Coca-Cola Company this week announced its brand Sprite is moving from green to clear plastic bottles to increase the likelihood that the material is made into new beverage bottles.

In a related move “to support a circular economy for plastic packaging,” Coca-Cola revealed DASANI—its purified and mineral-enhanced water brand—was introducing bottles produced from 100% recycled PET plastic, excluding caps and labels.

In a July 27 statement, Coca-Cola announced it is rolling out 100% recycled plastic this summer for most of DASANI bottles, while the innovation encompasses all DASANI bottles in Canada. The move is expected to save more than 20 million pounds of new plastic, compared to 2019, and in 2023 alone, cut more than 25,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to Coca-Cola.

DASANI previously introduced 100% recycled plastic bottles in California, New York and Texas, which also included Coca-Cola trademark 20-oz. bottles.

“We saw how much the 100% recycled PET message truly resonates with our customers and consumers, particularly DASANI fans whose sustainability expectations are especially high,” Chris Vallette, senior vice president of technical innovation and stewardship with Coca-Cola North America, said in Coca-Cola’s statement.

Sprite transition

Meanwhile, Sprite is migrating all its plastic PET packaging to clear color from its signature green. The transition will begin Aug. 1, according to Coca-Cola.

“Although green PET is recyclable, the recycled material is more often converted into single-use items like clothing and carpeting that cannot be recycled into new PET bottles,” Coca-Cola explained in its statement. “During the sorting process, green and other colored PET is separated from clear material to avoid discoloring recycled food-grade packaging required to make new PET bottles.”

Sprite also is unveiling a new visual identity system displaying a refurbished logo and packaging design, and Sprite’s packaging graphics will maintain the brand’s green color and feature “Recycle Me” messaging, according to Coca-Cola.

Cola-Cola said its entire green plastic portfolio in North America—including packaging for Fresca, Mello Yello and Seagram’s —will migrate to clear PET in the coming months.

In other news this week, Coca-Cola reported its second-quarter results. Net revenues increased 12% to $11.3 billion, and organic revenues (non-GAAP) grew 16%, while EPS (earnings per share) declined 28% to $0.44.

In its earnings announcement, Coca-Cola mentioned “progressing on its strategy to develop a circular economy for packaging materials aimed at eliminating waste and reducing carbon emissions through the continual use of existing, valuable resources, including high-quality recycled PET.”

Coca-Cola’s sustainability work extends into Japan, where the company introduced a label-less bottle for the Coca-Cola brand in the online channel. In addition, Coca-Cola said it already uses 100% recycled PET bottles for 37 products under five brands sold in Japan.

 

 

Sodas, once the target of scorn for their excessive sugar content, have undergone substantial rebranding in recent years. CNN Business reported last year diet soda was disappearing from shelves. Companies have been rebranding no-calorie soft drinks—removing the term “diet” and replacing it with “zero sugar.”

This shift toward zero-sugar branding is accelerating due to recent FDA initiatives. A July 27, 2022 Forbes report stated changes to FDA label requirements have food and beverage manufacturers searching for new ways to brand their products. FDA updated Nutrition Facts label requirements in 2020, emphasizing calories through larger, bold font and revising serving sizes to more accurately represent the typical amount of product actually consumed. Soda serving sizes, notably, were changed from 8 ounces to 12 ounces, increasing the numbers for calories and sugar on the Nutrition Facts label.

Currently, Keurig Dr Pepper labels all its “diet” beverages “zero sugar” except for Dr Pepper, which currently retains the “diet” descriptor. Soft drink labeling has trended this direction for several years. PepsiCo rebranded Pepsi Max as “Pepsi Zero Sugar” in 2016 and, increasingly, continues to invest in zero-sugar offerings. When customers purchase full-sugar products, they purchase smaller sizes than before, according to PepsiCo CEO Ramon Laguarta. Zero-sugar beverage sales are growing three times as fast as full sugar sodas, Laguarta said, reflecting the larger trend of consumers seeking out products with reduced sugar.

