Headlines

Hood River Juice Company Responds After FDA Warning

Hood River Juice Company, owner of Ryan’s brand apple juices and ciders, says a warning letter from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month was “completely unexpected” and that it has taken action to correct past violations.

Monster: Q1 Earnings Underwhelm Analysts

Monster Energy reported a rise in net sales in the first quarter of 2018, but a significant drop in gross profits has left investors pessimistic about year-end margins for the energy drink company.

Ugly Sparkling Water Set for U.S. Launch

Ugly Drinks, an United Kingdom-based sparkling water brand, is launching in the U.S. on May 14 via a direct-to-consumer ecommerce platform and at independent retailers in the New York metro area.

IFF Acquires Frutarom for $7.1B

The New York-based flavor and fragrance giant announced on Monday its plans to acquire Israeli flavors and natural ingredients firm Frutarom for $7.1 billion -- its biggest purchase to date. The deal would boost IFF to a second-place spot in the global natural flavors market, seeing as 75 percent of Frutarom’s sales are in natural.

A Breakdown of the USDA’s GMO Labeling Proposal

The USDA published a proposed rule to establish standards for the disclosure of bioengineered foods on packages in places where consumers can easily find them. However, the long-awaited proposal leaves industry leaders with just as many questions as it does answers.

Fizzique Launches Sparkling Protein Drink

As the sparkling water and protein drink categories both continue to expand, David Jenkins, a former Olympic sprinter and founder of protein products brand NEXT Nutrition, is looking to marry the two with his latest venture.

SEC: True Drinks Exploring Potential Sale

Irvine, Calif.-based True Drinks Holdings, Inc., the maker of the children’s flavored water beverage AquaBall has lost its president and CFO and reduced its staff to two full-time employees as it explores a potential sale of its remaining assets, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Blossom Water Preps New Bloom

Massachusetts-based botanical essence water brand Blossom Water has unveiled new packaging and a reformulation reducing the amount of sugar from 11 g to 5 g per bottle, removing erythritol and agave, and adding probiotics.

People Moves: CEO Shakeups At AQUAHydrate, Live Soda, Moonshine Sweet Tea

In this edition of People Moves, we report on major shakeups in the CEO positions at AQUAhydrate, Moonshine Sweet Tea and LIVE Soda. Also, Vive Organic hires a new director of marketing, Nestle Waters North America loses its chief sustainability officer, and Andrew Simpson joins Sunshine Beverages as VP of sales.

Jim Murphy To Succeed Matthew Mitchell At Coke VEB

Jim Murphy will succeed Matthew Mitchell as Vice President, Strategy and Venturing, at The Coca-Cola Company’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit, the company announced in an email on Friday.