A bill introduced in Sacramento on Thursday, sponsored by State Senator Bill Monning, would require carbonated soft drinks and most other sugar-sweetened beverages sold in the state to carry warning labels for obesity, diabetes and tooth decay, according to reporter Sharon Bernstein of Reuters. The bill has been supported by several public health advocacy groups.
In a quarterly earnings call, Dr Pepper Snapple (DPS) announced that it is planning to test market 60-calorie versions of its Dr Pepper, 7UP and Canada Dry soft drinks. While DPS executives offered few details about the new sodas, the products will be formulated with a mix of sugar and stevia and contain no artificial sweeteners.
Buffalo Wild Wings (BWW) and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group jointly announced on Thursday that Dr Pepper will soon be available at the fountain of all of the chain’s approximately 600 restaurants in 41 states. It makes for a good match in flavor diversity, too. Dr Pepper claims to be made with a blend of 23 flavors, unbeknown to non-corporate alchemists. BWW lists 22 flavors of wings on its menu.
Lots of shakeup here in the tea category as AriZona and Lipton’s core brands seem to have cooled a bit while Lipton’s PureLeaf is soaking up share. Even the vaunted Arnold Palmer has begun to slow, with small declines registering for the first time. Is it just a seasonal issue?
Organic and refreshing continue to be the plays for the company’s latest release, a coffee-tea blend in Original and Vanilla flavors, which will debut next month at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, Calif. And as far as ready-to-drink products go, Meghan Conboy, the marketing manager of Sweet Leaf, said that these products serve as the first of their kind.
Washington City Paper reporter Jessica Sidman writes that on Wednesday, with snow looming, lines stretched two lengths of the store. She also took photos of 12 items that, by 8 p.m., were out of stock or close to it.
On Tuesday, Eric Lipton of The New York Times summarized an extensive, recently-publicized lawsuit between beverage-sweetening rivals that outlines more than a decade of manipulation and wrangling. How have the corn refinery and sugar industries responded to waning sales and the jeremiads sprouting from each other, consumer advocate groups and politicians? Spend, spend, spend.
Fast-growing cold-pressed juice brand Suja is facing the potential of a class-action lawsuit that includes claims that the company has misled consumers by labeling its products, which are high pressure processed, as “raw.” Meanwhile, it appears that rival Blueprint, which was hit with a similar false advertising lawsuit last year, has dodged the legal bullet -- at least for now.
It's often the first question when launching a new company: "How will I fund this endeavor?" While traditional routes, including angel investment and bank loans, are common sources of financing, a relatively new option exists: crowdfunding.
Concerned that public perception has been unfairly skewed, the American Beverage Association (ABA), an industry trade group, recently published two statements intended to reinforce its view that energy drinks are safe and not marketed to children.
Apple & Eve, the largest privately held juice company in the U.S., today announced that it has acquired The Switch Beverage Co., which markets a line of sparkling 100 percent juice drinks and holds a strong presence in U.S. schools.
Having recently announced its tenth consecutive year of growth, eight of which reached double-digits, Essentia is positioning itself for a booming 2014 -- and well beyond. Earlier this year, Essentia, the top-selling enhanced water brand in the natural channel, raised $3.2 million in convertible debt and is perhaps prepping for a much larger round of funding later this year.
First Aid Shot Therapy (F.A.S.T.), a brand of condition-specific shots that are designed to offer liquid versions of over-the-counter remedies, is launching in Boston behind a second round of funding, one that included a very familiar name in these parts.
Whynatte, an Atlanta-based start-up that produces a line of premium coffee beverages and mixers, has been selected as one of four companies to take part in an accelerated growth program launched by AccelFoods, a new food and beverage accelerator with a dedicated investment fund of $4 million.
