Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

Cott cleared to buy Macaw in UK

The waiting is over for private label soft drinks supplier Cott Corporation, after it received the blessing of British competition authorities to buy its biggest UK rival, Macaw.

Industry awaits regulator's review of aspartame

Food processors are waiting with bated breath for the release next week of an EU regulatory review either confirming or rejecting the results of a scientific study claiming that aspartame poses a cancer risk.

Cartoning machines boasts modular design

Two new horizontal cartoning machines are designed in a modular construction, allowing food processors to rapidly change over to different formats.

'No evidence' that coffee drinking harms heart

Long-term heavy coffee drinking does not increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) say Harvard researchers, results that also have positive implications for the stimulant drink industry.

S&N hands distribution arm to joint venture

Britain's biggest brewer, Scottish & Newcastle, has spun off its distribution arm into a new joint venture firm, as it looks to lose rising costs and focus on building brands.

Weekly comment

Strategic philanthropy: exploitation or key for emerging markets?

When a company 'gives back' to the world through charitable donations, should we wholeheartedly commend it for being a good egg or sniff cynically at the profit potential that underlies every business decision?

Cadbury confirms US bottler buyout

Cadbury Schweppes confirmed it has bought out its Dr Pepper/Seven Up bottling partner in the US, predicting cost savings and better bargaining power with supermarkets.

US to take France's wine drinking crown

Americans will replace the French as the world's biggest wine drinkers within three years, says new research, putting greater pressure on France's shrinking share of wine exports.

7UP makeover targets natural soft drinks trend

Cadbury Schweppes has reformulated its flagship Seven Up drink with only natural ingredients, in an attempt to grow the brand through rising consumer demand for natural products.

Caffeine could protect against diabetes

People who drink lots of green tea or coffee every day could lower their risk of diabetes by 33 percent, a result linked to caffeine content, says new research from Japan.

Wanted: nanotech packaging and widget

A drinks company has put out a call for a nanotechnology company to help it create functional packaging and a new gas release "widget" using the technology.

New science could make sugar sweeter

A new study has revealed how molecular mechanisms and taste perception can be combined to make sucrose more effective, which means that products could contain less sugar but taste just as sweet.

Cadbury Schweppes eyes US bottler buyout

Cadbury Schweppes may be about to buy up its Dr Pepper/Seven Up bottling partner in the US, says a report, indicating a growing consolidation trend in the US soft drinks supply chain.

Less is more, says Coca-Cola's Isdell

Quality not quantity was the catchphrase for Coca-Cola at its first quarter results conference, as the group said it would sacrifice volumes for higher margin beverages to lift profits.

Mobile fridge keeps cool during transport

A mobile fridge allows companies to ensure an unbroken cold chain along the supply chain to a product's final delivery point.

New benzene test reveals flaw in FDA soft drinks investigation

A new test should more accurately show the amount of benzene in soft drinks on shop shelves, but that does not mean there is no problem, says the scientist behind the new procedure to BeverageDaily.com.

Ocean Spray doubles plant capacity as cranberries soar

Strong demand for cranberry-based ingredients for functional foods has led co-operative Ocean Spray to double production capacity at its plant in Middleboro, Massachusetts.

San Miguel to cut costs in China, report

San Miguel, the biggest food and drink maker in south east Asia, will close one of its breweries in southern China this year as part of a cost-cutting drive in the region, according to a report.

South Korea urges recall of benzene-containing drinks

South Korea's food safety authorities called on beverage makers last week to withdraw vitamin C-enriched drinks that had been found to contain the carcinogen benzene.

Red Bull crowned first NSF's 'Certified for Sport'

Energy drink Red Bull is the first company to be awarded NSF International's 'Certified for Sport', a move that will strengthen the company's already strong position.

Valio continues research into probiotic fruit juices

Finnish company Valio is continuing R&D into fruit juice-based probiotics, with a study in the journal LWT reporting excellent stability, survivability and tolerability of two strains.

