When the founder of Bacardi, Don Facundo Bacardí Massó, purchased the company’s first distillery in Cuba, he found a colony of fruit bats hanging from the rafters. 

Similar to how superheroes like Spiderman and Batman have been known to blur the boundaries between advocates for justice and vigilantes, sports and protein drinks are transitioning from being separate categories to the emergence of one overall sports performance market, experts say. 

Preston, Wash.-based TalkingRain Beverage Co. recently placed a focus on its Sparkling Ice enhanced water brand, which in turn has experienced a national surge. 

 The 1980s commercial tagline: “Milk. It does a body good” helped to educate the American population about the health benefits of milk. However, the wellness-boosting nutrients found in milk, such as calcium and vitamin D, are not limited to what you find in the dairy aisle at the local grocery store.  

A person’s taste preferences might be affected by the region in which he or she lives, according to a 2009 University of Nottingham study.

 Similar to the products that are shuttled across its rollers and belts, conveyor systems are working to stay on top of the trends in material handling in order to better serve its clientele.  

 New solutions from Aleco, Big Ass Fans, Schneider Packaging and more. 

 Transporting cases, crates, kegs and additional point-of-sale items from warehouses and trucks into retailers often is a physically demanding task.  

Since 2008, the sports drink category has grown to include more than 650 UPCs, explained Susan Viamari, editor of Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group’s Times & Trends, during the market research firm’s “Merchandising Trends” webinar in February. 

 In an effort to save money, today’s recession-shocked shoppers continue to evolve their retail tactics.  

 Americans love their cups of coffee.  

 Tate & Lyle, Decatur, Ill., launched its new Beverage Optimize formulation service in the United States.  

 California Custom Fruits and Flavors is a custom ingredient innovator and supplier that develops products with its customers’ particular requirements and applications in mind, the company says.  

 This year’s Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS) featured 1,070 exhibitors in 1.2 million square feet of exhibit space.  

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) will host its annual meeting and food expo June 25-28 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas. 

 The fictional personal ad in the song “Escape” famously seeks someone who likes piña coladas.  

 As pottery-makers and glass blowers have known for thousands of years, the shape of a container is a powerful art form, says George Caplea, executive vice president of global business development for Constar Inc., Trevose, Pa.  

Brown-Forman Corp. launched a limited-edition Woodford Reserve bourbon bottle honoring its partnership with the Kentucky Derby.