AGP Executive Report

Alcohol Policy: Wales raised its minimum unit price for beer, wine, cider and spirits by 30% to 65p, pushing the cheapest legal drinks higher and aiming to cut harmful drinking and deaths over the next two decades. Water & Health: A former Environment Canterbury chair says the region’s nitrate drinking-water “emergency” is being wound down too soon, arguing the issue hasn’t gone away for rural supplies. Industry Leadership: Keurig Dr Pepper named Russ Torres to lead its Global Coffee business as it prepares a 2027 split, while also reshaping leadership ahead of broader deals. Craft Beer & Community: Spokane’s No-Li Brewhouse highlights family-run craft brewing near Gonzaga, leaning into local roots and community culture. Wine Milestone: Shenandoah Vineyards marks 50 years since planting its first vines and celebrates new ownership as Virginia’s oldest Shenandoah Valley winery looks ahead. Market Watch: Vietnam’s F&B revenue grew 6.6% in H1 2026, but outlet growth kept average sales flat, signaling tougher competition. Food Safety & Regulation: A petition urges tighter rules on pesticide residues and pre-harvest desiccation practices, calling glyphosate-based drying of crops a serious health risk.

Non-Alcoholic Push: Molson Coors is rolling out more alcohol-free options, including nationwide Coors 0.0 and expanded Naked Life RTDs, plus a new Leinenkugel’s non-alc innovation—aimed at shifting “beyond beer” habits. Retail & Pricing Pressure: Australia’s new card-surcharge ban is set to raise prices for some businesses, with bar owners warning the cost will be passed on despite government claims of savings. Restaurant Delivery Shake-Up: Cork’s Crust Pizza is ditching Uber Eats after commission hikes, steering customers to its own ordering site to protect margins. Pub Survival Debate: In Ireland, Tipperary councillors are urging tax relief for rural pubs, arguing closures are accelerating social isolation. Food & Drink Innovation: New Zealand’s Boring launches “Boring Break” high-protein, high-fibre oat milks (6g protein, 2.3g fibre per 100ml) in chocolate and vanilla. Dairy Supply Shift: South Korea’s dairy committee will cut drinking raw-milk allocations by 26,000 tons while boosting processing use, reflecting changing demand. Hospitality Growth: UK venue operator Freight Island plans further UK/Ireland expansion after opening a Newcastle site with a 12-kitchen food market and live-fire restaurant.

PFAS Litigation: A Connecticut Water Co. judge tossed a proposed unfair trade practices claim, saying customers can’t sue on that theory because they’re already pursuing an exclusive product liability route over alleged forever-chemical contamination. Recycling Rules: Alberta’s Phase Two of its Extended Producer Responsibility program expands what residents can toss in blue bags starting Oct. 1, adding items like Styrofoam, glass, coffee pods, chip bags, and toothpaste tubes. Beverage & Food Industry Jobs: UK bakery giant Greggs says it will close four factories and cut about 740 jobs as it reshapes manufacturing, while continuing distribution operations. Dairy Value-Add: Bangladesh is exploring whey water from dairy processing to reduce waste and spur new products, including nutrient-rich beverages and whey protein. Packaging & Materials: California moves to add microplastics to its Candidate Chemicals List on Oct. 1, setting up a pathway for potential future regulation. Community Food Access: Dallas opens the MLK Wellness Center with healthy food and wellness services, highlighting how long permitting and infrastructure delays can stall projects in underinvested neighborhoods.

US-Canada Trade War Hits Drinks: The U.S. ban on nearly $1B of Canadian imports takes effect, including alcoholic beverages and dairy, escalating Trump’s second-term trade fight and raising new pressure for beverage supply chains. South Africa GBVF Crackdown: President Cyril Ramaphosa orders urgent action after 11 women’s bodies were found in Ekurhuleni since July, including a national case-recovery push, forensic backlog cuts, safer public-space audits, and tougher enforcement against alcohol-related violence. Food Labeling Shake-Up in California: Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a law enabling a “non-ultra-processed” seal on qualifying products, with grocery display requirements—another major test for how food and beverage makers handle reformulation and compliance. Packaging Spotlight at CibusTec: Amcor heads to Italy’s CibusTec 2026 to showcase future-ready food and drink packaging, closures, and PPWR-aligned formats. Climate Stress on Ingredients: A heatwave-driven supply disruption is forcing food manufacturers to rethink sourcing, inventories, and ingredient choices as harvests and downstream availability shift fast. UK Food Education Push: The British Nutrition Foundation calls for stronger food education in schools, urging producers to help build food literacy, safety skills, and workforce pathways.

