Coca-Cola
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd. builds on earlier agreements in effect from September 2013 to March 2021 promoting a more sustainable society. Under those earlier agreements, the companies had done things to conserve the value of forests while promoting sustainable development of involved communities. The new partnership builds on these activities by expanding the collaborative efforts. Over ten years the companies will focus on concrete activities that contribute to a more sustainable society.
Kampala-based CCBA’s Ades Nutri-Bushera, made from locally procured sorghum and millet, represents the company’s commitment to invest in initiatives that drive the “Buy Uganda, Build Uganda” agenda while pursuing its business goals. The product launch and commitment benefit millet farmers at the grassroots and other supply chain partners. Bushera is a traditional, health drink brewed in households from millet and sorghum, and consumed at social gatherings such as weddings, child naming ceremonies, and traditional gatherings. Millet is said to be a healthy cereal which is high in starch and a good source of nutritious vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds.
The two U.K bottler’s sites, located in Jordboro, Sweden, and Vilas del Turbón, Spain, are part of CCEP’s emission reduction pilot program, named Net Zero 2040. The certifications advance CCEP’s aim to make at least six of its sites carbon neutral by 2023 and reduce its value chain emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Subject to the international standard PAS 2060 certification, the sites have committed to a further carbon-neutral plan for the next three years.
The company reported pretax profit higher for the first half rose as revenue increased, while its digital business was on track for record revenue this year. For the period ended July 2, pretax profit was €455 million ($538.8 million), compared with a profit of €211 million for the first half of 2020. Revenue for the period increased to £5.92 billion from €4.84 billion the year before.
The can shortage and other “logistical challenges” at Coca-Cola’s British and continental bottling operation, which serves 29 European and Asian countries, has led to a lack of availability of Diet Coke and Coke Zero in various locations in recent weeks. CCEP said another key problem has been the post-Brexit availability of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers, but has still managed to maintain adequate service levels. It is working with customers to successfully manage the shortage of aluminum cans.
With the U.S. population increasingly multiracial, Coca-Cola realizes minorities will soon be the dominant demographic. With that in mind, it is setting new goals to ensure that its diversity message and advocacy efforts spread effectively in minority communities. The company appointed marketing veteran Henry Hendrix to the new position of vice president of multicultural marketing strategy and engagement, and Cuban-born Fernando Henriquez, who worked at AT&T and Microsoft in marketing and supplier diversity, as vice president of supplier diversity. The company plans to double its marketing spending in minority-owned media over the next three years.
Nestle
The Essentia Water 2 Gallon Box was developed in response to increased consumer demand for its ionized alkaline water (pH 9.5+) in larger format options. The Bothell, Wash.-based Nestlé USA company says the larger format is a more sustainable alternative to single-use bottles. Each external box is made with recycled corrugate and is 100 percent recyclable; the inside uses 80 percent less plastic than eight 1L bottles by volume. The Essentia Water 2 Gallon Box begins rollout regionally at retailers including CVS and Walmart this month, with full distribution in early 2022 at an MSRP of $16.99.
The RTD cans will arrive on Tesco and Asda store shelves this month (RSP: $1.79/240 ml). Milo, which is typically sold in a powdered format for consumers to mix with milk or water, is “great for on-the-go, at picnics and in lunchboxes,” Nestlé said. The launch arrives as the company celebrates solid financial reports: in July Nestlé posted an 8.1 percent rise in organic sales for the first half of the year.
Other Companies
The Bentonville, Ark.-based “diabetic friendly” beverage company’s four drink mix variants contain a special form of soluble fiber clinically demonstrated to help maintain healthy blood sugar and regular digestive health. The beverages contain no sugar and no caffeine, and are a good source of fiber, The mixes are available in cherry, peach mango, watermelon, and strawberry banana flavors. The company says the drinks are also keto friendly because they are enriched with an extract of the banaba plant (lagerstroemia speciosa) plus highly bio-available vitamins and minerals, such as the picolinate form of chromium.
The Shanghai subsidiary of Japanese sweetened probiotic milk beverage brand Yakult (Tokyo) has been fined $69,767 by Chinese provincial regulators for claiming that probiotics play an important role in COVID-19 prevention and treatment. The misleading advertising reportedly helped boost the company's beverage sales, while hindering fair competition. The company reportedly also improperly cited the Protocol for Diagnosis and Treatment of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia in the promotion, which would have generated medical trust in the Yakult lactobacillus beverage among the public.
The 90-year-old Mass.-based cranberry juice company is just now targeting kids specifically with its Growing Goodness line of functional juice products with no added sugar. The Growing Goodness line of four SKUs, sold nationwide at major retailers, contains nine grams of sugar (from fruit juice) per 6.75-ounce Tetra Pak box, plus added nutrients for immune health (130 percent DV of vitamin C and 10 percent DV of zinc) and digestive health (three grams of fiber per juice box from soluble corn fiber). "This is a whole new segment for us, which is really exciting,” a spokesman said.