• August 10, 2011

Sunsweet Growers Inc. has acquired Function Drinks, a Southern Calfornia-based maker of dietary supplement beverages.

Function's core products--Urban Detox, Alternate Energy and Light Weight--are sold at retail nationwide.

Sunsweet, which has over a third of the global prune market, also markets specialty dried fruit products and fruit juices, teas and waters available globally. Sunsweet views Function as an innovative, emerging brand that will provide a foundation for building a portfolio of functional beverages, said Tony Gerst, leader of new venture initiatives at Sunsweet.

Function co-founders Dayton Miller, Josh Simon and Alex Hughes will continue to lead the company, and Function will continue to operate on a "fairly" standalone basis, with Sunsweet providing resources where synergies exist, according to Sunsweet.