December 15, 2021
Coca-Cola
Pakistan Government Fully Supports Coca-Cola Investment
Pakistan officials assured a delegation from Coca-Cola Icecek Pakistan (CCI) that Prime Minister Imran Khan is determined to make the country an economic hub and fully supports CCI’s investment plans. The CCI group shared details of the new $50 million production facility in Haripur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the company’s seventh in the country. During the meeting, CCI said the new production plant project would be completed by February 2022. The delegation also discussed issues relating to sugar taxes on beverages.
Pandemic Spurred Coke’s Portfolio Streamlining Plans
Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey told fellow CEOs at a recent conference that as the pandemic shrunk demand for its outlier products, the company took the opportunity to streamline its portfolio to focus on its core. Soon, brands like Odwalla, Tab, Zico, and others vanished from store shelves. “So, therein is the perfect moment to actually take a top-down decision rather than trying to go one by one over time,” he said. The parts of the Coca-Cola portfolio that were pruned represented only two percent of company sales. But like cholesterol, those underperforming products clog the arteries – i.e., the supply chain. Without the pandemic, organizational inertia may have slowed the process. Streamlining the portfolio means the company can be more agile in terms of product development and innovation, Quincey said.
Nestle
Nestlé Plans To Double Ecommerce Sales Over Next Three Years
Ecommerce, including direct-to-consumer and business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) online sales, today accounts for about $12 billion of Nestlé’s total annual sales ($92 billion). But the company has ambitious plans for the next three years: it expects ecommerce will represent about 25 percent of all sales. To generate more business and sales from ecommerce Nestlé is investing more in digital marketing and data analysis. “We will continue to enhance our ecommerce offerings and increase our spend in digital marketing,” said the head of strategic business units Bernard Meunier, who noted that the company will focus on capturing more valuable consumer data points to better understand customers.
Other Companies
Tiptoh Gets Help From SIG, Olympia Dairy To Introduce Pea Protein Drinks In Belgium
The Belgian start-up (Bruxelles) used packaging company SIG’s accelerator program, SIGCubator, to gain knowledge and connections in the food and beverage industry. SIG customer Olympia Dairy, the first dairy company in Belgium to use packaging and filling technology from SIG, helped bring Tiptoh’s new product idea to market. As a co-manufacturer, Olympia Dairy will fill three pea-protein beverages from Tiptoh: Original, and Chocolate, Unsweet on a SIG filling machine. The new drinks are packaged in SIG’s square base combiblocMidi 1,000 ml carton packs with Signature Full Barrier packaging material.
AG Barr Acquires Controlling Stake In Oat-Based Food, Drinks Maker
The British soft drinks brand has acquired a 60 percent majority stake in U.K.-based Moma Foods, with an agreed-upon path to full ownership by 2024. Moma is known for its plant-based oat milk, porridge, low-sugar granola, and bircher muesli. “We’re 100 percent focused on crafting oats into the tastiest food and drink products we can and I’m looking forward to the next leg of our journey,” said Moma CEO Tom Mercer.
Altitude Avoids Use Of Questionable Synthetic Taurine
The Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based energy drink argues that, although taurine is a naturally-occurring amino acid that supports brain and liver function, the synthetic version is largely unstudied. But it has several suspect concerns: it creates a negative nitrogen balance in the body; the dosage is unrestricted; and little is known about interaction with other drugs. The risks are so great that Altitude won’t include it in its formulation. Instead, it contains nature-based stimulants such as kola nut and guarana seed extracts, along with great yellow gentian, black carrot, and acerola to boost the digestive, anti-inflammatory, and immune-boosting aspects of the drink.
Demand For Functional Beverages Continues Unabated
The pandemic-accelerated market demand for, and development of, functional beverages Is not abating. Mintel analyst Karen Formanski says functionality has been the most important driver of innovation in the non-alcoholic beverages market for the past decade. Consumer demand for drinks with added benefits, including immune support, hydration, gut health, mental health, and skin health, has only increased during the pandemic. Among new products that have appeared recently: the Probiotic Nut & Seedmilks (Yoi) line in four varieties; KeVita Prebiotic Shots (PepsiCo) fermented with water kefir culture and three grams of prebiotic fiber; and VOSS + Collagen, with 10 grams of collagen.
Beliv Debuts Tapioca-Based Energy Drink At Kroger
The Latin America-based global beverage company’s tapioca-based energy drink OCA, available in four flavors, will be sold online and at more than 2,000 Kroger stores in the U.S. Developed by Magnus Media, the media venture of Grammy Award-winning musician Marc Anthony, OCA is formulated with sparkling water, organic tapioca syrup, organic agave syrup, organic gum acacia, organic citric acid, natural flavor, organic caffeine from green coffee and organic stevia. Flavors include prickly pear lime, mango, guava passionfruit, and berry acai. The brand last year participated in the Southern California accelerator Critical Mass Group to expand its footprint in specialty stores and supermarkets in the U.S.
Vinamilk Introduces Organic Milk To China Market
Ho Chi Minh City-based Vietnam Dairy Products Joint Stock Company (Vinamilk) said the new organic milk product was well-received at a recent food trade show in Shanghai, where it received “numerous orders” on the first day. The organic fresh milk meets organic standards in China and the EU. The company also unveiled skimmed and pasteurized fresh milk products at the show. Vinamilk's fresh milk product line will be available on both online and offline channels of the Jingdong in Shanghai. Ecommerce channels for these products will also be made available soon.
N.Y. Restaurateur Introduces Line of “Barrel-Aged” Coffees
The owner and operator of The Flatiron Room and Fine & Rare eateries, Tommy Tardie, says the Morning Dram is a collection of coffees created for the spirits drinker. The new products include Bourbon Barrel Aged Coffee, Rye Barrel Aged Coffee, Apera Sherry Barrel Aged Coffee, and House Blend No. 1, along with options such as a subscription box, starter kit, and merchandise. Rather than setting a standard time to age each coffee, Tommy “uses his senses” to determine when to remove the coffee beans from the distillery barrels “to achieve a rich, smooth finish.” "The Morning Dram offers a balance of complex notes and simple joy, robust flavors of coffee beans cradled in these spirits barrels," Tardie says.
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