Trendspotting at IFT

BevNET dug deep into this year’s Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) show and spotted trends — emerging and yet to surface alike.

Download BevNET’s 2014 Summer Fancy Food Show Planner

The 2014 Summer Fancy Food Show begins this Sunday in New York City, and the specialty foods event will feature nearly 75 beverage companies. As always, BevNET will be on hand to report on news and innovation from the show. For attendees, we’ve compiled a handy list help you navigate the floor.

Where Can I Find Potential Investors For My New Brand?

As one of the co-founders of Nantucket Nectars and a Managing Director at First Beverage Group, Tom First is well-versed in what it takes to launch and run a successful beverage company. In this video on BevNET Food and Beverage University, First draws on his expertise in financing new ventures to discuss where and how entrepreneurs can look to find investors for their brand.

The End of the NYC Soda Ban

The New York State Court of Appeals today rejected an effort to reinstate New York City’s plan to restrict the sale of sugary drinks, commonly referred to as “The Bloomberg Ban.”

Review: Juisi

Offering a slightly different take on cold-pressed, HPP juices, Juisi markets itself as a company that "creates beverages that draw inspiration from specific regions, cultures, and history." In our review of the brand's Kale Punch, Pineapple Jamu, and Cucumber Chia blends, we were pleased with the formulation of the products, yet we’d like to see more organic ingredients in the mix (the blends are not 100 percent organic). On the packaging front, there’s definitely some room for improvement.

Press Clips: The Fizz and The Fury

As Keurig gets closer to launching its at-home cold beverage maker, Starbucks announced that it's getting fizzy, and Faygo is facing a lawsuit that might get the AARP in a tizzy.

Starbucks Doubles Down on Green Juice

Cold-pressed juice is growing fast, but sales of green varieties are “greatly outpacing” counterparts within the super-premium juice category, according to Starbucks.

Review: Go N’ Syde

Plenty of buzz in the last couple weeks about Go N’Syde beverages, a new line of drinks with debut varieties designed in partnership with singer Mariah Carey and hip-hop artist Jay Z. Marketed as first of its kind products, the drinks are promoted to offer consumers an augmented reality experience that delivers exclusive content via a mobile app. Confused? So are we.

Review: Runa Clean Energy (New Packaging, Formulation)

Runa has revamped the look of its Clean Energy line -- and it's a good step forward for the brand. The new design, which includes an image of a guayusa leaf front and center, more visually related to the core brand, while also being much more visually appealing. While we have some issues with the reformulation of the original variety of Clean Energy, we feel that, overall, Runa is moving in the right direction.