We get that one a lot. We don't blame you if you've been pronouncing it with a silent K, like "know." But it's pronounced Ka-Noot-Son. Now you know!

Fruit juice concentrates are fruit juices with most of the water removed. Most whole fruit juices naturally are 80 percent to 90 percent water.

During the harvest, the ripened fruit is picked, thoroughly washed and pressed into juice. The fruit juice is concentrated by being placed in a low-pressure chamber, which draws off water with a minimum application of heat. We only add water to the juice concentrates to reconstitute them into whole fruit juice.

There are two main reasons we use fruit juice concentrates:

• Variety: Although R.W. Knudsen Family presses many fresh fruits into juice, the use of fruit juice concentrates has enabled us to offer a variety of innovative juice-blend flavors.
• Quality: R.W. Knudsen Family concentrates are produced when the desired fruits are at their best quality. This allows R.W. Knudsen Family to combine Oregon-grown strawberries that are at their peak of perfection in June with California-grown apples that are ripe in September.

R.W. Knudsen Family brand takes great pride to deliver innovative products that are made with high-quality and wholesome ingredients. We are as committed today as our founder Russel W. Knudsen was more than 50 years ago when he produced his first bottle of Organic Concord Grape juice. Recently, we enrolled the entire line of R.W. Knudsen items in the non-GMO Project verified program and to date 99% of the items are verified non-GMO. We believe in label transparency and will continue to evaluate all new and remaining products according to the strict Non-GMO Project verified third party standards. Our goal is to have 100% of the R.W. Knudsen products verified Non-GMO. We support and adhere to all federal labeling laws. Additionally, by voluntarily labeling our items with the Non-GMO Project verified logo we pledge to provide our consumers with choice and transparency.

R.W. Knudsen Family uses a mild-flavored juice concentrate as a sweetener to enhance the flavor of the fruit and to balance the acidity found in certain fruit juices, especially cranberry, raspberry, cherry and apricot. R.W. Knudsen Family uses only natural and organic ingredients to help enhance its juices and formulates all of its products to achieve a delicious taste.

Natural flavors are generally sourced from botanical ingredients, such as fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices. The use of natural flavors serves two purposes: First, it increases the impact of the fruit character and taste, adding "flavor notes" not possible from the juice by itself. Second, it provides a special flavor that makes our juice-blend recipes different from other brands.

Our natural flavors are generally derived from botanical sources. As important as it is to know what the natural flavors contain, it also is important to know what they do not contain. Our natural flavors do not contain refined sugars, preservatives, artificial flavors, petroleum derivatives or monosodium glutamate (MSG). All of R.W. Knudsen Family suppliers provide signed affidavits certifying their products do not contain any of the aforementioned ingredients.

For the best quality and freshness, we would suggest consuming our R.W. Knudsen Family juices within 10 days after they are opened and refrigerated.

Quality Assurance International performs our organic certification. QAI is an accredited certifying agent under the USDA's National Organic Program. Please visit their website at www.qai-inc.com for more information.

R.W. Knudsen Family products labeled "organic" contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients, excluding water or salt. These products are labeled "organic" and carry the USDA seal on the primary display panel.

Quality products begin with quality ingredients and we employ comprehensive procurement procedures to ensure our products contain only the finest ingredients from reputable suppliers.

In the majority of cases, we source our ingredients from within the United States; some items, however, are not available within the domestic supply chain and are sourced from outside of the country. When we source from locations outside the United States, you can be assured these ingredients also meet our high quality-assurance standards.

All of our R.W. Knudsen Family juices are pasteurized. Located around the rim of the bottle cap in red lettering is our pasteurization statement: "Pasteurized for your safety."

Careful consideration of our consumers' likes and dislikes plays a vital role in the continuous efforts to improve our products. We recognize that meeting the needs of our consumers is an extremely important part of the success of our business. As you might imagine, we receive numerous communications from individuals regarding new product ideas and/or recipes.

