A system and method are disclosed for the processing of a citrus juice for packaging in which the juice is sparged with numerous small bubbles of nitrogen gas at one or more locations during the processing to reduce the levels of dissolved oxygen in the juice and the levels of oxygen in the packaging head space to improve the taste and sensory qualities of the citrus juice and/or to introduce turbulence to the juice. The resulting citrus juice has a dissolved oxygen level less than 0.45 ppm.