Beverage
PepsiCo Struggles with Stagnant Soda Sales
April 18, 2013 12:28 pm | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsPepsiCo is selling more its snacks and drinks around the world, even as the maker of Frito-Lay, Tropicana and Quaker Oats tries to figure out how to sell more soda in the United States. The company on Thursday reported a first-quarter profit that beat Wall Street expectations as it saw strong growth in emerging markets and benefited from a lower tax rate.
Consumer Trends: Battle of the Brew
April 18, 2013 12:01 pm | News | CommentsAt a time when Starbucks can be found on practically every corner, have Americans chosen convenience as the deciding factor in where they get their caffeine jolt? Not according to a recent Harris Poll that suggests consumers — particularly millennials — may have become somewhat of coffee connoisseurs.
Brazilian Liquor Gets a Name of Its Own
April 18, 2013 9:45 am | News | CommentsMade from sugarcane, cachaca has always been sold in the United States under the label "Brazilian rum," but a recent decision by the U.S. Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau allows for it to be commercialized under its Portuguese name.
Coca-Cola’s Independent Bottlers See Shifting Role
April 18, 2013 9:43 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsThe world's biggest beverage maker, which makes Sprite, Dasani and Powerade, had purchased its biggest North American bottler in 2010 to make it easier to introduce new products and clean up the messy patchwork of factories that had been created over the decades. The idea was that the company would consolidate production and eventually refranchise the business.
Photo of the Day: The Spirit of Brazil
April 18, 2013 9:38 am | News | CommentsIn this April 11, 2013 photo, waiter Ivanildo Soares serves a bottle of cachaca, Brazil's national spirit, at the "Adega da Cachaca" cellar in Brasilia, Brazil. The vast majority of cachaca is consumed domestically, much of it sipped in Brazil's famed caipirinha cocktails with lime, sugar and crushed ice.
Coke Stock Up
April 18, 2013 9:34 am | by CNN Money | Videos | CommentsDespite sluggish growth in the Chinese market, shares of Coca-Cola rose this week, exceeding earnings expectations. The beverage giant said growth in other emerging markets in countries like Brazil, Russia and India helped to pick up the slack and aid strong strong overall performance.
Gold Bearings in Metric Sizes
April 18, 2013 1:00 am | by Food Manufacturing Staff | Product Releases | CommentsMetric-sized Sealmaster® PN Gold bearings are an extension of Company's Corrosion Resistant Engineered Solutions (CRES) series of bearings for the beverage industry.
Budweiser Introducing Bowtie-Shaped Can
April 17, 2013 12:12 pm | News | CommentsAnheuser-Busch is introducing a new, bowtie-shaped beer can that mirrors its iconic Budweiser logo. The St. Louis-based subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev NV said Wednesday that the new cans will be available in a special 8-pack nationwide beginning May 6.
Brewers: Minn. Alcohol Tax Hike Will Hit Consumers
April 17, 2013 12:11 pm | by KYLE POTTER, Associated Press | News | CommentsLawmakers' plan to boost alcohol taxes in Minnesota, proposed to help the state raise revenue and pay for the social costs of alcoholism, could add as much as $2 to the cost of a standard 12-pack of beer, local brewers and liquor lobbyists said Tuesday as they tried to rally opposition to the proposed tax spike.
Coca-Cola’s Profit Beats Expectations
April 16, 2013 9:30 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsCoca-Cola's first-quarter results came in above expectations as the world's biggest beverage maker sold more of its drinks in emerging markets. The Atlanta-based company said Tuesday that global volume rose 4 percent in the quarter, with Thailand, India and Russia posting strong gains.
Billionaire Gets $12M More in Wine Spat
April 15, 2013 12:19 pm | News | CommentsA jury in New York has awarded $12 million in punitive damages to a Florida billionaire in his dispute over pricey wine. Friday's federal court decision was another victory for William Koch. On Thursday, the Manhattan jury found that he was sold fake vintage wine by California businessman Eric Greenberg. It awarded Koch about $380,000 in compensatory damages.
Kool-Aid Refreshes Its Mascot's Image
April 15, 2013 9:43 am | by CANDICE CHOI,AP Food Industry Writer | News | CommentsThe Kool-Aid Man, known for busting through walls and his "Oh yeah!" tagline, will now be computer-generated and take on the personality of a celebrity trying to show he's just a normal guy. In past ads, the character was played by an actor in foam costume and had little to say or do besides crashing through a wall with a big, smiley face.
Photo of the Day: Kool-Aid Man Gets a Makeover
April 15, 2013 9:35 am | News | CommentsKool-Aid is unveiling a new look for its big red mascot Monday, April 15, 2013 as the powdered drink looks to refresh its image and tout a new liquid mix. The Kool-Aid Man will now be computer generated and take on the personality of a celebrity trying to show he's just a normal guy.
