Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

US scientists develop wonder capsule that ‘pulls’ radioactive substances out of beverages

05-Apr-2012 - US scientists have developed a safe, cost-effective capsule to remove radioactive substances and heavy metals from beverages, milk and foods, and say it could hit shelves in six to twelve months.

News in brief

Red Bull charging into Indian court battle?

03-Apr-2012 - Over one and a half million cans of Red Bull have been stripped from western Indian shelves by a state level food regulator due to the caffeine content of products, according to our sister site FoodNavigator-Asia.com.

National Consumer League urges FDA crackdown on US lemon juice swindle

26-Mar-2012 - The National Consumers League (NCL) has urged the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to come down hard on some lemon juice producers for alleged ‘adulteration and misbranding’ of ‘100%’ lemon juice diluted with water.

US beverage industry should ban BVO in soft drinks – German professor

22-Mar-2012 - A voluntary ban would be the 'best solution' to eliminate concerns regarding brominated vegetable oil (BVO) in US soft drinks, a leading academic has told BeverageDaily.com, and said he planned further research into the patented flame retardant 'because the public has the right to know'.

Drinks industry in the dark about blocked caffeine claims

21-Mar-2012 - Europe’s coffee makers and energy drink manufacturers are perplexed as to why the EFSA-approved caffeine claims have been dropped from the draft positive list of general function claims.

CODEX-sanctioned gluten testing method may ‘underestimate’ values in hydrolysed foods such as beer, researcher claims

19-Mar-2012 - Spanish researchers claim to have developed a cheaper, faster and more accurate method for detecting gluten levels in hydrolysed foods, and found that numerous products tested, including beers, using their new assay showed gliadin levels well in excess of current CODEX standards.

Caramel color controversy: New approach needed to assess chemical safety?

19-Mar-2012 - Some caramel color suppliers have changed their processes to avoid a cancer warning label in California – but current methods and data to assess its potential carcinogenicity in humans are limited, according to associate director of the National Toxicology Program (NTP).

Nature’s One CEO savages ‘flawed’ baby formula arsenic study, but author defends work

16-Mar-2012 - US organic baby formula manufacturer Nature’s One has attacked recent research suggesting that arsenic levels in its toddler formulas were a cause for concern, but the study’s lead author defended the work, even stating that new data published by the firm supported his conclusions.

March 21 article 13 health claims list: ‘Pass it’ says FDE; ‘to the bin’ says ANH

15-Mar-2012 - Europe’s premier food industry body, FoodDrinkEurope (FDE), is backing next week’s European Parliament (EP) vote on the controversial 222-strong health claim register, as opponents rally last-minute veto support.

ABA attacks study linking sugar-sweetened drinks to heart disease

14-Mar-2012 - The American Beverage Association (ABA) has questioned the validity of a new US study suggesting that guzzling drinks flavoured with sugar could have an adverse effect upon heart disease risk.

EU approve new rules banning added sugars in fruit juices

13-Mar-2012 - The Council of the European Union have approved new rules that will among other things see it become illegal to add sugars to fruit juices.

Vita Coco founder slams ‘copycat’ coconut water law suit, gets jokes about lawyers

12-Mar-2012 - Vita Coco co-founder and CEO, Michael Kirban, has hit back at Canadian law firm Consumer Law Group (CLG), calling its class action against his firm over product hydration claims a ‘copycat suit’ that would not distract the business.

Dispatches from Nutracon, Anaheim

Relaxation drink warning letter a warning shot across beverage industry, say attorneys

08-Mar-2012 - The FDA’s warning letter to the maker of melatonin-laced Slowtivate Relaxation Drink has reignited the debate over the legal line between liquid dietary supplements and conventional beverages - and should make some firms very nervous - say lawyers.

Madonna backed coconut water Vita Coco faces new 'super hydrating' legal challenge

08-Mar-2012 - Superstar-backed coconut water brand Vita Coco faces a new class action over claimed product benefits in Canada, including a ‘super hydrating’ claim, just weeks are settling a similar US suit. 

Caramel cancer claims against Coke, Pepsi seek to scare Americans, ABA

06-Mar-2012 - The American Beverage Association (ABA) has accused the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) of scaremongering after the watchdog warned yesterday that Coke, Pepsi and the FDA were ‘needlessly exposing’ millions of consumers to a known animal carcinogen in cola drinks.

News in brief

Carbendazim-positive OJ shipments take total denied US entry to 27

05-Mar-2012 - US food safety officials have turned away three more shipments of orange juice or concentrate after tests discovered carbendazim – taking the total number of refused or detained shipments to 27.

Congress representatives urge FDA to move on inorganic arsenic levels

01-Mar-2012 - Two leading US politicians have urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to set allowable limits for inorganic arsenic in foods after a recent study reported levels of the heavy metal in infant formula.

Brazil OJ exporters accept US carbendazim defeat

01-Mar-2012 - The Brazilian orange juice and concentrate industry has admitted carbendazim-related defeat, after efforts to increase allowable levels of the fungicide in orange juice product shipments were shot down by US food safety officials.

Brazil OJ exporters accept US carbendazim defeat

01-Mar-2012 - The Brazilian orange juice and concentrate industry has admitted carbendazim-related defeat, after efforts to increase allowable levels of the fungicide in orange juice product shipments were shot down by US food safety officials.

News in brief

Three-quarters of carbendazim-tested OJ shipments enter the US - FDA

29-Feb-2012 - Almost three-quarters of all orange juice and concentrate shipments attempting to enter the US have tested negative for carbendazim, US food safety officials have confirmed.

Kraft says 'sorry' to burn victims after defective Tassimo systems spray hot coffee

27-Feb-2012 - Kraft Foods has apologised to US and Canadian customers after a manufacturing flaw led to Tassimo T Discs spraying consumers with hot liquid and coffee grounds, leading the firm to voluntarily recall around four million discs and almost two million machines.

Relief for Coke, Pepsi after UAE ditches can ban

27-Feb-2012 - Coca-Cola has welcomed a decision by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Economy to reverse its ban on the sale of 300ml cans, which also saw cans of other sizes stripped from shelves last week, after a row broke out last week about their illegal presence in retail outlets.

FDA launches probe on 'inhalable' caffeine shot

22-Feb-2012 - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to investigate the safety of an inhalable caffeine shot called AeroShot, which only hit US shelves last month.

Acrylamide limit ‘red tape’ premature, says FDF

21-Feb-2012 - The added bureaucracy of legal limits for acrylamide in foods is preventable as industry efforts to reduce levels have been sufficient, says the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).