The deacidification of citrus juice with ion exchange resin is described. Maintaining a high acid condition of the juice is achieved by passing the juice through regenerated resin that is preconditioned with an aqueous food-grade acid, preferably citric acid. Additionally or optionally, an early bed volume or multiple early bed volumes of juice flow are at a rapid flow rate. The products obtained also are described, and they may be any deacidified citrus juice or juice blend where the pH of the juice does not rise above that of an acid food pH for the juice during deacidification. In preferred embodiments, the juice product is orange juice. In another preferred embodiment, the conditioning process is used to provide a deacidified citrus juice product while avoiding raising the pH of any portion of the juice to 4.6 or above so as to control microbial growth of the juice.