According to a transcription of Coca-Cola's second quarter 2022 conference call, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar continues to grow across all territories and markets. The company recently rolled out a new product in this zero-sugar line: a limited-edition collaboration with electronic musician and producer Marshmello that combines Coca-Cola with strawberry and watermelon flavors.

Musical collaborations like these have become a feature of Coca-Cola's recent promotional efforts, and zero-sugar offerings are at the center of these promotions. An exclusive event in Dublin this June celebrated the launch of a new global music platform, Coke Studio. The evening included musical performances and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar-inspired cocktails. From grocery store shelves to red carpet events, Coca-Cola continues to emphasize its zero-sugar offerings.

Although the overall market for “diet” and “zero sugar” branded beverages is still smaller than regular soda, these zero-sugar offerings are experiencing faster growth than their full-sugar counterparts. “Diet” alternatives are up 19.5% since 2018, compared to 8.4% for regular soda, CNN reported.

The media giant also credited the younger generations for some of the market shake up, noting, “The word ‘diet’ has fallen out of fashion–especially for Millennials and Gen Z-ers.” Greg Lyons, PepsiCo Beverages North America chief marketing officer (CMO), concurred with this assessment. “Younger people just don't like the word ‘diet,’” he asserted. “No Gen Z wants to be on a diet these days.”

In a 2022 online survey of over 15,000 confection-buying consumers, conducted from June 12 to June 16, Shopkick identified several major trends; first and foremost, chocolate dominates the marketplace. Chocolate is the favorite candy category among the vast majority of consumers (90%). Additionally, consumers are brand-loyal and about half (47%) are purchasing $5-$10 worth of chocolate a few times a month from their grocery store.  

The chocolate market has not seen consumers shift away from in-person sales to online stores and food delivery services the way other CPG categories have trended. Grocery stores are the center of chocolate purchasing, with 93% of respondents identifying their local grocery as the source of their confection collection. Other than grocery stores, 69% purchase their candy at convenience stores and specialty candy stores. 

Although brand loyalty has experienced a general weakening in the U.S. marketplace, candy consumers show strong brand preferences, with 90% of respondents indicating strong preference for their preferred brand. Reese’s and M&M’s are tied at 57% for consumers’ favorite chocolate candy, followed by Hershey’s (48%) and Snickers and KitKat (47%). 

One-fifth of consumers buy candy weekly, and slightly more (22%) buy candy multiple times per week. Interestingly, 11% of consumers identified “spicy” candy as their most sought-after variety. 

In the non chocolate candy categories, the favorite sweet candy is Starburst (55%) followed closely by Skittles (53%). Consumers’ preferred sour candy is Sour Patch Kids (73%), their favorite minty candy is York Peppermint Patties (64%) and their favorite spicy candy is Hot Tamales (52%). 

A pandemic-related shift toward home consumption has occurred across many categories, and candy trends bear this out. The majority of consumers’ favorite place to enjoy their confectionery treats is from the comfort of their own home (89%). However, classic movie theater candy remains popular even following Covid-19 shifts in moviegoing habits: 34% of consumers enjoy their candy at the movie theater or drive-in. 

Meatable released images of its first “cultivated” meat product, pork sausage, which is expected to hit the market by 2025. 

Netherlands-based Meatable’s lab-grown pork sausage uses opti-ox technology, which, according to the company in a press release, uses a single cell sample to replicate the growth of muscle and fat in real meat. The cell sample is taken without harming the animal, the company said.  

The opti-ox technology was created by bit.bio, a company that started with the goal of engineering human cells that can be used in research. The founder and CEO of bit.bio, Mark Kotter, M.D., Ph.D., is also a co-founder and scientific advisor of Meatable. 

Meatable, which launched in 2018, has been working to apply the opti-ox technology to create lab-grown meats that emulate the real thing. In 2021, the company secured $47 million in funding to help make that vision a reality. Meatable also partnered with science nutrition company DSM in 2021 to develop growth media, a liquid that contains the nutrients cells need to grow.  

