Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola Lightweights Bottles For Leading Brands, But Not Everyone Is Impressed
A few Coca-Cola brands are getting a new shape for their single-serve plastic bottles in a move aimed at reducing plastic weight. The change for Sprite, Fanta, Coca-Cola and Minute Maid 12oz, 16.9oz and 20oz PET bottles will cut the company’s new plastic usage by some 800 million bottles in 2025 and reduce emissions by an average of 17 percent per bottle. Although lighter, the height and diameter are the same, allowing transportation and display processes to remain. Incremental efforts like lightweighting have reduced the company’s per-bottle virgin plastic usage, but rising sales volumes have negated overall progress on virgin plastic reduction, according to its sustainability report. Lightweighting moves like these have not impressed some industry observers, such as Erica Cirino, communications manager for the Plastic Pollution Coalition, who said "reducing the weight of plastic items by a few grams is not sufficient action to seriously address plastic pollution and all of the impacts that plastic has on people and the planet". Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president for strategic initiatives at Ocean, said some regions rely heavily already on reusable bottles, and Coca-Cola should align with that trend.
Lotte And Coca-Cola In The Sights Of Korea’s Antitrust Body
Coca-Cola and Lotte could find themselves in hot water after South Korea’s antitrust agency, the Fair Trade Commission, launched an investigation relating to price-fixing. FTC has seized documents after suspicions were raised that the companies colluded on pricing in an inflationary environment. The two companies are among several others being investigated from other categories, including food.
Other Companies
BevNet Highlights Several New Innovations
New products highlighted by Bevnet include a new energy drink flavor from Alani Nu. Pink Slush is a strawberry cream soda-flavored beverage collaboration with Paris Hilton in 12 oz cans and contains B vitamins and 200mg of caffeine per serving. POWERADE announced summer-only POWERADE SOUR in three flavors: Blue Razz, Watermelon Lime and Green Apple. Creatine-infused ready-to-drink brand FITAID released two new FITAID RX Zero flavors, Blue Raspberry and Juicy Apple. C4 from Cellucor expanded its pre-workout powders with tropical-inspired C4 x Hawaiian Punch. A limited-edition flavor for Gatorade Thirst Quencher is called Gatorade x 7-Eleven and is available exclusively at participating 7-Eleven, Speedway and Stripes stores.
Tropicana Brings Tropicana Sparkling And Naked Natural Energy To Market
Fruit juice producer Tropicana Brands Group launched Tropicana Sparkling and Naked Natural Energy drinks. Tropicana Sparkling has two variants - Tropicana Sparkling Tropical Twist and Tropicana Sparkling Zesty Orange – each with double the fruit content of the category average, according to the company. Naked Natural Energy is available in Gold, Orange, Pineapple, Mango, Red Apple, Raspberry and Goji Berry variants. They include real fruit, no added sugar, natural caffeine and vitamins. Elizabeth Ashdown from Tropicana Brands Group said of Naked Natural Energy: “we are leveraging the brand’s fruit and functionality credentials to democratize the world of natural energy drinks.”
Update Seeks To Redefine RTD Energy Drink Category With Ingredient Paraxanthine
Energy drink brand Update says it’s redefining the ready-to-drink category with the ingredient paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine that offers the boost of caffeine without the post-consumption jitters. Co-founder and CEO Daniel Solomons says paraxanthine means RTD beverages can focus on nootropic ingredients that “mimic the effects of ingredients [like caffeine].” Some studies suggest the ingredient could prove more effective at improving cognitive function, memory and vigilance than caffeine metabolites like theobromine and theophylline. Paraxanthine, typically found in supplements, has a bitter taste that’s challenging to disguise; Update uses a monkfruit and stevia blend paired with fruit flavors to mask the bitterness. Update can be purchased on its site and Amazon, but it is building retail distribution gradually with just “a handful of really specific retail and office partners” in New York City and in Erewhon in Los Angeles.
Lucozade Production At UK Plant Disrupted By Workplace Death
A death at a Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I plant in Gloucestershire, England, led to closure of over 30 Lucozade lines, including those for its Blucozade innovation, and some might not restart until the end of the summer, according to information from wholesalers. Only certain core lines are still running. The incident follows delays from strikes and other issues that affected Lucozade and Ribena availability this year. First to return are likely to be price-marked Lucozade Energy (Original and Orange) and 500ml Sport (Orange and Raspberry), but other lines could be paused until August. The incident at the Coleford site, which produces over 1 billion bottles each year, is being investigated by Gloucestershire Police.
ThaiBev
Thai Beverage Net Profits Down In Second Quarter, But Revenues Were Up Over 6%
Thai Beverage reported a 4.9 percent drop in net profit in its fiscal second quarter, ending March 31, 2024, mainly driven by a lower share of profits from investments in associated companies and joint ventures. Sales revenue, however, was 6.3 percent higher, with strong growth in beer, non-alcoholic beverages, food and spirits. Non-alcoholic beverage sales rose 8.6 percent and net profit was up over 80 percent. For the first half of the year, sales revenue was down 0.4 percent and net profit dropped 5.6 percent.
More...
Copyright 2024 Business360, Inc.