Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

US and Mexico announce sweetener free trade deal

The US and Mexico have concluded an agreement under which access will be granted for US high fructose corn syrup exports to Mexico, a move that begins to address the decade long dispute between the two countries.

Plastic recycling boosted by legislative targets

Driven by tougher waste legislation and set EU targets, the recovery of plastics in the bloc is growing steadily, according to a new report by Applied Market Information (AMI).

S&N slams supermarkets over cheap beer

UK supermarkets are failing to promote responsible drinking by selling too much cheap alcohol, the brewer Scottish & Newcastle has told a Competition Commission investigation.

Weekly Comment

WTO's failure is food industry's loss

The short sighted failure of greedy WTO trading partners to achieve any sort of meaningful agreement on global agricultural tariffs is bad for Europe's food industry.

Anheuser up, SABMiller down in US beer battle

Anheuser Busch managed to stop the rot on the troublesome American beer market during the first half of 2006, but hopes of a sector-wide recovery were dashed by a sales slip from rival SABMiller.

Blair demands food industry cooperation to tackle obesity

Government cannot be the only actor with responsibility over the current obesity crisis, said UK prime minister Tony Blair in a key note speech on public health yesterday.

Simple stirrer takes caffeine out of coffee

A few swirls round the cup could be enough to literally suck the caffeine out of your coffee, thanks to new technology developed by The DeCaf Company.

Coca-Cola Vietnam destroys perished ingredients

Coca-Cola Vietnam was ordered last week to destroy several tonnes of ingredients in its warehouse found to be past their best before date.

FSA calls for comments on noni juice approval

The expert scientific committee that advises the UK's FSA on novel foods is calling for comments on its draft opinion of a noni juice product.

Bottled water booms as Europe bakes in heatwave

Record bottled water sales in Britain, emergency supplies used to cover water shortages in France - mineral water firms are worshipping the summer sun.

China's Snow Breweries poised for growth on east coast

China Resources Snow Breweries is set to boost its brands in some of China's more affluent cities with the acquisition of two breweries near the east coast.

Alcohol heart protection may not be down to inflammatory markers

A new study indicates that light to moderate alcohol drinking may exert cardioprotective effects in some, but in elderly men at least the mechanism of action does not seem to be down to a reduction in inflammatory markers as previously thought.

World's most expensive Tequila fetches $225,000

A private collector has shelled out $225,000 for a bottle of 'ultra-premium' Tequila, making it the most expensive in the world - but not for long.

Red grape juice's heart benefits get boost

Red grape juice improved cholesterol levels and inflammatory markers associated with heart disease, reports research from Spain.

South of France wine brand gets green light

The 'South of France' wine brand, covering thousands of producers in France's biggest wine region, is set to hit supermarkets next year as winemakers look to regroup against the New World onslaught.

PET recycling rates increase across EU

European post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) collection recycling rates reached 796,000 tonnes in 2005, a 15.1 per cent increase over the previous year, according to a trade association.

Beer sales lift Heineken's profit prediction

Heineken has said profits this year were likely to be better than it thought, thanks to surprisingly good beer sales in both Eastern Europe and the more stagnant US market.

Bottle case packer cuts costs, reduces damage

A new case packing machine for bottles can help processors speed up production lines and cut costs, its manufacturer claims.

Bottle case packer cuts costs, reduces damage

A new case packing machine for bottles can help processors speed up production lines and cut costs, its manufacturer claims.

EU ministers set for wine reform showdown

Plans for radical reform of Europe's ailing wine sector will be debated openly by EU member states for the first time Tuesday, with opposing blocs already emerging.

Coca-Cola profits beat predictions

Coca-Cola beat several predictions with a seven per cent profit rise in the second quarter of 2006, as improved performances in Europe and Latin America offset difficulties in Japan.

Beer industry to profit from new brewing science degree

A new brewing science degree in the UK aims to help beer firms around the world improve their businesses, from sustainable production to the perfect pint.

Weekly Comment

Sex, pills and bad information

The Internet is offering a wealth of information to more and more people, but also an avenue for irresponsible businesses to exploit consumer health concerns.

Treatt launches '100% natural' raspberry flavour

Treatt has launched a natural new raspberry flavour that it says is wholly distilled from fresh fruit.

PepsiCo signs Ocean Spray drinks deal

PepsiCo has signed a deal with Ocean Spray to bottle and distribute single-serve cranberry juice drinks, as the soft drinks firm looks to expand its offering to health-conscious consumers.