Since we constantly are reviewing and developing new items, we have adopted a policy, like many companies, of not accepting or pursuing new product-related suggestions from outside of our company.

In most cases, water is the predominant ingredient in our fruit blends, which are made from concentrates. The amount of water always is going to be greater than the amount of concentrate; therefore, it must be listed first on the ingredient list.

If you have difficulty locating your favorite R.W. Knudsen Family products, find out where to buy them here: https://www.rwknudsenfamily.com/locator

You also may be interested in checking with some local, natural food stores in your area. If you would like to see the products available at a particular grocer in your area, we encourage you to speak with your local store managers and request these items be given shelf space.

We partner with local retailers and grocery stores to provide coupons either in-store or through their advertising circulars. Sign up here for our e-newsletter to be the first to know!

We recognize individuals with food allergies face particular challenges when making everyday food choices, and we are committed to providing consumers with as much information as possible about the ingredients in our products. Additionally, we follow all relevant U.S. Food and Drug Administration labeling requirements, which includes clearly disclosing the presence of any of the Top Eight Allergenic Foods: milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans.

For the most up-to-date and correct information, we suggest checking the ingredient information located on your package.

The following R.W. Knudsen Family products are verified "gluten-free." The "gluten-free" claim can be found on the label next to the list of ingredients:

R.W. Knudsen Family Spritzer Sparkling Beverages

R.W. Knudsen Family Recharge^® Sports Beverage Mixes (powder)

It is important to note the FDA has not yet defined the term "gluten-free" or established rules for making a "gluten-free" claim on a food product; however, "gluten-free" claims are permitted, and each manufacturer is responsible for determining whether or not its products are "gluten-free."

We have established the following stringent criteria based on the FDA's proposed rules for making "gluten-free" claims:

• Ingredient Screening - The ingredient cannot contain gluten sources, such as wheat, rye, barley or their derivatives or hybrids. We also review for the presence of oats.
• Testing - While there currently is not a commercially available test to detect the presence of oats, the product must be tested to verify it contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten.
• Manufacturing Procedures - In addition, facilities that manufacture verified "gluten-free" products must have a comprehensive gluten management program. All equipment used in the manufacture of products containing any gluten or oat source must be cleaned thoroughly prior to producing a product that is "gluten-free." These procedures must be validated and inspected after each clean-up.

While we have verified "gluten-free" products (see items listed above), the remainder of our products do not contain ingredients derived from gluten; however, these products do not meet our established criteria for a "gluten-free" claim for one or more reasons.

Ensuring the most accurate information is provided to our customers and consumers is a key priority for The J.M. Smucker Company. The information provided relates to our products as of September 30, 2011. Changes to product formulations and ingredients do occur periodically, which could result in modifications to product information. Since it is not feasible to connect all points of distribution, The J.M. Smucker Company disclaims any responsibility to update this information. At any time, the most current product information is available by contacting our Company.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration, there is no current evidence that the virus is transmitted through processed food. Given this, there is no threat of contracting coronavirus through the consumption of any R.W. Knudsen Family products.  

All of our R.W. Knudsen Family products are produced in manufacturing facilities in the USA.

At this point in time, we are working with all of our retail partners to ensure we meet their needs and those of their consumers.

The health and safety of our people is always at the forefront of our minds. We will continue following the guidance of local, national and international agencies to inform our decisions and ensure our employees’ continued safety. 

We are continuing to work with our national partners, which include the United Way, Red Cross and Feeding America, among others, to provide support to the people and communities in need.

It is possible that recent concerns around coronavirus are impacting the availability of our products at your preferred retailer. Please know that we are committed to supplying our products to all our retail partners, and our teams are actively managing our business to minimize any disruption. In the meantime, our product locator can help you find other stores in your area that carry our products. We would also recommend considering online purchasing outlets to have our products delivered to you.