Reed’s Culture Club Kombucha Enters Kroger Stores
Reed’s Inc., the Los Angeles-based natural soda maker, announced Tuesday that Kroger will take on four of its eight kombucha flavors in approximately 1,000 supermarkets across the country.
Headlines
Zola Launches Coconut Espresso in Cans
Taking an expanding subcategory into a new package, Zola Fruits of the World has launched a 17.5 oz. can of Coconut Water with Espresso. The product started shipping to supermarkets earlier this month. It pairs Thai coconut water with espresso coffee to provide 125 mg of caffeine. The coffee is being added at the company's Thailand canning facility, according to Zola CEO Chris Cuvelier.
Starbucks Takes Evolution Fresh Nationwide at Whole Foods
Starbucks has announced a new deal with Whole Foods that will take its Evolution Fresh line of super-premium juices nationwide. Evolution Fresh, which had been sold primarily along the West Coast and parts of the Northeast, will be carried in all eight Whole Foods regions, and Starbucks plans for the brand to be sold in approximately 8,000 of its cafes and other grocery locations by the end of the year.
Aloe Vera Drinks Earn ‘Avoid’ Rating from CSPI
In a statement, The Center of Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), an influential consumer advocacy group, cited “carefully conducted studies by the U.S. government [which] found clear-cut evidence that aloe vera extracts caused intestinal cancers in male and female laboratory rats,” as reasoning for its decision to give aloe vera an “avoid" rating in its Chemical Cuisine guide to food additives.
Nielsen Scanner Data: Energy Drink Sales Remain Strong in C-Stores
Despite sustained criticism of the category by government regulators and consumer health advocates, energy drinks continue to sell at a strong rate in convenience stores, according to recent Nielsen data released in a new Wells Fargo Securities report.
Submit Your Brand for BevNET’s New Beverage Guide and Best of 2013 Awards
BevNET’s New Beverage Guide is the most comprehensive collection of non-alcoholic beverages compiled annually. The guide will be promoted to 19,000 readers in BevNET Magazine and 100,000 monthly visitors via BevNET.com. BevNET’s Best of 2013 Awards, which will be announced in December, will feature winners in over 12 categories.
Exodus: McClafferty Resigns as President/CEO of Viva Beverages
Kevin McClafferty, who presided over a highly successful launch and rapid growth of Marley’s Mellow Mood, has resigned as president and CEO of Viva Beverages, which markets the Marley brand, according to a report in Beverage Business Insights (BBI).
Video: Aloe Gloe Finds its Sweet Spot
For L.A. Libations, the introduction of its Aloe Gloe brand in 2011 marked a significant turning point for the three-year old beverage incubator. Until then, the company had developed sales and distribution strategies for a host of other entrepreneurial beverage brands, including Zico and Neuro, and had little experience with manufacturing.
Nielsen Numbers Show Significant Drop in Diet CSD Sales
While overall sales of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) remain weak, plummeting sales of diet CSDs represented perhaps the most intriguing revelation from a rather gloomy Wells Fargo Securities report covering Nielsen xAOC (expanded all outlets combined) sales data over a four-week period ending on Aug. 13.
Video: Activate Looks to Make Strides with Major Marketing Initiative, New Kids’ Line
With a deep and established presence in the Los Angeles market and having recently gained a toehold in New York City, Activate is now setting its sights on broader awareness of its cap-dispensing water brand and is prepping to launch a number of line extensions designed to reach a wider swath of consumers.
Ventura Leaves Coba to Join PepsiCo Emerging Brands Unit
Arnold Ventura, the Stanford Business School-trained MBA who started the Coba line of Mexican themed drinks, has left the business to join PepsiCo's Naked Emerging Brands group as a natural product channel strategist.
Energy Drinks Conference — Widely Spread, Hardly Understood
Scientists have been meeting during The Use and Biology of Energy Drinks: Current Knowledge and Critical Gaps, a conference held Thursday and Friday at the Neuroscience Center Building in Rockville, Md. to try to determine the extent of research into these products, which have come under increasing regulatory scrutiny.
“All you gotta do is act naturally”
It seems that Ringo and the Beatles were well ahead of their time, beverage wise. Using a little poetic license, I assume they meant things should be natural. Yes, I know they didn’t really mean that, but I wanted a lead-in to the theme of natural, and I love the Beatles.
Coke Defends Safety of Aspartame in New Ads
Amid growing concerns about the safety of artificial sweeteners, and faced with declining sales of its diet carbonated soft drinks (CSD) The Coca-Cola Co. has launched a series of new ads defending the company’s use of aspartame.