Global warming could ruin California wine, help France

Huge swathes of California's wine areas may disappear by 2050 if world temperatures continue to rise at their current rate, warn two separate studies on wine and global warming.

Nestlé to build new US beverage factory

Swiss food giant Nestlé has announced plans to open a $359m (€281.9m) factory and distribution centre in Indianapolis, to cater for rising demand for its ready-to-drink beverages.

Self-refrigerating can ready for market, companies claim

A new self-refrigerating can lowers beverage temperature bya minimum of 16.7° C in just three minutes, its developers claim.

Top firms embrace recycled PET bottles in UK

Recycled packaging has become a more viable option in the UK, according to three leading firms spanning soft drinks, food retailing and cosmetics, who have been trialling products and gauging consumer opinion.

Cool packaging

Self-cooling bottles possible with shrink film, scientists say

A shrink technology that binds solar cells and heat pumpsonto surfaces could lead to the development of self-cooling soda bottles,scientists say.

Britain's CO2 shortage not a threat to fizzy drinks

Britain's soft drinks industry has played down concerns that the UK is facing a shortage of carbon dioxide, the essential bubble maker in fizzy drinks from Coke to cider.

Caffeine could protect against memory loss

University of Birmingham researchers have reported that caffeine can boost nerve cell activity in the brain, potentially protecting against memory loss.

Poison scare forces Coca-Cola drinks recall in South Korea

Coca-Cola has recalled 40,000 cases of soft drinks in South Korea and claimed it was the victim of a blackmail campaign, after a consumer was allegedly poisoned by drinking a bottle of Coke.

Food and drink sectors among top spenders on environment

The UK's food, beverage and tobacco producers spent the mostcompared to other industries on meeting environmental protection requirements,according to new statistics released by the government.

Tea linked to lower risk of bile stones and cancer

Drinking at least one cup of tea a day could cut the risk of cancer in the gallbladder and bile ducts by about 40 per cent, suggests a population-based study from China.

Irish health groups demand clamp down on junk food ads

The National Heart Alliance (NHA) and Irish Heart Foundation (IHF) have joined calls for tougher action on food marketing to kids.

Codex sets new standards for lead, cadium

The Codex Alimentarius Commission has set new internationalstandards on maximum allowed levels of contaminants, including lead, cadmium,and aflatoxins.

Weekly comment

Organic food is selfish

The rise of organic food is a knee-jerk reaction to consumer health fears, and threatens to unhelpfully steer us away from improving the quality of food generally.

Three charged over Coca-Cola trade secrets theft

Three people have been arrested in America for stealing top secret documents from Coca-Cola and attempting to sell them to its arch-rival, PepsiCo.

UK food industry responds to food marketing proposals

A coalition of UK food, soft drink and advertising industries have signed and submitted a response to Ofcom's consultation on food marketing to children.

Greene King sales rise allays smoking ban fears

Ale brewer Greene King said it had sold more beer than expected since smoking was banned in all Scottish pubs, suggesting the ban may not hit revenue as much as some feared.

DSM launches clear juice pectinase product

DSM has launched a new clarification pectinase for the apple and pear juice industry, which it claims promises a faster and more complete soluble pectin breakdown.

Chinese juice maker attracts foreign investors

French dairy and biscuits group Danone has bought a 22.2 per cent stake in China's leading fruit juice company Hui Yuan, the companies said yesterday.

Britvic tests out soft drinks concepts

Britvic has appointed consultant group Nunwood to carry out product and concept testing into a new range of innovative soft drinks, as the firm looks to keep up with changing consumer tastes.

Weekly Comment

Cadbury's mistake

Chocolate has a nice feeling to it - tasty, fun, luxurious and slightly sinful. This is comfort food, accessible to all and epitomised in the recent film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Rosé wine sales rocket

Once derided as a poor relation of real wine, sales of rosé have rocketed across Britain and France over the last few years as consumers look to expand their taste experiences.

Sweetener safety major concern for most Americans, report

Almost two thirds of Americans are concerned about the safety of artificial sweeteners, a factor that could potentially impact the expected continued growth of the sugar-free market, according to a new Mintel report.

Pomegranate juice could slow prostate cancer growth

Drinking a glass of pomegranate juice every day could slow the growth of prostate cancer, researchers have reported for the first time.