Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

Bottled water sellers face lawsuit deadline

Lawyers in the US have warned they will sue any US retailer that has failed to recall, by the end of this week, bottled water found to contain cancer-causing bromate above the legal limit, BeverageDaily.com has learnt.

Guinness troubles dampen Diageo spirits

Sales of Guinness have slipped in the beer's Irish homeland over the past year, its maker Diageo has announced, taking the shine off a solid sales rise for the drinks firm.

Fruit and veg juice may reduce Alzheimer's risk

Drinking three glasses of fruit or vegetable juice a week could cut the risk of Alzheimer's disease by a whopping 75 per cent, according to a population based study from the US.

Amcor uses oxygen-scavenging PET for wine

Amcor has taken out a license to bottle wine using Constar International's oxygen-scavenging polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

France jittery as wine harvest begins

As French winemakers prepare for the annual rush to pull in this year's grape harvest, anyone who does not own a Chateau is looking cautiously ahead at another year of problems.

Membrane filtration technology getting cheaper, study finds

The growing use of membrane filtration technologies for water purification and recycling is being driven in part by the dramatic reductions in cost, according to study by Frost & Sullivan.

Foster's denies takeover rumours

Australian beer and wine group Foster's said it was unaware of any takeover interest, after shares soared Tuesday amid rumours that multinational brewers were circling to buy the group.

Bottled water is safe, say producers

Bottled water firms have refuted the latest contamination scare to hit the soft drinks industry, saying their products are safe from cancer-causing bromate in the US.

Coke to relabel products in new health drive

Coca-Coca Australia will relabel all of its drinks to include the number of kilojoules on the front of the package, as part of a major new marketing campaign to show the group's healthy credentials.

Soft drinks industry to hold benzene summit

Soft drinks industry officials will meet this September to discuss progress on cutting benzene residues out of their drinks, six months after BeverageDaily.com revealed there was still a problem.

Italy hunts for mouldy coffee beans

The discovery of mouldy coffee beans at a port in Italy has put further pressure on an already tight market this month, with prices expected to continue rising.

Antioxidant-rich cider under the microscope

British researchers are starting a small trial to investigate if the antioxidant benefits of apples are passed on to cider drinkers, and could possibly lead to "functional" ciders.

Do antioxidants make tea healthier than water?

The antioxidant content of tea could mean that drinking three or more cups a day could reduce the risk of a wide range of health problems, ranging from cancer to heart disease, and may even be healthier than water, says a review from Britain.

Special report

Soft drinks firms settle in benzene lawsuit

Two soft drink firms accused of using ingredients that could mix to form a cancer-causing chemical in drinks plan to sign a settlement with lawyers today, agreeing to change formulas and offer refunds.

Rexam to renegotiate beverage can prices in Europe

Global packaging provider Rexam says it will begin renegotiating contracts with its European clients later this year in a bid to recover some of the rising costs of the aluminum used in its beverage cans.

Coffee prices on the increase as shortage bites

The price of coffee has risen, and is expected to continue to rise, as a result of a shortage on the world market.

FDA to recall more bottled water in bromate scare

America's food safety watchdog is expected to announce the recall of several bottled water drinks, thought to contain cancer-causing bromate above the legal limit in the US, BeverageDaily.com has learned.

Could joint health be the next big thing in beverages?

Cargill has indicated that it may take its Regenasure glucosamine chondroitin ingredient into functional beverages - yet it has emerged that another company's foray into the market has not proved positive, raising questions as to whether consumers are ready to depart from traditional delivery forms.

India rejects soft drink pesticides claims

India's Health Ministry has rejected a campaigns group study that found Coca-Cola and PepsiCo soft drinks containing pesticide residues an average 24 times above the proposed maximum limit.

Hot summer lifts Nestlé in Europe

Nestlé said bottled water and ice cream sales had been helped in the first half in Europe by the heatwave that has swept across the continent this summer.

Cargill proposes juices for joint health

Cargill is seeking the go ahead for its Regenasure vegetarian glucosamine hydrochloride to be used in functional beverages, which would open up a whole new area for the joint health market in Europe.

Rexam enters India to tap beer growth

Packaging giant Rexam has gained its first foothold in India, signing a local joint venture that plans to supply cans to the country's promising beer market.

Meta-analysis shows aspartame effective for weight loss

Incorporating aspartame-sweetened food products into the diet does result in weight loss, says a new meta-analysis that fills a gap in the science behind the sweetener.

Court battle looms for Coke in India pesticides row

Coca-Cola is to be sued by an Indian state after new tests showed its soft drinks contained pesticide residues above the proposed legal limit, says a report.

Weekly comment

Food science for all

Food scientists are becoming a rare species in Britain, and things won't change unless schools and food firms start telling young people there is more to food than a supermarket depot.

Instant, portable, simultaneous pathogen inspection

US scientists have developed a miniature portable nanotech device to simultaneously detect numerous toxins, pathogens and chemicals in foodstuffs.

Danone plots takeover trail

French food giant Danone has built up a war chest of up to €1bn to spend on acquisitions over the next three to five years, according to a report.

No fizzy drinks cancer link, says study

Fizzy soft drinks and low alcohol beer do not increase risk of esophageal cancer in consumers, says a new study from Sweden, backing up earlier research in the US.

Coffee may cause heart attacks, says new study

Drinking the occasional cup of coffee could trigger a heart attack in some consumers within an hour, warns a new study, adding to the debate over the risks and benefits of caffeine.