Health warnings set for alcoholic drinks in UK

Alcoholic drinks on sale in Britain may have to carry health warnings within two years, said the government's public health minister, testing the water as a consultation period with the drinks industry draws to a close.

FDA issues first statement on benzene in soft drinks

America's Food and Drug Administration has questioned the accuracy of its own testing for benzene in soft drinks between 1995 and 2001, but held off criticism from Congress members for refusing to publish results from its current investigation.

China, Russia buoy SABMiller sales

Emerging beer markets in Asia and Eastern Europe have continued to buoy SABMiller over the last year, amid problems in North and Central America, the firm said in a trading update.

Revised credit rating underlines Nestlé's strength

Standard & Poor's has revised its Nestle outlook from negative to stable though it warns that its ratings could be lowered in the future.

First lawsuits filed over benzene in soft drinks

Lawyers in the US announced Tuesday evening (GMT) they were taking two soft drinks firms to court, alleging lab tests showed drinks contaminated with benzene above America's safety limit for tap water.

S&N buys Foster's European business

Scottish and Newcastle has taken over the Foster's lager brand in Europe, Turkey and the Russian Federation, after years of producing the amber nectar in these regions under licence for the Australian Foster's Group.

iCone adds new twist to carton packaging

The 'iCone' is the big new idea in carton packaging from Elopak, intended to fend off competition from plastics and provide a new vehicle for premium soft drinks.

Heat tests key for benzene in soft drinks

Testing soft drinks to reflect the effects of storage and transport conditions will be crucial to realistically monitor benzene formation in different drinks, a former industry scientist told BeverageDaily.com.

Danisco upgrades fruit processing enzymes

Danisco has launched a new range of enzymes to help fruit juice makers save money and improve quality as they look to target growing consumer demand for healthier soft drinks.

Electronic switch bypasses Tetra Pak patent

Tetra Pak's own packaging machines could soon be used against it, after rival group Alternapak claimed it had found a way to run its own packaging reels on Tetra Pak production lines.

Cider by-product provides natural alternative to tartrazine

French researchers say a by-product of the cider industry could provide an alternative to synthetic colourants such as tartrazine (E 102).

Human aspartame study finds no cancer link

A human observational study has revealed that adults consuming aspartame-containing beverages did not show any increased incidence of certain cancers, but scientists caution that the study could have certain "limitations" due to the research methods used.

Coca Cola switches to high speed filling machines in US

Coca Cola will replace and update several of its filling lines at US-based plants with Tetra Pak's new high speed machines.

Aseptic bottle combines advantages of carton and plastic

COLOGNE, Germany: Tetra Pak yesterday launched what it claims is the world's first aseptic carton bottle, a container with a plastic transparent top.

P&G, Coca-Cola resolve calcium patent dispute

Coca-Cola can continue selling orange juice fortified with calcium, after having settled with Procter and Gamble over a patent infringement lawsuit a development that opens the way forpotential collaborations in the future.

Fizzy drinks sales fall flat for Britvic

Soft drinks firm Britvic has announced a 7.3 per cent drop in half-year carbonates sales as a slump in the fizzy drinks market impacts revenue and share price.

Aseptic cold filling seen as next wave in processing

COLOGNE, Germany: Aseptic cold filling is being promoted here at a four-day conference on food technology as another solution to meeting the demand for minimally processed foods and drinks.

Soft drinks firms pledge routine benzene tests

Soft drinks makers have been hauled before the European Commission to explain the presence of benzene traces in drinks, putting the industry under pressure after recalls in the UK.

Carlsberg expands in western China

Danish brewer Carlsberg has signed another joint venture agreement in China that will see it strengthen its foothold in the western provinces.

Healthy soft drinks drive global beverage growth

Soft drink consumption is the principal factor behind the growth in global drinks, with health playing an increasingly important role in consumer choice.