News & Analysis for the Beverage Industry
Consumers are getting more and more interested in gut health - and it’s just the beginning, says Steven Van Middelem, founder of FHIRST. How is he building a brand in this space?
A newly-published large-scale study in Sweden puts the spotlight on how sugar consumption - and specifically sugary drink consumption - affects cardiovascular risk.
Walmart has introduced its new ‘Modern Soda’ category: featuring innovative, better-for-you brands that are far from the traditional sugar-packed drinks loved by previous generations. So what is Modern Soda – and how big is its potential?
The UK government is considering extending its Soft Drinks Industry Levy to milk-based drinks and plant-based alternatives: putting milkshakes and RTD coffee in the firing line. Will this move go ahead - and could other governments consider doing the same?
Safe daily intake limits for saccharin have been almost doubled by the European Food Safety Authority following a new review on the sweetener.
The kefir maker’s board of directors has adopted a shareholder rights plan in a bid to avoid a hostile takeover.
Championing the success of the policy so far, the UK government wants to increase the impact of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy. It’s already announced an increase to the tax: and is also considering extending it to include milk-based drinks.
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched a merger inquiry into Carlsberg’s acquisition of soft drink company Britvic.
Coca-Cola Consolidated LLC has recalled cartons of Minute Maid Zero Sugar Lemonade: which in fact contained regular Minute Maid Lemonade.
PepsiCo’s North American snack and beverage businesses continue to slow down in its third quarter of 2024, as the company adjusts its forecast from 4% organic revenue growth for the year to low single digits amid continued pressures but beats Wall Street...
Recoup’s prebiotic sparkling beverages hit the shelves at 420 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide, as the company leans into gut health and regenerative agriculture claims to deliver consumer demands for functional and environmental benefits.
From probiotic and prebiotic sodas to kefir and kombucha, what are the latest innovations in gut health beverage NPD?
With Coca-Cola and Bacardi’s RTD cocktail announced for a 2025 launch, we take a look at some of the other big name partnerships between soft drink giants and beverage alcohol heavyweights in this space.
One Tech company's silicon-free chips can both store information to tell consumers how to recycle a product, and tell manufacturers how often the product is recycled.
When Ben Goodwin founded OLIPOP in 2018, his mission was to reshape the US’ soda addiction with a healthier alternative. This year, the brand is featured in Time100’s Most Influential Companies 2024. How has Goodwin built both a beverage brand – and a...
Startup Spotlight
Big advertising budgets are not a requirement for big sales or an indicator of how successful a marketing campaign will be as illustrated by a viral video on social media by functional beverage newcomer Yesly, which generated more than 16 million views...
Sugar taxes set out to reduce sugary beverage consumption. But how can that be built on to steer people towards choosing healthier options instead?
From reformulation to new innovations, what are some of the ways to reduce calories in beverages?
Plastic replacement technology firm Xampla’s partnership with Lehmann Ingredients will seek to build on global consumers’ growing demand for personalised nutrition.
Britvic shareholders have voted in favor of Carlsberg’s proposed acquisition of the company: bringing the creation of UK beer and soft drink giant Carlsberg Britvic one step closer.
Coca-Cola Europacific (CCEP) has seen its newest acquisition of Coca-Cola Philippines pay off with strong sales contributing to significant APAC growth in the first half of the year.
Japan-based Umami Cola is aiming to turn the category on its head with a new botanical-rich, koji-sweetened formulation and an inverted caN design.
Prebiotic sodas are said to possess strong growth potential in South East Asia (SEA), largely owing to rising consumer interest in gut health, and an increasing number of companies making strides in product development and launches.
Coca-Cola India has launched a programme to back sustainable mango cultivation in India to increase yields and maximise sustainability, in alignment with the government’s vision of self-reliance for the country.
Keurig Dr Pepper’s international portfolio represents an ‘increasingly significant growth driver’ for the company: with international sales up 15% in the latest quarter.
The Coca-Cola Co. is “leveraging digital and tech-enabled innovations” in marketing and price-pack architecture to drive incremental sales and volumes of new products in the critical second year after launch – helping the CPG giant beat expectations in...
Research suggests some could be more harmful to the environment than others.
What's hot this summer? We take a look at the top beverage trends.
UK functional drinks brand COMMON is celebrating a six-figure seed investment round from a host of pioneers in the F&B industry: with investors including James Watt (BrewDog co-founder). That level of interest shows that the mushroom drink category is...
Startup Spotlight
Capitalizing on the boba tea boom during the pandemic, coupled with their love of the Taiwanese drink, Bobabam co-founders, Brian Khoddam, Ron Escopete and Bob Yau, leveraged their expertise in supply chain, foodservice, and data analysis to quickly...
The cost of sugar has increased sharply in recent years. Now researchers believe gene editing could boost supplies. But how, and what does this mean for manufacturers?
Dr Pepper has become the second largest soda brand in the US. How has it done this - and is growth set to continue?
Singapore start-up Flojo has debuted its sparkling drinks formulated with botanical ingredients aimed at supporting cognitive function, strengthening immune system, and improving mood and mental clarity.
PepsiCo China has revealed its snacking strategies based on localisation and indulgence that have successfully captured and retained the interest of younger local consumers in the market.
The Vietnamese government has drafted new regulations proposing a phased increase on excise taxes for alcoholic beverages to 100% by 2030 as well as 10% for sugar-sweetened beverages, in attempts to curb overconsumption as well as boosting national income.
In sweet news for food manufacturers, monk fruit decoctions are no longer classified a novel food in the eyes of the UK Food Standards Agency. What does this news mean for the EU?
Jalapeno, pepperoncini, chili and more: spicy and 'swicy' flavors are trending across the beverage universe in 2024.
With its low-calorie and low-carb profile, a new sweetener developed in the Netherlands is targeting a very particular segment of consumers.
Most ‘sugar taxes’ are, in reality, ones that apply specifically to beverages. Is this fair – and would extending them to items such as chocolate, cakes and biscuits work?
A majority of Thai students are consuming more added sugar than is recommended by the WHO, but researchers did not find a link with increased BMI.
SA Canegrowers says South Africa's sugar tax is hurting the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.
A class action lawsuit accusing better-for-you soda maker Poppi of misleading consumers about the prebiotic benefits of its beverages could force the industry to standardize marketing for these ingredients, according to one industry player.
New data reveals the countries with the highest appetite for the sweet stuff and how much those sweet-toothed consumers worry about their intake
The potential of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes to tackle childhood obesity has been a key rationale for their introduction. How effective are they?
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Australia is selling Feral Brewing Company: the craft brewery it acquired in 2018.
A Kuwait study found that children who consumed a lot of soda and milk had higher obesity risk than those who consumed high amounts of juice.
Hydration brand Liquid I.V.’s new packaging and summer ad campaign help “optimize and modernize” the brand “without disrupting shopability at shelf,” Brittany Shaw, the company’s senior brand director told FoodNavigator-USA.
Olipop commemorates Barbie’s 65th birthday with a new Peaches & Cream flavor of its gut-friendly soda, as the brand expands into the convenience and gas channel, Steven Vigilante, the company’s director of growth and partnerships, told FoodNavigator-USA.
The Coca-Cola Company anticipates “flat to modest growth in volume” in North America despite characterizing the US consumer as “in good shape” with only modest “compression” among lower-income shoppers, and reporting positive response to stepped-up...
Targeted messaging based on personal characteristics and demographics might have more success in garnering support for controversial sugar taxes than focusing on the impact to the food industry, claim researchers in Australia. Several countries in...