SK Energy CEO Chris Clarke tells BeverageDaily.com about rapper Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson’s passion for their energy shot brand, and plans to cement the US No.2 spot by selling 40-50m units in 2013.
CEO LARRY YOUNG WARNS ATTACKS ON CARBONATES WILL CONTINUE
Dr Pepper Snapple CEO Larry Young warns that US health lobby attacks on carbonates will persist, as his firm gears up to spend millions marketing new 2013 launches on its ‘critical’ low-calorie TEN platform.
CONSTELLATION BRANDS APPEARS CLEAR WINNER UNDER REVISED DEAL TERMS
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has agreed to sell a massive Grupo Modelo brewery to Constellation Brands as part of a $2.9bn transaction, to defuse a US legal fight over its takeover of the Mexican brewer.
Growth in the US sports nutrition market has been pretty explosive in recent years, but the failure of high profile launches such as PepsiCo’s Gatorade G Series Fit range shows that even the biggest players sometimes get things badly wrong, says one market...
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has upped the ante in its crusade against sugary drinks with a petition calling on the FDA to reassess the GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status of sucrose and high fructose corn syrup in beverages.
A new study provides “compelling” evidence that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and table sugar (sucrose) do not increase fat levels in the liver when consumed in ‘real-world conditions’, says it co-author Dr James Rippe.
Coca-Cola chief executive Muhtar Kent says he has resolved to find “meaningful solutions to the complex issue of obesity” and is “personally committed” to leveraging the company’s resources to tackle the problem.
A small minority of energy drink consumers regularly drink more than one can/shot in one sitting; the peak time for knocking back an energy drink or shot is 3-9pm; and the most popular energy drink combo is Red Bull and 5-Hour Energy.
PepsiCo brand Mountain Dew will launch a new fruit juice and coffee-based drink across the US from February 25 to provide a morning ‘pick me up’, and tap a key 2013 ‘natural energy’ trend.
A new position statement from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) which can be paraphrased as 'there is no such thing as good and bad foods, only good and bad diets' is eminently sensible, but will play into the hands of 'junk'...
Big Interview: Brad Kloss, founder and CEO, FitPro
Launching a new product into the ultra-competitive ready-to-drink (RTD) protein shake market is not for the faint-hearted. But being a minnow in a pool of sharks doesn’t faze the founder of FitPro, who reckons he can give Muscle Milk a run for its money.
Cranberry giant Ocean Spray has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% and its transportation costs by 40% on a major distribution route by bringing supply closer to demand with a new distribution center and partnering with a competitor.
While the growth of the US energy drinks and shots market has been nothing short of explosive - last year it was worth $12.5bn, up 60% since 2008 - manufacturers will need to attract new users if they are to sustain such meteoric levels of growth, says...
PepsiCo has reportedly strengthened its relationship with US PR firm Weber Shandwick, by briefing the latter to oversee an extension of its AMP energy portfolio that taps the brand’s racing heritage.
While brominated vegetable oil (BVO) has been sitting on a list of food additives “permitted on an interim basis pending further study” for decades, it is not in ‘regulatory limbo’ and is safe to use in fruit-flavored beverages, insists the Food and Drug...
A 16-year-old student is claiming victory after PepsiCo announced it will remove emulsifier Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO) from Gatorade in the US, but the firm says it will continue to use the patented flame retardant in Mountain Dew.
Dr Pepper Snapple Group says it ‘stands by’ immune support claims made on packaging for its Mott’s for Tots beverage brand, after a US-wide class action was launched against it this week.
With rumors emerging that Danone is selling its 51% stake in its fruit juice JV with Chuiquita Brands International, one industry source told BeverageDaily.com that the French firm was likely ‘glad to be rid’ of a business blighted by mismanagement.
A Washington D.C. area organic food store chain has pulled all products from its shelves that are marketed directly to children via the inclusion of images of cartoon characters from children’s books, films and TV.
The rate of adverse events for energy drinks and shots ‘appears low in the population of consumers’, but caution is still needed for the products, particularly for select population groups, says a new position paper from the International Society for...
A proposed ban on energy drinks in Chicago is riddled with factual and legal errors, according to an attorney active in the dietary supplements business.
While cynics might not be persuaded by Coke’s new ads promoting the role it is playing in tackling obesity, the soft drinks industry is increasing efforts to help consumers make ‘informed choices’ through calorie labeling and more no or low sugar options.
