The aim is to be able to process them using conventional technologies so that they can be used in applications that are currently occupied by petroleum-derived plastics. The companies Venvirotech and ENPLAST are collaborating with the Plastics Technology Centre (AIMPLAS) in this research.
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are biocompatible and biodegradable plastics in soil and marine environments synthesised by a wide variety of microorganisms, which share very similar characteristics with plastics of petrochemical origin. The most recent studies focus on the search for cheaper alternative substrates, such as agro-industrial waste or industrial by-products, and on extraction strategies to reduce product costs. In this way, the aim is to facilitate their incorporation into a market dominated by petroleum-based plastics. The most commercialised PHAs have certain limitations to be processed by conventional technologies, so one of the objectives is to optimise them so that they can be used in different applications within the plastics industry, as well as to scale up their production and supply companies in the sector.
In this context, the COM4PHA project is committed to developing new formulations of bioplastics based on the PHAs group to promote new lines of product development based on these biodegradable materials. In particular, the project is working on formulations based on the PHBV copolymer for applications in the packaging and agriculture sector, using innovative processing technologies for this type of polymer. These technologies include hollow-body blown extrusion for bottles and the application of the copolymer as a coating on paper substrates and agricultural mulch films.
The overall objective of the project is also to optimise the synthesis of the material and favour the scaling up of larger quantities to be able to offer PHBV at an industrial level and reach certain applications that are currently occupied by conventional materials.
The biotechnology company Venvirotech, which specialises in the transformation of organic waste through a proprietary technology that uses bacteria to produce PHA bioplastics, is coordinating this project. The company ENPLAST, a specialist in the creation and manufacture of all types of plastic packaging, is also participating in the project and will be responsible for validating the materials developed. As a link between the two companies, AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, is in charge of the new PHA formulations, both for the production of packaging and for the formulation of coatings.
The new formulations for cosmetic packaging will be biodegradable and compostable and will comply with the established requirements, which will reduce their environmental impact and allow a better acceptance of the product by the market. This innovation may also be of interest to other processors and end-users in the food and beverage sector, in addition to cosmetics.
For coating formulations in the paper and agricultural sectors, developments will improve product quality and extend shelf life. The results can be exploited in the packaging sector, and applied to those where barrier properties are required, such as the food and cosmetics sectors. In the agricultural sector, they will be applied in mulch films to maintain crop quality based on the barrier and antimicrobial properties of the coating.
The Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the Next Generation funds of the European Union are financing this action.
MycoTechnology, Inc., has announced that its new ClearHT™ natural flavour has received Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS) status from the Flavour and Extract Manufacturers Association (FEMA) for use as a flavour with modifying properties (FMP) in multiple food and beverage categories.
Discovered from the honey truffle, a unique species of fungi with a rich history of use, ClearHT™ natural flavour is the newest addition to MycoTechnology’s portfolio of innovative taste solutions. At low inclusion levels, it enhances flavours such as citrus and caramel, and offers new ways to modulate sweetness, helping to address continued consumer demand for better-tasting, healthier products. It will be available for use in markets that recognize FEMA GRAS determinations by early 2026.
“Achieving FEMA GRAS status affirms the safety of ClearHT™ natural flavour and opens new opportunities in many regions,” says Sue Potter, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Regulatory Affairs at MycoTechnology. “This is a significant milestone in our efforts to expand the availability of our ingredient solutions to global markets.”
Jordi Ferre, MycoTechnology’s CEO, adds, “We are proud to introduce ClearHT™ natural flavour, our latest innovation in MycoTechnology’s line of transformative ingredient solutions. Our team has continued to demonstrate exceptional progress in scale-up, safety validation, and applications development in preparation for commercial availability. This approval marks another important step in our mission to promote healthier, better-tasting food and beverages.”
Maison Perrier introduced Maison Perrier Chic, the brand’s first-ever line of premium flavoured sparkling beverages that reimagines classic cocktails into non-alcoholic delights. Blending fan-favourite flavours with Maison Perrier signature grand bubbles, Chic offers a refreshing twist on French sophistication – no spirits needed.
Crafted in collaboration with a distinguished French bartender from one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, Chic mixes real fruit juice and natural flavours with the iconic grand bubbles of Maison Perrier, adding a splash of French flair to your sip. Whether unwinding after a long day, hosting a chic soiree, or savouring a stylish nightcap, Chic delivers an elevated cocktail-inspired experience in every can.
For only 30 calories or less per can, Maison Perrier Chic serves up four flirty flavours inspired by classic libations:
Daiqui’red Flavoured Sparkling Beverage, a twist on the beloved frozen classic, the Daiquiri, with vibrant tart fruit and sparkling bubbles.
Peach Spritzer Flavoured Sparkling Beverage, a juicy peach delight with a crisp finish puts an effortlessly chic spin on a Bellini.
Piña Fizz Flavoured Sparkling Beverage, reminiscent of the fan favourite Piña Colada, a coconut and pineapple fusion of flavours that transports tastebuds to paradise.
Citrus Fizz Flavoured Sparkling Beverage, a reimagined take on French 75. Bright, zesty lemon flavour and a crisp bubbly finish.
Maison Perrier Chic Citrus Fizz Flavoured Sparkling Beverage will be exclusively available at Whole Foods, while the other irresistible flavours will soon grace retailers in the U.S., including Amazon, beginning this April. With an MSRP of USD 5.99 for a 4-can pack, it’s the perfect opportunity to indulge in a little sophistication.
Refresco, the global independent beverage solutions provider for Global, National and Emerging (GNE) brands and retailers in Europe, North America and Australia, publishes the Annual Report 2024 of Pegasus MidCo B.V., the entity owning Refresco Holding B.V.
The Annual Report, consisting of the Executive Board Report and the Financial Statements, is available for download on Refresco’s website: https://annualreport.refresco.com/
About Refresco Refresco is the global independent beverage solutions provider for retailers and global, national and emerging brands with production in Europe, North America and Australia. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans and glass. Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities and market demand. Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has more than 14,500 employees.
Symrise is relaunching its beverage incubator Califormulations and renaming the brand into bWorks™. This step completes the evolution from a partial investment into a full acquisition over recent years. Since 2019, Symrise has been delivering end-to-end beverage innovation to consumer-packaged goods (CPG) companies and their brands. bWorks™ now builds on the existing legacy of innovative and trustworthy beverage solutions. It is expanding its services as an incubation partner with the unique capacity to support both small-scale and large-scale production.
In its capacity as beverage incubator, bWorks™ offers end-to-end solutions from concept to market-ready products. It is leveraging consumer insights, winning flavours, rapid prototyping, as well as agile manufacturing. This unique incubator approach combined with expert taste solutions brings together creativity and commercialisation. This allows for speed to market at the right size with the right flavour profile.
“Our modular services, from insights and design to prototyping, development, and full-scale production, make us the ideal partner our customers’ beverage innovation journey”, states Fernando Levy, Sr. Director of Beverages BU NA. “Customers can obtain limited-edition runs, line extensions, regional or national launches, or long-term productions from us. bWorks™ adapts to customer needs through our bundle services and longstanding flavour expertise”.
As a premier solution turnkey partner, bWorks™ will continue to support customers with beverage innovation across three beverage-focused locations within the USA: Teterboro, NJ, Columbus, GA, and Laguna Beach, CA. The manufacturing site in Columbus, GA, provides agility with run capabilities ranging from 10k to 100k cases per SKU. This covers a variety of packaging, including cans, bottles, and bag-in-box. The site has also received certification from the Department of Agriculture as an approved food manufacturing facility (SQF Level 3, FSMA/HACCP). This includes alcohol permits and the ability to provide certification in Organic, Kosher and Halal.
The Food and Beverage Carton Alliance (FBCA), an association formed from the merger of two established organisations, announced its launch as a unified platform dedicated to advancing beverage cartons as essential, renewable, and circular packaging solutions.
The organisation is the result of the merger of ACE (The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment) and EXTR:ACT, two European associations that have championed beverage cartons as a sustainable packaging solution and the industry’s work in ensuring they are collected and recycled.
With a vision to expand beyond Europe, FBCA aspires to unite beverage carton manufacturers and their paperboard suppliers in driving sustainable packaging solutions that enhance food security, reduce waste, and advance low-carbon circular economies.
An ambition for a sustainable future
Food and beverage cartons as essential components of resilient food systems. By leveraging renewable resources and continuously improving their environmental performance, food and beverage cartons play a crucial role in extending the shelf life of perishable foods, reducing waste, and ensuring safety and quality for consumers worldwide.
“Our industry is working tirelessly in designing fully renewable and sustainable packaging solutions that meet the needs of both consumers and the planet,” Patrick Verhelst, President of the FBCA Board said. “We are excited to expand globally and champion the role of beverage cartons in building a more resilient, low-carbon future.”
New board announced
The newly elected FBCA Board representing its five founding members includes:
Patrick Verhelst, President FBCA and Senior Director of Business Development, Elopak;
Ulrika Wedberg, Vice President FBCA and Executive Vice-President Sustainability & Public Affairs, Billerud;
Karina Boers, Head of Sustainability Development, SIG;
Tamara Bullock, Director Corporate Affairs, Europe and Americas, Tetra Pak;
Erik Hallberg, Vice-President Coating, Converting and Digital Technology, Stora Enso
“Through FBCA’s Global Centers of Expertise, Advocacy and Communications, we will provide the evidence and benchmarks needed to lead the way in sustainability progress,” said Annick Carpentier, FBCA Executive Director of Global Advocacy. “We look forward to working with global partners in driving a circular bioeconomy, maximising functionality and efficiency along the life cycle.”
FBCA unites industry leaders and global stakeholders in ensuring the long-term viability of a thriving food and beverage carton sector, optimising the performance of the life cycle of food and packaging systems. Together, FBCA will contribute its knowledge, expertise and leadership to develop robust regulatory frameworks for food packaging worldwide.
The Beverage Industry Environmental Roundtable (BIER) announced the release of Version 4.3 of its groundbreaking Beverage Industry Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Sector Guidance. This latest iteration is designed to further support the beverage industry in aligning with global GHG reporting protocols while enhancing consistency, accuracy, and leadership in emissions calculation and reporting.
A comprehensive tool for sustainability in the beverage sector
The updated guidance builds on BIER’s commitment to providing beverage companies with sector-specific tools that go beyond standard protocols. It supports the industry’s efforts to measure, manage, and report emissions effectively across Scope 1 (direct), Scope 2 (indirect), and Scope 3 (value chain) categories. By tailoring the framework to the unique needs of the beverage sector, the guidance ensures actionable insights and meaningful progress toward decarbonization.
“Version 4.3 represents a critical step forward for the beverage industry,” said Erica Pann, Executive Director of BIER. “It enables companies to confidently navigate the complexities of GHG reporting while fostering greater transparency and accountability within the sector.”
Key updates in Version 4.3
The latest guidance incorporates cutting-edge developments in GHG reporting standards and methodologies, including:
Alignment with Emerging Standards: Integrating updates from the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Science-Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) FLAG guidance for forest, land, and agriculture emissions.
Enhanced Methodologies: Improvements in data allocation for recycling, transportation logistics, and cooling models to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Focus on Transparency: Strengthened protocols for data verification and disclosure to meet the demands of stakeholders, from regulators to consumers.
Commitment to net zero leadership
As part of a broader commitment to a net-zero future, BIER member companies are embracing ambitious science-based targets. Many have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040-2050. The updated guidance underscores near- and long-term decarbonization strategies, providing a clear pathway to align with global climate goals and build resilience in the face of climate change.
A collaborative industry effort
Developed by BIER, a technical coalition of leading global beverage companies, the guidance exemplifies the power of collective action. It unites the industry under a shared framework for measuring and reducing emissions while driving innovation and sustainable practices.
“This guidance reflects the beverage industry’s leadership in sustainability,” said Inez Prosee, GHG Guidance Project Manager and Associate Director at BIER. “By working together, we’re setting the standard for GHG reporting and creating a more sustainable future for the entire sector.”
The Beverage Industry Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Sector Guidance, Version 4.3 is available for download at https://bit.ly/BIERGHG25.
The study looks at how the use of cannabis is impacting consumption in key food and beverage categories in key markets.
GlobalData’s new “Hot Topics” cannabis study on the claimed consumption behavior of cannabis users compared to non-users highlights that this is a large and growing consumer group, who are behaving differently to the general population, in ways that brand owners and their stakeholders may not fully realise.
Jenny Questier, Consumer Analysis Director at GlobalData, commented: “Currently, there is little research data or analysis available to help companies understand the impact of a new cohort of cannabis users in consumer packaged goods markets where the drug has been legalised. While this study’s findings are indicative, they could apply to any market where cannabis use is prevalent as they do provide some useful insights into the impact that cannabis users consumption behavior could have on product choices being made in key food and beverage categories and which demographics are important in future product development and positioning.”
The study entitled, “Hot Topics Report: Impact of cannabis use on consumption in key markets”, provides a top-line indication of how consumers who claim to use cannabis, describe their use of the drug in five key markets which have legalised the recreational use of the cannabis, namely: the US, South Africa, Canada, Mexico and Germany, and the claimed impact this may have on consumer consumption in the alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, savory snacks, and chocolate and confectionary categories in each of these markets.
The study reveals that cannabis users have a tendency to stay at home more, are more concerned about their physical and mental health, spend more time online, and perhaps as a consequence of this, order more food online, when compared to non-cannabis users. Interestingly, the known side effects of cannabis use of increasing hunger and thirst are significantly impacting on consumers’ net consumption of non-alcoholic beverages, savory snacks and chocolate and confectionary, however, the drug’s use currently seems to have a limited impact on alcohol consumption overall.
This is an important cohort for consumer packaged goods companies because the number of recreational cannabis users is already significant and is set to grow further. In the US, cannabis is legal for recreational use in 24 out of 50 states, according to the *Pew Research Centre. In the US, there were an estimated 17.7 million daily cannabis users recorded in 2022, according to research published in the journal Addiction, based on data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Questier continued, “In the coming decade, the number of cannabis users is set to grow globally as more US states are likely to legalize recreational cannabis use, public support may lead more countries to do the same, and more people are likely to take up the habit as a means of relaxation, enjoyment, and for perceived health benefits. It is imperative that brands and manufacturers of food and beverages understand what this may mean for future innovation and target consumer groups.”
Here are some of the top-line indicative findings from the study for each food and beverages category surveyed in each market:
Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic Drinks
Cannabis use does not appear to have a significant impact on alcoholic drinks sales!
