Breaking News on Beverage Technology & Markets

Sweet formula for clear fruit drinks

A newsweetener formulation is designed for the booming clear fruit drink segment.

Line designed for high speed coffee capsule packaging

A customised packaging line is designed to produce coffee capsules, a huge growth area in the market.

Coca-Cola to close concentrates plant

Coca-Cola said yesterday it would shut down one of its three ingredients plants in Ireland and cut 166 people from its workforce.

Spirit brands drive Diageo profit growth

Diageo today forecast organic operating profit will increase by nine per cent in the current financial year after posting strong gains across the majority of its big brands, including Guinness.

Wine keeps Foster's in line for profit growth

Australian brewer Foster's has posted 4.7 per cent increase in sales to AUS$4.5bn (€2.6bn) for the full fiscal year as it continues to expand its operations outside of its core beer brands.

Amcor's results signal shift in packaging market

Armed with a $1bn (€604.2m) war chest, Amcor has signaled it is on the lookout for further acquisitions, indicating that the packaging industry's current round of consolidation is not about to end soon.

Mild weather lifts Heineken sales

Mild temperatures drove an 8 per cent organic revenues increase to €6.1bn for Dutch brewer Heineken during the first fiscal half.

Tea extract could reduce purported diabetes link

A US study presented last week claimed to establish a link between high fructose corn syrup and diabetes, particularly in children - but researchers say a compound found in tea could reduce the effect.

Dairy farming boom adds to processing woes

A number of leading dairy co-operatives worldwide have announced continuing rises in payouts to their suppliers and farmers as the cost of milk continues to surge.

Weekly comment

Is it harsh? Is it fair? No it's a consumer watchdog

In 1993, it seemed superheroes had reached their lowest peak when Superman was slain by an unstoppable monster known as "Doomsday".

SABMiller moves ahead with Chinese expansion

With the acquisition of four breweries in the country, SABMiller has signalled its intent to further expand into the Chinese beer market.

Caffeinated alcohol-craze stimulates industry attacks

Criticisms of alcoholic energy drinks in the US could also have effect Europe's ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage market, a health expert has warned.

Ocean Spray expansion continues as cranberry demand soars

Cranberry giant Ocean Spray is again expanding its processing capacity in an effort to catch up with soaring global demand for products containing sweetened dried cranberries.

V&S profits ahead of sell off

Spirits producer V&S hopes it can improve on its previous full year profitability ahead of the sale of its operations.

New backless labels good for environment?

A new range of labels are beneficial for the pocket as well as the environment, its UK supplier claims, as they don't need the paper traditionally used for lining.

Questions raised over coffee allergies

That all-important coffee boost sought by about 70 per cent of the UK population may be becoming a bit of a drag, with coffee related illnesses having doubled during the last four years, according to new figures released this week.

NZ officials dismiss aspartame-formaldehyde link

A link between the aspartame and formaldehyde by an organic group has been dismissed as scaremongering in a statement issued by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) this week.

Danisco stands by for record sugar harvest

Danisco is expecting a record sugar harvest as climactic factors have stimulated growth, the year's first field samples indicate, meaning that any excess above quota will be channelled towards non-food uses.

Coca-Cola confirms South Korean sale

Coca-Cola Amatil (CCA) has this week confirmed the sale of its South Korean bottling division to local group LG Household & Health Care.

Anheuser-Busch launches skin balancing water worldwide

Global drinks company Anheuser-Busch has launched a new line of bottled water that will be marketed as an integral part of any skin care regime in a bid to make a side-step into the ever-growing skin care market.

Anti-counterfeit technology for alcohol

Heat-shrink labels with integrated holograms will help the wine and spirits industry in the fight against counterfeiting and forgery, the manufacturers claim.

Spiderman and The Simpsons are food baddies, says Which?

Consumer watchdog Which? has launched a new campaign to oust cartoon characters from unhealthy snack advertising, claiming that superheros are being exploited to encourage kids to clamour for foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt.

Grolsch plans plunder down under

Dutch brewer Royal Grolsch hopes it can extend its in Australia's burgeoning imported beer market through a new distribution partnership in the country.

New PLA technology for Purac

Purac has invested in new lactides that will potentially provide the food, pharma and cosmetics industries with cheaper and more effective bioplastic packaging, the company announced yesterday.

Nestle nourished by health aims

Nestle's drive to be a major health and nutrition player resulted in a strong first half fiscal performance for the company.

Efficiency drive maintains Britvic's summer fizz

While beverage groups continue to lament the affects of recent British weather conditions on their operations, soft-drink producer Britvic forecasts a sunnier outlook for its interests in the UK and Ireland.

