HLB spread increase in Brazil: Fundecitrus annual survey shows

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Even the classification "energy drink" is evolving. Market analysts are now calling this expanded product category "functional beverages" to include the growing number of products that contain not just caffeine, but ingredients you might otherwise take in supplement form: ginger root (in Celsius) apple cider vinegar (Poppi), electrolytes, amino acids (both in Zoa). And it's a big market. From March 2020 to March 2024, sales of functional beverages amassed $9.9 billion on online sales alone, according to NielsenIQ.

Jack Espy sees all this and wonders if he can't do better. Espy is the founder and CEO of Strive, a new line of functional beverages that, in his words, focus on "hydration, recovery, and energy," all by way of high-quality ingredients.

Drink mix brand Tang is releasing a new juice variant with zero sugar, instead filled with a natural sweetener, stevia.

The new Tang Fruit+ still has Vitamins C and D as well as Zinc, the only difference from original juice mix is it has no sugar.

The Supervisory Board of Symrise AG has appointed Walter Ribeiro to the Executive Board with effect from September 15, 2024. Ribeiro will take over the management of the Taste, Nutrition & Health (TN&H) segment, which was previously headed by CEO Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot. At the same time, Dr. Jörn Andreas steps down as a member of the Executive Board of Symrise AG as of September 30, 2024 to pursue his professional career outside Symrise. Until a successor is decided, Dr. Parisot will temporarily lead the Scent & Care (S&C) segment, for which Dr. Andreas was previously responsible.

T-Pain's broad influence and strong connection to diverse communities make him an ideal leader to bring Nappy Boy Dranks into the energy drink market. His multicultural appeal, paired with Farmhouse's resources and industry expertise, positions the brand for significant growth and the potential to become a leader in this competitive sector.

Of the 12 regions in the citrus belt, five have an incidence above 60%, two have an incidence between 40 and 50%, three have an incidence between 15 and 25% and only two have an incidence below 5%.

The initial 2024-25 California Navel orange forecast is 78.0 million cartons, up 2% from the previous year. These forecasts are based on the results of the 2024-25 Navel Orange Objective Measurement (O.M.) Survey, which was conducted from June 8 to August 25, 2024.

Estimated fruit set per tree, fruit diameter, trees per acre, bearing acreage, and oranges per box were used in the statistical models estimating production. This forecast includes production of conventional, organic, and specialty Navel oranges (including Cara Cara and Blood orange varieties).

Survey data indicated a fruit set per tree of 414, up 24% from the previous year. The average September 1 diameter was 2.063 inches, down 5% from last year. Bearing acreage is estimated at 110,000, which results in a forecasted yield of 709 cartons per acre.

While the proposed rule dies a slow death, Florida’s citrus industry is at risk of doing the same. Without changes to the Brix level, Florida will have to import greater volumes of foreign orange juice just to meet the domestic juice standards. The simple change by the FDA to Brix levels would alleviate that pressure and bolster Florida citrus.

Brazil’s drought is getting worse—parts of São Paulo have seen no rain for four months. Greening is out of control: in swathes of the state two-thirds of trees are infected. Bigger farmers can afford to protect groves by using nets or insecticides. For smaller ones the only fix is to root out potentially diseased trees. High prices mean many prefer to keep their groves in the ground, so infections persist.

In many fields damage has already been done, meaning this year’s harvest is doomed. The next few could be just as bad. New trees take four years to bear fruit; they too could be exposed to greening. Droughts could sap yields again. Planting in other regions may help, but suitable areas lack water access and are too far away from juice plants, which means that progress is very slow. Some farmers may opt to plant less risky crops than oranges, such as sugar cane.

The EU continues to intercept citrus fruit imports with quarantine pests or diseases. In August, it rejected 26 shipments in total, according to data compiled by La Unió.

La Unió urgently demands cold treatment for citrus from those countries that cannot guarantee the sanitary safety of their shipments, as it's the only way to stop the possible entry of a quarantine pest.