Claimed alcohol consumption remains largely unchanged overall as a result of cannabis use, generally holding steady at a plus or minus 1 % net change in most markets. Canada and Mexico have a small net decline in alcohol consumption with Germany’s high + 10 % net change attributed to a smaller sample size as cannabis has only recently been legalised in the country, and reported use remains relatively low.
An assumption that alcohol sales overall might suffer from the increased use of cheaper cannabis products as the stimulant effects are similar is not evident from this study. However, that’s not to say that the alcoholic drinks market isn’t changing; female cannabis users are drinking less alcohol, but males are drinking more.
Cannabis use makes you thirsty for non-alcoholic drinks!
All markets in this study saw a significant rise in the consumption of non-alcoholic drinks by cannabis users. In some markets, this rise occurred among all demographics, in other markets younger consumers dominated.
Savory Snacks and Chocolate & Confectionary
Cannabis use gives you the munchies, boosting savory snacks sales!
All markets saw a rise in savory snack consumption due to cannabis use; North American markets had particularly large rises. Unlike beverages, Gen Z do not dominate savory snack sales, instead it is older Gen Y and Gen X consumers.
Cannabis use gives you a sweet tooth, increasing chocolate & confectionery sales!
Cannabis use drives a significant rise in chocolate and confectionery consumption in most markets, although the demographic leading this varies from market to market.
Questier adds: “The top-line results from this indicative study show that cannabis users’ consumption behavior is different from other consumers. Consumption of soft drinks, savory snacks and chocolate and confectionery is significantly increased, with the balance between male and female, and young and old consumers shifting in each market. Whilst there is limited claimed impact from cannabis users on total alcohol consumption, the demographic make-up of this market is nevertheless changed by the presence of cannabis.
“With little research conducted into this area to date, the study’s indicative findings suggest that the implications of cannabis use for consumer packaged goods companies and their stakeholders could be significant for brand strategy, consumer targeting, portfolio management, innovation, sales, advertising, and marketing. Further research by brand, category, and geography could be required to ensure that these implications are understood and appropriate strategies devised to manage them.”
Free sample pages from the “Hot Topics Report: Impact of cannabis use on consumption in key markets”, are available here
As a founding member of the industry association RecyPac, Emmi is working alongside its partners to launch a nationwide circular solution for plastic packaging and beverage cartons. The solution was launched in several Swiss municipalities in January 2025, enabling the standardised collection of packaging, including Emmi branded products such as Aktifit and good day. A significant milestone has been reached in the collective efforts to achieve a circular solution in Switzerland for these high-quality recyclable materials, demonstrating the continued progress Emmi is making in achieving its sustainability goals for sustainable packaging and in supporting the circular economy.
Numerous Emmi dairy products such as Aktifit, good day and raclette are already available on the market in recyclable plastic packaging or beverage cartons. Since January 2025, consumers in the city of Bern and the municipalities of Dietikon, Greifensee, Oetwil an der Limmat and Schlieren have been the first to be able to place recyclable packaging into a standardised collection system. This marks the first major milestone in the RecyPac collection initiative’s goal to develop a comprehensive, nationwide solution for the two recyclable materials.
“The standardised collection and recycling solution for plastic packaging and beverage cartons introduces the first nationwide solution. We are continuing our pioneering work to develop a practical, everyday solution for our consumers and are committed to supporting a circular economy in line with our sustainability goals,” explains Marc Heim, Executive Vice President Division Switzerland at Emmi.
Emmi Schweiz AG is a founding member of the non-profit organisation RecyPac. This industry association focuses on the development of a recycling system that involves all stakeholders along the value chain with the aim of collecting recyclable materials nationwide and recycling them to a high standard. This will close a major gap in Switzerland’s circular economy.
Premium fruit and vegetable ingredients supplier SVZ sets out its predictions of the essential trends that will shape the food and beverage (F&B) industry in 2025. With an emphasis on nutritional value, and how it can be further supported by fruit and vegetable ingredients, SVZ’s three top trends reflect how consumers see F&B products as more than just fuel – but as routes to improved well-being, a greener, fairer economy and even authentic self-expression.
1. Back to basics: Fundamental nutrition
SVZ’s first top trend is consumers’ return to fundamental nutritional truths. Half a decade on from the COVID-19 outbreak, the connection between diet and health remains a central topic. Most Europeans report that they eat more healthily now than five years ago, but even so, many still worry about making the right choices amid a sea of conflicting advice.1 In France, 51 % of those surveyed by Mintel stated they felt pressure to eat and drink healthily.2 Pair this statistic with another from the same report which shows that around one in five respondents are attracted to core nutritional claims such as high fibre, vitamin or mineral content, and the ‘fundamental nutrition’ trend starts to take shape.3
“Shoppers are overwhelmed and wary of vague or complex nutritional claims,” comments Johan Cerstiaens, Commercial Director at SVZ. “Instead, they want options with clear, common-sense benefits that reflect the basics of nutrition. A great example is products which help consumers reach their recommended daily intake of fruits and vegetables. It’s a claim valued by more than a third of shoppers, but real fruit puree or a vegetable juice is also a great source of natural flavour and nutrition too.”
2. The ‘so-what’ consumer: Rebellion takes centre stage
Directly challenging the much-discussed ‘nutrition-above-all-else’ attitude, 2025 will be the year of the rebellious food and beverage consumer. This theme is defined by personal expression, imperfections and guilt-free consumption. While some address their dissatisfaction with diet trends by going back to basics, others are taking a more radical approach. For instance, 34 % of French shoppers believe ‘life is too short’ to worry about specific food and drink choices, while worldwide, 43 % of consumers state they want to see more indulgent and ‘crazy’ food and drink creations.4 New-year trend predictions from Mintel, FMCG Gurus5 and Innova Market Insights all reference these rebels who prioritise gratification over righteousness.
“This trend is so interesting because it presents several different routes to success,” Cerstiaens continues. “On the one hand brands can lean into the convention-bucking aspect with wild and wonderful flavour combinations, but on the other they could focus on authenticity by demonstrating how their products align with key consumer values, such as plant-based eating or ethical sourcing.”
3. Supply and demands: Food safety, security and sustainability
SVZ’s final 2025 trend relates to the impact of geopolitical and climate-related disruptions on the food and beverage segment. From major political events to increasingly volatile weather events, global supply chains are under pressure – and shoppers are taking notice. Between on-shelf shortages and the rise of ‘skimpflation’6, reports of consumer concern are unsurprising, with 77 % of Italian adults for instance believing that climate change will affect the availability of supermarket products in their lifetime.7 In fact, globally, two thirds of shoppers state that sustainability is more important to them now than it was two years ago8, suggesting this is a purchase driver that will only continue to grow in importance.
“While it may not always be the easiest of topics, at SVZ we know no discussion about the future of food and beverages is complete without addressing sustainability and security of supply,” states Cerstiaens. “Through our daily operations, we have a seen genuine determination, from farm to fridge, to build a fairer, greener and more efficient global food system. Rather than being discouraged by current challenges therefore, as a sector we should be inspired to collaborate across the supply chain, drive innovation in natural ingredients and adopt sustainable sourcing strategies that help keep the F&B industry climate-resilient.”
With a joint investment of around EUR 3 million by Tetra Pak and Yellow Dreams, a new recycling plant is set to start operations in Ittervoort (The Netherlands) in the second half of 2025. The facility will handle the non-fibre component (polyAl) from used beverage cartons, boosting the recycling capacity in the European Union (EU).
Strategically located near the Belgian and German borders, the plant has the potential to process the entire volume of polyAl from beverage cartons recycled in Belgium and The Netherlands, and part of the volume from Germany. Featuring an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes, this second Dutch plant complements the existing 8,000-tonne capacity at Recon Polymers’ facility in Roosendaal, marking a significant increase to the region’s recycling capacity. It also adds to the existing and well-established recycling infrastructure in the EU, where beverage cartons are recycled in 20 specialised paper mills, with polyAl currently processed by ten facilities.
Kinga Sieradzon, Vice President Collection & Recycling, Tetra Pak, comments: “We are pleased to announce this new plant, which significantly enhances the recycling capacities of used beverage cartons in the region. By collaborating with Yellow Dreams, we have the opportunity to exceed the Netherlands’ official recycling targets.1This is another milestone in our collaborative journey with all stakeholders across the value chain, to drive collection, sorting, and recycling. Our ongoing investments, up to €40 million each year globally,2 reflect our commitment to advancing beverage carton recycling and supporting sustainable practices.”
Bas Gehlen, Managing Director at Yellow Dreams, adds: “The joint endeavour of Yellow Dreams and Tetra Pak not only showcases the potential of polyAl recycling but also sets a remarkable example of the value of collaboration towards building a circular system. Through this project, we are continuing to spearhead the transformation of carton recycling, leaving a lasting impact on the environment and inspiring further the adoption of circular economy practices.”
Today, beverage cartons can be and are being recycled into valuable materials for new products wherever the collection, sorting and recycling infrastructure is in place. Therefore, expanding this infrastructure is a priority for Tetra Pak. Recycled paper fibres are used to enhance the quality of various paper products, such as e-commerce boxes and shopping bags. The protective layers of polymers and aluminium, once recycled, can replace virgin plastics or other recycled plastics in applications for injection moulding, extrusion or thermo-forming, and be used to produce a variety of goods, such as pallets, crates, outdoor furniture, flower pots and tiles.
Tetra Pak has collaborated intensively with Recon Polymers since 2019 to further develop polyAl recycling technology. The project evolved into a full-fledged commercial plant in Roosendaal, Netherlands that commenced operations in early 2021 and got an €1 million injection in 2023 in a bid to increase the capacity to 8,000 tonnes per year, therefore advancing material circularity across France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The co-investment with Yellow Dreams – which is based on the same technology, helping to transform polyAl into a range of everyday items including reusable pallets, interiors and large-format 3D printed object – represents the latest step in this journey. Once operational, the new plant will benefit several countries.
1The Netherlands’ official recycling target not only accounts for fibre recycling but also polyAl recycling. This target will evolve from 34 % in 2023 to 55 % by 2030 (source: https://www.verpact.nl/nl/drankenkartons) 2Capital and operating investments.
DNV, the independent assurance and risk management provider, published a new report highlighting the urgent need for the food and beverage sector to transform its supply chains to meet sustainability demands amid global challenges like climate change, regulatory shifts, and evolving consumer expectations.
The report ‘The Future of Sustainable Food Supply Chains: Spotlight on Europe’s Food and Beverage Industry’ reveals that sustainability has become the number one supply chain priority for food and beverage companies, with 75 % ranking it among their top three goals, ahead of cost efficiency (63 %) and regulatory compliance (49 %).
To succeed, companies must adopt a holistic approach that integrates visibility, digital transformation, and compliance with emerging regulations. With food systems accounting for a third of global carbon emissions, the report identifies critical areas where the industry must focus to balance environmental responsibility, cost-efficiency, and compliance with increasingly stringent regulations.
The report’s key findings on critical challenges facing food and beverage supply chains include:
Digital transformation as a catalyst: The adoption of digital tools such as supply chain traceability, connected product passport as well as supply chain risk management platforms is gaining momentum, but the sector lags behind others in integrating key technologies. A focus on verifiable and trusted data, as well as ease of use across all supply chain actors is essential to enable transparency and cost-effective compliance.
Evolving regulatory landscape: New EU directives, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and the Packaging Waste Directive, are driving companies to address sustainability comprehensively, from carbon footprints to human rights concerns.
Consumer and retailer influence: Today’s informed consumers demand sustainable and transparent food production practices and are willing to pay a premium for products aligned with their values. Retailers, especially those with private labels, are pushing for deeper collaboration with suppliers to meet these expectations.
“The food and beverage industry faces an era of significant transformation as sustainability within the entire supply chain becomes an urgent priority. Global disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and the growing impact of climate change, have intensified existing challenges while introducing new complexities to the industry’s supply chains,” said Geir Fuglerud, CEO – Supply Chain & Product Assurance at DNV. “This report is a blueprint for companies to address the challenges ahead, leveraging digital innovation to balance cost-efficiency and environmental responsibility.”
While digital transformation is crucial for creating lean and green supply chains, the report’s findings highlight that it must be coupled with robust methodologies for data collection and verification. Technologies like AI offer immense potential to enhance visibility and traceability, but fragmented standards and siloed data systems remain key barriers.
As climate change accelerates and global populations grow, the food and beverage sector must embrace a holistic, technology-driven approach to sustainability. Collaboration across the supply chain, bolstered by strategic partnerships and adherence to rigorous standards, will be essential in shaping a more sustainable and efficient future.
Just Made, a leading producer of cold-pressed juices, shots, and smoothie bowls, announced the installation of a Hiperbaric 300 high-pressure processing (HPP) system at its new Houston (USA) production facility. The company hosted an inauguration event on November 9th to celebrate the new facility, HPP equipment, and expanded capabilities.
“We have followed Just Made’s inspiring journey from inception to becoming a leader in authentic, cold-pressed beverages. Their commitment to quality and innovation perfectly aligns with our mission, and we are honored to be part of their growth story,” said Rob Peregrina, Executive Director at Hiperbaric.
Just Made was founded in 2016 with a mission to bring the vibrant flavors and nutritional benefits of tropical fruits to consumers across the United States. The company currently distributes its cold-pressed juices and other products in over 3,000 retail locations across more than 25 states.
Based in Houston, TX, the new 22,000-square-foot facility houses the Hiperbaric 300 system, two bottling lines, coolers, freezers, and other food processing equipment. The Hiperbaric 300 unit features a 300 mm (11.8 inches) diameter pressure vessel and can process up to 1,410 kg/h (3,100 lbs./h) of product. The new HPP system will help deliver significant cost savings compared to relying on third-party HPP services. The company projects a payback period of 2 to 3 years on the new equipment.
“We look forward to continuing our close collaboration with Hiperbaric as they develop new innovations that will benefit the food processing industry,” said Norka Nimocks, CEO of Just Made. “Their commitment to service and responsiveness is a key factor in our decision to partner with them.”
About Just Made Just Made was founded in 2016 with the goal of bringing the vibrant flavours and nutritional benefits of tropical fruits to consumers across the United States. The company’s portfolio of cold-pressed juices, shots and smoothie bowls are available in over 3,000 retail locations across more than 25 states. As a certified B-Corporation, they believe in using business as a force for good. For every bottle sold, they donate 5¢ to support local schools, teachers and students in rural Latin America and the Caribbean. Their team works directly with school administrators and teachers to determine the best uses for these funds.
Most consumers believe that food and beverage manufacturers should declare if a product has been made with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), new research shows.
