My diet:

Orange juice (Concentrate)

No E-numberFruits & vegetablesOrigin: Plant
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Every diet

VeganYes
Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoNo

A large glass has about 25 grams of carbohydrate, nearly all of it sugar.

Low-FODMAPDepends

A small glass is low FODMAP, a large one is not because of the fructose.

The short answer
Orange juice is a food rather than an additive, but a large glass is sugar with water in it and carries about 25 grams of carbohydrate. It suits most people; keep the glass small if you are watching sugar or blood glucose.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFruits & vegetables
Glycemic index51
Daily limitNot set
Also calledOrange juice, Orange juice concentrate

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Orange juice is a food, not an additive, so it has no E-number. It is sold as fresh juice, as concentrate, and as juice from concentrate, and the label has to say which. A fortified orange juice may carry added vitamin D or calcium, and a nutrient added for that purpose has to appear on the nutrition panel.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

A cup of orange juice is about 240 grams and holds roughly 25 grams of carbohydrate, almost all of it fructose and glucose, with only a trace of fibre left after the pulp is strained out. Per 100 grams it is around 45 calories and 8.4 grams of sugar, and its glycemic index of about 51 sits in the middle of the scale. A whole orange keeps the pulp, so it takes longer to eat and the sugar arrives more slowly.

Where it comes from: Orange juice is the pressed flesh of oranges, sold either as it comes from the fruit or as a concentrate that is later diluted with water. Filtering takes out most of the pulp, which is why concentrate can taste flatter than the pressed stuff.

Why it’s in food

  • As a breakfast drink
  • Sweetening drinks and desserts
  • Adding citrus flavour to a sauce
  • Blending into smoothies
  • Flavouring sorbet and ice cream

Often found in

Orange juice drinksBreakfast smoothiesMarmalade and jellySorbetMuffins and breakfast barsBreakfast cereals

Also listed as: Orange juice, Orange juice concentrate, Juice from concentrate, Orange juice from concentrate

Health & gut impact

Free sugarConcern

A 240 gram glass holds about 20 grams of sugar, and every gram of it is free sugar. WHO advice is to keep free sugars below 10 percent of daily energy intake, and juice is an easy way to pass that limit without noticing what you are drinking.

WHO, sugars intake guideline for adults and children

Vitamin CBenefit

A 240 millilitre glass of orange juice delivers roughly 90 milligrams of vitamin C, more than the daily reference value of 80 milligrams that EFSA sets for adults. That is the one part of the glass that is not sugar.

USDA FoodData Central, orange juice

Fructose loadUnder study

Fructose is handled mostly by the liver rather than the small intestine, so a large glass delivers a lot of it at once. People who get bloating or pain after fruit often find that a small glass is fine and a large one is not.

NHS, irritable bowel syndrome

What can I use instead?

Whole oranges

Ratio: Eat two for every glass of juice

Best for: The same vitamin C with the pulp and the fibre still in

Lemon juice

Ratio: Use a quarter of the volume and dilute with water

Best for: Sharper acidity in a salad dressing or a sauce

Apple juice concentrate

Ratio: Use a third more, it is milder and less sharp

Best for: Smoothies and baking, where the sweetness matters more than the citrus

Related

More fruits & vegetables:

Lemon juiceLemon juice is a food, not an additive, and one of the easiest ingredients to live with: no fat and barely any carbohydrate. Use it for flavour instead of salt or heavy sauces, and check concentrates, which are far sharper.Generally safeRaisinsRaisins are dried grapes, and drying concentrates the sugar: a small handful has about 20 grams of carbohydrate, nearly all of it sugar. They are safe and gluten-free, but they are fruit candy in a wrapper, so count them if you watch blood glucose.Use in moderationSweetcornSweetcorn is a vegetable, not an additive, and one of the few starchy vegetables that counts as a vegetable on most diets. It is vegan, gluten-free and safe, but a cob is around 30 grams of carbohydrate, so it does not fit a keto plate.Generally safeTomato pasteTomato paste is a concentrated food, not an additive, and it carries no E-number. It is safe for nearly everyone, and it is the cheapest way for a maker to add real tomato solids to a sauce. Check the label for added salt and sugar.Generally safe

Common questions

Is orange juice from concentrate as good as fresh?

The vitamin C is largely there either way, because it is added back after processing. The flavour is not: concentrate goes through heat and storage, and that flattens the aroma a little.

Is orange juice a good substitute for an orange?

Only partly. The vitamin C matches, but the fibre and the pulp are gone, so the sugar arrives faster and you lose the feeling of fullness that comes from chewing the fruit.

Does orange juice have added sugar?

Good orange juice does not. Sweetened orange drink does, and the label has to say so, but that is a different product from 100 percent orange juice, whatever the carton calls it.

How much orange juice fits a low-carb diet?

A small glass of 150 millilitres is around 15 grams of carbohydrate, nearly all of it sugar. Past that it stops fitting most low-carb plans, so measure it rather than pouring it.

Is Orange juice safe?

Use in moderation (78/100). Orange juice is a food, not an additive, so it has no E-number. It is sold as fresh juice, as concentrate, and as juice from concentrate, and the label has to say which. A fortified orange juice may carry added vitamin D or calcium, and a nutrient added for that purpose has to appear on the nutrition panel.

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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • WHO, sugars intake guideline for adults and children
  • USDA FoodData Central, orange juice
  • NHS, irritable bowel syndrome