US-Canada Trade War: The U.S. has started banning nearly $1B in Canadian imports, including booze, dairy byproducts and some motorcycles, as Trump escalates a tariff dispute; Canada’s trade minister Dominic LeBlanc rejects any idea of an apology deal. Functional Beverages & Claims: A new industry webinar spotlights how brands are tackling formulation and legal risk as “zero sugar/sugar-free” lawsuits target products using alternative sweeteners like allulose. Coffee Retail Reality Check: A consumer guide breaks down what to spend on a home coffee maker in 2026, from drip and pod to espresso and bean-to-cup options. Craft Beer Expansion: Young Henrys plans to relocate after nearly 15 years, taking over the former Mountain Goat brewpub site in late October with a new on-site kitchen. Airport Dining: Hamburg Airport is expanding public-area food and drink with a new Marché Mövenpick “Knotenpunkt” restaurant featuring coffee, hot dishes and tapped beer. Seafood Cold Chain: Lineage extends its long-term deal with BSF, continuing temperature-controlled warehousing and distribution for hundreds of seafood SKUs.

US-Canada Trade War Hits Alcohol: The U.S. began banning nearly $1B in Canadian imports early Tuesday, including alcoholic beverages and dairy whey, escalating a tariff fight that’s already reshaping cross-border booze supply chains. Regulatory Pressure on Drinks Labels: India’s Supreme Court questioned FSSAI’s slow, voluntary timeline for front-of-pack warning labels, while Red Bull’s lawsuit challenges India’s “energy drink” descriptor ban—both spotlighting how beverage marketing claims are getting tighter. Functional Beverage Formulation Watch: A new industry webinar zeroes in on 2026 risks around “zero sugar/sugar-free” claims and functional ingredient taste challenges, urging brands to get formulations and compliance right. Sustainability in Brewing & Beyond: Carlsberg Britvic is launching a 10-year Rivers Trust partnership to restore rivers and wetlands near its Rugby site. Global Retail & Brand Moves: Luckin Coffee hit 100 stores in Singapore as it expands overseas; GTGO rebranded to push from pizza into a multi-brand Korean food and beverage platform. Industry Events: China’s CBB 2026 brew & beverage processing show is set for Shanghai in October with 900+ exhibitors and 60,000 visitors expected.

Functional Beverages Watch: A new industry webinar flags rising scrutiny over “zero sugar” and “sugar-free” claims, especially for products using allulose and other alternative sweeteners, as brands face formulation and legal risk. Food Rescue & Hospitality: City Harvest’s BID 2026 tasting event is set for Oct. 28 in Manhattan, bringing nearly 50 NYC chefs and mixologists together for fundraising tied to millions of pounds of food delivered. Retail Tech for Drinks & Snacks: Convenience retailer Huck’s Market is rolling out an AI-native POS platform to speed transactions and improve product discovery—aimed at keeping shoppers moving during busy periods. Energy & Water Infrastructure: Puerto Rico secured $87.1M in FEMA funds for recovery projects that include drinking water and wastewater systems, plus hazard mitigation. Trade & Alcohol Policy: A Canada-to-US booze boycott is set to take effect, with Canadian producers warning of major export impact. Oat Drinks Earnings: Oatly will report Q3 2026 results on Oct. 28. Grain Costs for Beverage Makers: Tirlán set 2026 grain prices for barley and wheat, including bonus changes that could ripple into feed and drinks supply chains.

Functional Beverage Watch: A new 2026-focused webinar digs into how brands can formulate functional drinks that taste good and stay compliant, amid rising scrutiny of “zero sugar” and “sugar-free” claims tied to alternative sweeteners. India Food Labelling: India’s Supreme Court reserved judgment on FSSAI’s front-of-pack warning framework for added sugar, fat and salt, with final submissions due soon. EU Greenwashing Rules: The EU’s updated EmpCo directive tightens what companies can claim about environmental benefits, banning vague “green/eco-friendly” language and requiring verified plans for future pledges. Beverage Business & IPOs: Mount Everest Breweries filed a DRHP with SEBI for a Rs 300 crore IPO, while Dove Soft Limited opened its SME IPO with a Rs 104–111 price band. Trade Policy: The US partially lifted duties on certain Indian aluminium can stock meant for beverage cans. Market Signals: Singapore manufacturing output rose 15.4% in August, with beverage products among the growing clusters. Hospitality Tie-In: Carlsberg Asia teamed with Grab to run beer pairing deals across 28 Singapore restaurants.