In a survey commissioned by Ingredient Communications and conducted by SurveyGoo, 83 % of respondents agreed that companies should declare on a product’s label if it has been designed or manufactured with the help of AI technology.1 More than half of all those surveyed – 55 % – agreed with this assertion strongly and only 4 % disagreed with it altogether.
Nearly two thirds of respondents (64 %) said they believed that food and beverage products made with the help of AI technology should not be described as ‘natural’ – with 12 % disagreeing with this. There was also strong support for regulation, with 78 % of respondents agreeing that the Government should introduce laws controlling the ways food and drink companies can use AI technology to design and manufacture their products. Just 6 % disagreed with this.
A majority of respondents (52 %) agreed with the general point that AI technology is a positive development that will benefit humanity, with 21 % disagreeing. However, when asked how they felt about the use of AI specifically to design and produce food and beverage products, fewer respondents (42 %) said they felt positively about this, with 27 % saying they felt negatively.
Just under half of respondents (44 %) said they believed that a food or beverage product made with the help of AI might be less safe to consume. However, they were split on whether they would be more or less likely to buy a food or beverage product made with the help of AI. Just over a quarter (26 %) said they would be more likely to do so, with 29 % stating they would be less likely.
The survey also revealed a distinct generational split. A majority of Generation Z and Millennial respondents felt positively about the use of AI in the food industry (65 % and 57 %, respectively). The corresponding figure among Generation X and Boomers was markedly lower – 44 % and 25 %, respectively.
Richard Clarke, Managing Director of Ingredient Communications, commented: “Many food and beverage companies have rushed to embrace the benefits of AI technology but it’s important they take care to consider how consumers feel about this. We’ve seen a huge backlash against AI in the arts and entertainment business. To avoid the same fate, food and beverage manufacturers should pause to reflect on whether they are being sufficiently transparent about their use of AI.”
He continued: “As we saw 30 years ago with the furore over the safety of genetically modified crops, it’s easy for misinformation to spread and stir up fear. Food and beverage companies would be wise to implement a communications strategy to ensure the public is kept informed about the ways in which they harness the power of AI tech.”
Other takeaways from the survey included 79 % of respondents agreeing that savings made by food and beverage companies through the use of AI should be passed on to shoppers in the form of lower retail prices.
However, sentiment shifted if this came at the expense of employment, with 40 % considering it unacceptable if the use of AI technology to design and manufacture a food or beverage product meant somebody lost their job – even products were cheaper as a result. A third of respondents (33 %) considered this an acceptable outcome.
1Online survey of 1,040 consumers in UK and USA, conducted October 2024
Drinks Ventures GmbH and Canable, a leading co-packing service provider based in Berlin, Germany, are excited to announce the launch of its new financing program aimed at helping beverage brands rapidly scale their operations. This initiative offers unlimited funding at competitive rates to qualifying companies, enabling them to meet growing demand and expand their market presence.
You’ve already proven your drink’s market potential by selling 100,000 cans? Now, imagine accelerating to 500,000 cans and beyond. Our financing program is your co-pilot in this exciting journey of scaling your beverage brand.
Eligibility criteria:
Companies must have successfully sold a minimum of 100,000 cans of their beverage product to qualify.
Applicants are required to possess a current purchase order or Letter of Intent (LOI).
“We recognise that many promising beverage brands face challenges in scaling production to meet demand, even after achieving initial market success,” said Jennifer Browarczyk, CEO of Drinks Ventures GmbH. “Our new financing program aims to bridge that gap, providing the capital needed to fulfill large orders and accelerate growth.”
The program is designed to work seamlessly with our co-packing services, offering a comprehensive solution for beverage companies looking to increase production volumes efficiently. By combining flexible financing with expert co-packing capabilities, Canable is positioned to be a valuable partner in helping innovative beverage brands reach their full potential.
Beverage companies interested in learning more about this financing opportunity and Canable’s co-packing services are encouraged to apply using this form: https://forms.gle/fmJqhS6aVn3b49AB6
About Drinks Ventures Drinks Ventures, home to Canable, is a top co-packing service provider based in Berlin, Germany. With a dynamic and flexible manufacturing process, Canable enables European beverage brands to ramp up production starting at 6000L. In collaboration with their partners, they streamline printing, canning and filling. Through the Beverage Scaleup Program, Drinks Ventures is focused on financing the growth of multiple scaleup drink companies.
The escalating food waste crisis in the Asia-Pacific region presents a significant challenge that demands urgent attention from stakeholders across the supply chain. To combat this, foodservice operators are increasingly adopting recycling as a cornerstone of sustainable practices. Sustainability initiatives in the food and beverage industry include ethical sourcing, food waste reduction, and implementing composting programs and efficient waste management systems, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Shravani Mali, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “As awareness around sustainability grows, consumers increasingly prioritise ethical considerations in their purchasing decisions. Consumer demand for sustainability efforts among food service establishments and the food and beverage industry is accelerating, pushing restaurants to use more recycled materials, reduce waste and decrease their carbon footprint.
Governments across Asia have launched various initiatives to act against the crisis. These efforts reflect a growing recognition of the environmental, economic, and social implications of food waste, which is a persistent challenge across the region.
For instance, according to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water in Australia, food waste is a persistent issue in the country, with an estimated 7.6 million tons of food discarded each year. Under the National Food Waste Strategy, the Australian government aims to halve the country’s food waste by 2030. Approximately 4 % of Australian food waste comes from the hospitality and foodservice sector1.
Moreover, in the Chinese municipal waste structure, approximately 50 % accounts for food waste2. As a sign of hospitality in the Chinese culture, people tend to order more food than they can eat. Prompted by these concerns, the Chinese government issued the Anti-Food Waste Law (AFWL), which aims to alleviate food waste.
Tim Hill, Key Account Director, SE Asia at GlobalData adds: “As a result of rapid urbanisation, population growth, and a complex food supply chain in APAC, there is a rising need to implement strategies to reduce food waste, thereby enhancing sustainability.”
For instance, food waste that is unsuitable for human or animal consumption such as fruit/vegetable peels and eggshells can be used to enrich the soil or as a natural fertiliser for landscapes.
Hill adds: “Additionally, redistributing excess food in collaboration with nonprofit organisations and food banks will foster a sense of responsibility towards food resources. Hence, such initiatives are expected to reflect a considerable decrease in the environmental footprint.”
Mali concludes: “The growing food waste problem in the APAC region demands immediate action and collaborative efforts across sectors to establish sustainable practices, enhance resource efficiency, and establish a resilient and responsible food system. Tackling this issue is crucial not only for environmental sustainability but also for bolstering the economic and social welfare of the APAC region.”
1CSIRO, November 2023 2Environmental Change and Security Program – Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, December 2023 3GlobalData 2024 Q3 Consumer Survey – Asia & Australasia, with 6,000 respondents, published October 2024
Refresco, the global independent beverage solutions provider for retailers and global, national, and emerging (GNE) brands in Europe, North America, and Australia, today announces the successful closing of its acquisition of Frías Nutrición (“Frías”), a leading manufacturer of plant-based drinks in Spain. This transaction, first announced on July 22, 2024, strengthens Refresco’s position in the rapidly growing plant-based beverage category.
Frías, located in Burgos, Spain, employs approximately 250 people and specializes in producing private label plant-based drinks, including almond, rice, hazelnut, and soy options for key retailers in Spain and beyond. This acquisition complements Refresco’s existing operations in Spain and significantly expands its capabilities in the plant-based drinks sector.
CEO Refresco, Hans Roelofs, commented: “As part of our proven Buy & Build strategy, we are looking to expand our capabilities in existing and adjacent beverage categories. The acquisition of Frías not only enhances our footprint in the plant-based drinks market, but it also allows us to better serve our European customers and accelerates our product innovation capabilities. We are excited to welcome the talented Frías team and are dedicated to a seamless integration process that will drive mutual growth.”
With this acquisition, Refresco reaffirms its commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative beverage solutions to its customers, while also further enhancing its service offerings.
Döhler, a world-leading producer and provider of natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions, has announced a joint venture with FGF Trapani, a renowned specialist in citrus farming and processing. This partnership aims to revolutionise the use of citrus fibres as natural texturisers in food and beverage applications. Thus, customers get access to premium, cost-effective and minimally processed citrus fibre solutions that address market trends for healthier and environmentally friendly ingredients.
Döhler’s extensive experience in natural ingredients and ingredient systems as well as their application in F&B, combined with FGF Trapani’s lifelong heritage and expertise in citrus farming and processing, provides innovative alternatives to traditional hydrocolloids that excel in gelling, thickening and stabilising applications. As key provider in the F&B industry, Döhler now expands its product range with an advanced portfolio of citrus fibres that is developed for high-performing product textures, enhancing both consumer appeal and product differentiation.
Focus on customer benefits and application expertise
Customers all over the world will benefit from this collaboration having direct access to high-quality and minimally processed citrus fibres. In response to the increasing demand for health-promoting ingredients, this collaboration provides natural fibres that support dietary goals, including fibre enrichment and reduced use of artificial additives. This empowers brands to develop products that cater to health-conscious consumers.
The joint venture’s citrus fibres offer versatile applications across various product categories, from beverages and dairy to bakery and sauces. This versatility allows manufacturers to innovate across their portfolios, creating new and exciting products with improved texture, mouthfeel and health promoting claims.
Strategic benefits of vertical integration and sustainability
FGF Trapani’s production facility, strategically located in one of the world’s largest lemon-growing regions, ensures a reliable supply of premium raw materials. By processing citrus fibres directly from fresh lemon peels, the joint venture guarantees access to a pectin-rich product that combines the benefits of both soluble and insoluble fibres. This vertical integration allows for maximum quality control and sustainability throughout the supply chain, supporting the production of highly functional ingredients that meet stringent industry standards.
With a focus on sustainable production practices, the partnership delivers environmentally friendly citrus fibres that align with consumer values. By utilising by-products of citrus processing, this initiative is contributing to a more sustainable food and beverage production.
Meeting consumer demand for healthier and organic ingredients
The joint venture between Döhler and FGF Trapani is timely, as consumers increasingly demand cleaner, minimally processed and organic-quality ingredients. Citrus fibres, derived from natural raw materials, are well-aligned with these market trends, offering a functional and sustainable ingredient that meets the needs of health-conscious consumers.
Tetra Pak and Lactalis have unveiled a carton package that uses certified recycled polymers linked to used beverage cartons, marking a first for the beverage carton industry and a significant step towards a circular economy.
This material has been certified by ISCC PLUS as originating from the recycling process of used beverage cartons in Spain and is allocated to the package based on a mass balance attribution method. This means that the certified recycled polymers are made up of a mix of recycled and non-recycled, virgin fossil feedstock, ensuring the corresponding volume of recycled material is sourced and tracked throughout the supply chain. This is verified by a third-party auditor, according to the ISCC Chain of Custody Procedure.2 The chemical recycling process ensures that the certified recycled polymers do not compromise the package’s quality, food safety or any other attributes, further demonstrating the circular potential of cartons.
The advancement keeps quality resources in circulation and reduces the industry’s dependence on virgin, fossil-based materials, which aligns with both companies’ ambitions to further enhance the environmental profile of packaging. Tetra Pak plans to invest €100 million annually for the next five to ten years to achieve this, while Lactalis has made responsible packaging and the circular economy one of its global environmental priorities, together with animal welfare across their partner farms and decarbonisation of all their activities by 2050.
Joël Llovera, Purchasing Director of Lactalis Iberia, says: “Our collaboration with Tetra Pak is rooted in a shared vision and commitment to environmental stewardship for future generations, facilitated by circular economy principles. Packaging innovation plays a crucial role in this endeavor. We are dedicated to sustainable progress. Transitioning from fossil-based polymers to recycled ones, certified by ISCC PLUS as linked to used beverage cartons, represents a significant stride towards our objective.”
Marco Marchetti, Vice President Packaging Materials, Sales and Distribution Solutions, Tetra Pak, adds: “Increasing the usage of renewable and recycled resources in packaging is critical if we are to help food and beverage producers realise material circularity, turning waste into new resources and lowering reliance on virgin, fossil-based materials. To scale up the adoption of certified recycled polymers in food packaging, we need collective action across the entire system and enabling legislation. Scientists, policymakers, recyclers, industry players and others must work together to turn challenges into opportunities, as shown by our world-first introduction with Lactalis.”
This innovative initiative by Lactalis involves packing its Puleva dairy range sold in Spain – including calcium skimmed, semi-skimmed, whole and lactose-free milk – in Tetra Brik® Aseptic 1000 Slim cartons featuring the HeliCap™ 23 Pro closure. Following the market introduction under the Puleva brand, Lactalis aims to gradually expand its range of dairy products in packaging that uses certified recycled polymers. This step also aligns with expectations from consumers across the globe, who demand greater commitment from brands in terms of sustainability and are beginning to adapt their own behaviors to match. Tetra Pak research indicates that 78 % of consumers are concerned about the environmental impact of plastic waste, with 29 % reporting an increase in purchasing products packaged in recycled materials in the last year.3
1The certified recycled polymers are made of a mix of recycled and non-recycled, virgin fossil feedstock. Mass balance certification ensures the corresponding volume of recycled material is sourced and tracked throughout the supply chain. This is verified by a third-party auditor, according to the ISCC Chain of Custody Procedure. 2The material has been certified by ISCC PLUS as originating from the recycling process of used beverage cartons in Spain and is allocated to the package based on a mass balance attribution method. Mass balance is one of the chain of custody options eligible for ISCC certification. 3Tetra Pak’s latest Sustainable Packaging consumer research, run in 2023, comprised a total of 14,500 consumer interviews based on an online questionnaire in 29 markets: Germany, France, UK, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Africa, Egypt, China, India, Japan, Australia, Indonesia, Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina.
Themed “Make joy through science and creativity”, concepts will focus on transforming megatrends and innovations into opportunities for the industry
IFF is set to unveil a series of groundbreaking food and beverage innovations at Gulfood Manufacturing 2024 leveraging cutting-edge technologies and deep consumer insights. This year’s theme, “Make joy through science and creativity,” underscores IFF’s focus on transforming megatrends into tangible opportunities for the industry.
“We aim to revolutionise the food and beverage industry with innovative solutions that exceed market demands,” said Helga Moelschl, regional president, AMETI, Nourish, IFF. “Our approach combines scientific expertise with a relentless spirit of creativity and agility. We are excited to present concepts that embody these principles. Visitors will experience firsthand how our sustainable and affordable solutions deliver unparalleled sensory delight and functional health benefits.”
