to call it something else, like a sports drink or soft drink. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/7 "2012-01-12T17:33:01Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > I’d prefer not to marinate my food in high fructose corn syrup, but thanks anyway. :eek: I usually use plain lime juice, myself, or lime juice and some garlic, but I tried SunnyD after learning that it’s pretty common for tacquerias in the Southwest or LA area to use it for steak and chicken. And it actually is pretty good. I don’t really consume much HFCS anywhere else, so it doesn’t bother me one bit. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/8 "2012-01-12T17:52:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I usually use plain lime juice, myself, or lime juice and some garlic, but I tried SunnyD after learning that it’s pretty common for tacquerias in the Southwest or LA area to use it for steak and chicken. And it actually is pretty good. I don’t really consume much HFCS anywhere else, so it doesn’t bother me one bit. To each their own, but… **Sunny D Ingredients:** _Water, High Fructose, Corn Syrup and 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Concentrated Juices (Orange, Tangerine, Apple, Lime, Grapefruit). Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Beta-Carotene, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Natural Flavors, Food Starch-Modified, Canola Oil, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Benzoate To Protect Flavor, Yellow #5, Yellow #6_ Ick :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/9 "2012-01-12T17:54:39Z")
You should also be aware of the use of deflavored juice. This is a method of taking a fruit juice (usually grape although apple and pear are also used) and removing all of the taste and color. What you’re left with is sugar and water, which is then used as sweetener. But the manufacturer can put “100% fruit juice” on the label. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/10 "2012-01-12T17:56:27Z")
I love the way vitamins are added to make it seem “nutritious.” ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/11 "2012-01-12T18:00:43Z")
So, fructose is considered toxic now? Better not be eating any, you know, fruit. ---
**Author:** ![Snow\_Pea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Snow\_Pea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snow_Pea)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/12 "2012-01-12T18:04:32Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > So, fructose is considered toxic now? Better not be eating any, you know, fruit. No. Please educate your self about the difference between HFCS and fruit. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/13 "2012-01-12T18:07:03Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > **Sunny D Ingredients:** > _Water, High Fructose, Corn Syrup and 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Concentrated Juices (Orange, Tangerine, Apple, Lime, Grapefruit). Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Beta-Carotene, Thiamin Hydrochloride (Vitamin B1), Natural Flavors, Food Starch-Modified, Canola Oil, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Sodium Benzoate To Protect Flavor, Yellow #5, Yellow #6_ > > Ick > :eek: Why Ick? There’s nothing there that’s all that controversial or even unusual. You probably shouldn’t be consuming vast quantities of sugary drinks, but again, that’s hardly controversial. > [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > Please educate your self about the difference between HFCS and fruit. :rolleyes: You might want to take your own advice. The sugar in HFCS is fruit sugar. The quantity of such sugar that Americans consume daily is rather large, but there’s nothing about the ingredient itself that is necessarily unhealthy. Also, companies shouldn’t be using it in so many products (like, why is it in bread?), but that’s part of the “quantity” thing. So, it’s like salt. We shouldn’t eat so much of it, but it finds its way into a lot of the stuff at the store. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/14 "2012-01-12T18:09:43Z")
Allows you to tell yourself your are drinking juice but you are not. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/15 "2012-01-12T18:12:06Z")
1% juice is foo-foo stuff like hand-picked Elbonian Loganberry-Passionfruit extract that Wall Street bankers love. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/16 "2012-01-12T18:15:30Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > Please educate your self about the difference between HFCS and fruit. The fructose in HFCS is ritually unclean whereas the fructose in an apple is ritually clean? ---
**Author:** ![Hero\_From\_Sector\_7G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@Hero\_From\_Sector\_7G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hero_From_Sector_7G)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/17 "2012-01-12T18:30:34Z")
I don’t know much about the ill-effects of HFCS, but even a cursory glance at the wikipedia page is enough to give pause. Research into the topic is relatively new, and preliminary studies are mixed. The resident zealots on each side sound a bit foolish, IMO. [Health Effects of High Fructose Corn Syrup](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_high-fructose_corn_syrup) ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/18 "2012-01-12T18:46:34Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I usually use plain lime juice, myself, or lime juice and some garlic, but I tried SunnyD after learning that it’s pretty common for tacquerias in the Southwest or LA area to use it for steak and chicken. And it actually is pretty good. I don’t really consume much HFCS anywhere else, so it doesn’t bother me one bit. I would think that the HFCS would help in the browning, especially on the chicken. Just a guess. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/19 "2012-01-12T18:46:50Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > And, as an aside, SunnyD actually makes for a pretty decent marinade for steak fajitas and chicken. That doesn’t sound bad at all. How long do you marinade the chicken with Sunny D? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2012, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293/20 "2012-01-12T18:51:34Z")
> [@Snow\_Pea](#): > > To each their own, but… > > **…** > > Ick > :eek: Just curious, do you ever eat pancakes? Put anything on 'em? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-1-juice-mean/609293.md?page=2)