26 Jul New new Coke: Zero calories, no fake sugar and no weird aftertaste?
19 Jul Lactose-free niche targets the mainstream
Global launch numbers for lactose-free dairy products more than tripled in the five-year period to the beginning of 2012, according to Innova Market Insights data. The share of total tracked dairy introductions featuring a lactose-free positioning rose from less than 2.5% to 4.5% over the...
19 Jul Research pours cold water on alleged benefits of sports products
Claims about how sports drinks, supplements and shoes/trainerswill help regular or elite athletes train harder and achieve better results are usually based on no or flawed evidence, researchers have revealed.
...19 Jul SA: Plastic bottle trash generates 26 000 jobs
Recycling PET, the plastic used to manufacture beverage bottles as well as many food containers, has helped generate almost 26 000 indirect jobs, and the plastics recycling industry can help reduce poverty across South Africa and contribute to GDP growth.
...19 Jul UK: How a faulty leak-proof cap cost Britvic £25m
Britvic's mass recall of its popular Fruit Shoot drink due to a faulty cap will cost the company up to £25m, the drinks maker has said in a profits warning. Why did the company decide on the recall?
...06 Jul A total ban on alcohol advertising: Presenting SA’s public health case
A new paper in the SA Medical Journal argues the public health case for a total ban on alcohol advertising in this country. Evidence from burden of disease and economic costing studies amply indicate, it says, that the public health burden from hazardous and harmful...
06 Jul Italy’s Guala in closures deal with SA’s MCG
Italy's Guala Closures has announced the acquisition of the Metal Closures division of MCG Industries for an undisclosed amount, part of a strategy to boost its presence in the fast-growing sub-Saharan African market. Operating out of Paarden Eiland in Cape Town, Metal Closures is a...
05 Jul The global march of the ‘Mexipops’
Call them "Mexipops": Mexican-style light lagers, served in clear glass bottles with a slice of lime. Just recently, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's biggest brewer, coughed up $20bn to buy the remaining half of Mexican firm Grupo Modelo, which makes Modelo and Corona...
29 Jun Coke goes big in India
Coca-Cola and its bottling partners will invest $5 billion in India by 2020 as it looks to raise its presence in one of its fastest-growing emerging markets.
...22 Jun Coca-Cola ‘not to blame for US obesity’
Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent insists his company is not responsible for the rise in US obesity despite New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's recent moves to limit the consumption of sugary drinks.
...21 Jun Resveratrol may be natural exercise performance enhancer
Intake of the red wine polyphenol resveratrol could help boost exercise performance by improving strength and endurance, according to new research in rats out of the University of Alberta.
...21 Jun US: A consumer take on food and beverage packaging
To be successful, manufacturers and retailers must understand what matters most to consumers and which packaging innovations actually impact consumer behaviour, according to "Food and Beverage Packaging Trends in the US," a new report from Packaged Facts.
...14 Jun Taiwanese ‘bubble tea’ trend hits London
Taiwanese ‘bubble tea’ is making waves in London, with its UK pioneer Bubbleology unveiling plans to open a second dedicated café in the capital.
...14 Jun The revival of Starbucks in the midst of a recession
Like McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Unilever, Kraft and Nestle, Starbucks is a bell-weather company for the global food industry - and it was recently named as the "Number One World's Most Innovative Food Company" by Fast Company, the influential website that has as its premise: a global...
14 Jun Heineken acquires Belgian cider innovator Stassen Ciders
With the global cider market booming, Heineken has announced its acquisition of Stassen, a leading international cider innovator located in Aubel, Belgium. In addition to its strong research and development (R&D) capabilities and facilities, the acquisition of Stassen provides Heineken with cider making capacity in...
07 Jun US: Sugar becomes new bogeyman as fats take a back seat in new consumer survey
While consumer concerns about fats appears to be waning, the percentage of Americans blaming sugars for their expanding waistlines has almost doubled since last year, according to new research.
...01 Jun GM goats take on child-killing diarrhoea
Researchers at the University of California at Davis are teaming up with a herd of goats to attack the world’s second leading cause of childhood death. The target: diarrhoea. The weapon: goat’s milk.
...01 Jun Bananas more beneficial than sports drinks, study suggests
Bananas have long been a favourite source of energy for endurance and recreational athletes. Bananas are a rich source of potassium and other nutrients, and are easy for cyclists, runners or hikers to carry. A new US study shows they're better than sports beverages.
...01 Jun First commercial launch of the pouch that’s a can
Huhtamaki Group’s Cyclero beverage pouch that looks like a can but weighs but one-tenth, has finally hit commercialisation for the first time after five years in development with a new product launch in Thailand.
...31 May The Branson genius now applied to drinking water systems
Britain's most public and famous entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson, has extended his Virgin brand name from record shop ands airlines, to mobile phones, space and deep sea travel, hotels and cheeky health clubs, among several others. Now Brits will soon be finding the...