Coca-Cola refuted a Wall Street Journal article that the company is in talks to buy energy drink company Corona, Calif.-based Monster Beverage Corp. "At this time, we are not in discussions to acquire the Monster Beverage Corp," Coke said in a statement. "We continue to review the best ways to maximize the value of our relationship," reports Reuters ...

There is a drink for every occasion-whether resting at home, working out at the gym, or enjoying a night on the town, and the 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend study takes stock of America's thirst quenchers to find out which beverage brands bubble to the top. EQ is a study of brand health that is conducted yearly by Harris Interactive for more than 1,500 brands.

Consumers are interested in healthy eating more than ever, and a survey of 2,000 U.S. respondents by Mintel reveals that approximately half (52 percent) of American adults are currently "watching" their diet. And while 60 percent say they are dieting because they want to lose weight, some 15 percent of dieters claim to be doing so at least in part because of concerns about "salt intake."

If you wonder why your kids drive you crazy, here is a clue. Time Inc. a division of Time Warner, commissioned Innerscope Research to do a study "A Biometric Day in the Life" to show how the proliferation of digital devices and platforms would affect the media consumption habits of "Digital Natives" (consumers who grew up with mobile technology as part of their everyday lives) and "Digital Immigrants" (who first learned about mobile technology in their adult lives).

Americans have a sweet tooth and proclaim chocolate candies as their favorite indulgence, according to the just released 2012 Harris Poll EquiTrend (EQ), annual study of brand equity of more than 1,500 brands, conducted by Harris Interactive. The study, conducted online from Jan. 31 through Feb.

In a strategic move to enhance its position in global infant nutrition, Vevey-based Nestlé has agreed to acquire Pfizer Nutrition for $11.85 billion, subject to regulatory approval.

U.S. consumers are cooking more often, experimenting with food and using time in their kitchen to help save money and eat healthier, according to the Be Cook Aware survey of 1,000 consumers in March 2012 by the DuPont Teflon brand, conducted to understand how the past year's trends have impacted America's cooking and eating behaviors at home.

Whenever it plays, a Dunkin' Donuts radio ad in South Korea emits the aroma of coffee, reports QSR. The campaign, named Flavor Radio, which was installed on commuter buses in Seoul, uses a unique technology to release the scent through sound recognition, and boosted sales 29 percent. According to Dunkin' Donuts, the mission of the ad is to shift the perception of Dunkin' Donuts from donuts to coffee in the heavy coffee drinking city of Seoul ...

After a year where two 1990s Internet darlings took home the top places in Reputation Institute studies -- Amazon in the U.S. and Google, globally -- food & beverage and consumer product companies roared back to the top of the reputation heap. New York City-based Reputation Institute, the world's only pure-play reputation management consultancy, in partnership with Forbes Media, released findings from their 2012 U.S. RepTrak Pulse; an annual study that measures the 150 largest U.S. public companies with 10,000 consumers. General Mills ranked No.

Kraft Foods Inc. is discontinuing its Athenos line of Greek yogurt, exiting the fast-growing U.S. Greek yogurt market, reports the Chicago Tribune/Reuters. "Although we had a loyal following of Athenos Greek yogurt fans, we have decided to refocus our efforts on innovating new products for the Athenos brand," a Kraft spokesman said in a statement. "We know that this is very disappointing to consumers, and it was an extremely difficult decision for us to make." ...