Functional Beverages & Claims Scrutiny: A new industry webinar spotlights how brands are tackling formulation and legal risk as “zero sugar” and “sugar-free” products face class-action pressure tied to alternative sweeteners. Food Safety Hiring Push: India’s FSSAI-led crackdown is driving major packaged food and hospitality players to expand roles in food safety, audits, quality control and compliance. Trade & Alcohol Shockwaves: U.S. import bans set to hit Tuesday include Canadian-made cheese and a broad list of alcoholic beverages (rye, whisky, wine, beer, tequila, vodka, rum), escalating the tariff fight. Beverage Manufacturing Growth: Canada’s Good Robot Brewing lands on a top-growing companies list, highlighting its Beverage Factory model that helps emerging brands and even farmers turn surplus fruit into juice. Halal Industry Spotlight: Malaysia’s MIHAS Awards spotlight innovation, sustainability and digitalization across the halal supply chain, including women-led export efforts. Hospitality Supply Chain Platforms: Maldives’ Hotel Asia expands supplier access and brings back its 20th International Culinary Challenge with beverage categories and hundreds of entries.

Deposit-Return Push in Ontario: Hamilton joined Ottawa, Toronto and London in urging Ontario to roll out deposit-return for non-alcoholic drink containers, citing low recycling rates and the need for stronger incentives. Sugar & Salt Shelf Rules: Scotland’s new Oct. 1 restrictions will curb prominent placement of high-fat, sugar and salt foods (including sugary soft drinks) in major retailers, aiming to reduce impulse buying. Functional Drinks Under Scrutiny: A webinar highlights how brands face rising formulation and legal risk around “zero sugar/sugar-free” claims in functional beverages, especially with alternative sweeteners. Wine Demand Slump: California growers say wine demand has dropped sharply, pushing grape prices down and forcing some to consider tearing out vineyards. Coffee Price Dominoes: South Korea’s central bank is watching “domino” price hikes spreading through coffee chains and other consumer categories, with inflation risk tied to oil and currency swings. Beverage Industry Events: Maldives’ Hotel Asia Culinary Challenge returns for its 20th edition, with expanded beverage classes and hundreds of entries expected. Hospitality Pricing Pressure: In Busan, major events are driving hotel rates up to four times for festival nights, with some packages bundling wine.

Wine Industry Stress: California’s oldest family-run winery, Gundlach Bundschu (founded 1858), has filed for Chapter 11 after failing to restructure debt, citing post-COVID demand weakness and limited foot traffic. Regulatory Enforcement: India’s FDA sealed an unlicensed packaged drinking water unit in Lassipora, Pulwama, after finding the displayed FSSAI number didn’t cover drinking water processing/packaging. Functional Beverages Watch: A new webinar spotlights how brands are tackling formulation and legal risk around “zero sugar/sugar-free” claims tied to alternative sweeteners, plus bitter functional ingredients like caffeine and adaptogens. Food Safety & Operations: Los Angeles restaurants face grease-trap overflow risks as FOG and solids build up beyond holding capacity, triggering emergency service needs. On-the-Ground Water Crisis: Gaza desalination plants are at risk of shutdown due to shortages of oils, filters, spare parts and power equipment—raising fears of unsafe water and public health harm. Local Beverage Openings: Liquified Juicery is bringing its unpasteurized cold-pressed menu to Petaluma, emphasizing zero-waste practices.

Alcohol Policy Clash in Belgium: Belgian brewers are pushing back in Brussels against a proposed shift in the alcohol health warning from “Alcohol abuse harms health” to “Alcohol harms health,” arguing it blurs the line between misuse and responsible drinking. Halal Trade Spotlight: Malaysia’s MIHAS Awards 2026 wrapped at MITEC, adding a Women in Export category and spotlighting innovation, sustainability, and digital transformation across the halal ecosystem. Wine Industry Stress: California’s oldest family-run winery, Gundlach Bundschu (founded 1858), filed for Chapter 11 after failing to restructure debt, underscoring ongoing pressure on the state’s wine sector. Spiking Safety Push (Scotland): Police Scotland issued a “significant risk of harm” warning after 144 spiking reports were logged last year, urging bars, pubs, and universities to boost awareness and bystander training. Ube Export Shock (Philippines→UK): A Philippine ban on fresh ube exports is disrupting UK demand for the purple root, which has surged into mainstream cafés and desserts. Functional Beverage Formulation Watch: A webinar highlights rising scrutiny over “zero sugar” and “sugar-free” claims in functional drinks, especially around alternative sweeteners and related legal risk. Coffee QSR Expansion (India): Third Wave Coffee opened its 250th café in Lucknow and targets about 320 outlets by FY27 as it deepens metro and Tier 1/2 presence. Fast-Food Innovation (KFC): KFC opened a Texas “Open House” test restaurant with breakfast, late hours, and new drink concepts like boba-filled refreshers, signaling more experience-led menu rollouts.

