Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

EU clears Cadbury Schweppes drinks sale

The European Commission on Tuesday cleared the takeover of Cadbury Schweppes' European drinks arm by private equity consortium Lion Capital and Blackstone.

Weekly Comment

Time to ditch the FFQ

Little wonder consumers are confused about which foods are good for them, and which bad, when scientists use methods with almost no chance of meaningful results.

Bacteria-killing water replaces chemical cleaners

A US company has made inroads in bringing its electrolysed water technology to market as a replacement for chemical cleaners.

Soft drinks shift rocks Cott profits

Profits tumbled by two thirds last year for the world's largest supplier of private label soft drinks, Cott Corporation, as the group struggled to cope with rising input costs and a consumer shift to non-carbonated drinks.

BASF, Dow raise plastic resin prices in Europe

BASF today joined Dow in raising the prices in Europe for plastic packaging, a bid by both companies to pass on high raw material and energy costs.

Supersonic processing making waves in food and drink industry

Pursuit Dynamics, the UK-based creators of novel sonic wave food and drink processing technology, will announce at its AGM today plans to expand even faster this year after its breakthrough in 2005.

Machine automates PET bottle packaging

A stand-up bottling machine allows beverage companies to automate the handling and unloading of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles.

Frutarom develops natural tasting citrus flavours

Frutarom has developed unique processing technology that it claims maintains the true natural flavour of citrus fruit.

Filling sensor reduces waste, allows faster changeovers

An integrated filling sensor simplifies batch delivery by eliminating the need for separate controllers for valves and pumps.

Drinks drive performance market, report

Sports and energy drinks have stolen a march on foods to become the powerhouse of the global market in performance products, according to a new report from Leatherhead Food International.

Europe's soft drinks firms ban adverts to children

Soft drinks firms will voluntarily ban advertising to children across the European Union in an effort to curb public criticism amid the bloc's growing obesity problem.

Obesity lawsuits loom for soft drinks industry

A lawsuit aimed at getting soft drinks firms out of US schools on obesity grounds is now ready to go, says one of the leading lawyers involved to BeverageDaily.com, as new research suggests obesity litigation will become the next 'tobacco'.

Weekly Comment

Food miles leave a bitter taste

The organic food movement has been hijacked by supermarkets intent on being seen to be green, but their disrespect of food miles shows they are anything but.

PepsiCo dives into functional drinks with Ardea

PepsiCo's bottling arm has bought up US functional drinks maker Ardea Beverage, as the iconic soft drinks firm positions itself for growth on the functional drinks market.

Aseptic screw cap opens easier, manufacturer claims

A new aseptic screw cap opens easier as packers can apply it after a beverage carton is coated and filled, its manufacturer claims.

Caffeine blunts blood flow to heart during exercise

Drinking caffeine drinks appears to stifle the body's ability to boost blood flow to the heart during exercise, suggests new research out of Switzerland.

Time to get serious about English wine

The thought of English wine can still conjure a smirk from many. But, the natives are getting better, as more wineries look to take advantage of Britons' increasing preference for grape over grain.

Russia's lack of excise stamps shuts down alcohol producers

Russia's decision to change procedures on excise stamps and import licences for alcohol has backfired, with several domestic producers reportedly having to suspend production.

Noni juice product achieves EU approval

A new noni juice product is fit for sale across the EU, according to the UK's food watchdog.

AG Barr to launch Irn-Bru energy drink, report

Scottish soft drinks maker AG Barr is rumoured to be preparing a new Irn-Bru energy drink aimed at women as part of a series of new product developments.

UK malt scheme gains international recognition

Accreditation by an international organisation has given a malt tracking scheme the backing it needs to assure its customers they're getting the correct supplies.

SABMiller signs Vietnam beer venture

SABMiller has signed a joint venture deal with a top Vietnamese dairy company, hoping to use the firm's local knowledge and distribution network to break into Vietnam's emerging beer market.

Weekly comment

Some news is good news

I am beginning to feel like a freak among journalists. Good or bad, my reporting is the product of hours of questions, fact-hunting and often-times editorial debate. Yet, despite this rigour, every day we receive emails from people asking, or even instructing, us to publish their press release on our sites.

Device automates food safety testing

A portable spectrophotometer automates the process of testing water at food and drink plants.

Glucose linked to better memory, small study

Sugary drinks may have been vilified by health and nutrition campaigners, but a new study suggests that supplementary glucose can boost the memory.

Coca-Cola facing storm on human rights

Coca-Cola faces a challenging 2006 as the firm experiences rising levels of bad publicity on alleged human rights abuse and, of course, obesity. In the first of two parts, BeverageDaily.com takes a closer look, starting with human rights.

