Hard-To-Track News For Business Professionals

Indian State Rescinds Ban On Bisleri Bottled Water

The state of Assam (India) food safety agency has rescinded its ban on the manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of Bisleri bottled water after analyzing samples of the water. The agency had banned the water because of unacceptable fluoride contamination. Bisleri water can be sold again because it is now fit for consumption and poses no health risk to the population. [Image Credit: © Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd.]

Bisleri’s Plastic Recycling Program Is Meant To Be Comprehensive

Indian beverage company Bisleri’s “Bottles for Change” initiative, launched a year ago to educate citizens about the importance of recycling plastics, emphasizes that the program encompasses lighter plastic materials as well, including milk pouches, multi-layer packets, wrappers, and plastic pouches. Consumers need to know that these household materials should be collected, cleaned and segregated at home, so they can be sent for recycling rather than thrown away. Participants in the initiative include housing societies, companies, schools and colleges, hotels, and restaurants. So-called “plastic agents” – kabadiwalas, NGO partners, recyclers – collect used plastic from participants daily or weekly. In the past year, Bisleri’s “Bottles for Change” has collected 4,800 tons of plastic and recycled 1,000 tons from 500,000 consumers, 600 housing societies, 300 companies, 200 schools, and 400 hotels and restaurants.[Image Credit: © Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd.]

Coca-Cola Japan Gives The Gift Of Music To Its Holiday Customers

Coca-Cola Japan is adding a new wrinkle to its special holiday Coke bottle labels – the ones that transform into bows – by including a musical gift with each bottle. Customers who pull a tab on specially-marked bottles find the word “music” with a 12-digit code next to it. Input the code on the campaign website to listen to one of 25 songs sung by popular J-pop girl group Little Glee Monster. Whatever song is chosen from the playlist will be available to listen to, without limit, from October 28 until February 14. The campaign also offers a chance to win 50 points on the messaging app Line, or one of 2,000 Baskin and Robbins Christmas ice cream cakes.[Image Credit: © THE COCA-COLA COMPANY]

Coca-Cola’s 3rd Q Revenue Up 8.3 Percent Over A Year Ago, Driven By Coke Zero Sugar

Coca-Cola’s third quarter profit of $9.51 billion largely met analyst expectations, but its reported revenues were 8.3 percent higher than in the same quarter a year ago. The revenue increase is attributed to the strong demand for sugar-free drinks like the Coke Zero Sugar line and for smaller (7.5-ounce) cans, but also for Coca-Cola Plus Coffee and core sparkling soft drink brands. Coke Zero Sugar turned in its eighth consecutive quarter of double-digit volume growth globally. The company reported three percent organic sales growth in North America and Asia Pacific, as well as four percent in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The best sales performance was in Latin America, up 14 percent on an organic basis. Healthy performance was reported in Coca-Cola Plus Coffee, launched in more than 20 markets, and in Coke Energy, available in at least 25 countries with a U.S. launch set for January. The company expects “at least five percent growth in organic revenues” for all of 2019.[Image Credit: © THE COCA-COLA COMPANY]

CCEP Now Distributes Monster Energy’s Reign Performance Beverages

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), a distributor of more than 50 beverage brands, is now handling a line of performance energy drinks from Monster Energy. Reign Total Body Fuel is a pre- and post-workout beverage targeted at 18- to-35-year-olds. It contains 200 mg of natural caffeine extracted from green coffee beans, but no sugar, artificial colors, flavors, or calories. Other ingredients are intended to enhance performance or reduce fatigue, including branched-chain amino acids, L-arginine, and vitamins B3, B6 and B12. The drink will be available in Melon Mania, Razzle Berry, Lemon HDZ, and Sour Apple flavors. The 500 ml cans have “warrior-themed” packaging and will be sold in plain and price-marked packs ($1.92). CCEP says the launch will be supported by event and venue sponsorships, digital content, and in-store POS materials featuring global and local fitness influencers.[Image Credit: © Reign Beverage Company LLC]

Coca-Cola Honored For Corporate Transparency

Coca-Cola was recently awarded the top honor for overall corporate transparency in the first edition of the U.S. Transparency Awards that recognize publicly traded companies for the effectiveness of corporate disclosures. such as annual proxy statements, form 10-Ks, and investor relations websites of companies on the S&P 250. "It’s a huge honor to be recognized for the transparency of our disclosure, said Tim Leveridge, investor relations officer at Coca-Cola. BlackRock Inc. came in second, while Southern Company was recognized for the best proxy statement award, AIG for best form 10-K, and Altria Group for the best investor relations website.[Image Credit: © Transparency Award]

Nestlé SA To Restructure Waters Unit To Better Handle Tough Challenges

With growth in the bottled water business sagging, Nestlé SA announced plans to overhaul its business to meet challenges from sparkling and flavored waters, and from a global backlash against single-use plastic. U.S. bottled-water volumes grew only four percent last year, compared to 8.3 percent four years ago. Sales growth worldwide slowed to six percent from 7.2 percent in the same period. Other factors leading to the pending overhaul include rising costs to make and transport bottles, and fierce competition from store-branded products. Nestlé has raised prices on its core water brands, including Poland Spring and Pure Life, to offset higher costs, but further eroding volumes. The company’s upscale brands such as San Pellegrino and Perrier are doing well in the U.S., but it has been slow to react to rising demand for sparkling, flavored water. Nestlé last year began selling sparkling, flavored water under Poland Spring, Arrowhead, and other brands in the U.S., but has struggled to stand out. The restructuring of the water business will involve changing it from a stand-alone, globally-managed business based in France to a regionally-managed one. Waters chief Maurizio Patarnello will leave the company after more than 16 years.[Image Credit: © Nestle]

