Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

UK proposes CO2 labelling for products

In a bid to push processors and other manufacturers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the UK government yesterday unveiled a proposal to put "carbon footprint" labels on all products.

Danone spills details on Chinese Evian scare

Danone revealed yesterday that five containers of its Evian bottled water have been detained in China after failing quality control testing.

V&S targets China for strong spirit growth

China's spirits industry continues to entice some of the world's leading beverage groups with Sweden's V&S group becoming the latest multinational to tap the market through a new joint venture.

Food and drink prices on the rise

Prices for food and drink have risen sharply in the UK over the last year, in a sign that higher input costs are increasingly being passed down the supply chain.

EU switches wine reform focus

Plans to rip out 400,000 hectares of vines to drain the EU's bulging 'wine lake' will be watered down to put greater emphasis on marketing wines abroad, Commission officials have confirmed.

Novozymes centralises procurement to free R&D funds

Novozymes is centralising its procurement facility in a bid to ensure transparency and consistency, and make savings that it plans to plough into more research and development.

Fresh health fears hit benzoate in soft drinks

Common preservative sodium benzoate, widely used in soft drinks and other foods, is again at the centre of health concerns after research emerged linking it to cell damage.

No deal in international coffee talks

Coffee processors and producers will have to wait another year for a new International Coffee Agreement after talks over the last week failed to make a breakthrough.

Apple juice, bananas may lower childhood asthma

Increased consumption of apple juice or bananas may prevent childhood asthma, says new research from England that adds to an ever-growing body of science linking easy breathing to apples.

Weekly Comment

Press releases for the press?

In a world where getting your name out there is called branding, and branding in turn equals better market share, some companies will go to great lengths to draw attention to their name. With information sources driven by open-access Internet, companies can tailor press releases not always intended for the press.

Additive designed to strengthen biodegradable PLA

A new additive on the market can improve the performance of a biodegradable polymer used for food packaging, its manufacturer claims.

Coca-Cola to pay $4.1bn for health-drinks maker

Coca-Cola will pay $4.1bn (€3.05bn) to acquire Glacéau and its full range of health-based water brands, including Vitaminwater.

Bulk wine imports slash carbon emissions, study

Wine firms can significantly reduce their carbon footprint by importing wine in bulk and bottling it in lighter glass, a new study from the UK says.

Tester determines oxygen permeability

A new machine can help processors test the barrier properties of packaging to ensure food products maintain their stated shelf life.

Prison looms for Coca-Cola recipe thief

A former Coca-Cola worker was sentenced to eight years in prison this week for stealing and attempting to sell Coca-Cola trade secrets to its rival, PepsiCo.

MEPs flatten alcohol tax plan

Plans to raise minimum excise tax on beer and spirits in the EU came to a standstill this week, after a hammer blow from the European Parliament.

Could coffee cut Parkinson's risk?

Drinking a whopping ten cups of coffee a day or more could slash the risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 74 per cent, suggests a new prospective study from Finland.

Food and industrial ingredients drive Tate & Lyle growth

Tate & Lyle has reported a strong full year 2007, the third consecutive year of sales growth and a key one for repositioning towards value added ingredients. But despite this, EU sugar reform continues to prove a drag.

EU approves packaging size liberalisation

Companies will have the freedom to choose the size of packaging they use for most of their products under a new directive passed yesterday by EU member states.

Britvic back on the growth track

Soft drinks maker Britvic had sales of carbonated and still soft drinks ahead of the UK market in its first half, an encouraging sign for the industry's prospects.

Weekly comment

Masterfoods and the vegetarianisation of food

Masterfoods' U-turn over its plan to reformulate its famous confectionery brands using animal-derived whey sets a precedent that will prevent any other food manufacturer from flying in the face of the global trend towards the vegetarianisation of our food.

Tetra Pak to produce caps in Russia

Sweden-based Tetra Pak will produce caps in Russia in a bid to move its supply chain closer to customers.

France: CRAV wine militants issue ultimatum

French wine militants have warned the country's new president, Nicolas Sarkozy, there will be more violence if he does not offer more support to the sector.

Private equity rumours stalk Cadbury drinks

A swarm of private equity firms is set to form consortiums to bid for the US beverages arm of Cadbury Schweppes, according to a report.

UK waste reduction guide designed to help industry

A new UK guide designed to help retailers and processors cut down on packaging waste serves as an example for other EU companies.

Moet Hennesy hopes to lift Chinese spirits

Moët Hennesy has acquired a majority stake in Chinese group Wen Jun Distillery as it moves to expand its global premium spirits and wine brands range.

