Headlines

Expo East 2015: Braintrust Revamps Inko’s, Blue Buddha

Approximately 12 months ago, Braintrust Investments, a Burr Ridge, Ill.-based private investment firm, announced that it had acquired premium white tea brand Inko’s. Over the past year, Braintrust, led by former Pabst Brewing CEO Kevin Kotecki, has tweaked Inko’s branding, formulation and product lineup, and the company showcased the updates at the recently held 2015 Natural Products Expo East.

Expo East 2015: All Grown Up

Perhaps more than any particular hot new trend, what stuck out at last week’s Natural Products Expo East trade show at the Baltimore Convention Center was the visible growth and continued maturation of beverage categories and brands which were in their infancy just a few short years ago.

Goodnature Aims for Widespread Placement of New Countertop Cold-Pressing Unit

As demand for cold-pressed juice continues to expand, Goodnature, one of the largest manufacturers of commercial cold-pressing equipment, sees opportunity to make production simple and feasibly available for a wide range of retailers, particularly neighborhood cafes and small, independent grocers, with the launch of a new machine designed to fit on most commercial kitchen countertops.

Uncle Sam: Coke Owes $3.3 Billion in Back Taxes

In its response, Coca-Cola pledged to fight its bill, saying that it “firmly believes that the assessments are without merit and plans to pursue all administrative and judicial remedies necessary to resolve this matter.”

New on Project NOSH: NSF Emerges as New Player in Non-GMO Certification

While for years the Non-GMO Project has held a virtual monopoly on certification, NSF International, a global independent organization that writes standards as well as tests and certifies products for the food, water, health sciences, and consumer goods industries, is now launching its own program.

WSJ: PepsiCo, Sodastream Expand Partnership

Nearly a year after PepsiCo unveiled a limited test of two of its soda brands for use in SodaStream’s at-home carbonation machines, the two companies have expanded the partnership, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Harmless Harvest Adds CEO, COO

Fair trade-focused coconut water brand Harmless Harvest today announced that it is adding a pair of experienced big-company executives to help run the business.