The June 2017 issue of Beverage Industry includes our cover story on ITO EN as well as articles on ready-to-drink teas, premium vodkas and more. Check it out today!
The rich history of tea dates back to when it first was used as a medicinal drink in East Asia. As globalization progressed, tea drinking has become an international phenomenon, spreading across multiple cultures throughout thousands of years. Yet, as consumers’ tea tastes have evolved, Brooklyn, N.Y.- based ITO EN (North America) Inc., a division of Tokyo-based ITO EN Ltd., continues to build on its strong innovation heritage by introducing healthy, organic and non-GMO tea varietals while maintaining a strong focus on new product development, sustainability and authenticity.
Continued interest in health and wellness, back to nature and proactive health trends have resulted in consumers turning to products that boast a natural, healthy halo. Although bottled water has experienced the most notable gains from these trends, bagged, loose-leaf and ready-to-drink (RTD) teas also have benefited from their associations as better-for-you products.
Once again The Coca-Cola Co. and Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) are flipping positions to claim the top spot in Beverage Industry's annual Top 100 Report. Based on 2016 financial sales, AB InBev reclaimed the No. 1 spot as sales were up more than $2 billion compared with 2015 financial sales.
With nearly 120 years of crafting spirits using pure artesian waters, Siberian-based Mariinsk Distillery in connection with Moscow-based Synergy Group, created the first batch of its ultra-premium Beluga Noble Vodka in 2002.
In response to consumers seeking healthier options, vending machines now stock a broader food and beverage portfolio along with the “smart” technological solutions like Apple Pay and Google Pay. On-machine signage also is helping consumers to better evaluate their choices.
When conversing with a friend recently, I realized how much I “consume” information. I follow various local, state and national news outlets. The stack of books that I plan to read this summer includes more non-fiction than fiction. My “to watch” list is filled more with documentaries than scripted TV. However, I won’t pretend that reality shows aren’t on in the background while I am doing chores or cooking meals.
Lagunitas to continue to operate as independent entity
June 16, 2017
Heineken N.V., Amsterdam, announced that it has acquired the remaining shares in Lagunitas Brewing Co., Petaluma, Calif. To maintain the Lagunitas culture and free spirit, the company will continue to operate as an independent entity within Heineken and will report within the Heineken Americas Region, the company says.
Stone Brewing, Escondido, Calif., announced its first quarter results for fiscal 2017, reporting 18 percent growth versus the prior year. The company’s performance is outpacing both the year-to-date grocery craft category growth rate of 4.4 percent and the category’s 52-week growth rate of 6.4 percent, based on Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI) data, it says.
Approximately 80 percent of exhibitors can aid breweries
June 16, 2017
About 44 percent of the visitors to the last drinktec came from the brewing industry, according to the tradeshow presenter. Between Sept. 11 and 15, those involved in the production of beer can come together for drinktec 2017 at the Messe München exhibition center where they will find all they need to produce excellent beer.
Youthful consumers, emerging categories, the proliferation of new products, an altered retail landscape, increasing importance on social media and shifting demographics were among the key topics highlighted at this year’s The Beverage Forum.
The 2017 Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America took place April 10-13 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. The event attracted 13,300 brewing professionals. The Craft Brewers Conference featured 140 speakers and 72 seminars across 11 educational tracks, while the BrewExpo America tradeshow showcased 900 exhibitors.
In the beverage, supply chain and packaging markets, tradeshow season is in full swing. I recently attended ProMat and ProFood Tech at McCormick Place in Chicago, and will be heading to Las Vegas later this month to attend the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo, which will take place June 26-28.
PicoBrew announced the release of PicoStill, a patent-pending, small-batch distilling device that is designed to work with all of the company’s countertop brewing appliances. Topped with a copper distilling coil that fits over the Pico C Keg, the machine can be used to distill hop oil, water and essential oils, the company says.
As consumers continue to seek out variety within their beverage options, the probability of SKU proliferation seems to be a certainty for years to come. As brand owners hope to stand out from the crowd, inks and coatings are helping manufacturers draw in consumers.
