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Citing a lack of scientific data to support a change in policy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has rejected a request to ban bisphenol A (BPA) from cans, bottles and other packaging. The FDA decision was made in response to a petition filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) in 2008 which called for an end to the use of BPA – a chemical commonly used in the lining of cans and plastic bottles - in food and beverage-related products.
Hoping to revitalize a brand tormented by sluggish sales and angry investors, PepsiCo enlisted hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj to lead a new global marketing campaign for its flagship cola, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. The endorsement deal with Minaj is one piece of PepsiCo’s estimated $600 million marketing budget in 2012, an increase of 15 to 20 percent from last year.
Already known for its portfolio of all-natural and organic products, Brooklyn-based High 5 Distributors has made the move to a strictly vegan product mix. Citing personal and ethical reasons, Steve Torres, the founder of High 5, stated that the company has stopped carrying all non-vegan beverages and snacks, and noted that all new and current High 5-distributed products also undergo an examination to determine that the ingredients are never tested on animals.
Early registration for BevNET Live Summer 12, which is being held on June 4 & 5 in NYC, ends tomorrow, March 30. If you haven't already signed up, now is the time to do it. In addition to the recently announced New Beverage Showdown 3, we will have a variety of additional speaker and session announcements over the coming weeks. And, as with prior events that have sold out, we expect this event to be a packed house full of industry executives, investors, distributors, and suppliers. Click the link below to register or call 617-231-8888.
Lots of supplier and marketing organizations are on tenterhooks today as the FDA is expected to offer a ruling on a long-simmering request to remove the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from food and beverage packaging. BPA is used to help provide plastic and epoxy resins to coat inside of cans and bottles, and there have been concerns that BPA could cause negative health effects.
When Coco Café first appeared on store shelves last September, it would’ve been easy to assume that the coconut water/latte blend already had some sort of relationship with Vita Coco; the name, design, and packaging of both brands were – for certain - quite similar. Coco Café founders Brian McCaslin and Elan Eifer admittedly admired Vita Coco and its branding, though, at the time, the two companies had no affiliation, a fact that quickly changed following a chance meeting at BevNET Live.
In a new report on opportunities within the global beverage market, MarketResearch.com forecasts that sales of bottled water will reach $125 billion by 2015, and that short-term growth in beverages will come from China. The report, titled “Growth Opportunities in Soft Drinks," estimates that the market for bottled waters will grow by 4.8 percent annually over the next three years, and become the second fastest growing category behind functional beverages.
Runa, whose founders participated in the New Beverage Showdown 2 at BevNET Live Winter 11 (video), is a unique product made with brewed guayusa “tea.” It offers extremely enjoyable flavor,…
A few weeks ago I had the unexpected pleasure of catching a preview of a new documentary called Jiro Dreams of Sushi. I don’t write much about non-liquid forms of nutrition these days, and I’m not particularly a sushi fan either. But the film proved to be a moving experience in ways that I think are relevant to beverages, particularly the innovation space.
It’s been a quite a successful run for Mamma Chia during its first year and a half. The first to market chia drink went national with UNFI only eight months after its initial launch and quickly established a solid footing in major natural retailers including Whole Foods, Sprouts and Wegmans. With a deep and wide presence within the natural channel - and chia on the verge of mainstream acceptance - Mamma Chia is setting its sights on crossover into hybrid and conventional grocery stores in 2012.
This is the time of year that, as the “Boys of Summer” return to Florida for Spring Training, I get to think about my favorite things: the Yankees, and my annual baseball analogy column. I just love the chance to compare the comings and goings of the sport I love to the action in the business I love. This year, I’m going to play the grizzled vet, dispensing lore and wisdom to a group of eager rookies wondering how they’ll break into the lineup.
Taking its first crack at the ever-expanding health and wellness market, H2M Beverages recently introduced 989 On Demand, a new cap-activated enhanced water. The product boasts an innovative and proprietary twist cap that contains a reservoir of liquid ingredients, a key point of differentiation from competitors like Activate and Karma, whose caps contain a powder-based mix.
Steve Gress has a message: Don’t count him out yet. Gress, the owner of distributor Exclusive Beverages, acknowledges his business has taken some shots in the past year, including the departure of key staff and one especially prominent brand, Vita Coco, but he said he’s getting back to the basics, taking on a suite of newer entrepreneurial brands while adding a few others that have struggled to find their way in New York.
In recent months, several veterans of the beverage industry have resurfaced in the water category. It’s a surprising twist because just three years ago that category itself was in the midst of a downward spiral, one brought on by a race to the bottom on pricing and a backlash over the environmental impact of its product containers.