Green tea spurs detox chemical production

A new clinical study provided evidence that green tea catechins can stimulate production of cancer-protective enzymes in people with low natural levels - the first to demonstrate this effect in humans, say researchers.

Court favours Danone in 'cancer water' case

A court in Argentina has dismissed allegations against Danone that it had engaged in unfair trade practices in the country against rival Coca-Cola.

Non-carbonated drinks drive Indian potential

The market for carbonated soft drinks in India has plummeted by about five per cent for a second year in the row as consumers in the country embrace non-carbonated alternatives, new research has found.

Weekly Comment

A helping hand to the confused consumer

Consumers are bombarded with an overload of nutritional advice and product marketing - be it from magazines, television shows, and product advertising - and without a degree in nutritional science, it's a wonder they can make sense of it at all.

UK lager has had its day, says Mintel

Recent assumptions that a current slump in UK lager sales is a temporary effect of British weather have been questioned by a new report that predicts long-term difficulties ahead for the industry.

Pepsi reduces bottling business units

The Pepsi Bottling Group (PBG) this week announced it is realigning its organisation, reducing its units in the US and Canada from eight to six.

Emerging markets boost for Coca-Cola brands

Emerging markets in Europe and Asia continue to boost the global profitability of Coca-Cola's brands as two of its regional bottlers yesterday posted optimistic growth expectations for the fiscal year.

UK councils take up carton recycling drive

The Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment in the UK (ACE) is working with councils across the UK to increase carton recycling.

Costs take toll on San Miguel's profitability

San Miguel's first half profits have taken a hit as it continues to diversify its operations into mining and power to offset uncertainty's in its core food and beverage brands.

Beverage boom drives Crown Mexican expansion

Crown Holdings yesterday announced it is to construct a $48m beverage can production plant in Brazil to cater for growing demand from the region's processors for packaging materials.

Beverage biopackaging market to grow?

The global market for drinks packaged in compostable bottles will reach €23m ($32m) in 2007, according to Zenith international, but only if the necessary infrastructure is put in place.

Lion Capital aims to squeeze Russian juice potential

Private investment firm Lion Capital yesterday became the latest foreign firm to enter the burgeoning Russian fruit juice market through the acquisition of local manufacturer Nidan.

Carlsberg confident over full-year growth

Carlsberg today lifted its fiscal earning expectations for the second time this year on the back of a stronger than expected performance during the six month period up to June 30.

European sports nutrition to hit 4bn

The sports nutrition market in Europe is set to surpass the €4bn mark by 2010 and is outstripping growth in North America, a report has said.

Coffee drinking may slow cognitive decline in women

Drinking more than three cups of coffee a day may decrease a woman's rate of cognitive decline associated with age, but offers no such benefits for men, suggests a study.

Weather rains on Scottish & Newcastle's performance

Eastern Europe continues to boost the fortunes of brewer Scottish & Newcastle, driving comparable sales growth of 7.8 per cent to £2.1bn (€3bn) for the first half of the year as the company moved to offset increased input and production costs.

Weekly Comment

Reflections from IFT

As the dust settles on this year's IFT Food Expo 2007 in Chicago, health and wellness and food safety came through as the star performers, and drivers for the future of the industry.

SABMiller pushes further into Poland

SABMiller today revealed it is to expand its presence within the high growth beer markets of Eastern Europe with the acquisition of Polish brewer Browar Belgia for about €65m.

Eight become one in German Coke consolidation

Coca-Cola's German bottlers yesterday agreed to consolidate their operations under a single company to better tap the growing potential of its brands in the country.

Eastern Promise drives Baltic Beverages growth

Eastern European beer group Baltic Beverages Holding (BBH) increased net sales by 37.1 per cent to €1.3bn during the first half of the current fiscal year, as its continued to expand throughout the region.

Danone restructures senior management

Danone yesterday announced a major restructuring of its senior management as it continues to refocus its operations towards being a leading player in health and nutrition.

Cadbury's revenues boosted by streamlining operations

Cadbury Schweppes today announced in its first-half fiscal results that it may opt to split from its American beverages business in place of selling it, should the debt market fail to stabilise.

Crown to double can production in Spain

In a bid to meet rising demand for beverages in cans, packaging supplier Crown yesterday said it will double its production capacity in Spain.

Bacardi invests for whisky success

Spirits group Bacardi yesterday announced a $250m (€183m) investment into production of its Scotch whisky brands amidst increasing global demand for the drink.

Brands drive full year Pernod Ricard growth

Pernod Ricard posted a 6.2 per cent increase in sales for the financial year ending 30 June on the back of strong growth throughout its international markets.