The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo opens this Sunday in New Orleans, and BevNET will be on hand to report on flavor, ingredient and beverage technology exhibitors at the event. Below, you’ll find details about the show, listings of beverage-related exhibitors, as well as BevNET’s print-ready show planner.
Gagliardi's previous to ventures were as a co-founder of pet food company Blue Buffalo (started by Bill Bishop, one of SoBe’s founders), as well as the founder of Maverik, a lacrosse equipment and apparel company, which was sold to Bauer Hockey.
Now there’s innovation, and then there’s Star Trek-like innovation. The latter of which could be used to describe Vessyl, a new drinking container that’s able to tell you exactly what you are consuming and how the liquid affects your body, according to theWire.com. Is your mind blown yet? No? Read on.
California Senate Bill 1000 failed on a 7-8 vote in committee, with opponents claiming that a warning on sugary drinks would be confusing and do little to change consumer behavior.
Self-described as "Los Angeles's First 'Perfectly Pure' Cold-Pressed Juice Bar," Clover Juice produces a line of raw (non-pasteurized and non-HPP) juices that it sells in two retail storefronts in downtown L.A. The juices are quite enjoyable and feature some quite blends, yet Clover will need to do some work to build a brand that can evolve beyond company-owned stores.
In a statement, Red Bull said that "Summer Edition," the first new product introduction for the energy drink giant in nearly 18 months, “performed extremely well with U.S. consumers during taste tests.”
Herzog was bullish on Monster’s recent performance – up nearly 15 percent over the four weeks ending June 7 – but that doesn’t include C-stores. For Mohsenian, the brand kept up with the category.
The Coca-Cola Co. is said to be readying a U.S. launch for Coke Life, a mid-calorie cola made with a sweetener blend that includes stevia.
“The challenge for food and beverage companies is that we want to know what’s going on in the field," said Tom First, Managing Partner of First Beverage Ventures.
Last month, Honest Tea debuted its "Summer Refreshers" line, a five-SKU mix of juice-based drinks that are USDA Organic and use Fair Trade sugar as a sweetener. Packaged in 32 oz. glass bottles, the company has done a really nice job with the formulation and branding of the products, which look more mature and polished than some of the larger format products that it competes with.
For Honest Tea, the math works out like this: 16 years + 22 million pounds of organic ingredients = a billion beverages.
Consumers are increasingly seeking out foods and beverages labeled as “natural,” but their expectations for the term are often at odds with what is actually delivered, said Consumer Reports.
Nearly a year after the brand's debut on the market, Vital Juice has introduced a kids' line. Featuring four varieties, each made with cold pressed fruits, vegetables and almond milk, the drinks are well formulated and come with playful labels that should appeal to young consumers. One significant issue for us: the lack of a strong call-out indicating that the product contains nuts.
Stumptown's recent partnership with Straub Distributing serves as one piece of the coffee company’s growing distribution network, one that president Joth Ricci envisions as a national juggernaut.