With the unveiling of its pork sausage, the company claims to have achieved that goal; its pork sausage offers the “same structure, texture, glossiness and pronounced pork flavor that customers know and love,” the released asserted. The company said it relies on a sensory panel and a team of food scientists and chefs to ensure the product yields the same sensory attributes of traditional meat.  

The cultivated meat product takes “only a few weeks to grow,” the company said. 

The cultivated pork sausage is intended for the United States and Europe, despite regulations that make the sale of cultivated meat illegal in Europe. Meatable said it’s working with regulators in the Netherlands to pass a motion that will enable controlled tastings of cultivated meat by year’s end.  

Enabling more people to taste the product “will ensure that people can experience that this isn’t just like meat, it is meat—100% delicious meat, identical on every level, but without any of the drawbacks,” Daan Luining, Meatable co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO), said in the release. “This is one step on our journey to creating the new natural meat and I’m looking forward to seeing how the product develops before we can bring it to consumers in the next few years.” 

Skittles continues to rank as one of America’s favorite non-chocolate candies–even as its parent company is under fire in a new lawsuit. While a 2021 Mashable poll found that many consumers (almost 22%) ranked Skittles first among all non-chocolate candies, it recently found itself in the hot seat regarding the ingredients used to create its bright, distinctive coloring. 

A class action suit alleges that Mars Inc. is using a dangerous toxin as a coloring agent in Skittles candy. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is listed as an active ingredient in Skittles sold in the U.S., although it has been removed from the candy’s recipe in several European nations and banned in several other countries, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit refers to the ingredient as a “known toxin” and “unfit for human consumption." 

The lawsuit filed on July 14 claims that TiO2 is used in paints, coatings, adhesives, plastics, printing inks and roofing materials, and that it “has demonstrated an ability to pass through biological membranes, circulate through the body and enter cells.” 

Per USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service report, the European Commission is banning titanium dioxide as a food additive in the EU), first by phasing the ingredient out from Feb. 7, 2022, to Aug. 7, 2022, after which a full ban will go into effect. The European regulators cited concerns that an accumulation of titanium dioxide particles in a person’s body could cause genotoxicity, the ability for a substance to damage DNA, which can potentially cause cancer. 

Mars has complied with European regulations in EU states, and TiO2 is not used as a coloring agent in those regions. The use of the coloring agent is not illegal in the U.S. FDA permits its use in most foods, as long as it is restricted to 1% of a food’s weight.  

Although the use of TiO2 is not illegal, the continued presence of the chemical in Skittles distributed in the U.S. goes against statements Mars made six years ago about its plans to shift away from artificial colorants. The Washington Post reported that, in 2016, Mars announced that it would phase out artificial coloring from its products over a five-year period. While this commitment did not initially name titanium dioxide, the Center for Food Safety reached out to Mars in October 2016 regarding this additive specifically. The nonprofit consumer advocacy organization received email correspondence from Mars indicating titanium dioxide was one of the ingredients the company would be removing by 2021. 

At the time in 2016, Jaydee Hanson, senior policy analyst for the Center for Food Safety, stated, “We are pleased to see that MARS has taken a positive step toward eliminating toxic, unnecessary nanomaterials from its line of food products. We urge the company to speed up the removal of these additives, especially given the grave health concerns associated with titanium dioxide and other nanoparticles.” 

However, Mars has not yet removed titanium dioxide from its American product. “While we do not comment on pending litigation, our use of titanium dioxide complies with FDA regulations,” a Mars spokeswoman said in a statement given to The Washington Post. 

The Skittles class action lawsuit states that the company violated California’s Unfair Competition Law, the Consumers Legal Remedies Act, the Implied Warranty under Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act and California’s False Advertising Law, as well as fraud, fraudulent omission or concealment and unjust enrichment.