Law suits, a does-it-all tap, and a soda-tax that stands tall

🦃 🙏🏻 Respecting Thanksgiving and most of my readers traveling these days… Juice News will return after the weekend!

For me a good moment to share my gratitude for this wonderful group of readers. I appreciate each one of you and look forward to many more years of sharing in this joint interest and passion.

Happy Thanksgiving!

🧃 Juice News

Britvic launches the world’s first fully integrated tap system, serving chilled still, sparkling, boiling, flavoured and functional water

Speaking about the launch, Noel Dickson, Managing Director for Aqua Libra commented “Proving a full-service hydration wellbeing offer to office workers can be a headache. There are kettles that need to be descaled regularly, fridges that need to be stocked and re-stocked, and recycling management. Then there’s the cost of running all of this.

“For the first time ever, managers can now offer all of this through the Flavour Tap Nano, which brings a full wellbeing offer to micro kitchens without the usual operational complexity. The Flavour Tap Nano is a straightforward upgrade that exceeds employee expectations without additional cost or waste”.

Measure Z, Santa Cruz's mold-breaking soda tax, will pass despite expensive attack from beverage industry

Santa Cruz’s Measure Z, the first soda tax passed in the U.S. since 2018, delivers a rebuke to the beverage industry’s $1.7 million opposition campaign. With legal battles looming, the measure’s success could signal a turning point in using such taxes as a tactic for public health advocacy.

Akums partners with Jagdale for RTD nutritional beverages in aseptic cartons

India's Ready-to-Drink market is witnessing a significant surge as consumers increasingly prioritize health, convenience, and quality. With this partnership, Akums and Jagdale will deliver products that seamlessly integrate health benefits with superior Aseptic packaging technology,” said Sanjeev Jain, Managing Director of Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd. “Aseptic packing solutions ensure the highest standards of safety, shelf stability, and nutrient retention, meeting the evolving needs of modern consumers.”

Logan Paul’s Prime Countersues Messi’s Drink

Prime Hydration shot back with a countersuit Wednesday, which detailed how the drink makers intentionally designed a bottle that wouldn’t look like Gatorade, Powerade, Body Armor, or Vitamin Water. The lawsuit also included examples of fans calling Messi’s product similar to Logan Paul’s. Prime Hydration claims that Más+ by Messi bottles appear to come from the same manufacturer, and they use the same colors, design, matching caps, and even copied its slogan with “Replenish Refresh Revive.” Prime Hydration’s line is “Refresh, Replenish, Refuel.”

BE WTR accelerates global expansion, to launch flavour-enhancing ‘activated water’

BE WTR has spent the past four years developing AQTiV+, an upgraded version of its filtered water that is “activated” via electromagnetic resonance.

Inspired by the process of water flowing down rocks in nature, which is said to have an effect on its taste, the patented resonator technology “invigorates” water molecules, creating a silkier texture and fresher taste.

In addition, the firm claimed that AQTiV+ water “opens the palate and amplifies the flavour sensation of foods and drinks tenfold”.

5-Hour Energy sued by rival drink-maker over market dominance

The defendants control 90% or more of the market, Vitamin Energy said in its lawsuit.

Vitamin Energy said it negotiated a key placement deal with Pilot, but 5-Hour Energy induced the gas and convenience store chain to “place the Vitamin Energy shots in a secondary more obscure location.”

Casey’s, the country’s third largest convenience store chain, relegated the company’s energy drink to a health and beauty section, while 5-Hour Energy was displayed on primary counters, the lawsuit said.

🍊 Citrus News

Juice Maturity Standards Eased; Varieties Approved for Licensing

At the request of Florida processor and grower associations, the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) eased 2024–25 season maturity standards for Florida oranges and grapefruit going into juice.

Under the changes, until May 23, 2025, all processed oranges must have a Brix value of no less than 7.0 and there shall be no minimum ratio of total soluble solids to anhydrous citric acid.

From Nov. 21 through Nov. 30, 2024, processed grapefruit must have a Brix value of no less than 7.0 and a minimum ratio of total soluble solids to anhydrous citrus acid of 7.0.

Reddit r/wallstreetbets: Orange Juice Crisis

OJ is not a need. It is also has many substitutes. Consumers have a variety of juices to choose from in the supermarket. If OJ is too expensive, they can easily buy apple or grapefruit juice. Moreover, retail juice makers (e.g., coca-cola) are looking to use alternative fruits like mandarins to produce their orange juice.

Therefore, in the long-term, even in the unlikely scenario where the citrus supply shock never recovers, high prices for OJ will drive demand down, ultimately leading to a lower price. High price is the cure for high prices for goods that have clear substitutes and are not Veblen.

IMG Citrus Moving Forward With More CUPS

A Nov. 22 Lake County farm tour, hosted by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension, included a visit to the 13-acre citrus under protective screen (CUPS) site owned by IMG Citrus. Located in Groveland, the facility consists of Ruby Red grapefruit on Swingle rootstock planted in May 2022.

California Citrus Mutual Endorses Congressman Jim Costa for Ranking Member of House Agriculture Committee

Under Congressman Costa’s guidance, significant progress has been made in combating citrus greening, expanding trade opportunities, securing vital crop protection resources, and promoting essential research initiatives. His commitment to these issues reflects a genuine dedication to the sustainability and success of California agriculture.

🔬 Research Worth Reading

Construction and analysis of telomere-to-telomere genomes for 2 sweet oranges: Longhuihong and Newhall (Citrus sinensis)

The study de novo assembled 2 T2T reference genomes of sweet orange varieties exhibiting different levels of cold tolerance. These genomes serve as valuable foundational resources for genomic research and molecular breeding aimed at enhancing cold tolerance in sweet oranges. Additionally, they expand the existing repository of reference genomes and sequencing data resources for C. sinensis. Moreover, these genomes provide a critical data foundation for comparative genomics analyses across different plant species.

Innovative edible films for food preservation: combining pectin and flavonoids from citrus peels with soy protein isolates

These findings suggest that the novel edible films based on the formulation of SPI, CP, and CF hold significant potential as versatile active packaging materials for preserving both fruit and meat products.

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