New Age Expands Nestea Partnership With Nestlé

Denver-based New Age Beverages Corporation said it is expanding its partnership with Nestlé to include all products under the Nestea brand, including powdered tea products in the U.S. Nestea markets a variety of tea products, including liquid and powdered tea concentrates, refrigerable teas, and RTD bottles dispensed by vendor or vending machine. Organic and natural beverage company New Age will launch Nestea powders immediately in its e-commerce system, targeting more than 1,000,000 consumers, and among major retailers. Nestea powdered tea has historically generated retail sales of $30 million annually. The powdered tea market in the U.S. is valued at $259 million for the latest 52-week period, and New Age hopes to capture a significant share of the market. It has re-introduced some of Nestea powders’ most popular flavors on its website, and is expanding the range of Nestea powders, adding new flavors and recipes. [Image Credit: © Nestle]

Beverage Trade Showcases Onslaught Of Functional Drinks

At the Anuga trade fair for food and beverages held recently in Germany, beverage companies showcased products that illustrate their embrace of functional drinks for health-conscious consumers. Some promoted specific nutrients such as protein or vitamins, while others touted new ingredients or featured products in broader categories, such as hangover cures. Kōkōjoo won Anuga’s start-up award for example, in the drinks category for Pelure de Cacao, a cocoa bean shell infusion that is rich in antioxidants and minerals. Swiss company FluidFocus launched a protein water to compliment Focus Water, its vitamin water range. SpaceLab’s range of beverages includes Alcohol Killer, which helps aid metabolize alcohol quicker, protecting the liver and other organs from exposure to dangerous acetaldehyde. Hemponade claims its drink is a “functional food with lots of positive benefits” from cold-pressed hemp juice, grape juice, lime juice for freshness. Dutch start-up Tranz explained how its Sparkling CBD Water contains pharma-grade cannabis oil that allows it to be commercialized in Europe, where CBD is not yet legal.[Image Credit: © Kokojoo]

Breweries Launch JVs To Enter CBD-Infused Drinks Market

A week after the launch of Fluent Beverage Co. – a joint venture between Anheuser-Busch InBev and Canadian cannabis company Tilray Inc. – Truss Beverage Co. announced it will launch a line of cannabis-infused drinks later this year.

Truss, a joint venture of Molson Coors and cannabis producer Hexo Corp. (Gatineau, Quebec), says its portfolio of cannabis-based drinks is set to hit the market later this year. The lineup will include a CBD-infused spring water as well as beverages containing THC. Corona beer maker Constellation Brands in 2017 acquired 10 percent of Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth Corp. for $245 million in a deal that included collaboration on cannabis-based drinks. Meanwhile, U.S. law firm Hagens Berman is investigating possible violations of federal securities laws by Hexo Corp., including whether the company misled investors about the propriety of its business model, including the ability to sell its cannabis through retailers.

U.K.’s Clearly Drinks Adds Flavored Waters From Revolution Waves To Portfolio

Expanding its water portfolio, U.K. beverage manufacturer Clearly Drinks has acquired flavored water brand Revolution Waves (North Yorkshire), founded by international athletes in 2016, for an undisclosed sum. Revolution Waves is listed in more than 100 schools across the U.K., and is sold in Tesco and Asda stores. The sugar-free, low-calorie brand comes in four flavors in 500 ml bottles: raspberry, cherry, cranberry, and lemon and lime. The acquisition expands Clearly Drinks’ national portfolio of water brands that include Perfectly Clear and Whisper, following a 2017 investment by private-equity firm NorthEdge Capital.[Image Credit: © Clearly Drinks Ltd. ]

Cargill Debuts Botanical Extract That Enhances Stevia Flavor

Minnesota-based beverage ingredients manufacturer Cargill has unveiled a botanical extract that it says delivers a taste-enhancing breakthrough in the stevia space. Introduced recently at the SupplySide West trade show, ClearFlo, which will be used with Cargill's fermentation-derived EverSweet steviol glycosides, will be ready for commercialization early in 2020. A Cargill representative said ClearFlo “gets really close to overall sugar sweetness profile” and can be used to make stevia concentrates. In combination with Eversweet, ClearFlo can create a solution of up to 30 percent stevia (150x increase) enabling high concentration formulations. The botanical used to make ClearFlo is GRAS (generally recognized as safe); the company is pursuing FEMA (Flavor Extract Manufacturers Association) GRAS for its use as a flavor enhancer. Cargill will initially focus on incorporating the Eversweet - ClearFlo combination ingredient for beverages such as soft drink concentrates and energy drinks.[Image Credit: © Cargill, Incorporated]

Glanbia To Market CreaBev Sports Nutrition Ingredient In Europe In 2020

Glanbia Nutritionals says it will release its powdered CreaBev sports nutrition ingredient for beverages in Europe by the end of 2019. The ingredient features a patent-pending encapsulation technology that enables a more soluble and stable creatine monohydrate for high-performance sports nutrition drinks. According to the company, 70 percent of creatine monohydrate remains after 12 months, unlike standard creatine monohydrate, all of which degrades to creatine after 12 months. Glanbia also says CreaBev does not crystalize when exposed to ultra-heat treatment (UHT) or precipitate like conventional forms of creatine monohydrate.[Image Credit: © Glanbia plc]

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