Tea & coffee

C-store beverages: What’s new at NACS?

C-store beverages: What’s new at NACS?

By Beth Newhart

The National Association of Convenience Stores has been meeting since 1961, and today the expo covers more than 400,000 square feet. The 2019 show was held in Atlanta October 2-4, bringing together retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and exhibitors from...

Unilever will attempt this by strengthening innovation in new business models

Unilever to halve plastics by 2025

By Dan Colombini

Manufacturing giant Unilever has announced that it will halve its use of virgin plastics by 2025, cutting that usage by 100,000 tonnes (t).

A single pouch is designed to work on up to 16oz of coffee and remove 200mg of caffeine.

Decafino opens the coffee world to decaf drinkers on-the-go

By Beth Newhart

A pouch that can decaffeinate brewed beverages like coffee and tea has been developed by a chemical engineer from the University of Washington. Decafino’s commercial launch is planned for May of 2020 in the US.

Tea bags can be made from plastic or paper, or use a combination of the two. Pic:getty/alexthq

Plastic tea bags release microplastics into brew, says study

By Rachel Arthur

Plastic tea bags can release billions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles into a cup of tea, according to Canadian researchers. But while the scientists say some brands have shifted to plastic tea bags instead of paper ones, the industry counters...

Pic:getty/du84

Tea may improve brain health, says study

By Rachel Arthur

Tea drinkers have better organised brain regions compared to non-tea drinkers, according to a study published in the journal Aging. “Our study offers the first evidence of the positive contribution of tea drinking to brain structure and suggests a protective...

There are still around 35 drinking occasions over the course of a week, but beverage categories are changing. Pic: Getty/Kwangmoozaa

The last 30 years in beverages: How have consumers changed?

By Beth Newhart

While soda may have dominated shelves in the 1990s, today’s shoppers are seeking increasingly sophisticated functional beverages. Data company Kantar has analyzed consumer behavior in a new report that highlights the last three decades in the US beverage...

Bluestone wants to bring the coffee culture of Melbourne to the US through its cafes and blended beverages.

Australian cold brew coffee spreads in the US

By Beth Newhart

Bluestone Lane’s Australia-inspired cafe chain is its expanding its beverage options with ready-to-drink iced coffee and cold brew, including a partnership with Elmhurst 1925.

Instant hot coffee of the past is being replaced by higher quality ready-to-drink options.

Bringing back the brew: US coffee innovates for fall

By Beth Newhart

Coffee brands kick it up a notch in the fall, capitalizing on the category’s popularity during the colder months. From spiked cold brew to CBD infusions, US coffee is taking a fresh approach to autumn 2019.

World Centric debuts compostable cold cups at Expo East

World Centric debuts compostable cold cups at Expo East

By Beth Newhart

A new line of cold beverage NoTree containers will join World Centric’s packaging designed for hot drinks. The bamboo-based cups will be introduced at the Expo East show in Baltimore this week.

Starbucks adds a pumpkin flavor to its new at-home creamer line.

Pumpkin watch 2019: Fall flavors return to US coffee chains

By Beth Newhart

Pumpkin and maple-flavored beverages seem to crop up earlier each year, with most major tea and coffee chains now announcing their autumn offerings in mid-August. We round up what’s new and when favorites return.

Pic:getty/ktsimage

An Indian tale of two coffee chains: Starbucks and Cafe Coffee Day

By Richard Whitehead

“Our first flagship store in Mumbai is an amazing celebration of great coffee, rich Indian heritage and community,” declared Starbucks chief executive Howard Schultz seven years ago, having flown out from Seattle to witness the launch of the chain’s first...

“You need to experience it before you’re going to understand the value of the platform.” Pic: Elemental Beverage

Snapchill cools coffee in seconds, maintains freshness

By Beth Newhart

Massachusetts-based Elemental Beverage has perfected its Snapchill technology, the ability to cool drinks from 140ºF to 40ºF in 60 seconds. They have sights set on cafes, restaurants and eventually the at-home brewer.

Millennial parents with children and are thinking about their health in a preventative way, different from older people who wait until they’re sick to seek medical care.

New functional teas powered by liposomal technology

By Beth Newhart

Bio-Up, a new line of functional beverages positioned for cholesterol and cardio health, is drawing on liposome technology from the pharmaceutical industry to improve uptake of active ingredients.

Coffee child labour podcast: How widespread is the issue?

Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast

Coffee child labour: Under-researched and ‘undetected’

By Oliver Nieburg

Thousands of child labourers work in coffee, but the true levels remain under-researched. Lumina Intelligence speaks to the Sustainable Coffee Challenge about the worst forms of child labour.

Carbonated soft drinks, water, coffee, energy drinks and sports drinks are the top beverages in c-stores. Pic: Getty/Sarah Casillas

Convenience store beverage purchases rise in the US

By Beth Newhart

Convenience store and gas station shopping habits for US consumers are analysed in GasBuddy’s 2019 C-Store Beverage Study, showing more impulse buys and higher demand for bottled water.

All the ingredients used in Coffee Booster are vitamin or herb based, without any flavor for easy incorporation.

Coffee gets a boost at-home and on-the-go

By Beth Newhart

Premium ‘boosters’ and functional add-ons have found a place in smoothie chains, and now they’re headed for coffee. Canada-based Coffee Booster wants flavorless function to be a new step in morning coffee routines.

“A critical part of our journey is taking bigger, bolder action to be more socially responsible in all the ways we operate.”

Dunkin’ ramps up sustainability commitment

By Beth Newhart

Dunkin’ Brands, parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts (DD) and Baskin Robbins, released a sustainability report this week, updating its progress on old goals and outlining new ones.

Follow us

Products

View more

Webinars