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Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Juice Beverage Strawberry
Photo: Open Food Facts contributors (CC BY-SA)

Juices and nectars

Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Juice Beverage Strawberry

16 fl oz

Bad out of 100 Medium confidence
  • Ultra-processed
  • Contains non-nutritive sweeteners
  • Contains added sugars
  • No synthetic dyes
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Why it scores 17

Minute Maid Aguas Frescas Juice Beverage Strawberry scores 17 out of 100 (Bad) under GoodSwap’s published rules. What moved the score most:

  1. High fructose corn syrup: An added sugar. Strong
  2. Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener): An added sugar. Strong
  3. Ultra-processed (NOVA 4): Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. Strong

Every line of the math is on The Receipt below, with its evidence tier and sources.

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The Receipt

Aguas Frescas Juice Beverage Strawberry

START100

Ingredients

  • High fructose corn syrup
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3][4]
  • Fruit juice concentrate (sweetener)
    Strong An added sugar. [1][2][3]
  • Sodium benzoate
    Strong Benzoates can form small amounts of benzene in drinks that also contain ascorbic acid (vitamin C), especially with heat or light. [5][6][7]
  • Sucralose
    Strong In a 2022 randomized study, sucralose and saccharin altered the gut microbiome and impaired glucose responses in some people; a 2023 lab study raised questions about its by-product sucralose-6-acetate. [8][9][10][11][2]
subtotal−50

Processing

  • Ultra-processed (NOVA 4)
    Strong Classified NOVA 4: made with industrial ingredients and additives. [12]
  • 4 kinds of ultra-processing markers
    Emerging Industrial additive classes found: color (added), flavoring, industrial sugar or starch hydrolysate and non-nutritive sweetener. [12]
subtotal−22.5

Nutrition per 100 ml

  • Sugars 4.6 g / 100 ml
    Strong High in sugar. [1]
  • Energy 19 kcal / 100 ml
    Info Energy-dense for its volume. [2]
subtotal−11
TOTAL 17Bad

100 − 83.5 = 16.5 → 17

Can’t score above 79. Contains high fructose corn syrup, an ingredient of high concern. [1][2][3][4]

GTIN 00025000131363 · 2025-09-09

score v1.3.0 · kb 2026.10.11

Medium confidence

Same product, same score. Every time.

Nutrition per 100 ml

Energy19 kcal
Fat0 g
Carbohydrates4.6 g
Sugars4.6 g
Added sugars4.2 g
Protein0 g
Salt0.1 g

Serving: 1 can (16 fl oz)

Ingredients

High Moderate Not recognized Tap an ingredient for its evidence and rules.
Label text, as published

PURE FILTERED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, APPLE JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE, STRAWBERRY JUICE FROM CONCENTRATE, CITRIC ACID (FOR TARTNESS), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF: NATURAL FLAVOR, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE AND SODIUM BENZOATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT TASTE), FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE (FOR COLOR), SUCRALOSE

Allergens and diets

  • Palm-oil-free

Always check the package: recipes change.

Healthiest juices and nectars in the US

More from Minute Maid

Sources

  1. Guideline: sugars intake for adults and children

    World Health Organization · Mar 4, 2015 · Agency assessment

    “In both adults and children, WHO recommends reducing the intake of free sugars to less than 10% of total energy intake”

    who.int

  2. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030

    U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture · January 2026 · Regulator

    “Limit foods and beverages that include artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

    cdn.realfood.gov

  3. Added and free sugars should be as low as possible

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 28, 2022 · Agency assessment

    “Sugar consumption is a known cause of dental caries.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  4. 21 CFR 184.1866 High fructose corn syrup

    Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR), U.S. Office of the Federal Register · Mar 24, 2023 · Law

    “a sweet, nutritive saccharide mixture containing either approximately 42 or 55 percent fructose”

    ecfr.gov

  5. Benzene production from decarboxylation of benzoic acid in the presence of ascorbic acid and a transition-metal catalyst

    Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry · May 1993 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  6. Food additives and hyperactive behaviour in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the community: a randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial

    The Lancet · November 2007 · Peer-reviewed

    “Artificial colours or a sodium benzoate preservative (or both) in the diet result in increased hyperactivity in 3-year-old and 8/9-year-old children in the general population.”

    doi.org

  7. Re-evaluation of benzyl alcohol (E 1519) as food additive (records the 2016 benzoate re-evaluation)

    European Food Safety Authority · Oct 30, 2019 · Agency assessment

    “derived a group ADI of 5 mg/kg bw per day (expressed as benzoic acid) in accordance with the ADI previously derived by SCF and JECFA”

    doi.org

  8. Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance

    Cell · September 2022 · Peer-reviewed

    “As groups, each administered NNS distinctly altered stool and oral microbiome and plasma metabolome, whereas saccharin and sucralose significantly impaired glycemic responses.”

    doi.org

  9. Toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties of sucralose-6-acetate and its parent sucralose: in vitro screening assays

    Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B · Aug 18, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

    “Sucralose-6-acetate significantly increased the expression of genes associated with inflammation, oxidative stress, and cancer”

    doi.org

  10. EFSA finds sucralose safe when used as currently authorised; cannot confirm safety of extending its use

    European Food Safety Authority · Feb 17, 2026 · Agency assessment

    “EFSA’s experts concluded that the sweetener sucralose (E 955) continues to be safe for consumers for its currently authorised uses as a food additive.”

    efsa.europa.eu

  11. WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline

    World Health Organization · May 15, 2023 · Agency assessment

    “The recommendation is based on the findings of a systematic review of the available evidence which suggests that use of NSS does not confer any long-term benefit in reducing body fat in adults or children.”

    who.int

  12. Ultra-processed foods: what they are and how to identify them

    Public Health Nutrition · April 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org

  13. Ultra-processed food exposure and adverse health outcomes: umbrella review of epidemiological meta-analyses

    BMJ · Feb 28, 2024 · Peer-reviewed

    “Greater exposure to ultra-processed food was associated with a higher risk of adverse health outcomes, especially cardiometabolic, common mental disorder, and mortality outcomes.”

    doi.org

  14. Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake

    Cell Metabolism · July 2019 · Peer-reviewed

    doi.org