Product Development

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Proven leadership in extending markets Developing new products has always been a priority at Welch's

It is the spirit of innovation Thomas Welch established when he first pasteurized grape juice in 1869. From Concord Grape Jelly in 1923 to Tomato Juice in 1927 to frozen Grape Juice concentrate in 1949 to JuiceMakers Shelf-Stable Pourable Concentrates in 1996 and beyond, Welch's has been a leader in extending markets for wholesome juices and other fruit-based products.

Today, with our state-of-the-art Technology Center and pilot plant in Billerica, Massachusetts and Regional Business Managers involved in local markets, we are well positioned to continue that leadership.

In 2000, 29% of our sales came from products we developed in the past five years. The trend continues. This type of new product innovation and performance is well above the industry average of 10%. It works because we stand behind every product with proven tools, from taste tests to television advertising, packaging to public relations.

While grape juice remains the backbone of our product assortment, our portfolio now contains an array of exciting fruits and fruit blend floavors:

• Purple Grape, White Grape, Red Grape, Sparkling Grape, Peach, Orange, Apple, Strawberry, Cranberry, Carrot, Pear, Raspberry, Guava, Pineapple, Watermelon and Tomato

Our product portfolio also includes a variety of innovative and consumer convieient product forms:

• Juices and Juice Drinks
  • Refrigerated
  • Single-Serve
  • Shelf-Stable Concentrates
  • Frozen
• Spreads
• Frozen Juice Bars
• Sparkling Products
• Fresh Fruit

Some Helpful Product Definitions:

Jelly, Jam, Preserves and Spreads: (A Blend Of)

• Fruit Pectin: To provide proper consistency and texture 
• Sweeteners: such as sugar and corn syrup for added flavor and to provide the sugar required to create the proper texture of pectin
• Citric Acid: To enhance product flavor and provide the correct level of acidity to create the proper texture of pectin

Fruit:

• Jelly: Made from fruit juice
• Jam: Made from pureed fruit
• Preserves: Made from whole fruit
• Spreads: Made from whole fruit and/or pureed fruit

Fruit Juice Drink and Fruit Juice Cocktail:

Fruit juice beverages that contain less than 100% juice. The percentage of juice appears on the Nutrition Facts grid on the product label. These beverages are a blend of and may contain some or all of the following:

• Real Fruit Juice
• Sweeteners: Such as sugar and corn syrup, for flavor
• Citric Acid: To balance sweetness
• Other Ingredients: Such as flavor, color and vitamins to enhance the overall quality of the product

100% Fruit Juice is an all fruit-juice product. It may be a single fruit juice (such as grape or orange) or blend of fruit juices (such as white grape peach). A 100% juice product also may contain added vitamins or minerals, such as Vitamin C, that do not dilute the juice.