Trade Tensions: Point Roberts is asking Canada for a “symbolic tariff exemption” as the U.S.-Canada fight deepens, arguing the border geography makes the community uniquely dependent on Canada. Food Safety Crisis: In India’s Nagaland, methanol has been detected in illicit IMFL tied to Tuensang deaths, while Mokokchung’s suspected liquor poisoning toll rises to eight as raids net thousands of bottles. Energy & Water Emergency: Moldova declares a 60-day state of emergency in energy and hydrology, citing winter import needs and river shortfalls, to speed up interventions. Spirits & Branding: Suntory’s Basil Hayden teams with Rowing Blazers for “Classics, Reimagined,” blending bourbon culture with fashion. Beverage Retail & Dining: Pelican Brewing opens a new Oregon coast brewpub in Yachats, taking over a long-running diner space. Campus Foodservice: Sodexo names Ellen Wilson president/COO for Campus U.S., focusing on student demand for choice, convenience, transparency, and personalization. Industry Finance: Sysco closes a C$1.5B senior notes offering to fund its Jetro Restaurant Depot acquisition.

Functional Beverages & Claims: A new webinar spotlights how brands can formulate functional drinks that taste good and stay legally safe as “zero sugar/sugar-free” claims face class-action scrutiny tied to alternative sweeteners. Airport & Hospitality Drinks Culture: Skytrax named Chase Sapphire Lounge (LaGuardia) the world’s best independent lounge, with Plaza Premium’s Heathrow outpost the lone UK entry—good news for premium beverage experiences. Restaurant Tech & Menu Push: McDonald’s unveiled its “> NEXT” plan, pouring about $8.5B into upgrades, GenAI-enabled operations, and menu innovation aimed at boosting visits—plus a bigger beverage focus. Alcohol Policy Clash (Belgium): Belgian brewers are fighting a tougher ad health warning, arguing it blurs moderate drinking vs abuse. Halal Trade: Qatar Chamber joined MIHAS 2026 to deepen Qatar-Malaysia halal food and supply-chain partnerships. Wine Tourism: Jumilla’s harvest season kicks off with Bodegas Luzón’s Vendimia Abierta, adding hands-on family harvests and winemaker experiences through November. Water & PFAS Pressure (UK): Ofwat provisionally approved a £3.4bn package to fund water and data-centre infrastructure, including PFAS-related treatment upgrades. Counterfeit Alcohol Crackdown (Kenya): Police seized dozens of cartons of suspected counterfeit alcohol in Murang’a after reported illnesses, with standards and tax-stamp checks underway.

Functional Beverage Scrutiny: Brands are facing rising legal and formulation pressure over “zero sugar” and “sugar-free” claims, especially for products using allulose and other alternative sweeteners, with experts urging tighter science and regulatory-ready labeling. Retail Growth for New F&B Brands: Whole Foods picked 10 emerging food and beverage startups for its 2026 Local and Emerging Accelerator, including a functional mushroom sparkling water maker and a coffee brand, with mentorship and a $25,000 equity shot. Halal Tech Limits: Malaysia’s halal official says AI can speed parts of certification, but human inspection is still essential for ingredient and process verification. Oat Drink Finance: Oatly published a Nordic bond prospectus ahead of expected Nasdaq Stockholm trading later this month. Coffee Culture Expansion: San Francisco’s Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters plans two new cafes and a dedicated roastery, betting on its “third-wave” roots. Ultra-Processed Food Risk: Conagra, Kraft Heinz, and others warn that UPF definitions, labeling, and reformulation could hit demand and raise compliance costs. Sugar Supply Watch: India may need another sugar import year as water stress threatens cane recovery.

Functional Beverage Watch: A new 2026 webinar spotlights how brands can formulate functional drinks while dodging “zero sugar/sugar-free” class-action risk tied to sweeteners like allulose and other alternatives. Packaging & Compliance: Italy’s new compostable single-use plastic rules for fresh produce and HORECA items (with EN 13432 certification) add pressure on beverage and food packaging supply chains. BPA Fallout: UK businesses are bracing for knock-on effects from the EU’s BPA ban, especially for metal can linings and coatings used across beverages. Age-Verification Tech: UK alcohol retailers get a boost as Innovative Technology partners with Luciditi to combine digital ID validation and anonymous age estimation on one device. Spirits Policy in Asia: APISWA appoints Ian McKendrick as executive director to push evidence-based regulation across Asia-Pacific for wine and spirits. Health-Driven Reformulation: A US study says portfolio shifts toward healthier packaged foods and drinks could delay ~150,000 diet-related deaths annually. Hospitality Tech: Revolut pilots in-store facial recognition checkout at UK cafés, aiming to cut payment friction for pubs and bars.