Along with a recent label refresh for its beverages, Mamma Chia is planning to debut a new line of whole chia seeds, as well as new varieties for snack and beverage lines at this week’s Natural Products Expo West show. And in the midst of a recently launched round of funding, the company hired a new Chief Financial Officer with deep roots in consumer goods.
With its latest offerings, Silk continues to innovate in the dairy alternative category and is set to introduce a range of on-trend products -- including blends made with almond milk, soy, coconuts and protein -- at the upcoming Natural Products Expo West show.
Vita Coco Café will debut at the upcoming Natural Products Expo West show, and while the formulation of espresso, coconut water and milk remains the same, the three-SKU line features new graphics, the familiar Vita Coco logo, and a more prominent call-out of “Café Latte” on the front of the package.
On Monday, SodaStream announced that it has reached an agreement with Sunny Delight Beverages Co., according to a joint release. The companies will co-develop flavors exclusively for SodaStream, the at-home soda kit, in SunnyD Tangy Original Orange and Orange-Strawberry, among other varieties.
On Tuesday, Celsius announced that it has reached an exclusive partnership with UAE International Investments (UII), a financial and distribution company in the Middle East.
A couple days ago, BevNET broke the news of the first lemonade and coconut water blends to hit the market. Today, it’s lemonade and… wait for it… kombucha! Well, sort of.
There’s breaking news out of Coke’s Venturing and Emerging Brands unit (VEB) today, as Coca-Cola Co. CEO Muhtar Kent announced in an internal memo that Deryck Van Rensburg, who has run VEB since its inception, will become the President of the newly created Coca-Cola/Keurig Ventures, a joint venture formed as a result of Coke’s recent multimillion dollar investment in Green Mountain Coffee Co.
Two of the revisions would have particularly broad ramifications for the beverage industry: first, the FDA has proposed that “Added Sugars” be added to the labels, thereby indicating the amount of extra sweetening that has been added to a product, and second, “serving size” would be more in line with the size of an immediate consumption package -- so the nutritional content of a drink in a 12 oz. or 20 oz. package would reflect that entire package, rather than the current standard of an 8 oz. serving.
On Tuesday, a federal judge dismissed a proposed class-action lawsuit filed against FRS and its former endorser Lance Armstrong which claimed that the company deceptively marketed its products by linking them to the success of the disgraced cyclist.
With the company now firmly in control of co-founder Anders Eisner, Activate is in the midst of a refocused sales and marketing strategy that will place greater attention and emphasis on the Southern California market. As a result, Activate recently reduced its East Coast staff to a single employee, but stressed that it will continue to support distribution and retail commitments in region.
Okay, we’ll call it a draw. Zola and Vita Coco have tied in the race to be the first to announce that they will be rolling out a product that combines two of the fastest-growing beverage trends, coconut water and lemonade. Zola is going ingredient-first, calling its product “Coconut Water Lemonade,” while Vita Coco is sticking with the brand, calling itself “Vita Coco Lemonade.”
Making a major push into the Midwest, Starbucks today announced that its Evolution Fresh cold-pressed juices are now available in the company’s Chicago area cafes. Until now, the brand’s presence in Chicago was limited to Whole Foods stores and other natural grocers in the region. Now with placement in more than 360 Starbucks stores in and around the Windy City, the company is aiming for greater awareness and trial of Evolution Fresh juices.
Long overseeing the transactions of sugar, cocoa and coffee, among other widely-transported ingredients, Fair Trade USA announced last week that it has launched a coconut certification.
During the Coca-Cola Co.’s fourth quarter earnings call held earlier this week, CEO and Chairman Muhtar Kent stated that the company would "imminently announce new bottling partnerships" in North America. By imminently, he must have meant today.
