Business in brief: Soda makers pledge to cut calorie output
NEW YORK – Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper said Tuesday they’ll work to reduce the calories Americans get from beverages by 20 percent over the next decade by more aggressively marketing smaller sizes, bottled water and diet drinks.
The announcement was made at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City and comes as the country’s three biggest soda makers face pressure over the role of sugary drinks in fueling obesity rates.
In many ways, the commitment follows the way customers’ tastes are already changing: People have been moving away from soda on their own for several years. In response, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. have been pushing smaller cans and bottles. They’ve also rolled out flavored versions of Dasani and Aquafina as demand for bottled water has grown.
P&G sells last remaining pet care brands
NEW YORK – The Procter & Gamble Co. is selling its Iams and Eukanuba brands in Europe to Spectrum Brands, shedding the remaining parts of its pet care business.
Financial terms were not disclosed.
The transaction includes 42 markets in Europe. P&G said exiting the pet care business will help it focus on its core businesses. Its brands include Tide detergent and Pampers diapers.
Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc. is a consumer products company whose pet group brands include Tetra, Furminator and Dingo.
In April, Cincinnati-based P&G said that it was selling 80 percent of its global pet care business – including North America and Latin America – to Mars Inc. Europe was not included in that transaction, except for Russia and Turkey. Mars later agreed to buy an additional 10 percent of P&G’s pet care business in additional markets such as Japan, Australia and South Africa.
Climbers in catalog settle with national park
SALT LAKE CITY – Three rock climbers have paid a $4,000 settlement to Capitol Reef National Park in Utah for violating climbing policies in the making of a photograph that appeared in a Patagonia clothing catalog, a park official said Tuesday.
Park rangers discovered illegal climbing routes in the red rock park after seeing the photograph in a September 2011 Patagonia catalog, park Superintendent Leah McGinnis said.
The image depicted a first climb on a new route.
Rangers found illegal climbing bolts were embedded in rock, and other rocks had been moved to create three illegal climbing routes. McGinnis said the rangers contacted Patagonia and do not believe it knew about the illegal climbing.
A freelance photographer shot the image, and the company has no relationship with the two people pictured climbing, Patagonia spokesman Adam Fetcher said.
Report: Bigger iPhone 6 has larger profit margin
SAN FRANCISCO – Apple’s largest iPhone is selling for $100 more than its other new model, but an outside research firm estimated Tuesday that it costs Apple only $15.50 more to make the more expensive version.
Apple said it sold more than 10 million of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models in their first three days on sale. Both have larger screens than earlier iPhone models.
Apple will make more profit on the Plus version, according to a report from research firm IHS Technology. The full, no-contract price for the 16-gigabyte iPhone 6 is $650. IHS estimates it costs Apple $200.10 for materials and manufacturing. The iPhone 6 Plus retails for $750 without a contract, but IHS says it costs Apple $215.60.