Jordan is the second country after Germany to ban Red Bull Cola. The Food and Drug Administration in Jordan (JFDA) has suspended the import of Red Bull Cola and ordered the withdrawal of all products from the market. Mohammed Rawashdeh, Director of JFDA said this decision follows after food authorities in Germany found trace amounts of cocaine in the product, causing six states to ban the product from their shelves. “Whenever we receive reports from any country regarding the withdrawal of a... ...Read more »

Food authorities in Germany have discovered trace amounts of cocaine in Red Bull Cola, leading to a ban by six states in the European country. The drink, which is 100% natural, contains kola nut and coca leaf – the same botanical ingredient used to make cocaine. The company said that similar extracts from coca leaf are used in other foods for flavouring worldwide; and, as the addictives are removed beforehand, the drink – available in seven European countries and the US - has no health... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil’s Mother is now challenging V for top spot in the energy drink sector as Australia’s leading soft drink producer finally uses its distribution networks to capture a valuable slice of the market. After a failed launch over two years ago, the ‘new’ Mother was introduced with great success last July and, in the six months to March, shared the leading position in the grocery channel with V – each claiming a 30.1% share of the market. While taking off in... ...Read more »

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that exposure to taurine and d-glucuronolactone through regular consumption of energy drinks was not of safety concern. The research was conducted in response to a request from the European Commission, EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS). The evaluation follows a risk assessment on these two substances carried out by the EU’s former Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) in 2003. The ANS Panel considered... ...Read more »

The global energy drink market countered fears over the economic conditions to register an approximate 15% increase in 2008. Leading beverage agency, Canadean, reports that growth has come from across the globe and ranges from 2% in Asia to 34% in East Europe, taking the energy drink category to more than 5 billion litres. The category has enjoyed a prolonged period of spectacular growth and has trebled in size since 2001. Canadean expect that by 2011 each global consumer will drink, on average,... ...Read more »

Red Devil, a premium energy drink amongst the top three in the energy category in the US and a number of European countries, is set to launch in Australia and New Zealand before the end of the year. The first shipment will go on sale in the ACT and WA later this month and will add another competitor to the increasingly lucrative sector. The Frucor-owned ‘V’ remains the market leader in Australia from Red Bull, with Coca-Cola Amatil finally starting to make inroads thanks to the relaunch... ...Read more »

Cadbury has announced a review of their beverage operations here in Australia, upon reporting strong first half growth in 2008. The news has sparked speculation that a sale of their Australian beverage business could be in the offing. Following the demerger of Cadbury Schweppes in the US, Australia is the only remaining country where Cadbury has a combined beverage and confectionery business. As such, it has been anticipated that they would strongly consider separating the two sectors of their Australian... ...Read more »

The five year association between Schweppes and Red Bull GmbH is about to come to an end. In July 2003 Red Bull Australia and Schweppes formed a distribution alliance, with Schweppes to assist with sales, distribution and merchandising of the popular energy drink. In most countries Red Bull takes sole responsibility for distribution, but the association with Schweppes was made due to the strength of their network in Australia and the resulting ability to increase sales of the product. The... ...Read more »

France has ended a twelve year ban on the sale of the Red Bull energy drink in its original formula. Until now, the Austrian company was required to sell the drink in France without Taurine, one of the key ingredients. The EU forced the French Government’s hand, claiming that, in the absence of any conclusive evidence that the drink is harmful, it should be allowed to be sold. Any product made or sold in the EU cannot be banned unless there is reputable evidence of a health risk. The French... ...Read more »

The energy drink market has become increasingly competitive, as beverage companies seek to capitalise on the desire for consumers to find an energy boost during their day. The global energy drink industry, which has been one of the top performing beverage sectors over the past decade, is still dominated by Red Bull despite several attempts by beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola to take a chunk out of their market share. In Australia and New Zealand ‘V’, owned by Frucor Beverages,... ...Read more »