Customers expect companies to ‘act with purpose’ beyond the pandemic, according to market research company Euromonitor. How can food and beverage brands respond?
From protein sweeteners to lesser known steviol glycosides, we take a look at some of the latest developments in up-and-coming tech in beverage sugar reduction.
Nudge edible coffee bars, ‘bombs,’ and butters – novel products featuring aromatic ‘whole coffee matter’ – are now available in 350 Sprouts stores, says brand owner The Whole Coffee Co, which is still learning what product formats, messaging, and merchandising...
Consumers will move outside their cocktail comfort zones in 2021 - in no small part due to increased confidence in at-home bartending during the pandemic - and with that will come an increased interest in exploring low to no options, says Bacardi.
A limited-supply Palate Training Kits released today from Icelandic skyr brand siggi’s takes an innovative approach to sugar reduction, which has gained prominence among consumers during the pandemic, but which continues to be stymied by taste and convenience...
By Ron Ducharme, Vice President of Business Development, Covectra
With the increase in ecommerce, opportunities for counterfeit products are widening. In this guest article, Ron Ducharme, Vice President of Business Development at Covectra - a company working in track and trace since 2008 - looks at how 'next-generation...
Absolut has launched its paper bottle prototype in the UK and Sweden this week: testing the design as part of its journey to create a fully bio-based bottle for spirits.
PepsiCo and Beyond Meat will form The PLANeT Partnership to develop, produce and market beverages and snacks made from plant-based protein. PepsiCo says plant-based protein offers ‘a new frontier’ in its efforts to build a more sustainable food system,...
Indian tea specialist Teamonk’s unusual decision to pivot completely to e-commerce sales and focus its product strategy on herb-infused green teas has boosted its growth and expansion throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, with no plans to revert to physical...
Coca-Cola with Coffee launches in the US today: championed by the brand as a 'true hybrid innovation that provides the perfect solution for that mid-afternoon pick-me-up, especially in today's work-from-home environment'.
Structured ‘super-expanding’ natural fibers that can capture fats and sugars in the stomach and prevent their absorption in the small intestine could help reduce calorie intakes and deliver digestive health benefits, claims the CEO of nutritional technology...
Does ‘sorta sweet’ imply that a product is low in sugar? Or does it simply mean that it tastes ‘kind of sweet’ (as the maker of StraightUp Tea asserts in a bid to fend off a false advertising lawsuit)?
By 2025, Nestlé’s Nescafé expects to have 100% responsibly sourced coffee: meaning coffee that is traced back to an identified farmer group and verified or certified by independent organizations.
In the first decision of its kind, The Portman Group has upheld a complaint against CBD gin ‘Colorado High’ in the UK for both creating a link with an illicit drug and implying therapeutic qualities. But the craft distiller behind the gin argues adults...
Japan’s plan to reduce the gap in taxes levied on the three main beer categories in the country is expected to first stimulate rapid new product innovation across the board, then also deliver a boost to the traditional beer segment in the long run, according...
Drinks which uplift, energize, and offer shoppers a treat are among those that can help retailers grab their share of more than £1bn ($1.36bn) in the UK’s soft drinks category over the next five years, says Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I.
Successfully meeting rising demand for “functional benefits” goes beyond adding on-trend ingredients with health properties to line-extensions or new products – it also requires brands to navigate a “two-way street” with consumers to balance education...
New research findings from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that the artificial sweetener saccharin did not alter the gut microbiota or induce glucose intolerance (an indicator of the development of diabetes) in healthy adults as...
A plant-based sports nutrition startup, launched this month, aims to offer uncompromising protein products which are tasty, sustainable, Informed Sport certified, and highly nutritious.
With the rise in low/no alcohol products, the UK’s Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) has set out its recommendations for how to name and label low and no alcohol products designed as spirit drink substitutes.
Leading Japanese firms Asahi, Ajinomoto, Kirin, Hotei Foods, Nippn and Nissin have underlined how their manufacturing, R&D and employee safety are being maintained as certain prefectures come under another state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company launched hard seltzer Topo Chico in five markets at the end of last year: just the latest example of how it's widening its reach across occasions with a portfolio now spanning from coffee to premium spirits.
Speaking at Expo West in 2015 two years after selling his coconut water brand to Coca-Cola, ZICO founder Mark Rampolla observed that his nine years running the business had been “absolutely brutal.” Six years later, he’s back at the helm, after buying...
PepsiCo is targeting a reduction of absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain by more than 40% by 2030. It is aiming for net-zero emissions by 2040.
Molson Coors has launched a new line of non-alcoholic, sparkling CBD beverages in Colorado: with each beverage offering ‘a unique blend of CBD and adaptogens’.
Bottles of French wine have returned to Earth following a stint on the International Space Station: with researchers now ready to assess how the wine has changed.
Chobani is moving into new territory with the launch of a Chobani Coffee, a line of multi-serve ready-to-drink coffees made with single origin cold brew and the company’s new oatmilks and dairy creamers, which might seem like a leap into the unknown,...
With the momentum behind Dry January stronger than ever, a raft of new products are hitting the shelves this month to cater for health-conscious consumers.
Multinational beer brewer AB InBev says the launch of a new super-mild beer in India will have dual positive impacts for the company: To both boost its low-and-no alcohol portfolio, while simultaneously adapting to local regulations.
A coalition of 21 trade associations representing wine, distilled spirits and related sectors have reiterated their dismay over tariffs between the US and EU: as new US tariffs come into effect today on certain Cognac, grape brandies, and non-sparkling...
2021 is likely to be a transition year for the US beverage alcohol category, predicts online retailer Drizly. Pandemic trends will persist amidst a slow return to pre-COVID life, while up-and-coming categories such as RTDs and mezcal will continue to...
Back in the day the beverage of choice for Tour de France riders famously used to be a bottle of red wine. They may have been on to something, a recent review suggests.
By Callum Saunders, Head of Planning at ZEAL Creative Limited
As more brands recognise the importance of sustainability, it becomes harder to stand out. Callum Saunders, head of planning at ZEAL Creative, looks at how brands should direct their messaging around sustainability in 2021.
Coca-Cola is replacing its front-of-pack logo with a series of resolutions representing hope and optimism for 2021 as part of its ‘Open to Better’ campaign in the UK.
Barley proteins and fibers could make an attractive new addition to the food formulator’s toolbox in everything from bread and pasta to plant-based milks, says EverGrain, a new company backed by Anheuser Busch InBev dedicated to upcycling brewer’s spent...
The AB InBev subsidiary will take on the South African government's third alcohol sales ban in court: challenging the constitutionality of the ban. “Legal action is the last resort available to us to protect our employees, suppliers and all the livelihoods...
Philippines-based craft distillery Full Circle Distillers says it is ready to tap into post-COVID-19 growth banking on its localised offerings and new sales channels established during the pandemic.
Australia’s alcoholic drinks sector has started the year with a fight on two fronts, leading industry leaders to give both barrels to new government drinking guidelines and accusations from academics that it provides a ‘distorted view’ of scientific evidence’...