On Top
• Joint Juice brought in Red Bull vet Dave Ritterbush as its COO, Beverage Business Insights reported.
• Walter Willett, who chairs the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health, argues that there is a “direct causal link” between sugar-sweetened drinks and obesity. Link
• A chemical found in green tea helps inhibit sexual transmission of the virus which causes AIDS. Link
On the Shelves
• Power Trip announced a new coconut flavor. Link
Distribution
• Innovative Beverage Group announced that the company has entered an agreement with Ludwig Distributing Company to bring drank to east-central Arkansas. Link
Law, Policy and Advocacy
• Alabama Gov. Bob Riley signed a bill to immediately raise the alcohol limit on beer from 6 percent to 13.9 percent by volume. Link
• The Connecticut state House unanimously approved a bill Friday to ban BPA in reusable containers and containers used for infant formula. href=”http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-bpa-ban-0523.artmay23,0,5724768.story”>Link
In the Media
• SanDiego.com ran an article about local “conscience” brand, Nika water. Link
• AgWeek ran an article questioning what will be the ultimate impact of the trend in beverages toward cane sugar. Link
• The Montreal Gazette ran an article on L-Theanine. Link
Brand Marketing & Promotion
• PepsiCo is backing up AMP TV spots with a 25-market grassroots sampling campaign. Link
• Coca-Cola ignited the summer BBQ season Memorial Day weekend by firing up the nation’s longest grill at the site of NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Link
• Venga is working with Green Beans Coffee Company to get into stores and cafes in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and other military bases and is also supporting troops through two charities. Link
Flotsam from The Flow
• A New Zealand mom said she lost nearly 100 pounds on a diet of nothing but Red Bull – 10 to 14 cans per day. Link
• The San Francisco Chronicle named a press release from the American Beverage Institute as its “favorite of the week.”Link
• Wednesday, May 27 is Pepsi inventor Caleb Bradham‘s birthday. Link
Supply Side
• Aluminum company Novelis Inc. announced that it recycled an estimated 39 billion aluminum beverage cans in the past year, a new company record. Link