France will rip up vines, but not enough

France has announced plans to rip up more than 16,000 hectares of vines in an attempt to dig its wine industry out of trouble, but it seems likely that more will have to follow.

Brewers set to benefit from winter malting barley

A new variety of winter malting barley could provide brewers with a better quality and more stable barley supply, say scientists who have been developing the variety for the past decade.

Scientists look for secrets of foamy beer

Scientists are using new technology to further unravel the mystery process behind foamy beer, to help brewers get that perfect brew every time.

Sucralose breakthrough could smash Tate & Lyle monopoly

An India-based company claims it has developed a sucralose that will break Tate & Lyle's lucrative monopoly in the sweetener.

UK: Vote on total pub smoking ban looms

A full smoking ban across all of England's pubs looks more likely as reports indicate the government is preparing to give MPs a free vote on the issue in Parliament.

Heart health juices increase presence in 2006

Interest is growing in fruit juices for heart health, as Provexis signs up another UK supermarket chain to its tomato-based Sirco drink, and a new trial prepares to get underway in Scotland to investigate the effects of a juice product on cardiovascular disease markers.

UK ad banned for linking beer to sex

Britain's advertising watchdog signalled it was getting tough on a new code for alcoholic drinks adverts by telling UK brewer Young's to remove posters linking alcohol with social and sexual success.

2005 review: the year food got inventive

Strawberry milk-flavoured fish sausage, horseradish-flavoured vodka and asparagus-flavoured potato chips are among a list of the top ten new consumer products of 2005.

UK retailers slam underage drinking crackdown

Retailers say they are being used as a scapegoat by the government, which is failing to tackle underage drinking.

Caffeine could be Viagra for women, study

Drinking moderate amounts of coffee may increase a woman's desire for sex, suggests a new US study on female rats.

Tomato juice prevents emphysema in animal models

Drinking tomato juice completely prevented emphysema in mice exposed to tobacco smoke, report researchers from Japan.

Bottled water to beat fizzy drinks in five years

Bottled water consumption is expected to overtake fizzy soft drinks around the world within five years, says a new report, with Nestlé, Danone and PepsiCo leading the charge.

UK firm targets noni juice regulatory approval

A UK company has applied for approval of its noni juice products on the grounds that it is 'substantially equivalent' to other products that have already been authorised.

Biodegradable plasticiser developed as phthalate replacement

A biodegradable plasticiser can be be used in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) packaging as a replacement for for phthalates, a chemical linked with infertility in men.

Mondavi wine keeps Constellation moving

World wine giant Constellation Brands continued to profit from its takeover of Robert Mondavi wine in its third quarter as the group looks to focus more seriously on Europe.

Grolsch boycotts Dutch retailer in price battle

Grolsch, the Dutch brewer, has begun boycotting a top supermarket in the Netherlands after a dispute over beer prices, in a new demonstration of supplier power.

Majestic toasts Christmas sales record

Leading UK-based wine merchant Majestic Wines enjoyed a 10.4 per cent sales boost this Christmas, citing consumer demand for premium products as the key to success.

Fizzy soft drinks not linked to esophageal cancer, study

Consuming fizzy soft drinks is not linked to esophageal cancer as previously thought and diet drinks may even help decrease the risk, suggests new research on the issue.

New rules ease foreign access to protected name status

In a bid to meet World Trade Organisation demands, the European Commission plans to make it easier for non-EU companies to gain geographical indications (GI) protection for speciality brand names.

Spirits industry wary of EU reform plans

A senior official said the industry was not consulted on the European Commission proposal to re-categorise spirit drinks, but welcomed plans to update production regulations.

Raising prices may not curb drinking, study

Raising the price of alcoholic drinks will not necessarily lead to less consumption, says new research, calling into question the use of high prices to encourage responsible drinking.

Air dryer design reduces down time for maintenance

An air drying machine for beverage makers has fewer moving parts, reducing down time for maintenance and cleaning.

Campari takes whisky brands off Pernod Ricard

Italian drinks group Campari has been rubbing its hands together after Pernod Ricard agreed to sell it the world's number two single malt whisky brand Glen Grant.

Starbucks wins China trademark battle

Starbucks, the US coffee chain, has won the trademark battle in China that analysts said it could not afford to lose, paving the way for the firm's Asian expansion plans.

New allergen labeling to boost growing 'free-from' market?

Consumers who suffer from food allergies are set to benefit from new "plain English" allergen labeling rules, which also provide food and beverage manufacturers with the opportunity to tap into the growing "free-from" market.

French government pledges new wine strategy

French prime minister Dominique de Villepin said the plan would help to dig France out of wine crisis, yet under-pressure winemakers are planning more protests.