Coca-Cola has taken 100% ownership of dairy brand Fairlife after acquiring the remaining stake from Select Milk Producers, its joint venture partner, for an undisclosed amount. "Our innovative product lines will continue to grow and improve with the strength and scale of The Coca-Cola Co.," said Fairlife CEO Tim Doelman.
Amid Danone's rollout of a spate of new yogurt products targeting changing consumer tastes, Danone North America President Pedro Silveira says he remains "very bullish" on the category. Danone became market leader in the North American yogurt category for the first time in 2019 with a 33% share, the company reports, and this year it will introduce more yogurt products that meet consumers' desire for lower sugar content, alternative sweeteners and plant-based options.
Dunkin' was No. 1 on Entrepreneur's list of the top 500 franchises, with Taco Bell and McDonald's in the top three. Food remained the largest category but did shrink slightly, and maintenance was the second largest.
Starbucks will open a pickup-only unit in the PATH pedestrian complex that runs underground in parts of downtown Toronto. The format is designed to quickly serve customers who order ahead via the mobile app, but customers who want to order on-site and use their reusable cups will be able to do so.
The fastest-growing category in the functional beverage market addresses brain health, followed by sleep-enhancement, said Caleb Bryant, associate director of food and drink reports at Mintel. Beverages that boost energy, mood and digestive health are also growing in demand, said Holly McHugh, marketing associate at Imbibe.
News that H.E. Butt Grocery ranked first among US grocery chains was this week's most-clicked food-and-beverage story. The launch of Cheetos popcorn in two flavors and Kraft's new corn-fiber chocolate sweetener also grabbed SmartBrief readers' attention this week.
PepsiCo is seeking virtual power purchase agreements and renewable energy certificates with wind and solar projects as it works to power all its US operations with renewables by the end of the year. The shift is expected to reduce PepsiCo's emissions 20% below 2015 levels.
The Senate's passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement on Thursday was met with praise from the dairy industry. "Today's resulting vote in the Senate showcases a strong bipartisan support for this modern trade agreement and ultimately strong support to get US dairy products to be exported to our neighbors to the north and south," FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative President John Rettler said.
