PepsiCo has filed a lawsuit against major competitor The Coca-Cola Company, alleging false advertising that unfairly tarnishes their Gatorade brand. The owners of the world’s largest selling sports drink have taking umbrage with a campaign in the US, which implies that Coca Cola’s Powerade ION4 is the more “complete” sports beverage because it has magnesium and calcium. The campaign has showcased photos of Gatorade bottles cut in half beneath slogans such as “Don’t... ...Read more »

The China Ministry of Commerce (MOC) has declined approval for the proposed purchase of the leading juice maker Huiyuan by The Coca-Cola Company, who has since reported that it will not be able to proceed with the acquisition.”We are disappointed, but we also respect the MOC’s decision,” said Muhtar Kent, President and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. “We put a tremendous effort into providing all the relevant materials to the MOC to ensure that they had all the information available... ...Read more »

One of the world’s most attractive tourist destinations has entered into a €2.1 million (A$4.15m) Euro deal with The Coca-Cola Company, which will see the beverage giant install around sixty vending machines in the city, according to an Italian report.”In exchange for 2.1 million Euros over five years, the drinks giant is getting ready to invade the city,” the daily La Stampa newspaper claimed. It was suggested that Coke vending machines would even be seen in the iconic St Mark’s... ...Read more »

The Coca-Cola Company overnight reported that they had again exceeded growth targets, with unit case volume growth of 4 per cent in the fourth quarter and 5 per cent for the full year propelling them to a yearly profit of US$5.8 billion. The profit was, however, down 3 per cent on last year’s figures due to the impact of one-time charges. Sparkling beverages increased unit case volume 2 percent in both the quarter and full year, the Company noted. While stalwarts Coca-Cola, Fanta and Sprite... ...Read more »

Coca-Cola Amatil’s major shareholder, The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC), has sent a letter to Kirin – the major shareholder of Lion Nathan – advising that they would no longer discuss the prospect of a takeover. Lion Nathan has since withdrawn the $7.6b offer made in November, which Coca-Cola Amatil never warmed to. “CCA has today received a copy of a letter sent by TCCC to Kirin. That letter advises that TCCC has terminated discussions with Kirin involving any acquisition of CCA... ...Read more »

The Coca-Cola Company has been served notice of a class action lawsuit from an American consumer group and a San Fransisco customer amid accusations of “deceptive and unsubstantiated claims” on its glaceau vitaminwater line of beverages. The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) argues that The Coca-Cola Company “makes a wide range of dramatic claims, including that its drinks variously reduce the risk of chronic disease, reduce the risk of eye disease, promote healthy... ...Read more »

The Coca-Cola Company and United Resource Recovery Corporation (URRC) have launched the world’s largest plastic bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in the US state of South Carolina. Coca-Cola said the new plant would be a key in their quest to recycle and reuse 100 per cent of their cans and bottles in America. When fully operational, the plant will produce approximately 100 million pounds of food-grade recycled PET plastic each year – the equivalent of nearly two billion 20-ounce Coca-Cola... ...Read more »

Cadbury will sell their Schweppes Beverages business in Australia for approximately A$1.185b to Japanese-brewer Asahi. The deal is pending regulatory approval and subject to a right of negotiation granted to The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC) in 1999. Under this provision, TCCC has the right until March 2009 to negotiate with Cadbury regarding a potential acquisition of the Schweppes Australia business. TCCC was granted the provision after a takeover bid for Schweppes almost a decade ago failed to... ...Read more »

Rumours are swirling that The Coca-Cola Company could this week release their first soft drink with stevia – the all natural sweetener that has been dubbed by some as the “holy grail” of sweeteners. Coca-Cola has declined to comment on a report that from the Wall Street Journal indicating a launch was imminent. Both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, the world’s largest soft drink makers, have stevia drinks ready to roll-out, but the news of Coca-Cola’s potential launch is notable... ...Read more »

Global consumption of sports drinks increased 5.9 per cent to 11,582 million litres in 2007, according to the new Global Sports Drinks report from food and drink consultancy Zenith International. North America retained their position as the largest sports drinks market, with a 48% volume share. Yet it was emerging regions, particularly East Europe and the Middle East, that experienced the most impressive growth rates.”In well developed markets, momentum has been driven by consumer interest... ...Read more »