V8 (beverage)

For other uses of "V8" and "V8 engine" see V8 (disambiguation) and V8 engine (disambiguation).

V8 Vegetable Juice

Type	Vegetable juice
Owner	Campbell Soup Company
Country	United States
Introduced	1933
Markets	United States United Kingdom Australia Canada Mexico
Website	http://www.v8juice.com/

V8 Vegetable Juice is a trademark name for beverage products sold worldwide and made from either seven vegetables plus tomatoes or a mixture of vegetables, tomatoes, and other fruits. The brand is owned by the Campbell Soup Company.

The original V8 got its name from the fact that it contained the juices of eight different vegetables, as well as being a reference to the V8 engine.

V8 vegetable juice

The original V8 is made mainly from tomatoes and the juices from seven vegetables, specifically: beets, celery, carrots, lettuce, parsley, watercress, and spinach. Tomato juice comprises around 87% of the total drink. Campbell's has produced several varieties of the drink, such as Original, Spicy Hot, Lemon, Picante, Roasted Chicken, Low-Sodium, and Organic.

Two spin-offs of the V8 brand, "V8 Splash", and "V8 V•Fusion", are blends of fruit and vegetable (specifically carrot) juices. V8 Splash is sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup and Sucralose or just Splenda in Diet V8 Splash, while V•Fusion is made from 100% juice and contains a daily serving of both fruits and vegetables per 8 fl oz (240 mL) glass. The label says 100% vegetable juice, however, it contains other ingredients as well.

History

An American child during World War II receives his ration book alongside a can of V8.

V8 Vegetable Juice was developed by W.G. Peacock (1896–1948), the founder of the New England Products Company, which manufactured individual vegetable juices under the brand name Vege-min. Having had only mediocre sales success, in 1933 Peacock began blending the Vege-min juices into one product and selling this new concoction as "Vege-min 8". A grocer in Evanston, Illinois, recommended that he shorten the name to simply "V-8". In 1948, the Campbell Soup Company acquired the brand, and has maintained continuous production of the beverage through the present day.

Derivative beverages

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.

V8 fruit & vegetable juice

V8 Vegetable Juice

In countries such as the UK and Australia, Campbell's also makes V8 100% Fruit & Vegetable Juice, combining vegetable juice with fruit juices for one serving of vegetables and one serving of fruits. This is now 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. V8 V-Fusion + Tea was recently introduced. It also contains a 1/2 serving of vegetables and a 1/2 serving of fruits.

Some varieties are composed of:

• Strawberry Banana: Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Carrots, Beets, White Grapes, Oranges, Apples, Strawberries, Bananas and Banana Puree.
• Pomegranate Blueberry: Sweet Potatoes, Purple Carrots, Tomatoes, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes.
• Tropical Orange: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Yellow Tomatoes, Squash, White Grapes, Oranges, Pineapples.
• Peach Mango: Sweet Potatoes, Yellow Tomatoes, Squash, White Grapes, Oranges, Peaches, Mangoes.
• Acai Mixed Berry: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes, Acai Berries, Blueberries, Limes.
• Cranberry Blackberry: Sweet Potatoes, Purple Carrots, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes, Cranberry, Blackberry, Lemon Juice.
• Goii Raspberry: Sweet Potatoes, Purple Carrots, Carrots, Apples, White Grapes, Cherries, Strawberries, Blackberry, Oranges, Goii, Red Raspberry, Lemon Juice.

The Australian flavour variants are Tropical, Melon Burst, Citrus Splash, Apple, Carrot & Ginger, and Apple Plum Fusion.

Other varieties include V8 Splash.

Nutrition

Example nutrition information for V8 Vegetable Juice:

Nutrition Data (Australia)

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
Vitaming A	325 µg (40%)^	130 µg
Vitamin C	52 mg (130%)^	21 mg

11.5 fluid ounce (340 mL) can of V8 100% Vegetable Juice (United States)

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 can
Amount Per Serving
Energy 70 cal (290 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 600 mg	29%
Potassium 670 mg	19%
Total Carbohydrate 14 g	5%
Dietary Fiber 3 g	12%
Sugars 11 g
Protein 3 g
Vitamin A	60%
Vitamin C	170%
Calcium	4%
Iron	4%

Slogans

• Drink V8 Keep Your Diet Straight (1990s)
• Drink Smarter (2000–2005)
• Drink It. Feel It. (2003–2004)
• Could've Had a V8 (2007–present)
• What's Your Number? (2008–present)

External links

• V8 Beverages site (US)
• V8 Beverages site (UK)
• V8 Campbell's site (Australia)
• Detailed nutritional data at NutritionData.com for the low-sodium version
• V8 Beverages site (Mexico)
• V8 Juice from PracticallyEdible.com