BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Monk fruit makes headway…but still faces aftertaste issues: Mintel

Mintel analyst Laura Jones tells BeverageDaily.com that use of monk fruit as an all-natural, zero calorie sweetener has tripled in the past five years, but says she believes it still...

BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Sucralose and stevia steal sweetening show for US beverage developer

Stevia and sucralose are the best natural and non-natural sweeteners on the US market, according to one beverage developer, with savvy formulators able to iron out the former’s aftertaste issues....

BEVERAGEDAILY.COM SPECIAL EDITION: SWEETENER INNOVATION

Ajinomoto fights to ‘stabilize profitability’ in aspartame after 2012 losses total billions of yen

Ajinomoto’s industrial aspartame business lost billions of yen in 2012, but the company’s Senior VP for North America tells BeverageDaily.com it is working hard to ‘stabilize profitability’.

Management target $45m cost savings to mAKE CASE FOR STANDALONE FUTURE

‘Bitter’ Britvic blow as firm plans to leave historic UK base cutting 230 jobs

Trade union Unite has described the threat to 290 Britvic jobs across three UK sites as a ‘bitter blow’and aims to talk with management next week in a bid to...

DISPATCHES FROM THE 2013 INNOBEV GLOBAL BEVERAGES CONGRESS, WARSAW, POLAND

Coca-Cola HBC Poland boss sees ‘huge challenges’ in growing discount dominance

The rise of discount retailers – along German lines – will create huge challenges and opportunities in Poland’s RTD beverage market through to 2020, says the general manager of Coca-Cola Hellenic Polska.

News in brief

'Bananas are 'nature's energy drinks'': Chuck Norris attacks category

US martial artist and actor Chuck Norris says he calls bananas 'nature's natural energy' drinks, in the course of an attack on the drinks category written for the website WND.com....

Less pretty in pink? Monster Beverage cans Ultra Pink energy drink launch

Monster Beverage has confirmed to BeverageDaily.com that it has shelved plans to launch female-oriented energy drink line extension Monster Energy Ultra Pink.

Homegrown Australasian energy drinks are happy going their own way

Yesterday, we looked at how energy drinks, in spite of their small market size, have been enjoying an effervescent year of growth in Asia , to the point the continent now...

Research

Energy drinks adding fizz to buoyant Asian beverage market

Even though energy drinks forms the smallest category of soft drink consumption in Asia, one industry research company has hailed it as the most dynamic.

News in brief

No link between omega-3s & metabolic syndrome: Study

Increased dietary intakes of omega-3 fatty acids are not linked to a reduction in the risk of metabolic syndrome in the US population, suggests a new study.

Monster Energy accuses SF City Attorney of publicity-seeking: ‘The media got copies of his lawsuit before we did’

Just days after Monster Beverage Co pre-emptively sued him, San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrera has slapped the energy drinks giant with a lawsuit of his own accusing it of...

News in brief

Zenith UK Soft Drinks Industry Conference - Tomorrow!

Zenith International's UK Soft Drinks Industry Conference takes place tomorrow, Wednesday May 8, at the Congress Center in Central London, and will feature speaking slots for the likes of Innocent...

San Fran City Attorney swears to litigate Monster Energy suit ‘aggressively’

San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrera says he will aggressively litigate Monster’s lawsuit asking a federal judge to halt his investigation into posssible violations of California involved in Monster’s marketing...

Europe must learn from the US on stevia, says Mintel

While stevia products have boomed in Europe, manufacturers should follow the US trend of blends if growth is to continue, a Mintel analyst says.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SIDEL'S VIEWS ON ASEPTIC TECHNOLOGY IN OUR MAY 30 ONLINE EVENT: ASEPTIC TECHNOLOGY 2013

Sidel: New low output aseptic PET solution suits niche beverage brands

Sidel tells BeverageDaily.com that its new low output aseptic blow-fill-cap machine lends opportunities for beverage producers to test the market with PET on a smaller scale, and naturally suits ‘more...

GSK's iconic tonic: Abandon Ribena and Lucozade to Big Beverage

GlaxoSmithKline will sell its “iconic brands” Lucozade and Ribena to a beverage giant – if the price is right – the company announced in its Q1 results yesterday.

News in brief

Soft drinks stall in France as consumers trade down: Canadean

The French soft drinks industry has been hit hard by the government’s introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, according to market research firm Canadean, with consumers trading down to...

‘Our goal is global pussyfication’: Branson-backed energy drink earns ASA rap

The UK Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has upheld 156 consumer complaints relating to an energy drink called ‘Pussy Natural Energy’, but the brand insists protestors simply twisted the meaning of...

ABC hits back at report linking Ginkgo Biloba to cancers in mice

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) insists consumers should avoid gingko biloba, a tree-derived extract commonly used in teas, some energy drinks and supplements, after a US...

Berries may protect brain functioning, rat study suggests

A diet supplemented with berries could help to protect brain functioning during aging, according to new animal data.

Symrise backs sour cherry power for sports recovery

Symrise has launched what it says is the highest polyphenol concentration extract derived from European-sourced sour cherries. Sports recovery is the target market.

DISPATCHES FROM THE 2013 INNOBEV GLOBAL BEVERAGES CONGRESS, WARSAW, POLAND

GSK brand Lucozade unlikely to attract multinational trade buyer: M&A expert

GSK brand Lucozade is more likely to attract a possible private equity buyer than a multinational food and beverage trade player that prefers brands with greater global potential, according to...

FIRMS SEE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN CLEAR, FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGES

Stepan Lipid Nutrition and Virun paint bold brushstrokes on clear beverage ‘canvas’

Virun and Stepan Lipid Nutrition have signed a letter of intent to exploit what both companies agree is untapped potential in the clear, functional beverage space.

Jägermeister jury still out on extending brand’s first ever RTD line

Germany spirits giant Jägermeister tells BeverageDaily.com it is yet to decide on whether to roll out its first ever line extensions, RTD premix drinks launched in Australia and New Zealand...

Coca-Cola loses 2012 UK soft drinks share to Pepsi

Coca-Cola lost UK volume share in 2012, while Pepsi grew both its volume and value share and Lucozade and Red Bull’s success reflected growing consumer interest in functional drinks.