27 Nov Coke acquires remaining stake in Zico
With sales of its traditional sodas under pressure, Coca-Cola has announced the acquisition of its outstanding ownership stake in Zico, the premium coconut water brand.
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14 Nov Starbucks to pay Kraft nearly $2.8bn
Starbucks has been ordered by an arbitor to pay Kraft’s former parent, Mondelez International, $2.23-billion in damages plus $527-million in prejudgment interest and attorneys’ fees after the coffee chain’s early termination of a grocery distribution deal.
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06 Nov Mexico to tackle obesity with taxes on junk food and sugary drinks
Mexico has become the standard bearer in the global fight against obesity, after parliamentarians passed a law imposing significant new taxes on junk food and sugary drinks.
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06 Nov Looking for natural, low calorie molecules
Guy Wollaert , chief technical officer at Coca-Cola, has been in India to inaugurate the Coca-Cola system’s 58th bottling plant. Wollaert, responsible for overseeing global R&D, innovation, global sustainable procurement, scientific and regulatory affairs, among other functions, was probed on host of topics in this...
05 Nov US: McDonald’s and Kraft to test coffee sales in supermarkets
McDonald's and Kraft Foods plan in 2014 to test sales of McCafe-branded packaged coffees at grocery stores and other retail locations in multiple US markets, the companies have announced.
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05 Nov Diageo’s small bottles hook into African spirit
In Africa, where most spirits are what the industry calls “unbranded” – or homemade – Diageo is betting smaller bottles can persuade more drinkers to sample its well-known labels instead.
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29 Oct US: Scrutiny intensifies on energy drinks
Energy drinks are coming under scrutiny yet again, with the filing of an $85-million wrongful death lawsuit against Red Bull.
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24 Oct SABMiller will adapt to changing drinking times
It's not just about lager...
16 Oct Diageo gives Guinness a makeover in booming African markets
Diageo is planning a major re-launch of Guinness in Nigeria, where it sells more of its flagship beer than in any other country, as the drinks giant seeks to accelerate growth throughout Africa.
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03 Oct SA trials Coca-Cola’s new community kiosks project
South Africa is the trial country for a new collaborative social responsibility program launched by the Coca-Cola Company - an initiative to erect thousands of green-tech, community kiosks globally. Dubbed EKOCENTERS and to be run and managed by women, they will deliver safe drinking water...
26 Sep Drinktec 2013 proves massive success
Last week saw the quadrennial drinktec take place in Munich, a trade expo that is surely the international showcase of the beverage and liquid food industries. The organisers, Messe München, describe it as such: "Euphoric mood at the world's leading trade fair", "66,886 visitors –...
26 Sep 2013’s Beverage Innovation Awards
The finalists and winners of the 2013 Beverage Innovation Awards @ Drinktec – sponsored by Rexam Beverage Can – were announced at a special awards ceremony at Drinktec in Munich last week. The expert judging panel analysed over 370 entries from 40 countries in 29...
06 Sep Japanese set to buy GSK’s iconic Lucozade and Ribena brands
Japan's Suntory drinks group is set to buy the historic Lucozade and Ribena brands from GlaxoSmithKline for about £1.5bn.
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05 Sep US: Shifting soup into the coffee capsule arena
Fresh-brewed soup! Campbell Soup and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters have joined forces to create a whole new beverage-snacking category – soup in a K-Cup or coffee capsule. Yes, really. [Click pic to enlarge]
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05 Sep US: Bottled rooibos tea brand grows sales 330%
Rooibos on the march in the US...
29 Aug US: PepsiCo to target premium water category amid CSD woes
Several US trade media reports suggest that PepsiCo is planning to launch a new premium water brand, OM, next year that will compete with Coco-Cola's Smartwater. Analysts see this as an attempt to revive its ailing North American beverages business that has been facing the...
21 Aug UK: SABMiller débuts ‘fresh lager’ to bolster falling sales
SABMiller has started importing 'fresh', unpasteurised lager to the UK, as global beer companies are forced to find new ways to rekindle drinkers’ waning enthusiasm for the amber nectar in developed markets.
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14 Aug Beer concentrate system promises a real brew, anywhere
Could this be the beer of the future? Alaskan company, Pat's Backcountry Beverages, has developed and launched a beer concentrate-carbonation system, effectively just-add-water beer, aimed for now at the camping/backpacking/outdoors market, but it has the potential to transform the greater beer industry.
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02 Aug NYC’s big soda ban stays
On Tuesday an appeals court ruled that New York City's Board of Health exceeded its legal authority and acted unconstitutionally when it tried to put a size limit on soft drinks served in city restaurants.
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01 Aug Diageo’s new boss sets out vision for drinks giant
New Diageo chief executive, Ivan Menezes, might have been expected to bring some big ideas to the table when he took over from Paul Walsh at the helm of the world’s biggest drinks company one month ago. Instead the 54-year-old says he is thinking “small”.
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