IFF will showcase a diverse range of new concepts inspired by key consumer trends like Experiential Delight, Health, and Affordability across various categories, including beverages, dairy, snacks, bakery, culinary, bars and confectionery. These innovations highlight IFF’s technical expertise and creativity in helping manufacturers create products with sensory appeal and functional health benefits, while also reducing costs.
Visitors to the double-story booth can experience the following beverage concepts:
Cost-efficient dairy drink: Concepts containing IFF’s unique system of specialty stabilisers, emulsifiers, patented flavour technology, and innovative top notes offers impactful savings on the full product composition without compromising on the sensory profile and stability compared to standard milk. Solutions are showcased in plain milk and sweetened flavoured versions, all offering higher calcium levels than standard milk.
Fizzy beverage with innovative flavours: Designed to connect with consumers’ emotions while offering the benefits of an energy drink, IFF researchers developed IFF Beyond Hedonics™, a toolbox of proprietary consumer research methodologies, to align flavours with functional benefits (IFF Ingredient HealthScape™) and affective states such as energy, happiness, focus and fun (IFF Flavor Feelings™). By leveraging these insights, IFF can help manufacturers build a stronger connection between their brands and consumers.
Reduced tomato paste in tomato-based sauces: Powered by IFF CURE™, IFF’s Core and Uncommon Replacements & Extenders, this system blend reduces tomato paste by 30 percent or more in ketchup, tomato paste and tomato-based sauces, maintaining flavour, texture, and quality while offering a cost-effective and sustainable alternative for manufacturers.
Cocoa reduction in chocolate drinks: IFF’s innovative flavours and ingredient solutions can help mitigate the impact of cocoa price fluctuations, ensuring that the taste and functionality of chocolate drinks are preserved even with reduced cocoa content. This approach addresses cost concerns and maintains the high-quality sensory experience that consumers expect.
Mintel, the experts in what consumers want and why, has announced three key trends that will shape consumer behaviour in the years ahead. In 2025 and beyond, we’ll witness the human mind, nature and technology aim to find harmony, though not always achieve it. Consumers and brands will live in a pendulum that constantly swings between a sense of control and a loss of control. Mintel’s objective for 2025 is to delve into the nuances of all seven Mintel Trend Drivers (Value, Wellbeing, Identity, Rights, Technology, Surroundings and Experiences) across three different contexts: Home, Community and Globe.
The three consumer trends for 2025 are:
The Home: Under Construction
In an unpredictable housing market, true comfort and authenticity in our homes will come from celebrating imperfections and individuality rather than chasing an ideal that often eludes us.
The Community: Linked Lives
Communities will exist in a collaborative space that defies physical limits, inspired by what brands and consumers can imagine together.
The Globe: Tradition in Transition
The way things have always been done is changing by force as much as choice. Brands will need to embrace this inevitability to sustain progress and relevance.
The Home: Under Construction
Daniel Takacs, Mintel Associate Director, Consumer Trends, said: “The purpose of ‘home’ is evolving, and brands are being put at the forefront to inspire pieces of a home—not a complete home. Consumers are no longer waiting for the perfect functional space to start living. As people rebalance their routines and habits, they are doing so through a lens of optimising their time (e.g. multitasking) and their well-being (e.g. rituals). This contradiction of harmonising productivity with self-care is shaping the future of the home.
“As individuals grapple with the challenges of securing a stable home and accept that ownership expectations don’t always align with reality, familiar comforts will become even more vital. The growth of childless couples, new relationship models and ageing in your own home and communities, will all influence how people want to live. Concurrently, remote work will reshape family dynamics, impacting how children develop attachment bonds in environments where parents are constantly present. Modern home life, where emotional, practical and economic factors all play critical roles, will result in a reevaluation of defined household roles. In the envisioned future, home is not merely a place to live; it is a hub of health, efficiency and personalised comfort.”
The Community: Linked Lives
Daniel Takacs, Mintel Associate Director, Consumer Trends, said:
“In the face of inevitable change, people are looking to form stronger, sustainable and long-lasting connections to help them grow resilient to whatever life throws at them. Driven by a need to prepare for everything from climate change events to political shifts, the complexity and unpredictability of these issues make it neither logical nor desirable to tackle them alone. Consequently, social groups have become a necessary part of how people plan for the future, seeking out intentional companionship and collective support.
“Despite a fear of growing loneliness and isolation, there’s optimism in the fact that self-expression invites community, whether it’s Swifties or coffee enthusiasts. A brand’s tone can foster a sense of belonging and empowerment with its audiences, shaping a space where individuals can thrive and engage positively with each other.
“Ultimately, brands will have to adopt a balanced approach to AI, ensuring it supports human self-expression to mitigate the risk of increased social isolation. Brands will not only be viewed as a resource for products, but they will be central to creating spaces where individuals feel valued and supported.”
The Globe: Tradition in Transition
Daniel Takacs, Mintel Associate Director, Consumer Trends, said: “Consumers can no longer go about their daily lives without an awareness of the global changes at play, from extreme weather to advancing technology. Brands must be acutely aware of the evolving consumer sentiment that swings between moral values and basic needs. Environmental change, technological advancement and ageing populations will cause significant challenges for consumers. Tensions will arise between generations as Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) remain active well into old age, and Gen Alpha (born 2010-25) demand attention.
“In addition, the norms around health and beauty will see a notable shift, with the use of weight-loss drugs and cosmetic surgery becoming normalised. While these trends reflect shifting attitudes towards body image, as consumer expectations evolve, there will be a growing emphasis on transparency, safety and efficacy in health and beauty products. Brands will be called on to address immediate aesthetic desires and also prioritise long-term health, setting the stage for a future where wellness is accessible.”
Caliwater™, the plant-based hydration innovator founded by celebrity mom Vanessa Hudgens, launches Watermelon and Wild Prickly Pear Kids Pouches at Albertsons in the US.
(Photo: Caliwater™)
Caliwater™ announced the launch of its signature Kids Pouches, featuring Watermelon and Wild Prickly Pear flavours, at Albertsons Company stores in the US – just in time for the back-to-school season.
Caliwater™ offers a functional cactus water derived from the prickly pear fruit, containing half the sugar and calories of coconut water. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also supports hydration, immunity, and digestion, making it an ideal choice for kids. The brand is backed by celebrity moms Roselyn Sanchez, Brooke Burke, Nikki Reed, and founder Vanessa Hudgens.
Since its debut in January 2022, Caliwater™ has seen remarkable growth as the ultimate super hydration solution. The launch of Caliwater™ Kids Pouches in Albertsons aims to promote healthy, eco-friendly options for families. The new pouches come in vibrant 6-packs with spill-proof 4.2 oz designs, perfect for on-the-go hydration at USD 6.99 per carton.
Caliwater™Kids pouches provide a delicious option that kids love, addressing the common challenge parents face in keeping their little ones hydrated throughout the day – without the excessive sugar found in leading juice boxes.
Caliwater™ Kids Pouches not only taste great, but they also provide a range of health benefits thanks to the prickly pear cactus. Rich in antioxidants and naturally occurring electrolytes, they support hydration, immunity, and digestion. With five electrolytes, including potassium, magnesium, and sodium, Caliwater helps with rapid hydration and muscle recovery. It also contains dietary fiber, which aids digestion and promotes overall well-being, making it a great choice for the entire family.
Two iconic Australian businesses with household brands that have been in the pantries of Australian families for decades are merging, together with the powdered milk business of a third Australian founded business Nature One Dairy to create a market leading Australian food and beverage company with significant scale.
Former Asahi Beverages Group CEO and current SPC Director Robert Iervasi has been appointed the Managing Director of the merged business, which will own and operate three business divisions, namely SPC, The Original Juice Co. and Nature One Dairy.
SPC is an iconic Australian brand and is the largest producer of fruit, tomato, baked beans and spaghetti processing, packaging, and canning in Australia. It holds some of Australia’s most recognisable household food brands such as SPC, Ardmona, Goulburn Valley, ProVital, Pomlife, the Good Meal Co, and Street Eats – feeding Australian families for more than 100 years.
The Original Juice Company is a well-known Australian food processing company specialising in chilled fruit and vegetable juices. Founded in 1988, it has maintained a commitment to sourcing local fruit and producing fresh juice daily for over 30 years. Using a mix of conventional and custom-developed equipment, OJC manufactures high-quality juices, fibres, infused fruits, and fruit waters for both domestic and international markets.
Nature One Dairy is a Singapore registered, Australian-founded dairy company that manufactures and sells premium infant formula, nutritional formula and milk powder products. With an established sales and marketing footprint in Australia, China and other Asia Pacific markets, products are sold under the Nature One Dairy brand. The Nature One Dairy international market presence provides a platform for further inorganic growth for the combined business through product diversification and access to the Asian distribution market.
Together the three businesses create a substantial Australian based and owned global food and beverage companies that will continue to support Australian producers and execute on a global growth strategy.
Collaborations between well-known brands, such as the recent Coca-Cola and Oreo partnership, are of mutual benefit to companies by way of sales and marketing promotion. The partnerships allow collaborating brands to leverage their existing fan bases and create a buzz around the product. As such, beverage companies need to innovate beyond their markets, as 65 % of global consumers say it is essential or nice to have a well-known brand when deciding to make a purchase*, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
In August this year, The Coca-Cola Company announced a partnership with Mondelez to launch a limited-edition cola with flavours inspired by Oreo cookies. As well as recently, the two global brands have released Oreo Coca-Cola cookies. This collaboration aims to celebrate the bond between the food and drink-based brands as they label themselves “besties” and offer consumers a unique and playful experience.
Similarly, Fanta, another brand under Coca-Cola, is rolling out a limited-edition apple flavour variant called Fanta Zero Afterlife. This launch is timed for Halloween and is part of Fanta’s Halloween activity. The packaging will feature Beetlejuice-themed designs, creating a strong association with Fanta and Warner Bros. Pictures brands.
George Shaw, Consumer Analyst at Globaldata, comments: “This marketing campaign aims to drive talkability and engage both Fanta and film fans. Moreover, these collaborations and limited-edition products are part of a larger trend in the beverage market, where companies are constantly looking for ways to innovate and attract consumers with unique offerings. By partnering with well-known brands or incorporating popular themes, companies can generate brand excitement and increase sales.”
By introducing limited-edition flavours, companies can create a sense of urgency and encourage consumers to try the product before it’s gone. The impact of these collaborations and limited-edition products is significant. GlobalData’s Q2 2024 Global consumer survey reveals that consumers value novel and unique features when making purchasing decisions and 60 % of them consider it essential or nice to have novel/unique features when deciding to make a purchase. This aligns with the strategy of Coca-Cola.
According to GlobalData, the global carbonates market is projected to reach USD 521 billion by 2029, and global companies are collaborating to capture market share.
Shaw adds: “This highlights the competitive nature of the carbonates industry and the importance of innovation and strategic partnerships. Coca-Cola and Fanta’s collaborations demonstrate their efforts to stay ahead in the market and attract consumers with unique offerings.”
Coca-Cola is not the only beverage brand using collaborations. GHOST, a supplement lifestyle brand, has launched a lineup of hydration drinks in collaboration with Sour Patch Kids. This collaboration aims to provide consumers with a familiar tasting way to optimise their hydration during intensive workouts. GHOST can tap into the popularity of the Sour Kids Patch brand to attract a new base of customers previously unreached by hydration beverages and attract a potentially younger demographic.
Shaw concludes: “The collaborations between beverage brands like Coca Cola and Ghost showcase the importance of innovation and strategic partnership. As consumer demand for novel and distinctive offerings grows, these collaborations in the carbonates and sports drinks markets are crucial for capturing market share and increasing brand loyalty.”
*GlobalData 2024 Q2 Consumer Survey – Global, published in July 2024, included 22,016 respondents
Symrise announces the opening of a new office and lab facility for Food & Beverage in Beijing. To optimally serve the dynamic and rapidly growing consumer base in the area the company has invested EUR 1.5 million in the facility. The location will enhance the R&D capabilities, customer proximity, and market presence in the North of China.
The country’s diverse and evolving tastes, driven by a rising middle class and increasing urbanisation, lead to stronger demand for beverages, dairy, culinary, and snacks. By expanding its presence in China, particularly with the new facility in Beijing, Symrise can perfectly cater to local preferences and swiftly respond to market trends.
The 800 sqm facility in Beijing covers 250 sqm of office space and 400 sqm of advanced laboratory areas as well as 150 sqm administration rooms. The labs include specialised zones for beverage and dairy creation, application, savory creation as well as snacks and seasonings, each equipped with dedicated workstations and evaluation rooms. This state-of-the-art setup enables Symrise to develop products tailored to the market. It can also provide comprehensive and swift support to customers in the region, ensuring timely and efficient service.
A key market for food & beverage applications
“China represents a crucial market for Symrise due to its dynamic and rapidly growing consumer base in food & beverage applications. As a logical consequence we have expanded our Beijing site to significantly enhance our R&D capabilities,” said Walter Ribeiro, Global President, Food & Beverage at Symrise. “With a focus on customer proximity and technical excellence, this facility will serve as a vital hub for innovation and customer collaboration.
The facility also adds further resources to the company’s main lab in Shanghai, ensuring continuous support and resource optimization. It offers an improved working environment for the team, with modern amenities and a design that balances flexibility, efficiency, and local cultural elements.
“This strategic positioning enhances our ability to innovate and introduce new products tailored to Chinese consumers,” adds Robert Marti, VP North Asia, Food & Beverage at Symrise. “It also strengthens our engagements with local food and beverage producers. As we continue to develop and optimise our offerings, both our customers and consumers will benefit from a broader range of high-quality products, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty in this key region.”
The Beijing office and lab underscore Symrise’s commitment to innovation, customer intimacy, and market expansion. With additional hires of technical experts, the company sees itself well-positioned to drive growth and deliver superior products across various categories. Symrise anticipates this facility will enhance its current offerings and open market opportunities, solidifying its presence in the Northern China and beyond.
Explore how different food and beverage categories in Germany are developing
Germany, known for its love of hearty meals and indulgent treats, is experiencing a fascinating shift in its food and beverage landscape. While Germans remain a nation of food lovers, they are increasingly prioritising health and sustainability. Here, through our 360 research into the German food and beverage market, we explore how these values are influencing purchasing decisions across various categories, from beverages to snacks and meal preparation.
Beverages in the German Market
German consumers want to reduce their alcohol intake; however, alcoholic beverages are still at large within the country. When asked why they want to control how much alcohol they drink, the most common consumer response was “because it is unhealthy.” Some consumers are turning to non-alcoholic beverages as replacements. Beer is the dominant non-alcoholic beverage in Germany, but variety and novelty is helping drive other non-alcoholic beverage purchases. Indulgent is the top claim for non-alcoholic beverage drinkers, chosen as most important by 25 % of consumers. A further 16 % look for low/no/reduced sugar claims, so healthy indulgence should be a target of note for innovators.
