Upgrade to BevNET & Nosh Insider, our all-in-one membership for exclusive insights, data reports, on-demand CPG video courses, the full Daily Briefing and Insider-only content.

Explore Insider Member Benefits

Insiders also gain access to the Newsletter Archive, including all previous Insider-only editions.

Allulose is a form of sugar. It is naturally found in ingredients like maple syrup, figs and wheat – and that’s the FDA’s official stance.

That’s turning into a problem for CPG brands who have been putting zero sugar callouts on products that contain the sweetener.

Liquid Death is just one of several brands who found themselves on the receiving end of proposed class action lawsuits this week. Two different cases have taken aim at the brand’s Sparkling Energy Drink line and its front-of-can “0g sugar” claim.

• A case in California and another in New York are calling for jury trials over Liquid Death’s use of allulose and “false advertising” around sugar content.

But the heavy metal beverage brand isn’t alone.

• WK Kellogg was sued this week over no sugar claims despite allulose being present in its Special K cereal line.

• David Protein’s flagship Gold bar line was also targeted for containing the sweetener and a subsequent zero sugar claim.

Could we see more lawsuits? It’s possible. A recent Seventh Circuit court opinion in a similar case against Chobani provided legal ammo to classify allulose as a sugar when it argued that allulose should be included under “total sugars.” 

Though the case is still pending, that opinion could expose plenty more CPG brands to litigation since until now, allulose was well entrenched in the alt-sweetener set where zero sugar claims are commonplace.

Read the full story and analysis on BevNET.

Consumer interest in coffee and tea continues to expand, but the underlying drivers of that growth are becoming increasingly diverse.

Spate’s latest analysis finds coffee popularity up 18.8% year over year and tea up 8.3%, with growth extending well beyond traditional category staples. Emerging formats, functional attributes, global influences, and evolving flavor preferences are creating new sources of momentum, while established beverages are being reinterpreted to meet changing consumer expectations.

Access the full report with your Insider subscription.

Peter Rahal’s David Protein has entered the beverage category with gold-labeled ready-to-drink, ultra-filtered protein shakes. Read the story.

Bones Coffee Company has named former Celsius president and CEO Gerry David to its board of directors. Read the story.

One of the Southeast’s largest beer distributors, Gulf Distributing Holdings, is investing in its spirits division, pairing a newly created leadership role with its latest infrastructure investment. Read the story.

We've compiled more than 1,000 new product, flavor, function, and retailer-specific exclusive launches from this year in a centralized, interactive and detail-rich hub. Check it out here.

What you get with Insider: 

• In-depth reporting on BevNET.com and Nosh.com, not just the highlights
• Curated daily newsletters that cut through the noise 
• Data reports that allow you to benchmark, strategize and lead 
• Insider-only discounts on BevNET Live, Nosh Live, and job board postings

You don’t have access to these perks yet, but you could. Become a BevNET & Nosh Insider.

This is one way to celebrate. The dairy brand has created a limited time wellness destination at Rainbow Valley Farm in Maine where consumers can experience a “farm-inspired day of self-care” in celebration of National Organic Month. 

There’s cow cuddle sessions, green graze juices and aromatherapy massages, which utilize peppermint essential oils… which apparently the Stonyfield cows enjoy too. 

Nothing like the smell of cow shit peppermint to cure the soul.

In a complex market, consider these three stories on NA retail performance, BevAlc premiumization and the growth of THC drinks to help you grow...

🔢 The latest non-alc Nielsen numbers are in. While the category remained “healthy,” softer pricing action resulted in mild sales growth deceleration through early August. Read the full report.

🍸 Premiumization looks a lot different in BevAlc with RTDs as the shining star. The format is undercutting old assumptions about what ‘trading up’ means to consumers. Check out the full scoop.

🪴 Thirsty for THC? The market has been ablaze this week with two new launches from Chicago Ad agency Quality Meats Creative as well as rapper Wiz Khalifa. Read all about it.

Most founders think getting a distributor is the hard part. Scott Rosenbaum, co-host of the Business of Drinks podcast, has spent 20 years in beverage alcohol distribution and knows landing one is just the beginning. 

In this episode, he mentors Daeyna Grant, a first-time founder building Gold Crush, an RTD rum-based cocktail, one bar and liquor store at a time. Together, they break down what it actually takes to land the right distributor — and how to make the relationship work once you do.

Listen now.

Also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.