Headlines

Fighting Functional Myopia

You’d think Carl Sweat, the hard-charging CEO of FRS, would have it easy by now. Strong investors, a dynamite functional additive, popular endorsers and clever marketing have been wrapped together into a very cold-box-friendly package. But the company is still fighting it out every day, trying to convince consumers that the quercetin compound that powers the product is worth its sometimes challenging taste and its hard-to-define health benefit.

Spotlight Category: Single Serve Fruit Drinks

It’s amazing what distribution can do – look at FUZE, which is coming on strong in single-serve, and at Lipton, which is also showing major growth in what is a very minor part of its line (Brisk). Meanwhile, wouldn’t you love to get a peek at Tum E Yummies’ Wal-Mart numbers, since they just passed Bug Juice in the big four-channel listing? That’s strong growth for a company that continues to move up in the pack.

Cleansing the Juice Category: Blueprint Juice

Overindulgence. It’s an issue that has plagued man since the beginning of time; after all, what urbanite doesn’t enjoy heathen-like amounts of food and booze on occasion? Sprung from such urges is a burgeoning beverage category of juice cleanses, enabling the body an opportunity to detoxify itself. One of the most popular of those cleanses is BluePrint, a direct-to-consumer company that produces blended organic juices designed to counteract the effects of such binges.

Silverwood Partners Releases Natural/Organic Industry Analysis

On the eve of the Natural Products Expo East trade show, investment bank Silverwood Partners has released a detailed analysis and deal review of the natural products industry. In its assessment, Silverwood cited continued reports of sales and volume growth of natural products “at rates far exceeding those of the conventional consumer market.”

Who Makes the Call? Beverage vs. Supplement

The distinction between beverages and dietary supplements has become harder more difficult to discern. Walking down the “beverage” aisle of any grocery store or supermarket, one may see similar-looking products sitting side-by-side; yet, a closer look reveals that some of the products are labeled and sold as dietary supplements, while others are labeled and sold as beverages. How can this be?

Download BevNET’s 2012 Natural Products Expo East Show Planner

New Hope Natural Media’s annual Expo East show returns to the Baltimore Convention Center this week. Expo East along with its sister show Expo West, are the leading venues to see and sample all-natural and organic products. As always, BevNET.com will be on hand to cover and report on the beverage-related exhibitors at the show – over 100 in total this year.

Don’t Blame HFCS for Obesity Crisis, Say Scientists

On the heels of New York City’s landmark beverage ban, one intended to curb rising rates of obesity in the city, a new article published in the International Journal of Obesity indicates that beverages produced with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) should not be singled out as less healthy than their sugar-sweetened counterparts.

New Nielsen Scanner Data Shows CSDs Continue Slow Decline

As sales of carbonated beverages continue to tumble, manufacturers remain aggressive in pricing, according to Nielsen scanner data culled from its new AOC (All Outlets Combined) database. In addition to sales information from grocery, drug and mass merchant channels, Nielsen now captures data from a broader range of retailers and channels including Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, dollar stores and military outlets.

Former Glaceau Ace Kahn Moves to Heineken

Marketing whiz Matthew Kahn, who worked closely with Glaceau marketing chief Rohan Oza in the key growth years immediately preceding the company's eventual sale to the Coca-Cola Co., Inc., is moving into a similar role at Heineken, where he will be the new VP of Marketing for Portfolio Brands.

The Day After: Reactions to the NYC Beverage Ban

One day after New York City’s Board of Health issued a landmark ruling that will ban the sale of many sugar-sweetened beverages in the city, supporters and critics of the plan expressed a wide range of opinions ranging from relief and approval to anger and indignation.

Causes Meet Corporate Thrice Over for Coca-Cola Co.

Talk about piling on. During the same week that the New York City Board of Health passed its ban on serving jumbo sodas, a pair of developments in two other closely watched social and environmental causes are affecting the Coca-Cola Co., including calorie counts in fast food chains and a battle over Genetically Modified Organisms.

Industry Group on NYC Beverage Ban: “The Fix Was in From the Beginning”

Calling the ruling a "rubberstamped" decision by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, beverage industry group New Yorkers for Beverage Choices blasted the city's Board of Health for passing a proposal that will ban the sale of many sugar-sweetened drinks in restaurants, food trucks, theaters and other on-premise retailers.