Headlines

Expo West Debut: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water, 16 oz. Expo West Debut: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water, 16 oz.

Expo West Debut: Harmless Harvest Coconut Water, 16 oz.

by Ray Latif,

Harmless Harvest is set to launch a 16 oz. bottle for its 100 percent raw and organic coconut water. The new package size has a suggested retail price of $4.99 and will be distributed nationally - along with its 8 oz. counterpart - at natural foods stores, grocery stores, and co-ops through UNFI. Harmless Harvest wrapped up a three month exclusive deal with Whole Foods on January 1, and its coconut water is now sold in over 1,000 stores across the country.

Expo West Intro: Cobá’s New Horchata Flavor Expo West Intro: Cobá’s New Horchata Flavor

Expo West Intro: Cobá’s New Horchata Flavor

by Ray Latif,

Cobá, a Los Angeles-based beverage company that produces a line of aguas frescas, will debut a new Horchata flavor at Natural Products Expo West. The rice water-based aguas frescas is made from all-natural ingredients and sweetened with 100 percent organic cane sugar. Cobá describes the new Horchata flavor as slightly creamy and light in body with notes of cinnamon and vanilla.

Activate Slapped with Class-Action Lawsuit Activate Slapped with Class-Action Lawsuit

Activate Slapped with Class-Action Lawsuit

by Ray Latif,

And the hits just keep on coming. A class-action lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Feb. 24 accuses Rising Beverage Co. – the owner of Activate -- of dishonest and misleading statements in its advertising about the freshness of Activate’s key innovation, its “in-the-cap” reservoir of dry vitamins versus those pre-mixed in other beverages.

Expo West Debut: Guayaki Sparkling Yerba Mate Expo West Debut: Guayaki Sparkling Yerba Mate

Expo West Debut: Guayaki Sparkling Yerba Mate

by Jeffrey Klineman,

Guayaki Yerba Mate is expanding into another category format, releasing a trio of sparkling yerba mate beverages – including a cola flavor -- in 12.5 oz. slim cans. The company will debut the line extension at Natural Products Expo West next month. It’s part of a larger, ongoing plan to help turn yerba mate into a more recognizable ingredient – and one with a more easily understood purpose.

Expo West Intro: Rob’s Really Good “Pirate’s Daughter” Expo West Intro: Rob’s Really Good “Pirate’s Daughter”

Expo West Intro: Rob’s Really Good “Pirate’s Daughter”

by Ray Latif,

Rob's Really Good will launch "Pirate's Daughter," a new green tea and lemon blend, at Natural Products Expo West. Pirate's Daughter is made with 100 percent certified organic ingredients including green tea, peppermint, spearmint, lemon verbena, and lemon myrtle. The beverage is sweetened with organic cane sugar and contains 50 calories per 8 oz. serving.

Coke Testing New Distribution of PlantBottle Coke Testing New Distribution of PlantBottle

Coke Testing New Distribution of PlantBottle

by Ray Latif,

Coca-Cola has begun to test distribution of Coke, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Sprite, Fanta Orange and Mello Yello in its plant-based PET bottles, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The move marks the first time that Coke has used its PlantBottle, a PET container made from at least 30 percent plant-based materials, for any products other than Dasani.

Red Bull to Launch Total Zero in April Red Bull to Launch Total Zero in April

Red Bull to Launch Total Zero in April

by Ray Latif,

Red Bull is set to launch Red Bull Total Zero in April, the company’s first line extension since the debut of its (now discontinued) energy shot in 2009. Aiming to tap into the growing market of calorie-averse consumers, the new product boasts a zero calorie/carb/sugar formulation and a “new twist” on the classic Red Bull flavor, according to the company.

Rabobank: Combination of Soft Drinks and Dairy Beverages Will Emerge as a “Megatrend” in 2012 Rabobank: Combination of Soft Drinks and Dairy Beverages Will Emerge as a “Megatrend” in 2012

Rabobank: Combination of Soft Drinks and Dairy Beverages Will Emerge as a “Megatrend” in 2012

by Ray Latif,

In a new report on the global beverage market, Rabobank, an international financial services firm, states that greater consumer demand for health and wellness beverages, rising commodity costs, and growing demand from emerging markets will be key influencers of trends and innovation in 2012. Additionally, the report asserts that a combination of soft drinks and dairy beverages will emerge as a “megatrend” in the coming year.

Expo West Intro: Honest Tea Expo West Intro: Honest Tea

Expo West Intro: Honest Tea

by Jeffrey Klineman,

Organic iced tea stalwart Honest Tea will debut a new tea in its glass bottle line at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim in two weeks. Honest Zero Passion Fruit Green Tea will be available nationally in March at natural food stores and other retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Sprouts and Earth Fare. It marks the first extension of Honest Zero into glass bottles.

Rutgers Business Plan Competition Pumps Life into Heart Juice Rutgers Business Plan Competition Pumps Life into Heart Juice

Rutgers Business Plan Competition Pumps Life into Heart Juice

by Ray Latif,

The impetus to create an entrepreneurial beverage brand is often a simple one: profit. The genesis of Heart Juice, however, was inspired by - of all things - a heart attack. After hearing about an admired Rutgers professor who had suffered a heart attack, Ray Li and John Vitug, the creators of Heart Juice, set out to create a beverage that could help protect individuals from high cholesterol, a leading cause of heart problems, and support overall cardiac function.

California-based Class Actions hit Zico, Xing California-based Class Actions hit Zico, Xing

California-based Class Actions hit Zico, Xing

by Jeffrey Klineman,

Call it the class-action assault on the products at the end of the alphabet. Just days after news that rival coconut water company Vita Coco had settled a lawsuit surrounding the functional claims of its coconut waters, its chief rival, Zico, is facing a new lawsuit over the quality of its fast-growing concentrated line.

BevNET TV: An Interview with Serge Freund of RealBeanz BevNET TV: An Interview with Serge Freund of RealBeanz

BevNET TV: An Interview with Serge Freund of RealBeanz

by Ray Latif,

Due to Starbucks’ long and absolute dominance in the space, the ready-to-drink iced coffee category has been one of the most difficult segments for beverage companies to find success. Nevertheless, RealBeanz, a Brooklyn-based coffee company, is betting that its unique blend of all-natural ingredients and functional benefits will give it an edge that has eluded so many other companies in an effort to become a legitimate contender to Starbucks.

Snapple Launches Diet Half n’ Half Lemonade Iced Tea Snapple Launches Diet Half n’ Half Lemonade Iced Tea

Snapple Launches Diet Half n’ Half Lemonade Iced Tea

by Ray Latif,

Adding to the growing ranks of lemonade/tea blends, Snapple has introduced Diet Half n’ Half Lemonade Iced Tea, a low-calorie extension of its popular Half ‘n Half flavor. Snapple is hoping that momentum for the burgeoning category will continue, and will promote the launch of Diet Half n’ Half with a national FSI campaign as well as new television advertising and a heavily promoted social media effort.

Expo West Intro: New Goodbelly Flavors Expo West Intro: New Goodbelly Flavors

Expo West Intro: New Goodbelly Flavors

by Jeffrey Klineman,

Probiotic fruit drink company GoodBelly will have a pair of new quart-sized juices for sampling at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim on March 8-11. The new products include juice blend Tropical Green and also Pink Grapefruit. The company also recently introduced a probiotic coconut water in a quart size.