Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

The battle to save 'British' blackcurrants

UK scientists have drafted in blackcurrant varieties from New Zealand to prevent warmer winters wiping out one of Britain's traditional fruits, and destroying the source of the popular Ribena soft drink.

Weekly Comment

Food industry must face its faults

The food industry must be honest if it is to convince consumers - and audiences - that it is not the corporate monster portrayed in the media.

EU must get creative with wine reform

More imagination is needed if the European Union's wine reform is to truly create a wine sector that will fend for itself against marketing masters from the New World, says the head of a French winemakers' delegation to BeverageDaily.com.

Ale reborn on a tough UK beer market

Britain's middleweight brewing sector has continued to motor along nicely over the last few months, to the dismay of real ale campaigners who see Britain's small-time brewers melting into the history books.

Belu launches biodegradable bottle in mineral water market

A UK mineral water company has launched the first corn-based biodegradable bottle in that country's market, linking its fund raising activities with environmentalism.

Private equity rumour stalks Britvic

French private equity group PAI Partners is reported to be weighing up a bid for Britvic, as private equity rumours again stalk Europe's food and drink sector.

Healthy food shows further growth in UK

The average UK citizen spends £34.31 per week on food and drink and is increasingly spending this money on healthier foods, according to a recent Defra report.

Scientists look to stabilise natural red food colour

Adding one per cent vitamin C to the natural red coloured betalains from the purple pitaya fruit boosted pigment stability, say German researchers, and could offer a viable alternative to red beets.

Barrier treatment machine handles 40,000 bottles an hour

A machine for applying barrier treatment to PET containers can handle up to 40,000 bottles per hour, making it the fastest of its kind in the world, its manufacturer claims.

Britvic's profits slump as consumers shun sugar

Soft drinks firm Britvic has issued a profit warning following a 32 per cent drop in first-half profit, as demand for sugary carbonates declines sharply.

Packaging machine reduces material use, manufacturer claims

A new thermoforming, filling and sealing machine for packaging cups and other containers can result in savings of up to 35 per cent in material costs, its manufacturer claims.

Coca-Cola, Cadbury added to benzene lawsuits

Coca-Cola and Cadbury Schweppes have joined the list of beverage firms set to be sued in Florida over allegations their drinks contained benzene, 15 years after the industry first pledged to fix the problem.

Cognis and WILD team up to innovate

Cognis and WILD are joining forces to form a powerhouse of food and beverage product innovation, combining Cognis' store of ingredients with Wild's formulation expertise.

Kraft sued over benzene in soft drink

Kraft Foods will face lawsuits in three US states over allegations that one of its drinks contained cancer-causing benzene above the legal limit for tap water, BeverageDaily.com has learned, as pressure mounts on drinks makers.

Pressure gauges meet demand for accuracy, hygiene

A new line of pressure gauges are engineered to meet stringent performance, material and hygiene demands within the food and beverage sectors, their manufacturer claims.

FSA proposes new Sunset Yellow food colour standards

The UK's Food Standards Agency is seeking views and comments on proposed amendments to European colour regulations covering Sunset Yellow FCF (E 110) and Titanium Dioxide (E 171).

FDF 'regrets' new English nutrition standards

New minimum nutrition standards for English school food, designed to ensure healthier eating, has resulted in the banning of certain products high in salt, fat and sugar.

FDA names and shames over benzene in soft drinks

Five US soft drinks were found containing the cancer-causing chemical benzene at levels above the legal limit for drinking water, America's food safety watchdog has announced, sparking calls for more thorough testing.

Ultrasonic sensors take the measure of fluids, liquids

New ultrasonic sensors provide a means for food processors to gauge the amount of fluids or solids in containers.

Pernod Ricard in Stolichnaya vodka talks

Pernod Ricard announced it was in discussions with state-owned Russian firm FKP Soyuzplodoimport to settle an ongoing dispute over rights to the Stolichnaya vodka brand.

Australian wine exports to China soar

Volumes of Australian wine exported to China grew almost 350 per cent last year, making it an increasingly important market for wine producers.

Proposals consolidate, simplify bottled water laws

Proposed revisions to laws covering the bottled water sector would consolidate and clarify various regulations in existence across England.

SABMiller shares struggle despite in-line results

Russia and China have spurred on SABMiller's beer sales over the last year, but shares struggled to recover after the brewer remained cautious on future profits in North America.

Bottle blow moulder for biodegradable plastics

With biodegradable becoming less of a buzzword and more of a reality in the packaging business, a machine maker has adapted a blow moulder for use with corn-based plastics.

