Beverage Innovators Embrace CBD, Shots, Keto and More
March 15, 2019
BD attended the Natural Products Expo West show last week at the Anaheim Convention Center & Arena outside Los Angeles. The event has become a showcase for products capitalizing on consumer health trends, which often evolve to mainstream appeal and drive acquisitions by large consumer products companies. Food and beverage offerings as usual dominated the show, which included more than 3,500 exhibitors spread across the equivalent of almost 10 football fields. Here’s an analysis of beverage themes and trends that emerged from this year’s show:
PepsiCo has agreed to purchase CytoSport, the maker of Muscle Milk protein shakes, from Hormel Foods for $465 million. The deal comes less than five years after Hormel paid
Earnings Interview: CEO Quincey Updates on CBD, RTD Coffee, Monster Arbitration
February 15, 2019
There were no valentines exchanged between Coca-Cola and investors on Feb. 14 after the company offered a cautious full-year 2019 earnings forecast. Coke shares declined more than
BD held its annual Future Smarts conference on Dec. 7 in New York City. The program focused on the implications of massive changes this year to the North American non-alcoholic beverages landscape. New leaders have taken over all three of the largest soft drink makers -- Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Keurig Dr Pepper -- since 2017. Acquisitions of Dr Pepper Snapple by Keurig Green Mountain, Costa Coffee by Coke and SodaStream by PepsiCo have all signaled a more aggressive approach to portfolio transformation. Meanwhile
Protein, Fiber, Antioxidant Offerings Expected to Lower Cost of Reb-M Sweetener.
November 30, 2018
Next week, PureCircle will announce plans to extract proteins, soluble fibers and antioxidants from the same stevia leaf used to extract high-intensity sweeteners. PureCircle CEO Maga Malsagov told BD that the innovation will lower the cost of stevia sweeteners to manufacturers and boost PureCircle’s bottom line. Demand is rising for such ingredients in beverages as consumers look for increased functionality and health benefits. Sourcing protein, fiber and antioxidants from the same leaf as stevia sweeteners also will allow manufacturers to “enormously simplify” their labels, Malsagov said. PureCircle expects to become the first supplier to commercialize the new stevia leaf ingredients, starting in the