| V8 Vegetable Juice | |
| Type: | Vegetable juice |
| Currentowner: | Campbell's |
| Origin: | United States |
| Markets: | North America, U.K., Australia |
V8 Vegetable Juice, sometimes simply referred to as V8, is a trademarked name for a number of beverage products sold worldwide that are made from eight vegetables, or a mixture of vegetables and fruits. Since 1948, the brand has been owned by the Campbell Soup Company.[1]
The original V8 vegetable juice was tomato-based and got its name from the fact that it contained juice from eight different vegetables.
V8 Juice was discontinued in the UK in 2023.[2]
The original V8 is a savory juice. It is made mainly from water and tomato concentrate, and reconstituted vegetable juice blend: water and concentrate of eight vegetables, specifically: beets, celery, carrots, lettuce, parsley, watercress, spinach, and tomato. Campbell's has produced several varieties of the drink, such as Original, Spicy Hot, Hint of Black Pepper, Lemon, Picante, Low-Sodium, and Organic.[3]
Three spin-offs of the V8 brand, "V8 Energy", "V8 Splash" and "V8 V•Fusion", are blends of fruit and vegetable (specifically carrot) juices. V8 Splash is a juice cocktail partially sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup and sucralose; diet versions of V8 Splash omit the high-fructose corn syrup. V8 Energy also classifies as a cocktail and is partially sweetened with sucralose. V•Fusion is made from 100% juice.
V8 Vegetable Juice was developed by Frank Constable of Chicago, Illinois, who worked as a contractor for W.G. Peacock (1896–1948), the founder of the New England Products Company, which manufactured individual vegetable juices under the brand name Vege-min since 1933. Tomato juice made up around 87% of the original drink.[4] [5] In 1947, Frank Constable devised a new formula for the "Vege-min 8 Vegetable Cocktail Juice", which remains today. The product was named by Constable after the V8 engine, the most powerful at the time. In 1948, the Campbell Soup Company acquired the brand from the Charles Loudon Packing Company in Terre Haute, Indiana, and has maintained continuous production of the beverage through the present day.[6]
A few cocktail drinks use V8, most famously the "bloody eight" or "eight ball", which is a Bloody Mary with V8 instead of tomato juice.[7] Clamato, with a taste profile more savory than V8, is also common in variations.
V8 also markets a Bloody Mary Mix under its vegetable juice line. The composition is more traditional, using only tomato and lemon juices.[3]
Campbell's also makes sweet-flavored V8 100% Fruit & Vegetable Juice, combining vegetable juice with fruit juices for one serving of vegetables and one serving of fruits. This is available elsewhere as V8 V-Fusion. They are also sold in "light" versions containing 50% juice (1/2 serving of vegetables and 1/2 serving of fruits) with added flavors to reduce calorie content.[8] [9] V8 V-Fusion + Tea was recently introduced. It contains a 1/2 serving of vegetables and a 1/2 serving of fruits.[9]
Some varieties are composed of:
In Australia the V8 range includes 100% Fruit & Vegetable Juice, combining vegetable juice with fruit juices for one serving of vegetables and one serving of fruit, in the following flavors:⠀
In 2015 the V8 Power Blend range was also launched in Australia, these 100% Vegetable Juice & Fruit juices contain 2 servings of vegetables are available in the following flavors:
V8 also manufactures a line of juice-based energy drinks, sold in individual aluminum cans. Each includes 80 mg of caffeine (from green tea) per serving and is fortified with B vitamins. V8 Energy drinks are typically lower in sugar per fluid ounce compared to its juices, with the drinks partially sweetened with sucralose; other than caffeine, V8 Energy does not contain any of the various other stimulants (such as taurine, guarana, carnitine, inositol or glucoronolactone) found in other energy drinks.
Example nutrition information for V8 Vegetable Juice:
| Servings per package: 1 | |||
| Serving size: 250 ml | |||
| Average qty per serving | Average qty per 100 g | ||
| Energy | 165 kJ (40 cal) | 66 kJ (16 cal) | |
| Protein | 2.4 g | 1.0 g | |
| Fat | |||
| - Total | Nil | Nil | |
| - Saturated | Nil | Nil | |
| Carbohydrate | |||
| - Total | 6.3 g | 2.5 g | |
| - Sugars | 6.3 g | 2.5 g | |
| Sodium | 660 mg | 263 mg | |
| Vitamin A | 325 μg (40%)^ | 130 μg | |
| Vitamin C | 52 mg (130%)^ | 21 mg | |
| Nutrition Facts | ||
| Serving Size 1 can | ||
| Amount Per Serving | ||
| Energy 60 cal (250 kJ) | Calories from Fat 0 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 0 g | 0% | |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 0% | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 0 mg | 0% | |
| Sodium 920 mg | 40% | |
| Potassium 680 mg | 15% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 13 g | 5% | |
| Dietary Fiber 3 g | 11% | |
| Sugars 10 g | ||
| Protein 3 g | ||
| Vitamin A | 30% | |
| Vitamin C | 110% | |
| Calcium | 4% | |
| Iron | 6% | |