Dive Brief:
- PepsiCo plans to use juice from cashew apples in a Tropicana branded drink in India starting next year, the first step in commercializing what has been a waste product.
- Cashew apples are the fruit-like stems on which cashew nuts grow. Cashew producers tend to discard the apples. But PepsiCo believes cashew juice may be the next big thing ... just like coconut water or acai juice before it.
- PepsiCo's interest in the crop is driving prices higher. Growers have seen their income jump 20% since the company started buying up the apples.
Dive Insight:
This idea of making juice from something that produces a far more popular product will sound familiar to anyone who spends a lot of time studying the drinks industry. Bai 5, which is distributed by Dr. Pepper Snapple, uses coffee fruit for its drinks.