Worms' noses hired to benefit wine industry

Scientists in Australia will harness the sensory ability of insects and worms to improve the electronic noses used by the food and beverage industry, particularly in the wine industry.

PepsiCo unveils first female chief executive

PepsiCo has appointed Indian-born Indra Nooyi to be its new chief executive, displaying the group's international credentials as it looks to build on recent success.

Korea's wine imports surge in first half

Wine consumption in South Korea is set to reach record levels this year, as consumers learn of the grape beverage's health benefits, suggests a new report.

US: Bottled water pulled in bromate scare

Bottled water containing cancer-causing bromate above the level allowed by America's food safety watchdog has been pulled from shelves by one of the country's upmarket retailers.

Scientist shortage threatens UK research

Britain is failing to recruit enough world-class scientists because the country's education system is not up to the job, the UK's Confederation of British Industry has warned.

The obesity blame game- reader feedback

Last week's comment on the food industry's role in the rising obesity epidemic has generated a flood of responses from readers agreeing with or disputing our position that the industry deserves a break. Some of the comments received are published below.

New malting system saves water

Dutch brewer Bavaria says its new malthouse in Holland can cut water consumption by up to 30 per cent, highlighting the beer industry's potential as a food industry leader in sustainable production.

SAB gets down under with Coca-Cola

International brewer SABMiller said it had signed a joint venture deal with Coca-Cola Amatil to import, market and distribute premium beer brands in Australia.

White grapes just as heart healthy as red?

The flesh of grapes is just as heart healthy as the skin, says a laboratory study by Italian and US researchers, a result that may challenge the idea that red wine offers better cardiovascular protection than white.

Government lab criticises pesticides in soft drinks study

Tests in India that found soft drinks contaminated with pesticides are 'doubtful', warns a lab affiliated to the UK government, as PepsiCo and Coca-Cola face more bans and threats of legal action across Indian states.

Owens-Illinois boosts capacity at NZ glass plant

US company Owens-Illinois will spend US$47 million on a new furnace for its glass manufacturing facility in New Zealand, it said this week.

New design promises to optimise storage efficiency

A new layout for processing and factory warehouses could save 20.4 per cent in costs when compared to the traditional warehouse designs, claim researchers.

Carlsberg upbeat after beer sales rise

Carlsberg raised its profit prediction for the year after beer sales rose eight per cent in the first half of 2006, thanks to a limited recovery in Western Europe and more gains in the East.

World Cup lifts S&N beer sales

Beer swilling England football fans helped Scottish & Newcastle to a six per cent sales rise for the first half of the year, continuing the brewer's new momentum in the UK.

Foster's exits Asian beer markets

Australian wine and beer group Foster's will exit the Asian brewing business with the US$225 million sale of its operations in Vietnam and India, it announced on Friday.

Two apples a day keep Alzheimer's away?

Two apples a day, or a glass of apple juice, could keep Alzheimer's at bay by boosting levels of a neurotransmitter, according to results from an animal study.

India turns up the heat on Coke and Pepsi

Pressure was growing on the soft drink giants early this week after India's Supreme Court ordered them to reveal every ingredient in their drinks, following tests that found they were contaminated with pesticides.

Weekly Comment

The obesity blame game

Laying the blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food industry has become a convenient mistake, and until this is recognized there is little chance of controlling the growing obesity epidemic.

Japanese soft drink breaks benzene limit

Japanese food safety authorities have found unacceptable levels of the carcinogen benzene in a nationally distributed soft drink.

NutraSweet targets blended sweetener for best profile

Researchers from NutraSweet and Duke University are working in tandem to produce blends with more desirable sweetness profiles.

More pesticides found in Coca-Cola, PepsiCo drinks, says India study

Soft drinks belonging to PepsiCo and Coca-Cola in India were contaminated with pesticides at an average 24 times higher than the government's proposed maximum limit, warns a new environmental group study.

Kagome enters Chinese juice market

Japan's biggest juice maker, Kagome, has launched four pure juices in Shanghai, as it sets about creating a leading position in the country's premium juice market.

Nestlé signs bottled water merger in Turkey

Nestlé Waters said it would merge in Turkey with the country's number one bottled water group, Erikli, to take better advantage of Turks' growing thirst for mineral water.

Krones sales growth points to health of beverage sector

Despite an ongoing price war among beverage filling and packaging manufacturers, Krones managed to increase its sales by 12.1 per cent in the first half of 2006.

Britain's ale brewers bring wine tasting to beer

Britain's ale brewers are looking to reconnect with consumers by providing tasting notes alongside pints of their beer, a tactic they say has already worked wonders for wine.

Danone cashing in on new products, markets

Emerging markets and new 'health products' helped Danone to continue its strong sales growth in the second quarter of 2006, though the group has struggled to turn around losses on its home French market.

Coca-Cola Amatil takes over Palm Springs water

Lossmaking water delivery firm Palm Springs has finally succumbed to an offer from the Asia-Pacific drinks group Coca-Cola Amatil, allowing the bigger group to continue its expansion in this fast-growing market.

Zidane to join team Danone?

Yes, that's right. Freshly retired French footballer Zinedine Zidane may yet be selected to join the board of dairy, water and biscuit giant Danone, says a report.

Blackcurrant research may yield more vitamin C for fruit drinks

UK scientists are mid-way through a project in collaboration with Ribena maker GlaxoSmithKline to boost vitamin C levels in blackcurrants, and results to date indicate it will yield benefits for consumer health, as well as the country's fruit farmers.