Oral arguments in a lawsuit brought against New York City's health board over Mayor Bloomberg’s super-size soda ban will be heard at 10am tomorrow morning (Jan 23), the American Beverage Association (ABA) has confirmed.
Monster Beverage Corporation has blasted a recent government report on drug-related ER visits that describes energy drinks as 'dangerous', as “highly misleading”.
Big interview: Scott Lerner, founder and CEO Solixir
If you’ve trudged around any industry trade shows recently, you’ve probably seen your fair share of prototype product concepts targeting the key ‘need states’ created by ‘modern life’: Wake up! (in energizing oranges and reds), Focus! (in royal purple),...
There is a huge untapped opportunity to drive growth in the US chilled prepared food market with innovative new products offering freshness and convenience, says Bolthouse Farms.
Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) is extending its TEN soda platform by introducing low calorie versions of five of its top soft drinks brands this month, and insists that Dr Pepper TEN is sustaining strong trial and repeat purchase rates.
A new report on drug-related Emergency Room (ER) visits has raised fresh questions over the safety of energy drinks, but has been criticized by beverage makers for drawing conclusions that are not supported by the data.
Want to get a slice of the action in the shots category? Build a brand with a compelling story or ‘mission’, and formulate a product that delivers a discernible effect on consumers in 20-30 minutes, or you’re wasting your time, beverages and shots guru...
Ocean Spray has made its first international acquisition with the cranberry processing business of Cran Chile, providing the cranberry giant with a strategic South American location and increased capacity.
Energy drinks and ready to drink coffee are the fasting growing products in the vending market - although they still represent a relatively small chunk of the market - according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
Tipton Mills claims to have launched the world’s first probiotic coffee, which uses a new probiotic developed by Ganeden Biotech, and says one serving contains 10 times as many cultures as a standard probiotic yogurt.
Recent research shows that the color of beverage containers influences consumer enjoyment, with results indicating that orange and dark-cream colored cups enhanced the flavor, sweetness and aroma of hot chocolate.
Increasingly, the Pepsi v. Coke cola fight is raging within the social media space, as well as in factories and between brands in stores. But who is delivering that Facebook knockout?
Food and beverage companies need to ‘redefine’ the concept of age in 2013 to seize specific growth opportunities presented by older consumers, according to Leatherhead Food Research.
New testing standards for steviol glycosides and caffeine announced by the United States Phamacopeial Convention (USP) will help the formulators of products containing those ingredients cut costs and improve efficiency, a USP official said.
The energy beverage sector had a lively 2012, marked by a high-profile wrongful death suit against Monster Beverage Co., some high-profile negative press and even higher-profile attacks from a pair of US Senators. 2013 is shaping up, if anything, to be...
Playboy Enterprises is suing former US licensee Play Beverages for alleged trademark infringement and claims the firm and co-defendant CirTran are ‘irreparably harming the energy drink category itself’.
While volumes (unit sales) of all the other core ‘center of store’ categories declined in 2012, volumes of energy drinks, bottled water and coffee climbed strongly, according to Symphony IRI Group.
Big interview: Ryan Black, founder and CEO, Sambazon
Want a dictionary definition of 'high-achiever'? Meet Ryan Black, a former NFL player and surfer who went on holiday to Brazil in his early 20s in search of waves and came back with the germ of a business idea that is now worth more than $100m...
Beverages high in fructose produce smaller increases in satiety hormones and associated feelings of satiety compared to drinks sweetened with the same amount of glucose, according to a new US study.
Unit volumes of energy drinks were up a whopping 18.7% in 2012 - a staggering achievement given that unit sales of consumer packaged goods across all outlets slumped 0.3% over the same period - according to Symphony IRI*.
Virun CEO Philip Bromley tells Ben Bouckley about the firm’s evolution from drug delivery technology into the beverage sphere, and explains that DHA and EPA Omega-3 oils dominate functional demands from clients.
All stevia glycosides are safe with respect to their genotoxic/carcinogenic potential, says a new review that seeks to silence doubts once and for all about the ingredient’s potential in food and beverage products.
While coconut water is best known for its hydrating properties, manufacturers are increasingly using it to cut calories and liven up 100% juice beverages, says one formulation expert.
