A new law allowing American schools to sell milk anywhere at any
time will force changes to exclusivity contracts between schools
and soft drink firms.
Sales of full-calorie soft drinks in schools have fallen in recent
years, said the American Beverage Asociation (ABA) in a new study,
published as soda companies face a possible threat of legal action
for selling soft drinks in schools.
Fizzy colas may increase consumers' risk of hypertension that can
lead to strokes and heart disease, suggests a new medical study,
raising new problems for stumbling fizzy drink sales.
Nestlé has filed patents all around the world for a new, foamy
coffee drink that is made and looks like beer but contains no
alcohol, in a sign it is exploring new product avenues.
Coca-Cola has launched Powerade Aqua+ in the UK, aiming to grab
more of the blossoming healthy drinks market as part of a new push
on non-carbonated drinks in Europe.
Sports drinks, juice and bottled water spearheaded a set of
encouraging third quarter results from Coca-Cola as
health-conscious consumers force a realignment at the major soft
drinks players.
Ingredients firm Wild has devised a new solution for fizzy soft
drinks with up to 40 per cent less sugar and no artificial
sweeteners, offering more opportunities in low-calorie soft drinks.
Cadbury Schweppes has hit stormy waters in the US, warning it will
fail to hit profit targets as higher costs and the bankruptcy of a
bottler conspire to foil the group's US revival.
The world's largest supplier of private label soft drinks, Cott,
says 2005 profits will be badly hit by low fizzy drink consumption,
rising PET costs and poor performances from own-label bottled
water.
Cadbury Schweppes still looks likely to ditch its European soft
drinks arm for the right price, yet it is difficult to find a buyer
for a stumbling business with little growth prospects.
Energy drinks will account for £1 of every £5 spent by Britons on
soft drinks this year, according to a new survey by Mintel that
reveals the phenomenal growth of this sector.
Cott Corporation, the world's biggest supplier of private label
soft drinks, will join the growing club of aseptic producers after
buying Britain's Macaw group - offering new opportunities for
health products and better...
Coca-Cola, Pepsi and the rest of the soft drinks industry are
considering a voluntary ban on carbonated soft drinks in elementary
and middle schools following heavy lobbying from health
campaigners.
Cadbury-Schweppes looks set to try and sell its European soft
drinks arm, again, but whoever buys it may have a tough time
improving the division's rather average performances, reports
Chris Mercer.
Proposals to put cigarette-style health warnings on soft drinks to
highlight the harmful effects of too many sugary beverages has been
called patronizing by the American Beverage Association, writes
Anthony Fletcher.
The FDA has urged the soft drink industry to review the ingredient
statements on their soft drink labels following the withdrawal of a
proposed "and/or" ruling on sweeteners.
Soft drinks makers looking to replace sugar with sweeteners to
reach health-conscious consumers could save time and money with an
award-winning new technology from UK supplier Pursuit Dynamics,
reports Chris Mercer.
Drinks makers looking for gains in the vibrant flavoured water
market could opt for new additions to WILD's exotic natural fruit
range, says the German flavour firm.
PespiCo has thrust further into Europe's strongly emerging juice
market through German firm Punica as the scramble to get ahead in
healthy soft drinks sector intensifies, reports Chris
Mercer.
Splenda's battle with the Sugar Association over its advertising
campaign seems to be doing little to dissuade food and drink
manufacturers and their consumers of its merits as Diet 7 Up
becomes the latest product to be made...
Russia's leading dairy and juice producer Wimm-Bill-Dann has
announced it will merge its juice and water businesses as part of a
restructuring plan devised to stop rising transport and raw
materials costs from damaging profits,...
British confectionery and soft drinks group Cadbury Schweppes is
back on the path to growth after the acquisition of confectionery
group Adams and a complete overhaul of its US beverage business.
Cost reductions, investment in confectionery...
Coca-Cola's Greek bottling subsidiary has announced it will buy its
way into Serbia's bottled water market as the trend towards healthy
living increases the importance of non-carbonated soft drinks,
reports Chris Mercer.
The Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling company, which this week announced
solid sales growth led by emerging markets in Eastern Europe, has
confirmed its interest in Serbia's second largest mineral water
bottler as the company plans...
Merrydown, the British beverage group whose focus on adult soft
drinks has helped it overcome the declining fortunes of cider, has
agreed to a takeover by SHS, a consumer goods sales and marketing
specialist. The group hopes that...
Non-carbonated soft drinks in emerging Eastern European markets,
especially Russia, held up sales growth during a challenging period
for the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (CCHBC), despite a €49
million one-off charge sending...
PET industry association Petcore has given its full endorsement to
Plasmax, a SiOx-coated barrier from SIG Corpoplast, and ActiTUF, an
in-resin barrier technology from M&G, for coloured bottle
applications.
Coca-Cola's chief marketing officer resigned last week, but the
company would not reveal whether poor sales of the low-carb,
low-cal drink C2 prompted this decision.
The low-calorie juice drinks market is expected to continue to
increase by 30 to 40 percent in the US during the next few years,
according to a report on Reuters.
A slump in international sales means that Coca-Cola is set to
switch its focus to the China market in an effort to sustain
growth. The company said that with current economic growth
continuing apace, China should be its third biggest...
The drinks industry believes fortified beverages are the answer to
claims that Americans are increasingly drinking sweetened soft
drinks at the expense of more nutritious alternatives.
China's soft drink industry continues to boom, with market analysts
Canadean estimating that continued growth now means annual
production is in excess of 20 billion litres. And with retail
prices continuing to fall and expendable...
Polish soft drinks manufacturer Hoop, a significant player in the
European soft drinks market, has announced a drop in profits for
the financial year 2003 following an increase in expenditure
related to the enhancement of production...
Research suggesting a link between soft drink consumption and
rising levels of diabetes in the US has sparked fierce criticism
from consumer groups and beverage industry associations. Scientists
with an axe to grind have manipulated...
Thailand's tropical climate has fuelled the country's thirst for
soft drinks, with consumption growing steadily in recent years,
according to market analysts Canadean. Bottled water and
other 'healthy' drinks are...
Despite a cold winter and spring, Russia's soft drinks market
continued to grow healthily in 2003, helped primarily by the
booming nectars category, where consumption is now almost eleven
times greater than it was in 1994, according...
A new study on artificial sweeteners reported in the news yesterday
has fuelled a rapid response from the soft drinks industry, which
branded the research by US researchers at Purdue University as
'pure speculation'.
Despite Germany's blisteringly hot weather in 2003, the country's
soft drinks market was badly affected by a controversial mandatory
deposit system which saw many retailers remove one-way containers
from their shelves, according...
Affordable refreshment and convenience were the underlying drivers
of growth in the UK soft drinks market in 2003 - although the hot
summer weather also played a major role.
Last year's exceptionally hot summer weather gave a major boost to
soft drink consumption in the UK, but a new report from market
analysts Canadean shows that the heatwave merely accelerated
the already rapid growth in one of...
The Slovakian soft drinks market has grown by a healthy 31 per cent
since 1998, driven by increasing tourism and the arrival of the
multinationals, says a recent market report.
Food makers opting for sugar rich recipes for their soft drink
formulations are under constant attack from consumer groups
claiming that the sugar content is harmful to teeth. But a new
study from the US finds that flavour additives...