Moosehead Breweries marks 150th anniversary with milestone label
June 16, 2017
The COOLERPACK is the newest edition to Heineken’s range of packaging configurations. Designed to pop open the top, fill the pack with ice and chill Heineken, the COOLERPACK also will keep consumers cool in the heat, driving incremental sales and profits for retailers who stock and display the innovative new item, it explains.
With a hand in many of the trends impacting consumer packaged goods, millennials have played a role in the growth of natural, organic and non-GMO products. In conjunction with the demand for better-for-you products, consumers are looking for flavors that are perceived to be healthier.
Ingredion announces study results for VersaFibe 1490 dietary fiber
June 16, 2017
Beneo, Morris Plains, N.J., announced that it will focus on healthier snacking at this year’s IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo, taking place June 25-28. The company will present natural, clean-label solutions that respond to consumer trends, including sugar replacement, healthy weight, digestive health and improved energy, the company says.
Natural Provanil-US7 meets demand for clean labels
June 16, 2017
Prova Inc. now offers Natural Provanil-US7, a technological and economical alternative to natural vanillin, the company says. The use level of Natural Provanil-US7 is the same or lower than that of natural vanillin, and the alternative meets manufacturer and consumer demand for clean labels and natural ingredients, it adds.
Oregon Fruit Products LLC released a new flavor in its limited series for the fermentation market: pink guava purée. The purée adds to the company’s portfolio of premium specialty fruit products for the craft beverage industry.
Once a niche trend, health and wellness has gone mainstream as many market research firms have highlighted in reports. As better-for-you options abound throughout the consumer packaged goods market, beverage formulators are turning to stabilizing ingredient sources to maintain product efficacy.
With a few notable exceptions, full-service leasing continues to be much more popular among the very large fleets than it is among the smaller fleets of Beverage Industry readers.
Whether its craft beer, imported bottled water, cold-pressed juices or any of the other premium beverages gaining traction, market analysts have highlighted that consumers are willing to pay a premium price if they feel they are getting value-added benefits from a product.
Whether a manufacturing plant, brewery, distillery, warehouse or distribution facility, or a combination thereof, countless factors should be considered when it comes to designing and operating a plant. Among them, sustainability and carbon footprints are a common thread.
Across the total beverage spectrum, the results in volume, market share and profit have been less than desirable for the past three to five years at least. Many factors have affected increases and decreases; however, the cost of producing a case of sellable beverages for the market begs a major question: what is the total production cost for each case?
Tetra Pak teams up with Microsoft on new digital innovations
June 16, 2017
In partnership with Steel King, Wisconsin Lift Truck developed a new hand cart that enables the transport of products to retail stores, while also doubling as a display to minimize heavy lifting and ensure the easy, safe transportation of bottles, cans and cases to the retail floor, the company says. Construction involved directly bolting a steel 48-inch-square five-shelve wire rack unit to a pallet.
The capacity of harnessing the energy potential of water has eluded many scientists. When the bonds of oxygen and hydrogen are broken through electrolysis, it creates unstable gases. Simply put, oxygen and hydrogen will not bind without a reaction that converts back to liquid water.
In its recent “What’s Next in eCommerce” webinar, Nielsen’s Jordan Rost, vice president of consumer insights, predicts growth avenues for consumer packaged goods (CPG) within eCommerce. Among these, it’s clear that technological innovations are playing a key role. Rost highlighted three new technologies that are contributing to the potential of consumables within eCommerce.
Employers have an obligation to do whatever is possible to safeguard the health and safety of their workers. To enhance performance while maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, employers must strive to reduce work related injuries and illnesses by creating a structure and framework for identifying potential risks and then problem solving.
With operations and affiliates that span 16 North American markets, Breakthru Beverage Group knows the importance of supplying its customers, and ultimately consumers, with a balanced portfolio of wine, spirits and beer brands.
Since homebrewing became federally legal in 1979, the number of people brewing beer at home has climbed to more than 1.2 million in the United States alone, according to the Boulder, Colo.-based American Homebrewers Association (AHA).
Ten years ago, Founders Brewing Co. moved to Grand Rapids, Mich. Since then, the now 20-year-old company has overtaken a full city block with its Grandville brewery and taproom. Outgrowing its space and with no room to expand at the location, last year Founders decided to expand beyond its main brewery to its own satellite facility on Hynes Street.