Brazilian OJ Threatened by Tariffs

I’m still a bit reluctant about certain trends and the products they bring. It feels like - unintentionally - getting into micro-dosing. Have you tried these new categories yet?

Juice News 🧃

Sēkwl's Bubbly Beverages are Boosted by Functional Mushrooms

As the industry of functional beverages and prebiotic sodas expands by the week, Sēkwl Beverage House enters the market with a bold vision: to redefine refreshment through plant and fungi-based ingredients that promote balance, focus, and recovery.

"The world doesn't need another sugary soda or pseudo-health drink," said Eaton. "We created Sēkwl with a clear mission: to craft drinks that not only taste amazing but actually do something for you. With functional mushrooms, organic botanicals, and real benefits in every sip, Sēkwl is hydration, reimagined."

Coca-Cola India Bottler Stake Sale To Jubilant Beverages Gets CCI Nod

Fair trade regulator CCI on Thursday cleared Jubilant Beverages' proposal to acquire a 40% stake in Hindustan Coca-Cola Holdings Pvt. Ltd. "The proposed combination relates to inter alia, Jubilant Beverages Ltd. proposed acquisition of 40% of the shareholding of HCCH from Hindustan Coca-Cola Overseas Holdings Pte. Ltd., and Bharat CocaCola Overseas Holdings Pte. Ltd.," the Competition Commission of India said in a release.

How are RTDs using innovation to drive category expansion?

While the RTD category has historically been a hotbed of flavour innovation, the tried and tested continues to spearhead new product introductions around the world, with lemon – and, to a lesser extent, lime – to the fore.

Across the top 10 markets, lemon accounted for more than 8% of new RTD product launches in 2024, up slightly on 2021, with the relatively low percentage indicating the fragmented nature of the RTD flavours space. Lemon or lemonade flavour innovations were especially strong in China, Germany, Japan, Brazil, Canada and Australia during 2024.

Local distilleries thrive amid rise of nonalcoholic beverages

The “mocktail” trend, popularized by the millennial generation, has made its way to Southwest Florida. And although local alcohol sales seem to be bucking the national and statewide trends of heading downward, there are signs that these new nonalcoholic beverage trends haven’t just arrived; they’re here to stay.

McDonald's to Test CosMc's Beverages in Existing Restaurants

When McDonald’s debuted its beverage spin-off CosMc’s in December 2023 to lines four hours deep, it always felt like a larger play could be at work. There wasn’t a ton of mystery for why McDonald’s made a drinks-focused move—the specialty beverage category was tagged a $100 billion opportunity, and one cracked open in recent years by cold innovation. And just from a demographic tilt, per Circana, Gen Z made nearly 5 billion restaurant visits in the 12 months ending July 2022. About 4.3 billion of those went to quick service. The group hasn’t exactly lost spending power since.

Citrus News 🍊

10% Tariff Threatens Brazilian Orange Juice Exports to the U.S.

The average U.S. consumer drinking about 9 liters per year — compared to just 0.4 liters in Brazil. Remarkably, over half (53%) of that juice comes from Brazilian oranges, mostly grown in São Paulo and Minas Gerais, regardless of the brand name on the carton.

However, that dominance is now threatened by a 10% U.S. import tariff, which disadvantages Brazilian exports against Mexican competitors, who enjoy zero tariffs under the USMCA trade agreement. In contrast, Brazil’s juice is subject to the standard MFN (Most Favored Nation) rate unless changes occur.

Morocco boosts mandarin exports in MY 2024/25

Morocco’s mandarin exports, which have been declining since 2022, are experiencing a strong recovery, according to EastFruit. Data from Morocco’s Office des Changes indicates that from July 2024 to February 2025, Morocco exported 436,000 tons of mandarins valued at $369 million. This represents a 13.3% increase compared to the same period in MY 2022/23 and an 11.3% rise over the entire MY 2023/24.

India Opens Market to Brazilian Lemons, Oranges, and Tangerines

India, currently the 10th largest destination for Brazilian agricultural exports, has already imported products such as soybeans and sugar, totaling over USD 3 billion in the past year. Including citrus fruits is expected to further diversify Brazil’s export portfolio, especially with higher value-added goods.

Research Worth Reading 🔬

What about 100% juice and non-sugar sweeteners? A national study of support for taxes, labelling and marketing bans applied to sugary drinks, non-sugar sweetened beverages and 100% juice in Australia

Support was highest for sugar-sweetened beverage policies, followed by non-sugar-sweetened beverages, and lowest for juice. Across all beverages, support was highest for labelling (83%, 82%, 71%, respectively), followed by marketing bans (73%, 60%, 25%), and taxes (56%, 39%, 14%). Support was typically lower among younger, less educated, most socioeconomically disadvantaged and regular consumers.

Results indicate high receptiveness among the Australian community for beverage policies, especially warning labels, with lower receptiveness towards some policies targeting juice.

Spinach antimicrobial peptides show promise against crop diseases in citrus and potatoes

The researchers delivered the peptides to commercial citrus trees using a benign virus developed by University of Florida researchers, who collaborated on the study. The virus naturally infects the trees in the same location where the disease-causing bacteria reside. Using a simple grafting procedure, the researchers were able to apply the virus and allow it to deliver the peptides targeting the bacteria largely on its own.

Over a few years, the research team monitored how citrus trees infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus, the bacterium responsible for citrus greening, responded to treatment with specific antimicrobial peptides. They saw promising results, including up to 50% increases in fruit yield compared to untreated trees after only a single application.

Circular bioeconomy approach for the recovery of polyphenols and dietary fibres from orange pomace waste

By integrating green chemistry, waste valorization, and circular bioeconomy principles, this study advances sustainable industrial practices, promoting better resource utilization and environmental pollution mitigation, in alignment with global sustainability goals.