Wegmans Recalls Fruit Juices
April 12, 2013 12:18 pm | News | CommentsWegmans Food Markets says it's recalling two fruit juice products because they may contain unacceptable levels of a byproduct of mold. The grocery chain says some 64 oz. containers of Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Apple Juice and Wegmans Food You Feel Good About Organic Cranberry Juice Blend may contain patulin.
Starbucks Lowering Price of Bagged Coffee
April 12, 2013 12:15 pm | News | CommentsStarbucks is cutting the suggested retail price of its bagged coffee sold in supermarkets, following similar moves by competitors amid falling commodity costs. The Seattle-based chain says 12-ounce bags of its whole and ground coffee will be $8.99, down from $9.99. The list price of its Seattle's Best coffee will also be slashed to $6.99 a bag, from $7.99. The new prices go into effect May 10.
Dutch Coffee Company Agrees to $9.8 Billion Buyout
April 12, 2013 12:13 pm | News | CommentsThe management of Dutch coffee maker D.E. Master Blenders 1753 NV says it has agreed to a 7.5 billion euro ($9.8 billion) buyout offer from a group led by private German investment company Joh. A. Benckiser GmbH. The offer of 12.50 euros per share announced Friday is 30 percent higher than where Master Blenders shares closed on March 27, the day before it announced it was in takeover talks with Benckiser.
Jury Awards Billionaire $380K in Fake Wine Case
April 12, 2013 12:11 pm | by LARRY NEUMEISTER,Associated Press | News | CommentsA Florida billionaire said he planned to drink a glass of wine to celebrate a federal jury's conclusion Thursday that he was defrauded by a California businessman who sold him two dozen bottles of fake vintage wine at a 2005 auction. The jury in U.S. District Court in Manhattan awarded William Koch $380,000 in compensatory damages for the counterfeit bottles of Bordeaux labeled as if they were created from 1864 to 1950.
Consumer Trends: U.S. Wine Sales Reach New Record
April 12, 2013 12:00 pm | News | CommentsWine sales in the U.S. from all production sources — California, other U.S. states and foreign countries — increased 2% from the previous year to a new record of 360.1 million 9-liter cases with an estimated retail value of $34.6 billion, according to wine industry consultant Jon Fredrikson of Gomberg, Fredrikson & Associates in Woodside.
Top Baristas Duke It Out for National Championship
April 12, 2013 9:36 am | by RODRIQUE NGOWI,Associated Press | News | CommentsThe caffeinated concoctions sound like something out of a mad scientist's lab: coffee infused with bacon or caramelized tangerine; spiced orange reduction or liquefied cheesecake. After months of preparation and percolation, the country's top baristas are giving it their best shots in Beantown.
Photo of the Day: Brewing a Champion
April 12, 2013 9:28 am | News | CommentsParticipants in the annual United States Barista Championship have 15 minutes to prepare and serve four espressos, four cappuccinos and four signature beverages, as they compete for a chance to go to the world championship in Melbourne, Australia.
Vermont Breweries Gain Fame
April 11, 2013 9:31 am | by LISA RATHKE,Associated Press | News | CommentsEveryone expects Vermonters to wow the world with their maple syrup and cheeses. But lately the buzz has been about the brews. Not that the craft beer movement is anything new to this tiny New England state, which sports the highest number of brewers per capita — roughly 25,030 people per brewery.
Food Security a Key Issue in Venezuela
April 10, 2013 9:37 am | by JAMES ANDERSON,Associated Press | News | CommentsVenezuelans complain that what goes into their Sunday dinner plate comes from abroad. It's a complaint heard often these days as Hugo Chavez's hand-picked successor, Nicolas Maduro, seeks election against opposition candidate Henrique Capriles. Under the socialist government, shoppers cannot count on finding sugar, cornmeal for Venezuela's beloved arepas and other goods when they go to market.
Photo of the Day: Venezuela's Foreign Food
April 10, 2013 9:31 am | News | CommentsVenezuelans complain that what goes into their Sunday dinner plate comes from abroad: Steak, from Brazil; plantains, the Dominican Republic; rice, South Africa; Parmesan cheese, Uruguay; oats, Chile. Even coffee, in a country famed for it, often is Colombian.
Daily Sound Bite: Craft Brewing Finds Foothold in Minnesota
April 9, 2013 11:58 am | News | CommentsCraft Beer is growing rapidly in popularity across the country, but perhaps nowhere more quickly than in Minnesota. Two thirds of the breweries in the state have opened in the past three years. Ryan Petz, the president of Fulton Beer, attributes some of the growth to supportive state and city governments.
Vodka Producer Files for Bankruptcy
April 9, 2013 9:41 am | News | CommentsVodka producer Central European Distribution Corp. is seeking bankruptcy protection to cut more than $665 million of its debt. The company is asking a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware to approve a reorganization plan, which would give ownership of the company to Roust Trading. Roust is owned by CEDC Chairman Roustam Tariko.
