Coke mixes sugar and green, and Oprah steps on Brazil’s poor

GOOD DAY FOR: Sweetening your reputation, after Coca-Cola said it has developed a new plastic bottle that is made up of as much as 30 percent plant material, largely sugar cane and molasses. Coke said it will start testing the “plantbottle” in North America later this year. Pressure to reduce the use of plastic in packaging is coming from environmentally driven consumers and large retailers like Walmart, which recently rolled out a “packaging scorecard.” (Reuters)

BAD DAY FOR: Low-income Brazilians, as one of their longtime staples, the acai berry, is becoming prohibitively expensive as U.S. consumption rises. Touted as a “superfood” by boosters, including Oprah Winfrey, acai products raked in $104 million in the U.S. last year, double the year before. Since the berry started gaining a following in the U.S. early this decade, wholesale prices in Brazil have jumped 60-fold. Acai is sold here as a solution for aging, weight loss, and heart health. (Bloomberg)

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