Greenhouse gas trading data points to problems

Preliminary data from the first year of the EU's greenhouse gas trading scheme has highlighted problems in the allocation of plant outputs and in the tracking of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Beer good for Europe, association argues

Europe's beer brewing sector contributes about €57.5bn to the continent's economy every year, according to a new study.

NutraIngredients.com wins food industry award

NutraIngredients.com has been named Website of the Year in the prestigious 2006 Business Food and Drink Journalism awards.

Cadbury Schweppes to face lawsuit over 'all natural' 7UP

Just a month after the reformulation of its flagship 7Up drink, Cadbury Schweppes is set to face a lawsuit that accuses the firm of deceptively advertising the product as 'natural'.

FDA blackballs green tea heart health claims

The evidence that green tea could benefit heart health are "supportive" but not "conclusive", said the FDA, leaving the door open to backing such health claims in the future.

Orange juice may protect against osteoporosis

Drinking more orange or grapefruit juice may reduce bone loss and decrease the risk of osteoporosis in later life, suggests an animal study from Texas.

San Miguel to focus on growth

San Miguel's chief executive reassured investors on Tuesday by outlining its plans to concentrate on growing sales and sustaining profits over the coming years.

Carlsberg tackling European beer slump

Carlsberg's plan to scale down operations in Western Europe in favour of emerging beer markets in Eastern Europe and Asia has helped it to improve first quarter results this year.

Majority of recalls preventable, says UK consultancy

The majority of food recalls around the world are caused by preventable problems, with poor allergen control and failure to follow international standards as the major culprits, according to a UK consultancy.

Coca-Cola widens soft drinks recall in Japan

Coca-Cola has expanded its recall of soft drinks in Japan to nearly 2.4m bottles, after more drinks were thought to be contaminated with iron powder.

Ombudsman blasts Commission on Germany's packaging law

The European Commission was lax in not taking further steps to make Germany comply with a court ruling against its packaging regulations for drinks, the EU's Ombudsman has ruled.

Weekly comment

Chasing down obesity

It is time to admit that society is fighting a part-time battle against the bulge, willingly lambasting soft drinks, burgers and chocolate, while shuffling silently away from a fairly dismal exercise rate.

Chr Hansen launches 'natural' colours for soft drinks

Chr Hansen's new range of natural colours has been formulated to help transparent beverage manufacturers reinforce the sector's healthy image.

Red Bull lobbies Turkey over energy drink ban

The makers of the Red Bull energy drink will continue lobbying the Turkish government, after being forced to reformulate to meet the country's ban on high caffeine energy drinks.

Ocean Spray set to emphasise health at Vitafoods

Ocean Spray plans to reinforce the health benefits behind its portfolio of cranberry ingredients at this week's Vitafoods exhibition in Geneva.

Spirits sector ripe for merger activity

In the overcrowded spirits industry, the future success of leading players rests on their ability to free up finances for acquisitions, says new report.

Splenda increases presence in Norwegian beverage market

Norwegian soft drinks manufacturer Lerum is launching a new range of no-added-sugar dilutable fruit drinks sweetened with Splenda sucralose.

Aspartame safe for consumption, food agency concludes

The EU's food safety agency today said aspartame is safe for consumption, contradicting a scientific study by the Ramazzini Foundation that claimed the artificial sweetener caused cancer.

PepsiCo hit by benzene lawsuit

Lawyers have filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo in California, alleging one of its drinks may contain the cancer-causing chemical benzene, BeverageDaily.com has learned.

Lawsuit pressure brings school soft drinks deal

Soft drinks firms have bowed to pressure from lawyers by pledging to pull more fizzy drinks out of US schools, but faced continued uncertainty last night as some legal experts involved pointed to loopholes in the deal.

Heineken makes a move for India

Heineken has used its subsidiary brewery in Asia to make a move in India, recognising the country as the next big emerging market for the major brewers to conquer.

Weekly comment

Working at self-regulation

Self-regulation has become the mantra of food groups who argue that laws are not always necessary - but can industry be trusted when it has failed so spectacularly in the past?

Coke recalls soft drinks in Japan

Coca-Cola began recalling more than 500,000 bottles of soft drinks in Japan on Monday, after drinks were found contaminated with iron powder.

Connecticut governor pledges to back soda bill

State governor Jodi Rell has pledged to sign a bill that would make Connecticut the fourth US state to ban sales of sodas and other sugary beverages in state elementary, middle and high schools.

Brewers must be more romantic

Beer still lacks the romance to compete with other alcoholic drinks in America, leaving it stuck on the shelf as consumers move on to new tastes, says a market research specialist.

More benzene lawsuits hit soft drinks firms

More lawsuits have been filed against soft drinks firms alleging their drinks were contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical benzene above America's legal limit for drinking water.