Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey emphasized the company’s resilience today as it reported first-quarter earnings amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are initial takeaways from today’s earnings release and company-hosted calls with Wall Street analysts and media:

Stevia producer PureCircle has agreed to sell a 75% stake in the company to global ingredients maker Ingredion for about 185.3 million pounds sterling ($231 million). The transaction is expected to close during the second half of this year. The announcement follows a five-month accounting probe at PureCircle and eventual management shake-up, which included the resignation of founder and former CEO Maga Malsagov. Ingredion will appoint...

Back in January, Coke was busy showing US retailers its new Coca-Cola with Coffee offering in preparation for an April launch. Now it appears the plan has been delayed amid the COVID-19 crisis. While Coke declined to confirm any specific launch plans or delay, a spokesman did offer insight on the subject when asked...

A sports drink brand backed by cannabis producer Canopy Growth and with potential access to the beer distribution network of Constellation Brands is preparing to launch its first ready-to-drink product next month. Toronto-based BioSteel Sports Nutrition, known for its powdered pink beverage, wants to...

New York is one of the hardest hit COVID-19 regions in the world. It’s also the home to Big Geyser, one of the largest and most important independent beverage distributors (and incubators) in the US. The company serves almost 13 million consumers in New York City’s five boroughs and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester. BD spoke this week to Big Geyser COO Jerry Reda to find out how the company is responding to the crisis. He estimated that only about...

Same-store gasoline sales in the US fell during the week ending March 14, according to data released late last week by the Oil Price Information Service (OPIS). Initial data for the week ending March 21 indicates the decline could be...

Since early March, BD has tracked the COVID-19 crisis through the eyes of beverage executives in the Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and independent bottling systems. By last week, a period of frenzied demand had given way to a more normalized sales pattern, bottlers and distributors said. Some are now bracing for...  Story includes direct comments from beverage bottlers and distributors.