In soft drinks, bottled water consumption is on the rise, with more than one in five Germans increasing their intake in the past year. Two in three named its healthy image as a driver of consumption. For other key soft drinks subcategories, such as carbonated beverages, energy drinks, iced coffee and iced tea, the combination of low/no/reduced-sugar claims with indulgence positionings are the most influential claims for consumers …
Botrista, the company behind data-driven, automated beverage platform, has successfully closed Series C funding round, bringing its total capital raised to USD 120 million since inception. This substantial investment underscores Botrista’s growing market presence and indicates a significant shift in the restaurant industry’s approach to cold beverage menus, reflecting the increasing global demand for quality and innovative flavour profiles.
Since its establishment in 2017, Botrista has rapidly developed into a recognised industry player, working with partners in 37 states. The company’s advanced platform enables restaurants to effortlessly serve an extensive range of high-margin, on-trend cold beverages – from boba drinks and refreshers to smoothies, shakes, cold brew coffees, lemonades, cocktails, and energy drinks – all from a single, efficient machine.
This innovative solution has attracted the attention of major players in the food service industry and secured significant investment from global leaders, including the Series C round’s lead investor. Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC). JFC, a global restaurant company with 18 brands in 33 countries, the second fastest-growing restaurant brand in the world.
Sean Hsu, CEO of Botrista and ex-Tesla automation engineer, expressed his passion for the partnership with JFC: “JFC’s support validates the vision for a more exciting beverage menu,” Hsu said. “This new funding will fuel our hyper-expansion into new markets and help more of our partners elevate their drink menu without increasing labor or complexity.”
JFC, a key player in the food service industry with 18 recognisable brands such as Smashburger, Jollibee and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, believes strongly in Botrista’s potential to transform the restaurant landscape. “Botrista is a game changer for the beverage industry”, Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong, JFC Chairman said. “We’re investing in a company that enables food service operators to deliver a world-class customer experience and provides substantial runway for sustained profitable growth.”
Jason Valentine, Chief Strategy Officer for Botrista, highlighted the company’s market reach: “We currently serve partners across 37 states, including national restaurant chains, independent restaurants, college campuses, movie theaters, theme parks, and other alternative venues,” Valentine said. “The timing of this fundraising perfectly aligns with the high demand from new partners and significant interest from growing restaurant brands on a global scale.”
For restaurant executives looking to stay ahead of beverage trends and boost profits, Botrista’s solution offers a compelling opportunity. With its innovative technology and strong financial backing, Botrista is well-positioned to continue shaping the cold beverage landscape in food service, offering a clear vision of the future of drink service.
As Botrista strengthens its confident market position, the company remains focused on driving innovation, enhancing operational efficiency, and delivering value to its partners across the food service industry.
Tate & Lyle announces that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the entire issued share capital of CP Kelco U.S.; CP Kelco China; and CP Kelco ApS together with each of their respective subsidiaries (together ‘CP Kelco’), a leading provider of pectin, speciality gums and other nature-based ingredients, from J.M. Huber Corporation for a total implied consideration of US$1.8 billion (approximately £1.4 billion)1, on a cash-free, debt-free basis (the ‘Proposed Transaction’).
Over the last six years, Tate & Lyle has been executing a major strategic transformation to become a growth-focused speciality food and beverage solutions business aligned to attractive structural and growing consumer trends for healthier, tastier and more sustainable food and drink. This transformation has included a much sharper focus on customers and key categories, increased investment in innovation and solution selling capabilities, and the significant strengthening of its Sweetening, Mouthfeel and Fortification platforms through new product development and acquisitions. This transformation was completed with the announcement on 23 May 2024 of the proposed sale of Tate & Lyle’s remaining interest in Primary Products Investments LLC (‘Primient’).
The Proposed Transaction significantly accelerates Tate & Lyle’s strategy to be a leading and differentiated speciality food and beverage solutions business, and to become the solutions partner of choice for customers. It is expected to drive stronger revenue growth and significant adjusted EBITDA margin improvement over the next few years. It is also expected to be accretive to adjusted earnings per share, including cost synergies only, in the second full financial year following completion, and strongly accretive thereafter.
1Based on GBP: USD foreign exchange rate of £1:$1.2723, as at 5pm BST on 19 June 2024.
With a joint investment of approximately EUR 29 million by Stora Enso and Tetra Pak, a new recycling line for post-consumer beverage cartons is starting operations in Poland. Stora Enso has invested approximately EUR 17 million into a new repulping line that will recover the carton fibers, and Tetra Pak along with Plastigram have invested a total of approximately EUR 12 million to build the new line. The line has the potential to triple the annual recycling capacity of beverage cartons in the country – from 25,000 to 75,000 tonnes – and provides scope to absorb the entire volume of beverage cartons sold in Poland, as well as additional volumes from neighbouring countries, including the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
Featuring an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes, the state-of-the-art line at Stora Enso’s production unit in Ostrołęka (Poland) handles solely beverage carton material separation, detaching fibres from polymers and aluminium. The fibres are then recycled into carton board materials, effectively contributing to material circularity by turning used paper-based packaging into new paper-based packaging materials. This new paper recycling facility is complemented by Czech company Plastigram Industries, that, together with Tetra Pak, is industrialising a solution to recycle polyAl1 into new products.
“For decades, we have been working to enhance beverage carton recycling capacity, co-investing with recyclers, technology providers and suppliers in new equipment and facilities” comments Lars Holmquist, EVP Sustainability & Communications at Tetra Pak. “In 2022, Tetra Pak contributed nearly €30 million to collection and recycling projects worldwide, with plans to go further and invest up to €40 million annually over the next years. As part of the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE), we support the industry ambition to increase the collection for recycling rate of beverage cartons to 90% and the recycling rate to 70%, in the EU, by 2030. I am very pleased to see that our collaboration with Stora Enso translates into one of the largest recycling hubs for beverage cartons in Europe, contributing to this ambition. This is also an excellent example of how systemic and collective actions can help keep quality renewable materials, like paper fibres, in the loop.”
“We are very pleased to see the results of our close cooperation with Tetra Pak, who, like Stora Enso, has the development of sustainable solutions at their core. This new modern solution marks a significant addition to European recycling capacity and a concrete step forward in the circularity of consumer packaging. In addition to complementing the current scope of our production site in Poland, the recycling facility will significantly contribute towards the recycling and waste reduction goals of the EU’s proposal for a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation,” says Hannu Kasurinen, EVP Packaging Materials at Stora Enso.
The new line is set to ramp up recycling of beverage cartons throughout Central and Eastern Europe, signaling the beverage carton industry’s willingness to support the circularity goals of the proposed EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), and showcasing the pivotal role of recycling in helping the green transition of the food packaging sector. The packaging industry has already invested approximately EUR 200 million to increase the capacity for beverage carton recycling in the EU and plans to invest a further EUR 120 million by 2027.
1The non-fibre component of carton packages is known as polyAl, which designates the layers of polyolefins and aluminium being used as barrier against oxygen and humidity to protect the food content in aseptic carton packages.
Hydro One Premium Beverages, maker of natural functional beverages, announced that its line of US Patent Pending CANABIX® beverages, has been shown to reduce the glycemic indicators, increase insulin production, improve the microbiome and alleviate the symptoms of a pre-clinical model of type 2 diabetes.
CANABIX® is the first and only natural beverage containing a combined formulation of cannabidiol (CBD) and probiotics developed by Hydro One Premium Beverages in 2020. In a study done by researchers at Augusta University, drinking CANABIX instead of water was able to lower Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c, known as A1c) significantly from 9 % to 5 % in mice with diabetes type 2 (db/db mice). Further, CANABIX increased insulin production in pancreatic cells and altered microbiome towards a protective profile by reducing inflammatory indices. These novel findings were reported as preprint on June 4th 2024 (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.06.04.597375v2) and currently is under peer review for publication.
Diabetes is a complex disease involving multiple organs in the body. Therefore, its treatment is challenging because of multi-target tissues, medication complexity, patient adherence to the therapy, and cost, says Dr. Phillip Wang the lead scientist of the research team. Despite significant advances in the treatment of symptoms, the underlying causes of diabetes remain intractable. There have been several studies showing the effects of dietary food and beverage supplements on diabetes. However, to the best of our knowledge this is the first study to report a comprehensive beneficial effect on several major aspects of diabetes by a natural beverage, particularly, lowering HbA1c (from 9 % to 5 %) as well as altering microbiome says corresponding author of the study, Dr. Phillip Wang.
“The gut microbiota plays a central role in immune balance and influences the metabolic processes, crucial factors in the development as well as treatment of type 2 diabetes,” says Dr. Babak Baban, Professor of Immunology at Augusta University and co-author of the study. “Altering the profile of microbiome and the significant reduction in A1c in a few weeks only through a beverage are very significant and exciting cutting-edge achievements that warrant further research and clinical trials,” added Baban.
“We’re thrilled to learn that our CANABIX beverage could potentially have profound beneficial health effects. Since CANABIX is THC free, we have many athletes and doctors who already use it and have no issues with blood or urine tests,” says Sammy Nasrollahi, the CEO of Hydro One Beverages, “These are very promising outcomes resulting from pre-clinical studies conducted by a scientific team at Augusta University. As the central core of our mission, we are committed to continue working with the scientific community to promote a higher quality healthier lifestyle by expanding our effective and affordable solutions to those managing prediabetes and diabetes.”
CANABIX comes in three flavours: lemon cucumber, dragon fruit and peach tea. CANABIX the first and only beverage containing 30 mg of CBD and probiotics. A limited number of CANABIX samples are currently available for purchase through Hydro One Beverages by contacting Sammy Nasrollahi at snasrollahi@hydroonebeverages.com.
Disclosure: Dr. Babak Baban is affiliated with Hydro One beverages.
Tractor, in partnership with HowGood, launched the Organic Impact Tracker in 2023, becoming the first beverage brand to track and disclose impact data about its ingredients.
Tractor Beverage Company, the trailblazing pioneer of Certified Organic, Non-GMO beverages exclusively for the food service sector, and HowGood, a sustainability intelligence platform with the world’s largest ingredient sustainability database, are proud to have been recognised by Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards for the Organic Impact Tracker.
In 2023, Tractor and HowGood partnered to release the Organic Impact Tracker, a sustainability impact tracker that uses five metrics to quantify the benefit of sourcing organic ingredients versus their conventional counterparts: synthetic pesticides avoided, organic land supported, carbon emissions avoided, water saved, and improved soil health. As the first and only organic company dedicated to food service, Tractor is also the only company in the world to track Synthetic Pesticides Avoided as part of its impact reporting.
“We’re honored by Fast Company’s recognition of our achievement,” stated Kevin Sherman, CEO of Tractor Beverage Company. “Over the past year, Tractor has steered clear of 34 tons of synthetic pesticides, a significant step towards leaving a better world for future generations. With HowGood’s assistance, we’re setting a new bar for accountability and transparency in the food and beverage industry and demonstrating our commitment to prioritising people and the planet over pesticides.”
HowGood supports food and beverage companies across the value chain to measure, manage, and communicate their sustainability impact. Tractor’s Organic Impact Tracker is powered by HowGood’s calculations, drawing from a database of over 90,000 agricultural emission factors.
Through their Fast Company award-winning Organic Impact Tracker (OIT), HowGood and Tractor have empowered Tractor’s Pouring Partners and consumers to have a global impact. In 2023 alone, Tractor:
Avoided 729.4 tons of carbon emissions
Supported 3882.9 acres of organic land
Saved 187,453.3 gallons of water
Contributed to 3882.9 acres of improved soil health
Avoided 34.04 tons of synthetic pesticides
“Now more than ever, it’s important that companies at every stage of the food value chain are collaborating to achieve impact reduction goals,” said Alexander Gillett, CEO of HowGood. “Partnering with Tractor to power their trailblazing sustainability transparency has made it possible for restaurants and consumers to make informed, responsible sourcing decisions. We applaud Tractor’s innovative approach to sustainability and are honored to have provided the model and calculations to make it possible.”
HowGood powers sustainability transparency across the food industry, working with food and beverage companies to calculate and share their impact data, drive impact reduction for carbon, water, biodiversity, and more, and make verified sustainability marketing claims. One of HowGood’s customers, Chipotle, has leveraged HowGood’s ingredient-level data in their “Real Foodprint” menu feature, demonstrating radical transparency in their public communications.
Since 2020, Tractor has also partnered with Chipotle to pour drinks that serve a purpose. Beyond pouring certified organic drinks, Chipotle donates 5 % of profits from Tractor Beverage sales to support farmers.
“We are proud to partner with Tractor Beverages, a company that offers delicious, all-natural drinks and shares our commitment to using real ingredients while supporting the farming community,” says Chris Brandt, Chief Brand Officer at Chipotle. “Organisations like HowGood and Tractor are helping to create lasting change throughout the food system, and we applaud their transparency as a means to drive progress.”
About Tractor Beverage Company Tractor Beverage Company is revolutionising the beverage station as the first and only USDA Organic Certified, Non-GMO full-line beverage solution for food service. Farmer-founded and employee-owned, the team is on a mission to create a cleaner, healthier planet, one drink at a time. 136 million+ Tractor drinks are served annually in more than 7,500 locations across 50 states in the US, with a portfolio of 25 uniquely flavoured Certified Organic and Non-GMO craft refreshers, lemonades, and premium craft sodas as well as organic frozen and organic mixology. Tractor’s thoughtfully crafted drinks feature clean ingredients that deliver on taste, functionality, and experience, without any of the bad stuff. Tractor is the first beverage brand to track and disclose impact data about its ingredients through the Organic Impact Tracker, quantifying the benefit of sourcing organic versus conventional ingredients. The company was included on the 2023 and 2022 Inc. 5000 lists of America’s fastest-growing private companies, and on Fast Company’s 2021 list of the world’s Most Innovative Companies.
About HowGood HowGood is an independent research company and SaaS Sustainability Intelligence platform with the world’s largest database on food product sustainability. With more than 90,000 agricultural emissions factors, HowGood helps leading brands, suppliers, retailers and restaurants to measure, reduce, and communicate their environmental and social impact. Through in-depth, ingredient-level insights into factors like greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, labor risk, animal welfare, and other key impacts, HowGood’s data power strategic decision-making for the sourcing, manufacturing, merchandising, and marketing of sustainable products.
