Most people recognize that Mountain Dew is a citrus soda. However, many people wonder if orange juice is one of the citrus products used to make this classic soda. Read on to find out if there is OJ in Mountain Dew.
Is There Orange Juice in Mountain Dew?
Yes, Mountain Dew has orange juice. In fact, a review of the ingredients below shows that concentrated orange juice is one of the top ingredients in this citrus soda.
Ingredients: Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Concentrated Orange Juice, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Sodium Benzoate Preserves Freshness, Caffeine, Sodium Citrate, Erythorbic Acid Preserves Freshness, Gum Arabic, Calcium Disodium EDTA to Protect Flavor, Brominated Vegetable Oil, Yellow 5
Keep in mind that concentrated orange juice is made by removing water from the oranges. A form of it is sold at grocery stores in the freezer section and is prepared by adding water into the frozen concentrated.
The use of concentrated orange juice in Mountain Dew helps provide its distinct flavor.
How Much Orange Juice in Mountain Dew?
The recipe is a secret of PepsiCo which owns Mountain Dew. Insiders only know the true amount of orange juice in Mountain Dew. However, we speculate that it is minimal with the predominant ingredients being carbonated water and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Is Mountain Dew Healthy?
While Mountain Dew has orange juice, it is not a healthy beverage. A 12-ounce serving has 170 calories and 46 grams of sugar. All sugar is added to this soda.
To put the sugar content of a 12-ounce Mountain Dew into perspective, 4 grams of sugar are equal to a teaspoon of sugar. So, the 46 grams of sugar in Mountain Dew is equivalent to 11.5 teaspoons of sugar. It goes without saying, but that’s a lot of sugar!
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends maximum added sugar for women of 6 teaspoons (24 grams) per day and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men. In other words, if you drink one 12-ounce can of Mountain Dew, you will exceed your recommended sugar intake for the day no matter your gender.
Furthermore, Mountain Dew is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, not real sugar. According to the Cleveland Clinic, overconsuming HFCS can result in obesity, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.
We could go on about how Mountain Dew is unhealthy but we don’t want to stray too far from the purpose of this article. In short, just because Mountain Dew has some orange juice, by no means does this mean it is healthy.
Do Other Citrus Sodas Have Orange Juice?
Mountain Dew is undoubtedly the king of citrus sodas. While we established it contains orange juice, do its competitors also use orange juice or concentrated orange juice to make their citrus sodas?
As you can see below, it depends on the product. Some citrus sodas use orange juice concentrate while others do not simply based on a review of the ingredients.
| Soda | Contains Concentrated OJ? | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|
| Mello Yello | Yes | Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Concentrated Orange Juice, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Benzoate And Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect Taste), Potassium Citrate, Caffeine, Yellow 5, Carob Bean Gum. |
| Surge | Yes | Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Orange Juice Concentrate, Potassium Benzoate (To Protect Taste), Potassium Citrate, Caffeine, Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect Taste), Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Carob Bean Gum, Blue 1. |
| Mountain Lightning (Walmart brand) | Yes | Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Orange Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Gum Acacia, Potassium Citrate, Potassium Benzoate (Preservative), Caffeine, Calcium Disodium Edta (To Protect Flavor), Brominated Vegetable Oil, Yellow 5. |
| Big K Citrus Drop (Kroger brand) | Yes | Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Sodium Citrate, Orange Juice Concentrate, Gum Acacia, Caffeine, Natural Flavors, Ester Gum, Yellow 5. |
| Faygo Moon Mist | No | Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Potassium Benzoate (Preservative), Natural Flavor, Caffeine, Sucralose, Gum Acacia, Glycerol Ester of Wood Rosin, Brominated Vegetable Oil, Yellow 5. |
| Mountain Zevia | No | Carbonated Water, Stevia Leaf Extract, Natural Flavors, Caffeine, Citric Acid. |
| Mountain Breeze (Safeway brand) | No | Carbonated Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Citric Acid, Natural Flavors, Sodium Benzoate (Preservative), Sodium Citrate, Caffeine, Gum Acacia, Calcium Disodium EDTA (to Protect Flavor), Ester Gum, Yellow 5. |
