As voted for by you the readers - effectively - and checked by us on Google Analytics, here are our Top 10 most read news stories of 2014 – from Constellation Brands attracting the ire of craft brewers to Dr Pepper’s stevia trials.
Wells Fargo Securities analysts say plant-based beverages are a ‘unique growth opportunity’ and believe a partnership with WhiteWave Foods would bring Coke several important strategic benefits.
Diet soda is in a funk, while 'real sugar' is back in vogue. Energy is hot, but caffeine is still controversial. Maple water is bang-on-trend, but will it really become the next coconut water?
In-depth on carbonates with Euromonitor International
Carbonates will never return to the buzz of the 80s but beverage makers can inject life back into the category from side-stepping into the water aisle to bottling up retro-style or moving into new day parts, says Euromonitor International.
Premium bottled water producers must excite as well as hydrate consumers, delegates at the Zenith International Premium Waters conference heard last week.
Waters connoisseur Michael Mascha believes hydration alone is boring and believes that premium water brands should push their epicurean credentials to emphasize distinctive terroir and taste.
Nottingham University scientists claim to have shone new light on the intra-gastric behaviour of ‘aerated’ drinks with enhanced satiating properties that they say could be used to fight obesity.
PREMIUM WATERS 2014, ZENITH INTERNATIONAL, DUBAI, DECEMBER 8-9
Abu Dhabi-based food and beverage giant Agthia Group says the bottled waters industry faces a challenge to persuade UAE consumers to swop soft drinks for water as a ‘natural rehydrator’.
From Bowser Beer for dogs and a Japanese sports drink targeting a moon landing, to CSDs with jelly and China’s ban on ‘vampire drinks’ – 2014’s seen its fair share of wacky beverage news.
Consuming Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086 (GanedenBC30) in combination with protein may blunt muscle damage after intense exercise and boost recovery, according to findings from a pilot study.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
Mintel says the presence of nutritionally beneficial compounds could see stevia-based sweeteners of the future that combine functional benefits as well as calorie-free sweetness.
Sibberi tells BeverageDaily.com it has plans to launch the first UK-based birch water brand online in December 2014 and says preservation difficulties have slowed the segment’s take-off to date.
The global beverage sector is thriving - driven by dynamic and creative individuals around the world. But do you or a colleague have what it takes to be recognized by your industry peers?
Sales of herbal and other teas increased by 5.9% in the United States in 2013, capping off a decade of solid growth, according to a market report by the American Botanical Council. It was ABC’s first such report on the tea sector.
With sales of $176.7 billion this year functional foods are a hot growth sector. But which ingredients, sectors and countries are the best bets for product launches?
While mainstream food retailers discovered kombucha later than their counterparts in the ‘natural’ channel, they are playing catch-up now, says natural soda maker Reed’s, which entered the market in 2012 with its Culture Club kombucha range and now claims...
Bai Brands CEO Ben Weiss says the Dr Pepper allied brand will hit $50m in sales this year and puts this down to a focus on ‘distribution at the expense of brand equity’ during the early ‘basement’ years.
Tetra Pak’s new CEO and president for USA and Canada tells BeverageDaily.com that the firm sees rich regional growth potential in added-value functional beverages.
Extracts from green tea may boost a range of cognitive functions, with particular benefits observed for short term memory, report researchers from Japan.
A new energy drink is seeking a middle path in the sphere, trying to find space between the shot market and bigger serving size cans. Called Last Shot, the product is the subject of a distribution agreement between EQ Labs and Liquid Health Labs, Inc.
France’s nutrivigilence work – launched in 2010 to ensure safety in food supplements and some foodstuffs – has improved the quality of the food supply, the country’s food safety agency has said.
Energy drink consumption among young people, particularly in connection with alcohol, presents a significant public health concern that warrants further research and regulation, according to a report authored by World Health Organisation (WHO) officials.
Manufacturers in the sports nutrition space have the skills and knowledge needed to move in to the much larger and lucrative healthy ageing market, according to the chief technology officer at Lucozade Ribena Suntory.
Helene Möller, product manager for ingredients at WILD Flavors, tells BeverageDaily.com that energy drinks is the category with the most possibilities for innovation.
A Canadean survey of 2,000 UK consumers found that 41% think liquid water enhancers from the likes of Robinsons, Oasis and Vimto are too pricey, casting doubt on the category’s growth prospects.
Nestle has spent $36.6m expanding its Milo chocolate malt beverage factory in Vietnam and stressed its ‘firm belief in the potential of the country’ as nutritional drinks demand grows.
Zenith International includes cocktail flavors and cognitive enhancement within a list of 13 top trends it says have driven innovation in energy drinks on the basis of post-2012 product launches.
Evidence that Montmorency tart cherry could be useful in managing gouty arthritis and other inflammatory conditions is mounting, as a new study shows that tart cherry concentrate lowers uric acid and C-reactive protein – a marker for inflammation.
STUDY COULD HELP IDENTIFY WHO SHOULD DRINK MORE OR LESS
A high-profile US meta study suggests people naturally tailor their coffee intake to experience caffeine’s optimal effects, while genetic factors linked to higher consumption likely increase coffee metabolism.
Elderly consumers are an untapped market for soft drinks manufacturers, who must use functional ingredients and easy-to-open packaging to win them over, according to a leading industry analyst.
UK energy drinks consumption has reached record levels, but manufacturers must react quickly to the negative publicity about their products, a leading analyst has warned.
Carol Dollard, former COO of Glaceau Vitaminwater, tells BeverageDaily.com about her new brand agua enerviva – a ‘naturally energizing’ drink inspired by a love of the Hispanic and homemade.
A high-profile scientist warns that any move by EFSA to recommend lower upper levels of caffeine consumption below 300mg/day could be ‘very harmful’ for the EU coffee industry, ahead of a key publication.
FOCUS ON…SPARKLING WATERS IN THE US: RAKHEE BURGESS, INSIGHT ANALYST, CANADEAN
As sparkling water sales soar in the States, Canadean analyst Rakhee Burgess tells us flavor variation is vital and the reasons why Crystal Geyser is the leader of the pack.
ZENITH INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL BOTTLED WATER CONGRESS, BUDAPEST, OCTOBER 6-8
Zenith International’s 2014 Global Bottled Water Congress will take place in Budapest from October 6, and Chairman Richard Hall says it will focus on maintaining the category’s positive global momentum.
Canadean says Coca-Cola and Pepsi need time to interest a wider UK audience in coconut water brands Zico and O.N.E but thinks the brands would benefit from greater diversification vis-à-vis market leader Vita Coco.
The sports and energy drink market has grown from £1bn in 2009 to £1.5bn in 2014 as tired consumers look to these products to beat fatigue, according to a report by Mintel.
The rising aging population in the US presents an underexploited opportunity for food and beverage marketers—particularly in the already massive protein market, as older consumers are just as desperate for sustained energy as their younger counterparts.
Reducing, enhancing or even eliminating caffeine content in coffee plants will be possible in the near future researchers are saying after completing the genomic map of the coffee plant Coffea canephora.