Butterfly announced the separation of its portfolio company Bolthouse Farms into two standalone entities: Bolthouse Fresh Foods and Generous Brands. Bolthouse Fresh Foods will carry on the century-old legacy of Bolthouse Farms as a leading supplier of fresh carrots to retailers across North America, with nearly 700 million pounds of carrots sold annually. Generous Brands will encompass the market-leading premium fresh beverage and salad dressing businesses of Bolthouse Farms and Evolution Fresh.
Butterfly acquired Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company in a carveout transaction in 2019. Butterfly has implemented numerous strategic initiatives that have driven topline growth in excess of 30 % while re-establishing the company as a partner of choice to produce departments across North America. Bolthouse Farms also acquired Evolution Fresh from Starbucks in August 2022, uniting two powerhouse beverage brands with complementary product offerings, channel penetration and consumer bases.
This separation is being facilitated by way of separate debt recapitalisations of each business, enabling Bolthouse Fresh Foods and Generous Brands to continue onward as two separate companies with purpose-built strategies and leadership teams. Butterfly expects these transactions to enable accelerated growth via increased flexibility for investment in capabilities as well as acquisitions.
“We’re incredibly excited to announce the separation of Bolthouse Farms into two distinct industry-leading platforms, which will further propel the growth of these businesses and their ability to outperform for customers throughout the world,” said Adam Waglay, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Butterfly. “This separation was always part of our investment thesis, and we have recruited best-in-class leadership teams which are strategically aligned to each business so that Bolthouse Fresh Foods can focus on delivering high quality, fresh produce with excellent service and Generous Brands can become a strong, consumer-centric business with superior fresh beverage brands.”
Butterfly Operating Partner Jeff Dunn has been promoted from CEO to Executive Chairman of both companies, while two veteran food industry executives were brought in to serve as the respective go-forward CEOs of the companies. Timothy Escamilla, former President of Dole Fresh Vegetables, has been appointed CEO of Bolthouse Fresh Foods, while Steve Cornell, former President of Fresh, Beverages and Desserts at The Kraft Heinz Company, has been appointed CEO of Generous Brands.
“Bolthouse Fresh Foods remains dedicated to nourishing people’s lives by providing high-quality, nutrient-dense products that continue to thrive in today’s dynamic marketplace,” said Timothy Escamilla, CEO of Bolthouse Fresh Foods. Timothy joined Bolthouse Fresh Foods as CEO in May 2023 with 30 years of experience in the produce industry across leading companies such as Dole, Tanimura & Antle, Ready Pac Foods and more.
“Generous Brands is an exciting consumer-centric platform, with iconic and fresh beverage brands,” said Steve Cornell, CEO of Generous Brands. “This transaction will enable Generous Brands to meet the needs of more consumers through more innovation, new investments in our business, and acquiring complementary brands to take our platform to its full potential.” Steve joined Generous Brands as CEO in January 2024, bringing with him over 15 years of experience at Kraft Heinz, having led globally recognised brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia and Capri-Sun, among others.
“This separation is proof that the future of value creation within private equity is grounded in deep operational expertise and transformation through specialisation, and we could not be more appreciative of the amount of work, creativity and collaboration that went into this from all teams,” said Jeff Dunn, Executive Chairman of Bolthouse Fresh Foods and Generous Brands and Operating Partner of Butterfly. “It’s been amazing to watch the two entities develop their own unique cultures during the transition, and we are proud of the robust teams we have built across the companies. By separating, each business is now unleashed to drive its own unique growth strategy to ultimately deliver more fresh, healthy food for more people.”
Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a high-protein concept for gamers who want to level up their nutrition. Titled ‘PROGAMER’, the ready-to-drink solution is designed to meet the needs of e-sports enthusiasts seeking benefits for their health as well as their gaming performance.
The concept features energy-boosting ingredients alongside the game-changing whey protein isolate Lacprodan® SP-9213, which is clear, provides a refreshing taste and is high in essential and branched-chain amino acids.
Cido Silveira, Arla Foods Ingredients Marketing & Business Development Manager – South America, said: “There’s a stereotype of gamers bingeing on unhealthy snacks and guzzling down energy drinks, but a new, nutrition-focused generation is emerging. They want to maintain their energy and concentration levels over marathon sessions, but they also want the many benefits that high-protein products offer. PROGAMER allows manufacturers to formulate unique, refreshing, clear, high-protein solutions for gamers who want more from their energy drinks.”
Protein plays a crucial role in general health, supporting muscle growth, repair and overall body function. Research has also found that consuming essential amino acids leads to improvements in attention and cognitive flexibility.1 A study on esports athletes, meanwhile, showed that sufficient protein intake is associated with improved cognitive performance in gaming.2
A 310 ml can of the ‘PROGAMER’ beverage concept features 15 g of protein, including 3767 mg of branched-chain amino acids. It also contains taurine, magnesium, zinc, caffeine and vitamins A, B3, B6 and B12 to support essential gamer needs such as concentration and vision. In addition, the concept is free from sugar, fat and lactose and contains only 60 kilocalories per can.
Arla Foods Ingredients will showcase the ‘PROGAMER’ concept at NIS (the Nutri Ingredients Summit) in São Paulo, Brazil, on 23rd and 24th April. Exhibiting at Stand 3-35, it will highlight growing opportunities for e-sports nutrition products in the Latin American market – with over half of Brazilian gamers spending more than 20 hours per week playing.3
Visitors to the stand will also be able to discover two clear shake concepts made with 100 % whey protein isolate ingredients. Go Natural is a fruit-infused flavored water made with Lacprodan® ISO.WaterShake. Go Fresh, meanwhile, is a thirst-quenching shake created with Lacprodan® ClearShake that has a refreshing lemonade taste.
1Suzuki, H. et al. ‘Intake of Seven Essential Amino Acids Improves Cognitive Function and Psychological and Social Function in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial’ Frontiers in Nutrition (2020) 2Goulart, J.B. et al. ‘Nutrition, lifestyle, and cognitive performance in esport athletes’ Frontiers in Nutrition (2023) 3Konvoy ‘LatAm Gaming Market’ July 21, 2023
Refresco, a global independent beverage solutions provider for global, national, and emerging (GNE) brands and retailers in Europe, North America, and Australia, announced it has completed the acquisition of VBC Bottling Company.
VBC, a family-owned contract manufacturer of premium beverages, is strategically located in Modesto, California. The acquisition of VBC Bottling Company complements Refresco’s footprint and capabilities in North America, and further strengthens its ability to provide beverage solutions to branded customers.
CEO Refresco, Hans Roelofs, commented: “Acquiring VBC is another step in executing our proven Buy & Build strategy. The company’s strong customer base, strategically located facility, and warehousing capacity further strengthens our footprint in North America. Additional canning capacity along the West Coast improves our ability to service all our contract manufacturing customers.”
Brad Goist, Chief Operating Officer at Refresco North America, said: “This acquisition is a step forward towards Refresco’s vision of ‘Our drinks on every table.’ We will integrate VBC Bottling Company into our operations to better serve our customers and support their growth goals in the various categories where capacity is needed. I look forward to welcoming the more than 180 employees to the Refresco team and seeing what successes we accomplish together as a team and in the years to come.”
About Refresco Refresco is a global independent beverage solutions provider for global, national, and emerging brands and retailers with production in Europe, North America, and Australia. Refresco offers an extensive range of product and packaging combinations from juices to carbonated soft drinks and mineral waters in carton, PET, Aseptic PET, cans and glass. Refresco continuously searches for new and alternative ways to improve the quality of its products and packaging combinations in line with consumer and customer demand, environmental responsibilities and market demand. Refresco is headquartered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands and has more than 14,500 employees.
Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a fermented beverage concept that demonstrates how dairies can reduce waste and increase yield by upcycling whey.
Raw material waste is a major problem for dairies. After processing, many are left with large whey side streams, which can cause environmental damage if discharged with wastewater.
Meanwhile, sustainability is a growing focus in Latin America. Over 50 % of consumers in the region say they have changed their behaviors based on environmental concerns, a figure projected to reach 70 % by 2025. More than four in ten (44 %) say they have already stopped buying products due to their impact on the environment.1
Now Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a fermented beverage concept based on upcycled acid or sweet whey. It also contains Nutrilac® whey proteins, which provide a light texture and refreshing taste, as well as protein content as high as 8 %, so that a 200 ml bottle would contain 16 g of protein.
Nutrilac® also offers superior heat stability to standard milk protein concentrate or whey protein concentrate. This allows the development of creamy low-viscosity beverages without sedimentation, sandiness or dry mouthfeel. Low in fat and containing no added sugar, the beverage can be produced on standard yoghurt lines with minimal investment.
Ignacio Estevez, Application Manager, South America at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Consumers hate the idea of waste, especially if it’s environmentally harmful. Reflecting this, we’re starting to see more and more products that make use of upcycled ingredients and communicate it on their packaging. Getting value out of whey is a significant challenge in dairy production but, as this concept demonstrates, it can be used to create on-trend new products that appeal to both sustainability-conscious and protein-focused consumers. The fact that it can be produced easily and with minimal investment provides an additional incentive to innovate.”
Arla Foods Ingredients is showcasing the new concept in a series of videos in Portuguese and Spanish. They highlight its benefits from sustainability, technical, regulatory, and consumer trends perspectives, and can be viewed at https://br.arlafoodsingredients.com/ and https://la.arlafoodsingredients.com/.
1Kantar, November 2023
Anuga FoodTec 2024 has once again reinforced its position as a primary supplier trade fair and a central platform of the global food and beverage industries. ‘Responsibility’ was the top theme of the trade fair and its extensive trade programme, which provided answers to questions from the fields of alternative protein sources, energy and water management, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. New technologies and concepts for sustainable management of natural resources along the entire value creation chain were presented. The participation of 1,307 companies and nearly 40,000 trade visitors from 133 countries reinforces the position of Anuga FoodTec as a pioneer for future- related solutions in food technology.
“At this year’s Anuga FoodTec, it became clear that true responsibility extends well beyond daily business; it is the driving force for sustainable and long-term growth. In every discussion, every presentation and every new product, we saw how decisive it is to make brave decisions today for our common future”, Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, reflected.
“The networking of science and entrepreneurial practice and interdisciplinary networking on the whole were achieved in an exemplary manner. This creates synergies that present the basis for overarching innovations. And it is these that we will increasingly need for a viable food system of the future, in which Anuga FoodTec is a central element as a B2B innovation and networking platform”, Prof. Katharina Riehn, Chairwoman of the DLG Food competence centre and Vice President of the DLG, emphasises.
Opening speech by The Club of Rome
Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Co-President of The Club of Rome, opened Anuga FoodTec with an impressive lecture that emphasised the pressing needs of sustainable developments. Her keynote was closely oriented to the top theme of ‘Responsibility’, and to the indispensable importance of environmentally-friendly production processes. With her address, Dixson-Declève provided a decisive impulse in the direction of sustainable transformation. At Anuga FoodTec, the exhibitors already presented what practical implementation of the discussed ideals might look like.
Commitment of the industry: a rethinking is noticeable
Anuga FoodTec demonstrated impressively: core themes such as responsibility, value creation, climate neutrality and food security are decisively shaping the direction of the food and beverage industries – far away from short-term trends. The exhibited machines thus offered, among other things, insights into innovative strategies for the minimisation of food losses and the treatment of waste water. In addition to this, they presented procedures like high pressure processing, which keeps food fresh longer without preservatives. Another area of focus was on the reduction of the use of plastic and the use of alternative packaging materials. Progress in the production of plant-based foods, which serve as pioneering solutions for more sustainable diets, was also presented. A system was presented for the first time that makes it possible to produce cultivated food on an industrial scale. The presentations on site impressively illustrated how the companies are facing the challenges of a both economically and ecologically sustainable future.
An innovative point of focus was set with the new ‘Environment & Energy’ exhibition area. This area was dedicated to progressive energy solutions, which play a growing role in the food industry. The focus was thereby on technologies like solarthermics, heat pumps, biogas and biomass, which not only advance the energy transformation but also contribute to significantly reducing the CO₂ emissions of companies and comprehensively increasing energy efficiency.
One highlight was the presentation of the International FoodTec Award. The focus was on 14 innovative projects from the global food and supplier industries.
Anuga FoodTec 2024 in figures
A total of nearly 40,000 trade visitors from 133 countries was registered, with a foreign share of over 60 percent. The largest visitor groups from outside of Europe came from China, the USA, South Korea, Israel and Japan. 1,307 exhibitors took part in Anuga FoodTec 2024. Thanks to an increased average area, visitors could this year look forward to an even greater variety of exhibits and live demonstrations. With a length of 35 metres, the longest exhibit at the trade fair was particularly impressive.
Anuga FoodTec is the leading international supplier fair for the global food and beverage industries. Organised by Koelnmesse, the next trade fair will take place in Cologne from 23.- 26.02.2027. The professional partner and industry sponsor is the DLG, the German Agricultural Society.
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising the food and beverage industry by translating abstract flavour concepts into tangible realities. Recent advancements in Japan showcase how brands leverage AI to infuse ideas and emotions into product development, creating unique culinary experiences. This innovation not only enhances consumer engagement but also underscores AI’s role in driving sustainable food production and aligning with consumer preferences. However, building trust in AI-assisted choices remains imperative for ongoing industry transformation, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Earlier this year, Japanese tech giant NEC Corporation, in partnership with Kimuraya Sohonten Co. and Abema TV, pioneered an innovative approach to food creation, leveraging AI technology to craft bread flavours aimed at captivating new demographics, particularly younger consumers.
By analysing cultural cues from TV and social media, they have created innovative offerings like “First Date” and “Mutual Love,” infusing emotions into culinary experiences. This pioneering endeavor showcases AI’s potential to revolutionise food innovation by bridging the gap between sensory and emotional realms.
Katrina Diamonon, Principal Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “More brands are taking greater liberties with the concept of flavour, by using intangible elements such as ideas, experiences, and moods to describe flavour. This recent example from Japan takes the consumption experience beyond the sensorial and into the emotional realm. We have already seen this kind of innovation from more progressive beverage companies, but its expansion into bakery suggests that a wider array of food and drink brands will explore more whimsical and abstract flavours.
“It also underscores the wider impact of AI technology on consumer goods innovation. Not only is it making food production smarter and more sustainable; it is also changing how food products are conceived and designed, aligning them even more closely with consumer preferences. Significantly, we are already seeing a degree of confidence in AI-assisted food and drink choices; however, consumer trust in such technologies needs to continue to grow.”
A survey* conducted by GlobalData found that one third (33 %) of global consumers would be very or quite likely to trust recommendations from a virtual assistant (e.g. using AI) to buy food and drinks.
