NAUTILUS PLUS SPOILS FAST -- NOT WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

     V Investments, Inc., formerly Vess Beverages, has filed suit
in U.S. District Court against Dr Pepper/Seven Up Corp. for its
alleged inabilities to solve a spoilage problem in its Nautilus
Plus sports drink.  Vess claims it lost money after altering
bottling machines, placing ads, negotiating for shelf space and
other work because Nautilus spoiled so quickly on supermarket
shelves, "it became unsellable."  The suit, in which Vess is
seeking unspecified damages, claims that Dr Pepper/Seven Up had
assured the bottler that "natural preservatives" would keep the
sports drink from spoiling.  Vess had to retrieve all containers
of Nautilus Plus from store shelves (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH,
10/25).