CANADA     Since launching four years ago in London, Ontario, Pulp and Press has grown rapidly from the small start-up founded by John Parlow and Christian Vemb. They launched back in 2013 producing raw, organic, cold-pressed juices from a variety of fruits and vegetables including apple, lemon, beets, fennel, pineapple, grapefruit, cucumber, kale and ginger, in 11 different combinations

Pulp and Press juice is sold by about 500 retailers in Ontario, Quebec and British Colombia, including major chains such as Metro, Loblaw and Farm Boy with retailer Costco now stocking Pulp and Press products in Toronto-area stores where stocks of one-litre bottles sold out soon after hitting the shelves. Sales have now grown to 12,000 to 15,000 bottles a week and to keep up with demand and in order to prolong the shelf life of the products as the distribution network grows, Pulp and Press contracted out its production to a processor in Saint-Hyacinthe, east of Montreal. The plant uses high pressure processing which uses extreme pressure to prolong shelf life without the heat used in pateurisation that can degrade the nutrients in the juice.

Source: LFP, Ontario

USA.  On moving to the U.S from the Dominican Republic to attend college, Luis Solis was shocked at the lack of decent tropical juices available. His mother brought him fruit pulp in frozen gallon bags when she came to visit him in the U.S just so he could drink the juice that tasted like home while he was studying. Ten years on Solis, the founder and CEO of Caribé Juice, is sure others will love the juice as much as he does. The company, which he founded in Charlottesville two years ago is already distributing to 160 stores and expects to add another 150 by the end of the summer. Solis aims to raise $1 million for marketing the product as it begins expanding to new markets. He has just secured a USD2 million investment from Dominican investors to open a juice processing and co-packing facility in that country, which will dramatically increase Caribé’s capacity — and allow distribution to Solis’ home country for the first time. One of Caribé’s aims is to help small Dominican farmers grow their businesses and get out of poverty. Solis sees the new facility as another economic opportunity for people in his country.

Source: Washington Business Journal

UK    Marketed as healthier alternatives to sugary soft/sports drinks with similar functional and hydration benefits as coconut water, both are 100% natural, not from concentrate and with no sugar added.

Ashil Vaghela, creator and co-founder of Water Works commented: “We are excited to be joining the growing Natural Hydration sector and decided to start with Watermelon Water and Prickly Pear Cactus thanks to the agreeable flavour profiles and functional benefits that these super-fruits offer. Having a range that extends beyond just the one ingredient is important to us as it helps create that billboard effect on shelf. It also gives us access to several markets and most importantly, helps us remain relevant should trends/tastes change. We plan to follow up with exciting NPD soon.

Our goal for the rest of 2017 is to raise our profile and secure an important retail listing in the UK. Thanks to the category building efforts that have been made by our friends over at whatamelon and True Nopal, we are confident that buyers will soon be amenable to the idea of listing us alongside our competitors, especially given the steps we have taken to differentiate our products from theirs.”

Source: Food and Drink Innovation Network

GHANA   A Mango Fruit Factory being built at Mentukwa in the Offinso North District to give jobs to the people and boost the local economy is nearing completion reports the Ghana News Agency. It is a joint venture between the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), the community, the mango farmer’s association and Knights Group, an NGO. The factory will be processing mangoes into fruit juice, syrup and other products. Professor Richard Akromah, Provost of the University’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said a team of engineers from the Czech Republic would be arriving in the country this month to install and test run the production plant.