Diamonon concludes: “The notion of translating human emotions into tangible flavours may seem far-fetched but is certainly not beyond the realm of possibility for AI, which has only scratched the surface in terms of its ability to use predictive analytics to transform ideas into reality.
“As more brands make the move into the metaverse, flavour has the potential to become a more abstract term as physical and digital worlds merge. AI will prove invaluable in helping brands develop flavours and scents that bring an emotion to life.”
*GlobalData 2023 Q4 Consumer Survey – Global, published in December 2023, sample size – 21,000
Lithios and BrandVault360 unveil a new era of mineral seltzers in New York City
Lithios, a brand at the forefront of health and wellness innovation, in collaboration with the esteemed BrandVault360, formerly Gotham Beverage, introduce its unique range of lithia-infused mineral seltzers to New York City, USA. This launch signifies a major step in Lithios’s journey, bringing a new health-focused beverage option to the market and marking the beginning of an expansive distribution plan.
“Our collaboration with BrandVault360 is a pivotal moment for Lithios. We are combining our vision of health and wellness with their 20+ years of market expertise to revolutionise the beverage industry,” said Alexander Genzer, co-founder of Lithios. “This partnership enables us to launch Lithios in 2500 locations across New York City, making our products accessible to a wide audience from the start.”
Lithios’s product line, featuring flavours such as Orange Mango, Mixed Berry, and Electric Lime, offers a unique blend of over 71 minerals, with the added benefit of lithia. Known for its mood-enhancing, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory properties, lithia brings a healthful twist to the refreshing seltzer.
This launch is supported by extensive research highlighting the positive effects of lithia in drinking water, including improved mental well-being, enhanced brain function, and overall physical health benefits. Lithios is poised to offer these scientifically supported benefits in a delicious, accessible format.
The initial rollout of Lithios in New York City is just the beginning, with plans to expand into key areas, ensuring that a wider audience can enjoy the unique combination of taste and health benefits.
Lithios, available in flavours Orange Mango, Mixed Berry, and Electric Lime, is now offered in 12-pack configurations and can be found at select retail locations across New York City and online at www.drinklithios.com.
The beverage can industry’s ongoing efforts to move to products free from materials of concern are being boosted by the launch of next generation coatings technology from AkzoNobel – while a new production plant is also being constructed in Spain.
The company’s Packaging Coatings business has just launched the first two products in its new AccelstyleTM range. Designed for the exterior of conventional two-piece aluminum beverage cans, both are free from bisphenols, styrene and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). They follow on from the May 2023 launch of AccelshieldTM 700 – the first BPx-NI* (free of intentionally added bisphenols) internal coating for beverage can ends – which complies with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and EU regulations.
At the same time, AkzoNobel is investing EUR 32 million in a new plant at its Vilafranca site, which will produce bisphenol-free coatings for the metal packaging industry in EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The facility will use advanced automation and has been designed according to high eco-efficiency standards, enabling the company to make a step-change in energy and material efficiency. It’s expected to be operational by mid-2025 and will create around 40 jobs.
Commenting on the new facility, Jim Kavanagh, Director of AkzoNobel’s Industrial Coatings business, says it will help the company respond to a strong need from the packaging industry. “The Vilafranca plant will allow us to offer leading-edge products to any customer and country in EMEA, responding to the most stringent bisphenol regulations in force in Europe. The investment is in line with our view that bisphenols are no longer required to create safe food contact coatings for the metal packaging industry.”
He adds that the new Accelstyle products further illustrate the company’s commitment to giving customers the tangible support they need to transition to a new future. “Both new products – Accelstyle 100 and 200 – can be seamlessly introduced into existing production processes, allowing can makers to transition to coatings that are free from certain important materials of concern, while remaining as commercially viable as possible.”
Continues Kavanagh: “The bisphenol-free products we’ve developed have a lower carbon footprint, compared with those we previously supplied. For example, the carbon footprint of the products for can interiors that we’ll manufacture in the new facility will be 26 % lower than our earlier offerings, which were epoxy-based. And it’s important to point out that bisphenol-free metal packaging isn’t just circular, it also meets consumer expectations for more sustainable packaging.”
Accelstyle 100 (a waterborne gloss overprint varnish) has already undergone multiple successful large-scale trials and qualifications with key major European can makers, while Accelstyle 200 (a waterborne matt overprint varnish) is currently undergoing trials to optimise the prototypes for different gloss levels, from “soft touch” high matt to a “grippy feel” mid-matt effect.
AkzoNobel’s approach to the bisphenol transition of metal cans prioritises consumer safety and sustainability with responsible material substitutions, while taking care to limit disruption to the value chain. The company is continuing to work closely with customers to help accelerate the adoption of bisphenol alternatives.
*The BPx-NI designation indicates that bisphenol or bisphenol compounds were not intentionally added to, or used, in the manufacture of the product.
Prinova has identified growing demand for ingredients for the mind as one of nine emerging food, beverage and nutrition “mega-trends”. In a new report on functional health trends, it also spotlights the increasing prominence of branded ingredients, and growing demand for “real foods”.
The leading provider of ingredients and premixes commissioned expert researchers to analyse patterns in retail and food service and to conduct social media listening. This allowed it to build a framework of nine macro-trends that will shape the industry in 2024 and beyond.
The report highlights the growing number of products containing adaptogens and nootropics, which it attributes to factors such as enduring concerns around performance, focus and “brain fog” in the wake of the pandemic. It also notes growing demand for natural sources of caffeine, such as yerba and matcha, as consumers seek “an antidote to boom and bust caffeination”. Meanwhile, ongoing talk about the stress of modern life, coupled with research on the importance of sleep and rest, has led to “an array of adaptogenic ingredients” being included in everyday food and beverage products.
The Prinova report also notes that “branded ingredients are emerging from the depths of the ingredient list, with logos making their way to the front of product packaging, “particularly in categories like plant-based and performance nutrition. Prinova’s range of branded ingredients includes enduracarb® , a science-backed, slow-release ‘double sugar’ for endurance, and Bacopin®, a bacopa monniera ingredient which, studies show, may help improve memory and attention.
Other mega-trends identified in the report include:
‘Real Food Rules’: A shift away from complicated ingredient lists as consumers embrace ingredients in their most natural, unprocessed form. This includes recognising the benefit of animal-based products again, including previously maligned elements such as full fat.
‘Hack my Health’: With growing interest in the way products interact with our genotypes, phenotypes and lifestyles, companies are increasingly offering personalised services to cater for unique needs.
‘Targeted Nutrition’: Consumers are increasingly aware of the nutritional interventions they can make to improve their wellbeing at different life stages. More knowledgeable than ever, they are looking for products with detailed claims.
James Street, Marketing Director, EMEA & APAC at Prinova, said: “Consumers are looking to food, beverage and nutrition products to meet a growing number of needs. To identify where the opportunities are, and to help our customers create innovative, new products, we’ve created a future-facing framework that identifies the most important emerging trends. We’ve seen how consumers are looking for nutritional ‘hacks’ in areas like cognitive performance and emotional wellbeing, while also yearning for a return to products with ‘real food’ or ‘natural’ credentials. And our research also shows that manufacturers are recognising branded ingredients as one of the best ways to communicate science-backed benefits and bolster credibility.”
Over 270 non-alcoholic beverage brands, which include many globally recognised brands, have active sponsorship deals in place with sports properties based mainly across Europe, as of October 2023. Many of these deals are highly lucrative, with seven non-alcoholic beverage brand deals worth over USD 5 million annually. Among these brands, Red Bull is the biggest spending brand in the Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region, with over USD 63.31 million being invested by it in 2023, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
GlobalData’s latest report, “EMEA Non- Alcoholic Beverage Sports Sponsorship Landscape,” reveals that Red Bull is estimated to have 10 deals in place that are worth USD 1 million or more annually. Its deals include many esports teams such as OG, Team Spirit, and G2 eSports.
Tom Subak-Sharpe, Sport Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Red Bull across the EMEA region is the biggest spending non-alcoholic beverage brand thanks to many lucrative deals, which include a primary front-of-shirt agreement with soccer club RB Leipzig. The brand’s investment in Leipzig has contributed massively in allowing the club to be one of the best-performing clubs in German soccer over the last 10 years.”
Red Bull’s biggest spending rival in the sector is Coca-Cola. GlobalData estimates the brand will spend nearly USD 60 million on sponsorship deals across the EMEA region in 2023. The brand’s biggest annual deal in the region is with FC Barcelona. Its one-year deal with the Spanish soccer giants is estimated to be worth USD 5.25 million.
Subak-Sharpe concludes: “In 2023, Coca-Cola continued to be associated with many athletes, with current deals ongoing with Neymar, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis, Kris Bryant and Justin Barcia. Of these five deals, the one with the Brazilian soccer player Neymar is the most lucrative. Over a long period of time, Red Bull has associated itself with some of the world’s most recognisable athletes. These associations are not expected to decline, with the brand constantly identifying new top talent to partner with.”
Azelis, a leading innovation service provider in the specialty chemicals and food ingredients industry, is delighted to announce its new distribution agreement with BENEO, a prominent manufacturer of functional ingredients for the food, feed, and pharmaceutical industries. Effective immediately, Azelis will be the exclusive distributor for inulin, oligofructose, scFOS, texturised wheat proteins, faba beans, Beta-glucans, meatless solutions, and specialty rice ingredients in India and the entire portfolio in Bangladesh. This new agreement strengthens Azelis’ existing and successful partnership with BENEO in EMEA.
BENEO is a leading expert in developing and producing functional ingredients derived from natural sources such as chicory roots, sugar beet, rice, and wheat. In Food & Nutrition, BENEO’s plant-based functional ingredients help improve the nutritional and technical properties of a wide variety of products, while maintaining or even improving taste or texture.
This new mandate reinforces Azelis’ offering in India and Bangladesh; this partnership completes its advanced product offering for food and beverages, including bakery, confectionery, meat, and dairy products, as well as plant-based alternatives for the latter two applications. Moreover, BENEO’s strong commitment to sustainability aligns with Azelis’ strategy to provide innovative and sustainable formulations to its customers.
BrauBeviale 2023 in Nuremberg can look back on three successful days. With Thursday’s final day, Europe’s leading trade fair for the brewing and beverage industry got back on track after a four-year break. Rolf Keller, Managing Director of organiser YONTEX, is appropriately satisfied: “With strong visitor demand from over 120 countries and from all sectors of the beverage industry, our three-day show once again scored highly: The technical exchanges between experts, the wide range of exhibitors and the specialist topics addressed in the supporting programme were extremely well received by visitors. BrauBeviale once again confirmed its position in the industry when it comes to delivering answers to current challenges.”
Well-frequented halls and intensive, high-quality discussions were the major take-aways for many exhibitors: key topics included energy saving in the manufacturing process, new filling systems and optimising efficiency through increased automation. Furthermore, exhibitors delivered answers to the requirements of European packaging legislation and showed awareness of the need to consistently align manufacturing processes with sustainability criteria.
Excellent response to the supporting programme
The supporting programme also provided a strong impetus for the entire industry: THE LOGISTIK LOUNGE, for example, demonstrated numerous reusability solutions and made positive suggestions for the future direction of the logistics chain during its discussion forums. This offering in particular was perceived as an important addition to the overall BrauBeviale programme.
The Young Talents Camp got off to an equally promising start: The new networking lounge concept aimed at attracting young Gen Z talent to all areas and levels of the beverage industry was a complete success. “We had excellent responses to this offer. I can already say that we will be stepping up our activities in this interdisciplinary area for the benefit of the whole industry,” says Executive Director Andrea Kalrait.
With the special “Grape processing and Cellar Management”, area BrauBeviale 2023 broke new ground. Exhibitors there were able to present their products specifically for the wine industry. It was a new platform in which winegrowers could learn about solutions for their own specific businesses. The additional benefit for this group of visitors was that bottling technology and packaging as well as solutions for product equipment could simply be ‘taken away’ following a visit to the trade fair in the nine BrauBeviale halls.
Expert meetings and presentations covering a wide range of topics
The well-proven and broad-based programme of the BrauBeviale Forum once again presented a wide range of ideas, ranging from securing raw materials in the face of climate change, to best practice examples from marketing. On the last day of the show the ExportForum German Beverages supplied valuable ideas for sales development of German beverages in attractive international markets. What influence do today’s multiple challenges and changes have on the food and beverage industry? This question was addressed in an introductory presentation by specialists from the food and beverage sector.
High level of interest from an international audience
BrauBeviale 2023 once more positioned itself strongly as a platform for the industry – predominantly in other European countries. Around 45 per cent of exhibitors came from abroad. The show’s potential has also been recognised by representatives of other nations. During the visit by the Italian Consul General Sergio Maffettone and the American Consul General Timothy Liston, the BrauBeviale team was able to document the consistent development of the trade fair into an international meeting place. The visit of the Italian Consul General was particularly focussed on the Italian exhibitors, who made up the second largest group of exhibitors after the German exhibitors. The American Consul General informed himself about suppliers with innovative solutions as well as some suppliers with complete offers for brewery operations. In addition, by visiting the Young Talents Camp, he focussed his attention on the topic of recruiting young talent – one of the most pressing tasks for the industry in the near future.
The show organiser YONTEX considers this high level of interest, which also comes from official representatives of some major market players in the beverage sector, as confirmation that the company is on course to further develop the specialisation of its product portfolio for the brewing and beverage industry.
Growth of the functional beverage market is driven by its adaptability to diverse consumer preferences and dietary needs, catering to various proiles, including plant-based, low-sugar, caffeine-free, and customised nutritional demands
The functional beverage market size is projected to surpass USD 164,058 million in 2023 and is likely to attain a valuation of USD 277,744 million by 2033. The functional beverage market share is expected to rise at a CAGR of 5.4 % from 2023 to 2033.
Functional drinks have firmly established themselves in the sports and fitness market, providing great performance enhancers, post-workout recovery aids, and pre-activity nourishment. These items have become essential components of fitness programs, effortlessly harmonising with the desire for optimum physical performance and adequate nutritional consumption.
The functional beverage industry is benefiting from increased public awareness of health issues. These beverages address a wide range of conditions, including stress management, anxiety, inflammation, and digestive health. As consumers seek solutions to these problems, the market seizes the chance to solve real-world health issues with focused, practical solutions.
Effective marketing and branding initiatives significantly impact the growth of the functional beverage sector. Engaging narrative, eye-catching packaging, and targeted endorsements all captivate customers’ attention and allegiance. Branding is critical for establishing long-term consumer relationships and differentiating items in this crowded industry.
