09 Jan Firmenich buys its SA agent, Flavourome
Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned company in the fragrance and flavour business, is acquiring Flavourome, its long-time agent in South Africa. No value to the deal has been mentioned.
09 Jan The end of hangovers?
If a chemist were to design the world’s most popular recreational drug from scratch, alcohol would be a pretty terrible choice. Now British scientists are working to create a synthetic alcohol that gets you properly pickled and doesn't make you feel poisoned.
09 Jan Binge-drinking is a huge problem in SA, say researchers
One in seven adults in SA admit to being binge-drinkers‚ but researchers say the problem is likely to be much worse as people are inherently coy on reporting their alcohol consumption.
09 Jan Top four ways beverage brands are refashioning can design
With consumers shifting towards healthier beverages and governments introducing sugary drink taxes, brands are innovating their packaging to achieve standout on shelf. In particular can designs are being catered for individual markets, demographics and tastes.
09 Jan UK: Waitrose bans sale of energy drinks to under-16s
Waitrose has become the first UK supermarket to ban sales of energy drinks to under-16s, amid concerns about high levels of sugar and caffeine and their impact on children’s health and behaviour.
09 Jan Things go better with Coke, Laxative Edition
The Japanese government has given a "gold label" to the soda Coca-Cola Plus, a designation meant to certify the drink's "health benefits".
08 Jan Coffee will continue to influence the world
Coffee helps millions of people worldwide to get out of bed in the morning. It's one of the world's most popular beverages, and one that has shaped society and industry for hundreds of years. Jonathan Robinson (above) of SA's Bean There Coffee Company offers these trend insights for 2018....
21 Dec California winery’s new alcohol-free, marijuana-infused wine
The legalisation of recreational marijuana in some US states has resulted in a new multibillion dollar industry, with some estimates suggesting it could grow to be worth US$50bn annually by 2026.
10 Dec Turn water into wine, literally, with SodaStream’s new Sparkling Gold
SodaStream has unveiled a limited-edition Sparkling Gold alcoholic concentrate which turns water into sparkling wine.
10 Dec New G&T premix distilled with the flavour of the Cape
Greenleaf + Terroir is a new G&T craft brand that intends to shake up the pre-mixed alcoholic drink market, which has, for the most part, failed to truly win over consumers.
10 Dec The $40m vodka designed to save your liver
The scion of an Indian pharmaceutical giant has spent $40-million to make martinis more liver-friendly. But US regulators aren’t raising their glasses just yet.
10 Dec Delush proves delish for new SA wine drinkers
Launching a new wine into a South African market saturated with 8 000 brands is a hugely daunting exercise. But where there is a will, there is a way, and for Orange River Cellars the word “impossible” does not exist.
10 Dec The Millennials’ sobriety trend: fact or fiction?
They’re avoiding many of the substances that got earlier generations high. Why? And are they better off? Zoe Cormier, UK journalist and the author of Sex, Drugs & Rock ’n’ Roll: The Science of Hedonism and the Hedonism of Science, offers these compelling hypotheses and insights.
09 Dec Another edible, biodegradable straw
There's a war abrewing against the plastic drinking straw, and now comes news of another eco-friendly option, the Lolistraw.
08 Dec Honours for Dairypack’s green milk bottle
Dairypack has won double honours for its new ‘Green Milk Bottle’, developed in partnership with Woolworths; taking gold for sustainability at the recent Gold Pack Awards and an international WorldStar Award 2018.
07 Dec Heineken breaks ground on $100m brewery in Mozambique
Heineken, the world’s second-largest brewer, has started building a $100m plant in Mozambique as it seeks to compete with its larger competitor, AB InBev, in the southeast African country.
03 Dec SA’s bottled water industry doesn’t exacerbate impact of drought
South Africa’s bottled water industry, the third-largest player in South Africa’s non-alcoholic beverage industry yet accounting for only 8.9% of the market, is not exacerbating the impact of the drought currently gripping several areas of the country, including the Western Cape.
01 Dec ‘Sugar tax’ is adopted by Treasury without amendment
The National Council of Provinces’ (NCOP) select committee on finance has adopted the bill which includes a provision for the health promotion levy — or sugar tax — without amendment.
01 Dec Innova names “Mindful Choices” as the top food-drink trend for 2018
Innova Market Insights has released its top trends for 2018, with “Mindful Choices” tipped to be the number one trend for next year.
30 Nov Hibiscus offers dual solution for natural flavouring and colouring
"Amazing innovation is a notable feature of the beverage industry today, across alcoholic and non-alcoholic classes, and we're seeing more and more demand for unusual tastes, through the application of botanical extracts, exotic fruits, tea, coffee, and even vegetables,” says Alana Ridley, customer service & botanical specialist with Doehler South Africa.