Nestlé has a strong and growing business in coffee mixes worldwide. This business is especially strong in the Asia Pacific region, and is expected to continue to grow over the coming years. In response to this growing demand for coffee mixes, Nestlé has created a new hub for innovation in beverages in Singapore to serve the Asia Pacific Region. This new regional hub, which is a team of technical specialists, will be located at the company’s R&D Centre in Singapore. It will extend Nestlé’s... ...Read more »

The 2010 Nielsen Convenience and Impulse Report suggests a ’softened’ convenience and impulse market, with a modest sales growth of 3.3%, and sales down by 0.5% from the quarter to the same period last year. “While the usual suspects including carbonated beverages, ice cream, snack foods, cigarettes, cereals and nutritious snacks continued to perform well, the growth for these categories were off-set by major declines in communications, magazines/newspapers and fruit juices and... ...Read more »

Pressure from consumers and authorities for healthier soft drinks dominated a meeting of the key movers and shakers in the UK soft drinks industry late last week. Executives from the likes of Pepsi UK and Ireland, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) and Silver Spring Soft Drinks attended the 2010 UK Soft Drinks Industry Conference, organised by Zenith International. Victoria Milne, senior analyst for Zenith, forecast that the industry should expect a boost in consumption in the country in 2012, when the... ...Read more »

SABMiller’s Head of Sustainable Development, Andy Wales, last week emphasised the need for ‘water-smart’ business practices in the beverage industry. Writing in the UK’s Guardian newspaper, Wales warns beverage companies that ‘quick-wins’ like water-usage labelling are not enough, and that direct measures - such as accurate water supply analysis - are required “We’re already working on industry-leading targets to reduce our direct impact, like reducing... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola has installed 35 new climate-friendly vending machines at the US Government’s Capitol buildings in Washington, D.C., home of the US House of Representatives. The new HFC-free (hydro-fluorocarbon free) cooling technology has around 1430 times less impact on global warming than a standard vending machine, and will reduce indirect greenhouse gas emissions by over five tons during the lifetime of the machine. The switch is part of the Green the Capitol program, finding new ways to reduce... ...Read more »

Global use of functional ingredients in beverages grew by 3% in 2008, taking consumption to 26.5 billion litres with a retail value of €64 billion, according to the new Global Functional Ingredients report from leading drinks consultancy Zenith International.”Increasing health consciousness, obesity concerns and lifestyle choices along with an ageing population have been the main market drivers,” commented Zenith Market Intelligence Consultant and functionaldrinks Editor Jenny Foulds.... ...Read more »

The biggest growth in coffee is coming from out-of-home consumption with more and more consumers adopting the idea of café culture, reports Datamonitor in their report “Hot drinks in Australia to 2013″. According to the report, sales of hot drink products in Australia surpassed A$1350m in the year 2008 and is expected to be worth A$1473m in 2013, with the coffee category accounting for the largest share followed by tea. In the tea category, consumers are showing increasing interest towards... ...Read more »

Despite posting record earnings, with a net income increase of 16%, up to $449 million, Australian company Coca-Cola Amatil’s share price dropped today.  Stock market experts described Coca-Cola Amatil’s results as ’solid’, but not good enough to justify its share price. Developing markets Indonesia and Papua New Guinea posted revenue growth of almost 22%, and the Food & Services Division (including SPC Aardmona) reported earnings growth of over 20%. Strong performance... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola’s fourth quarter results, published yesterday, show a net income of US$731 million for 2009, and a comparable net income of US$788 million. While sales in North America fell 5% and prices rose, the company showed impressive growth in the new markets of China (up 29%) and India (up 20%).  Developing markets also grew, Brazil by 8% and Mexico by 4%, and the European markets remained strong, with France growing 12% and Germany 3%.  Company shares increased by 66 cents in the quarter... ...Read more »

The beverage packaging industry is experiencing a period of increasing innovation in design, materials and efficiency intended to meet cost and environmental concerns while enticing splintering consumer groups, according to new market research*. “Single-serve containers are particularly strong market drivers. Consumers are seeking ‘grab and go’ convenience at retail, and they’re increasingly looking to packaging for portion control - even with beverages,” notes Charles... ...Read more »