The advent of e-commerce platforms and direct-to-consumer sales channels is substantially propelling the functional beverage market’s expansion. These channels enable manufacturers to reach a larger audience while incurring fewer distribution expenses and providing consumers with quick access to a bigger range of product selections.
Personalisation is emerging as an increasingly important motivator. Customisation possibilities are available from functional beverage providers, allowing customers to customise their beverages to specific health requirements or flavour preferences. This increases brand loyalty and customer engagement.
CBD (cannabidiol) and hemp-based compounds have been gaining popularity in the functional beverage industry. These substances are linked to possible health benefits and relaxing effects, attracting a niche audience interested in holistic well-being.
“The functional beverage market is undergoing a substantial shift, which is being driven by innovation, scalability, strategic alliances, and a greater emphasis on sustainability. This shifting landscape confronts organisations with both problems and possibilities, forcing them to adapt to changing customer demands and regulatory needs while promoting development and resilience in a highly competitive market”, – Nandini Roy Choudhury, Client Partner at Future Market Insights (fmi)
Offshoot Brands, a visionary entity fostering plant-forward brands like Love Beets, Genuine Coconut, and Veggie Confetti, and Canadian-based LOOP Mission, a formidable force against food waste and producer of cold-pressed juices, announce their exclusive partnership into the US market, blending sustainable, innovative beverage options with a powerful environmental ethos.
On an endeavor to reduce food waste and champion sustainability through innovative product lines, Offshoot Brands welcomes LOOP Mission to its portfolio, where it will lead sales and marketing initiatives for the beverage brand across the expansive US market. This collaboration ensures the amplification of LOOP’s mission to valorise rejected food, while simultaneously aligning with Offshoot’s ambition to bring more sustainable options to the retail landscape for consumers.
LOOP Mission operates with a distinctive and sustainable business model, partnering with major food industry entities to utilise perfectly edible products, which, due to aesthetic imperfections or shelf-life limitations, are discarded before reaching consumers.
Select LOOP Mission products will now be available for US retailers, expanding the avenues through which consumers can access sustainable, high-quality beverage options.
LOOP Mission will harmoniously integrate into Offshoot Brands’ portfolio, embracing and extending the brand’s existing values and commitments to sustainability. Offshoot Brands, which is actively working with farms to attain certified regenerative status and employs whole crop utilisation to mitigate food waste, sees LOOP Mission as an embodiment and extension of these practices.
This partnership is a stride toward further amplifying Offshoot’s existing sustainability initiatives, with prospects to potentially intertwine resources and minimise waste across all brand lines.
Treatt, the manufacturer and supplier of a diverse and sustainable portfolio of natural extracts and ingredients for the beverage, flavour and fragrance industries, announces that Daemmon Reeve has informed the Board of his intention to retire from his role as Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company.
Daemmon’s retirement comes after 32 years with Treatt, the last 11 years as CEO. He has agreed with the Board that he will step down from his role on 31 December 2023 and will step down immediately from Treatt’s Nomination Committee.
The Board regularly reviews succession planning and has begun the process to appoint a new CEO.
Until a new CEO is appointed, Ryan Govender, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will be appointed as Interim CEO from 1 January 2024. Building on his international and diverse experience from his previous roles, most recently within Associated British Foods, Ryan has a strong understanding of the business and has played a key role as part of the Treatt team in formulating an ambitious strategy for the future of the business.
PLM market leader and top regulatory compliance provider team up to create integrated platform to screen ingredients throughout product development lifecycle Centric Software®, the Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) market leader and FoodChain ID, the leading food safety and regulatory service provider are pleased to announce their partnership to bring enhanced regulatory compliance capabilities to product development. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to plan, design, develop, source, price and sell food & beverage, cosmetics and consumer products to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.
FoodChain ID is trusted by over 30,000 companies across the global supply chain, with technology-enabled solutions and expertise to keep the food and cosmetics supply chain safe and transparent.
The highly controlled industries of Food and Cosmetics require access to trustworthy regulatory information so that the risk of formulation missteps are reduced, especially at the development stage. This saves much time and effort down the line, and notably lessens the chance of dreaded recalls.
Not all PLM platforms have strong formulation capabilities and those that do often rely on manual look-ups or databases pieced together by in-house regulatory compliance teams. The pairing of FoodChain ID’s world-class regulatory libraries and databases driven by the agility of Centric PLM’s formulation, packaging, quality, nutrition, labeling and artwork capabilities gives the food and cosmetics industries the best of both worlds, resulting in a complete formulation and regulatory compliance solution.
Clinton Chadwick, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships at FoodChain ID, explains how the association drives accuracy and speed into product development. “What makes this partnership with Centric Software so exciting is the ability to accelerate product innovation with Centric PLM by reducing time-consuming iterations between product development and regulatory compliance teams.” Chadwick adds, “With FoodChain ID’s data sources pulling from over 220 countries, the data quality of our compliance engine is second-to-none.”
Ron Watson, Executive Vice President of Product at Centric Software discusses how much more efficient it is to formulate with FoodChain ID. “Product developers working in Centric PLM can see the immediate impact of ingredient changes against current global regulatory compliance regulations as they are formulating.” For example, when looking at market expansion, the food or cosmetics scientist can evaluate a formula or ingredient against a regulatory threshold level in the target country and then adjust the formula at the development stage if necessary, where ingredient changes will have little negative impact.
Chris Groves, CEO of Centric Software says, “We are overjoyed about our alliance with FoodChain ID. It marries Centric’s technological expertise in food & beverage, cosmetics, beauty and other formulated goods with FoodChain ID’s extensive global databases and stellar reputation in food safety and regulatory compliance. This gives the users of both solutions confidence in formulation and the means to work seamlessly in one platform, driving even more efficiency into product development.”
Taking a major step to support a circular economy, Coca-Cola® launched in rPET in pack sizes of 250 ml and 750 ml across several markets in India.
After being the first company in India to launch a one-litre bottle made from 100 % recycled PET (rPET) for its packaged drinking water brand Kinley, Coca-Cola India is taking another meaningful step towards creating a circular economy and has announced the launch of Coca-Cola® in rPET in pack sizes of 250 ml and 750 ml. These rPET bottles are being manufactured by Coca-Cola bottling partners – Moon Beverages Ltd., and SLMG Beverages Ltd.
The rPET bottles expansion showcases Coca-Cola India’s transformative journey towards building a sustainable and greener future for all. The bottles made from 100 % food-grade rPET (excluding caps and labels) have an on-pack call to action “Recycle Me Again” message and will also drive consumer awareness with “100 % recycled PET bottle” displayed on the pack.
These rPET bottles are crafted from food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The plastic is recycled as per the technologies approved by the US FDA and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for food-grade recycled material and repurposed into new PET bottles, reducing the need for virgin plastic for producing PET Bottles.
The Coca–Cola Company now offers 100 % rPET bottles in over 40 markets, bringing it closer to its World Without Waste goal of making bottles with 50 % recycled content by 2030. Announced in 2018, the sustainable packaging platform also includes a goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of a bottle or can for every one the company sells globally by 2030, and to make 100 % of its packaging recyclable by 2025.
The Food Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved the use of recycled PET in food packaging. Similarly, the Government of India’s, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Bureau of Indian Standards has enabled befitting regulations and standards to facilitate the use of recycled plastics in food and beverage packaging.
Coca-Cola is making it convenient for consumers to return their empty PET bottles by recycling them at conveniently placed drop-off points or Reverse Vending Machines (RVM’s). Earlier this year, Coca-Cola India launched a ‘Return and Recycle’ initiative with Zepto that focuses on gathering PET bottles directly from consumers. This also helps in establishing an organised process of collecting PET bottles with 100 % traceability. Specifically for India, Coca-Cola introduced ASSP (Affordable Small Sparkling Pack) for the 250 ml PET bottle. ASSP, a proprietary Coca-Cola innovative technology is used to reduce plastic usage in the production of PET bottles for sparkling products by up to 40 percent.
By Peter Harding, President of UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe and CEO of Suntory Beverage & Food Europe
The EU is set to move towards a circular economy for beverage packaging. In just a couple of weeks, Members of the Environment Committee in the European Parliament will vote on their amendments to the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). In parallel, EU Member States are working towards adopting their position on this file by the end of the year. Among the key areas of attention in the PPWR is reuse and refill. It is absolutely critical that MEPs and Member States support sound measures that ensure that recycling, reuse and refill are complementary solutions, and reject proposals to increase the reuse and refill targets without further assessment of their environmental, economic and social impacts.
The EU is taking a leadership role in driving circularity and the PPWR is among the most ambitious EU policies in this regard. The European soft drinks sector, represented by UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, supports the goals to better reduce, collect, recycle and reuse beverage packaging. We have already shown that we take bold voluntary actions to contribute to accelerating the green transition in Europe through our commitment to making our soft drinks packaging fully circular by 2030.
Our sector also supports reuse and refill systems as part of the solution to reduce packaging and packaging waste. We are already investing in these systems as a complementary action to our ongoing efforts to reduce and recycle our packaging.
It is fundamental that recycling and reusable systems are complementary solutions and MEPs and Member States should enshrine this in the PPWR. How?
Key ask 1 – Do not increase the reuse and refill targets (Art. 26) without further impact assessment
The European Commission’s impact assessment has been heavily criticised by many stakeholders, including our sector, over the last 9 months. The lack of a proper environmental and economic assessment of the implications of the reuse and refill targets proposed by the European Commission in the PPWR is worrying as legislation should always be developed on the basis of clear and granular data on the costs and benefits of the measures being proposed. So, first things first: the only way to assess the real impact of scaling up reusable systems across the EU is to thoroughly analyse the costs and benefits of setting up these systems in different Member States, different sectors and different distribution channels. As an example, the shift to 10% refillable PET as of 2030 in the EU is estimated to cost more than €16 billion, according to a PwC study.
It is very concerning to see proposals for increased reuse and refill targets for 2030 and 2040 that are not based on any further impact assessment that justifies them. Why forcing beverage manufacturers, of which a majority are SMEs, to make huge investments in reuse and refill systems in geographies or channels where existing well-functioning single-use systems make more sense from an environmental and economic perspective?
In our view, the proposed targets are already extremely challenging and therefore the focus now has to be on providing manufacturers with the necessary enablers and the flexibility to invest in the best packaging mix.
Key ask 2 – Maintain systems enabling refill in the reuse and refill targets (Art. 26)
We are all familiar with the traditional returnable refillable bottle, whereby the consumer buys a beverage bottle in a store and brings it back to the retailer for it to be refilled. This is not, however, the only system to reuse and refill – and it is not always the best solution from an environmental perspective. Asking beverage manufacturers to focus all their investment and innovation only in reuse on traditional returnable refillable bottles takes no account of consumer patterns of shopping and consuming beverages, and stifles the innovative solutions that open up possibilities to match consumers to more sustainable purchasing habits.
Today, there are several innovative reusable solutions that are convenient for consumers, are responding to new consumption habits and are helping reduce packaging as they use little to no packaging, such as home soda dispensers and refill stations in stores and horeca. Why, then, aren’t these at-home and on-the-go solutions, which are recognised by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as reuse models, counting towards the achievement of the reuse and refill targets? It makes all sense to consider them for the attainment of the reuse and refill targets. The PPWR should secure a future for these innovative refill solutions and the EU co-legislators should therefore support a broad definition of reuse and refill that includes the whole spectrum of available reusable and refill models.
Key ask 3 – Create well-designed exemptions to ensure reusable packaging is only used where and when it makes the most sense
It is essential to make sure that reusable packaging is only introduced where it makes sense from an environmental, economic and consumer perspective. To enable it, the PPWR should provide a form of exemption if certain environmental criteria are met in order to avoid unintended adverse effects of the reuse and refill targets.
Some amendments tabled in the different European Parliament’s committees involved on this file can serve as a positive source of inspiration as they recognise the role of existing well-functioning circular systems. For example, many countries are investing in achieving 90% collection of PET bottles and aluminium cans through the introduction of Deposit and Return Systems (DRS). Let’s encourage these investments!
Now is the moment for the European Parliament and EU Member States to make the PPWR more supportive and more realistic. Our sector will remain constructive and engaged with all stakeholders to help create a stable and enabling policy environment.
Food and beverage companies are targeting Asia’s lucrative electronic games (egames) market by rolling out customised functional products and sponsoring esports events in collaboration with leading game developers. Opportunities are rife for such products in China, which by itself is a $ 50 billion-plus market for mobile, personal computer, console, and cloud gaming software, as well as other booming Asian markets, such as Japan, and South Korea, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Tim Hill, Key Account Director at GlobalData Singapore, comments: “During extended gaming sessions, egamers are prone to consume snacks and drinks to quell hunger pangs, stay hydrated, and thereby play uninterrupted. Food and beverage makers are rolling out premium products targeting this high-spending cohort of avid gamers to cash in on the popularity of gaming. Companies are customising the recipes with ingredients that boost stamina and mental alertness to allow egamers to extend their sessions and improve their performance. Additionally, they are personalizing offerings for egamer cohorts of different genders, ages, and geographic regions. This personalisation feature can appeal to 57 % of Asian consumers whose product choices are often or always influenced by how well the product/service is tailored to my needs and personality**.”
Bobby Verghese, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, notes: “Among beverage categories, energy drinks presently dominate the gaming world. Recent product launches targeting avid gamers include Coca-Cola’s Thums Up Charged energy drink unveiled in Vietnam and Cambodia, and Beat The World’s G-Beat energy drink and computer manufacturer Acer’s PredatorShot in Thailand. Coca-Cola claims that Thums Up Charged is infused with vitamin B3, caffeine, and zinc to boost energy. According to the manufacturer, G-Beat is made with natural caffeine and without white sugar and fortified with vitamins A and B to support eyesight and brain functioning. Acer claims that PredatorShot is fortified with vitamin A to boost gamers’ eyesight.”
Hill continues: “Companies are also collaborating with top game developers to launch co-branded products and packaging. For instance, Coca-Cola unveiled a limited-edition Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar with a special flavour inspired by Riot Games’ hit game, League of Legends. Other recent examples include Mister Potato’s special edition pack for the game, Mobile Legends: Bang; and ZUS Coffee’s limited-edition drink, Velvet Crème Poring Latté, with the theme of the popular mobile game, Ragnarok Origin. Within the foodservice sector, notable examples of egames collaborations include Pizza Hut and Domino’s Pizza, Hut which rolled out special campaigns in Malaysia in collaboration with a popular mobile game, Genshin Impact.”
*GlobalData Technology Intelligence Center – Market Analyzers, accessed in September 2023 **GlobalData Q2 2023 Consumer Survey – Asia & Australasia, with 6,438 respondents, published in May 2023