Bulgarian packager plans glass expansion

Bulgarian group Drujba is expected to undergo major expansion within its production capabilities over the coming year as part of moves to consolidate its position within Europe's glass packaging market, say news reports in the country.

Machine combines case packing and erecting

Combining two specialist functions into one is never easy, however two British companies say they have managed to put case packing and erecting into one compact machine.

EFSA publishes draft health claims guidance

The European Food Standards Authority has today published its draft guidance document for the submission of applications under the new nutrition and health claims regulation, giving the clearest insight yet of the impact the legislation will have on industry.

Coca-Cola settles in benzene lawsuit

Coca-Cola has reformulated two of its soft drinks in the US to halt a lawsuit alleging they may contain the cancer-causing chemical, benzene.

New technologies on display at UK exhibition

Emerging technologies such as radio frequency identification and the latest food industry equipment will be on display at a four-day exhibition beginning tomorrow in Birmingham.

Splenda ad slogans banned in France

A European court has said that the marketing of the sweetener Splenda is misleading to consumers, and has ordered that its advertising slogans be ceased.

Britvic buys into Ireland

UK soft drinks maker Britvic stepped up its expansion overseas after signing a deal buy to the soft drinks arm of Ireland's C&C Group.

Bottled water bad for environment, says report

Bottled water, one of the world's fastest growing beverages, faced fresh criticism this week for contributing towards increased packaging that ends up in landfill sites.

New technology makes beer green

Australian brewer Fosters is doing its bit to go green by adopting a new brewing technology that produces energy via waste products.

Magners cider eyeing Europe expansion

C&C Group, the Irish owner of Magners cider, said it is looking to expand the brand in mainland Europe after breakthrough success in the UK last year.

San Miguel expands partner strategy

Brewer San Miguel plans to list its domestic beer and global packaging operations on the Philippines stock exchange in a move to court more investment in the company.

EU customs agreement to cut out the paperwork

A new EU customs agreement in the making will cut out the paperwork and reduce the costs of importing and exporting goods, according to officials.

Starbucks supports coffee trademark plan

Ethiopia's coffee industry, one of the largest in the world, was this week closer to establishing a set of premium trademarks for its beans after signing up coffeehouse giant Starbucks.

New filtration enzyme targets beer

The Novozymes group claims that their new enzyme can help brewers increase capacity at little extra cost by offering longer and more consistent filtration cycles.

Strong sun 'burns' wine grapes

Stronger sunlight associated with global warming means winemakers will have to think of new ways to protect their grapes, said Italian wine expert Riccardo Cotarella.

Additives back in the public spotlight

Growing use of natural ingredients in the UK food and drink industry took on greater importance this week in anticipation of a new study again linking widely used additives to behavioural problems in children.

Weekly Comment

Ingredients for cheap?

As recent incidents of food contamination demonstrate, the cheapest source for ingredients may not turn out to be so cheap after all.

Alcoa makes bid for Alcan

Alcoa today announced $33bn (€24bn) hostile bid for Alcan in a move to consolidate two of the world's largest aluminium suppliers to the beverage and packing industries.

Danisco names flavours buyer: it's Firmenich

Danisco has cut a deal to sell its flavours division to Firmenich that will let it focus resources on its bioingredients, texturants and sweeteners competencies - while still keeping some interest in flavours through a partnership with the buyer.

Unilever gains defy expansion costs

Unilever yesterday said it achieved underlying sales growth of 5.4 per cent to €9.5bn during the first quarter, while continuing to restructure in a drive to make its food operations more profitable.

Green Watch

UK brewer takes industry lead on climate change

Solar panels, a roof made of plants and a plan to become carbon neutral have scooped UK brewer Adnams a top environment award, providing another example of how the drinks industry can tackle climate change.

Danisco discusses sale of flavour division

Danisco has confirmed the truth of market rumours that it is involved in negotiations over the possible sale of its flavours division.

Tetra Pak invests millions in new research centres

Sweden-based Tetra Pak will invest €32.6m in two new centres in Lund to develop new processing and packaging equipment for food and drink manufacturers.

Neckbanders add tamper safety to drinks at high speed

A new range of high-speed shrinkbanders can add tamper evident wrapping to the necks of beverage containers with reduced changeovers, its manufacturer claims.

Debate rages on innocent McDonalds trial

A decision by juice and smoothie group, innocent, to trial its drinks in McDonalds restaurants has caused debate among the UK firm's consumers.

Green tea may cut arthritis, study

Components in green tea may help prevent the production of inflammatory molecules associated with joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis, scientists have reported.

Consumers do listen to responsible drinking ads, Diageo

Consumers do heed messages advising them to drink alcohol responsibly, says a survey by Guinness maker Diageo, as it launches a series of television adverts in the UK.