U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) announced yesterday that it had collected a $575,000 fine from stevia producer Pure Circle USA, a division of PureCircle Limited, for importing sweetener that was made by prison labor in China.
On the next episode of Office Hours we'll discuss valuation trends in the natural products industry and the overall changes in fundraising and operational strategy that can help guide brands as the capital cycle changes. This look at valuations and at the overall investment market for rising food and beverage brands will be part of a special three-part content and networking series.
Hannah Crum, co-founder and president of influential trade association Kombucha Brewers International, spoke about how she manages a membership group comprised of “frenemies,” the recent launch of a Code of Practice for brewing kombucha and why it’s important to support the category’s evolution despite the misgivings of some within the space.
A proposed rule by USDA, ‘Strengthening Organic Enforcement,’ aims to curb organic fraud via more oversight of the organic marketplace, including production, handling and sales. If implemented, it would be the largest update to organic oversight in 20 years.
Health Ade Kombucha is set to debut its second new product line this year with this month’s launch of Health Ade Plus, a seven-SKU line featuring functional ingredients aimed at specific needs and use occasions.
Beer distributors widely anticipate Monster Energy to enter the hard seltzer category as early as next year, according to a survey conducted by Goldman Sachs Equity Research.
Remember 2019? It was a year in which food and beverages brands were already growing -- before the pandemic sent consumers into new modes of pantry loading and cooking from home. Today, Inc. released its annual Inc. 5000 list, which ranks the fastest-growing privately-held companies in the U.S. in a range of industries.
Another leading sparkling water brand is making the leap into hard seltzer: Sparkling Ice is set to launch a new alcoholic line called Spiked (4% ABV) this month.
This episode of Elevator Talk features leaders from Read the Ingredients, W*nder, La Di Da, M Kombucha and Down to Cook Foods. This week's special co-host is Daina Trout, the co-founder and CEO of Health-Ade Kombucha.
In this spirits-focused Press Clips roundup, ready-to-drink sparkling tequila maker Onda lands $1.2 million in funding, while delivery app Drizly suffered a major data breach. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs and brand leaders from around the industry respond to the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of nationwide protests against police brutality.
Greater Than, which launched in 2009 as a coconut water-powered sports drink line, is back with a new flavor: Chocolate. While still using coconut water as its base, this variety takes a more subtle approach and its primary positioning is as a recovery drink.
Craft beverage brand Reed’s Inc. reported a 14% increase in net sales during the second quarter of this year, for which the company credited recent product innovation as well as 19% volume growth in the core Reed’s brand.
According to CEO Chris Hunter, Koia has designed products with the natural consumer in mind, though never more explicitly than with its newest release, Thrive — a three-SKU line of oat milk-based, allergen-free ‘mood booster’ refrigerated smoothies launching this month.
According to market research firm IRI, Electrolit -- developed as a medical solution to treat dehydration -- is among the highest growing sports drinks brands in the country, with dollar sales up 78.4% to $62.9 million for the 52-week period ending June 30 -- making it the fourth largest brand in the category behind Gatorade, Powerade and BodyArmor.
