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 Coca-Cola Canada has expanded the production capacity at a Montréal bottling plant with a $23.2 million state-of-the-art blow-molding machine, one of the first to be installed at a Coke facility in North America. Coca-Cola and Canadian government officials said the increased production capacity reinforces the company’s commitment to Canada and helps strengthen the Canadian economy.
"Coca-Cola Canada invests $23m in Montréal blow-molding line", FoodBev Media, July 11, 2017
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 Coca-Cola’s innovation chief Greg Chambers (left) says a new AI-powered app debuting soon will allow customers to order, and get, two drinks from vending machines equipped with special circuitry. The app will debut in late July at U.S. universities and in Australia and New Zealand. With the app, customers can order a Coca-Cola drink from multiple selections for themselves and a friend using a colorful touchscreen. The drinks will then be available on the vending machine. With AI technologies, “My goal is to push boundaries and push the brand forward,” Chambers says.
"Coca-Cola reveals AI-powered vending machine app", Venture Beat, July 11, 2017
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 Bai Brands founder Ben Weiss noticed seven years ago that shoppers were carefully examining beverage labels to determine sugar content. “This is the issue that has fueled our growth,” he said in an interview. The company, which was sold to Dr Pepper Snapple Group for $1.8 billion, spent five years handing out samples of Bai, made from normally-discarded coffeefruit, explaining that Bai has only five calories and one gram of sugar. It was a unique claim in the beverage industry at the time -- the beverage caught on and took off when the company signed a distribution deal with Dr Pepper Snapple.
"How This Founder Built a $1.7 Billion Business Around a Product That's Normally Thrown in the Trash", Inc.com, July 12, 2017
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 Enterprise IT software giant Cisco Systems says its products are being used to solve food waste and farm management problems. A start-up company that helps manufacturers and farms make use of extra food raised $2.5 million to buy Cisco's enterprise software. Boston-based tech start-up Spoiler Alert’s cloud-based software links food producers, food banks, and pantries. The company helps them track food they throw away or donate. In addition, Cisco’s software has helped smaller and rural farms connect their “Farm from a Box” units with Wi-Fi capabilities and an Internet of Things (IoT) system to optimize everything from water and energy use to guidance on farm management.
"Technology that Helps Reduce Food Waste", News release, Cisco Systems, July 12, 2017
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Walmart is creating an in-store facial recognition system designed to recognize customers' facial expressions. According to the retailer's patent filing, the technology will use video cameras at store checkout lines to detect signs of anger and dissatisfaction. Upon detection of an “unhappy customer”, the system will alert staff and prompt them to report to the checkout line. Also, the company has filed a patent for using drones to improve customers' in-store experience.
"Walmart developing smart camera that can spot unhappy and frustrated shoppers and alert staff", Daily Mail, July 20, 2017
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