Belgium's Interbrew has acquired the US rights to its Bass Ale
brand, bringing a premature end to an earlier agreement with
Diageo. The comapny also reported a slide in profits in the first
half, despite some good performances...
Galaxy Nutritional Foods, a producer of plant-based dairy
alternatives, has extended its UltraSmoothie range with the launch
of a single-serve version, expected to go on sale in the US from
October 2002.
The launch of the new Zinniz fruit-flavoured beer brand helped
Grolsch lift its share of an otherwise sluggish Dutch market.
Strong performances in the UK also contributed to a 6.6 per cent
rise in turnover during the half.
Strong organic growth from the premium drinks business was one of
several key drivers of growth at Diageo, the UK company which is
now wholly focused on its beer, wine and spirits business. Smirnoff
Ice and other RTD brands performed...
The ownership of two of the best-known vodkas from Eastern Europe
could be under threat. The Russian government has announced that it
plans to sell licences to produce Stolichnaya to the highest
bidders, while Poland is proposing...
Middle-aged French men who drank two or more glasses of wine
regularly after a recent heart attack were less likely to have a
second heart attack or other cardiovascular complications compared
to nondrinkers, according to a study...
The South Korean market is one of the largest in the world for
Scotch whisky, in particular deluxe blends. With this in mind, the
maker of Famous Grouse has created a new range of whiskies under
the Lancelot name in association with...
Budejovicky Budvar, the Czech brewer, has registered the name
Czechvar for the beer it sells in the US, but will continue the
fight against rival Anheuser-Busch over the right to the name
Budweiser in other markets.
Launched last year at Pakex, UK development company, MCP, claims it
has introduced the world's first blow moulding machine designed
specifically for the production of prototype bottles and containers
in production intent materials.
Beverage giant Coca-Cola is considering building new bottling
plants in several locations in some of China's poorer inland
provinces, a company executive announced.
In the US, Anheuser-Busch is launching new sloped shoulder bottles
and secondary packaging for the company's super-premium beers,
Michelob and Michelob Light.
With 20 new brands launched in the UK market last year alone, the
energy drink market is clearly the one everyone wants to be a part
of. And while the same growth levels are yet to be seen across the
rest of Europe, there is still...
The world's biggest spirits group should continue with its policy
of using the proceeds of disposals to buy back shares when the sale
of its Burger King unit is completed. But this does not rule out
further acquisitions.
Leading UK brewer Scottish & Newcastle has reported increased
volume sales for its leading brands in the first five months of the
new financial year, helped by the acqusition of the Hartwall
business in Finland. Compatriot Greene...
Although most people would never consider that the effects of their
morning coffee would have any similarities to those of cocaine
recent research reveals that the two stimulants similarly alter a
specific signalling activity in the...
Wine connoisseurs have always claimed that the shape of the glass
affects how easily volatile aromatic compounds can escape and
consequently the impact on our senses- but does the glass shape
also affect the wine's chemistry?...
Orlando Wyndham, the Australian bottling company, has commissioned
what is believed to be the fastest wine bottling/packing/despatch
system in the world.
Coca-Cola Hellenic HBC, the world's second largest Coke bottler
with operations in 26 countries, has reported strong growth in
sales and profits for the first half of the year.
The European Commission has given the all clear to the purchase of
a stake in Germany's Karslberg by Heinken and its partner Bayrische
Brauholding, but has also extended an investigation into alleged
anti-competitive practices...
Pomegranate producer, Pom Wonderful, claims that its brand of
pomegranate juice has higher free radical scavenging activity, and
greater polyphenol content than red wine, cranberry juice and green
tea.
German researchers have found traces of the cancer-causing chemical
acrylamide, in coffee, although not in as high concentrations as in
fatty foods such as potato crisps, french fries or bread.
Falling demand, an unstable economy and internal politics had left
Coca-Cola's German bottling interests in tatters. However, moves to
streamline the operations are now taking effect and the prospects
are starting to look up.
The trade case filed by a leading North American producer of
saccharin advanced another step this week with a preliminary
determination by the US International Trade Commission (ITC) that
saccharin imports from the People's Republic...
Australian natural food ingredients producer Clover Corp announced
this week that it has teamed up with the Food Spectrum Group to
enhance the marketing and development of its dietary supplements,
reports IndustrySearch.com.
Belvedere, the French wine and spirit distribution company, has
registered a 59 per cent rise in sales to €106.8 million in the
first half of the year, helped by the €8.2 million acquisition of
the Polish distillery Starograd Gdanski.
The merger of Stellenbosch Farmers' Winery and Distilllers
Corporation, two of the largest drinks producers in South Africa,
has helped Distell see improved growth opportunities and greater
international expansion.
French starch company Cerestar, recently taken over by US
agribusiness giant Cargill, has launched a range of new organic
sweeteners that target the bio-organic processed foods market.
The complicated web of partnerships and shareholdings in the
Scandinavian market has forced Finland's Hartwall to appoint a new
Swedish distributor for its flagship beer brand Lapin Kulta.
Starting young is the key to life-long alcohol consumption, which
is why consumers in Britain and France are ahead of the rest,
according to the findings of a recent report by market research
group Mintel.
Lithuanian company Putoksnis PET Packaging has expanded its preform
production capacities by introducing new design PET preforms of 34g
and 36g specially created for 1.5 litre bottles.
Coffee, tea and chocolate all contain chemicals that could
eventually form the basis of new drugs to combat cancer and heart
disease. Scientists at UCL in London report on their findings in in
the August issue of the Journal of Biological...
Scientists in France claim to have found differences in the 'good
cholesterol' of red wine drinkers which could account for the
drink's beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease. For the
first time, the new...
Beverage company Leading Brands is to end its distribution
agreement with Energy Brands for Glaceau Vitamin Water and Go-Go
Passion Energy Drink. The company cited strong competition in the
vitamin-enhanced drinks sector as a major...
Australian beverage packaging provider Amcor, which recently spent
A$3 billion (€1.67bn) to buy Schmalbach in Germany, has just spent
A$135 million on a single burner glass plant near South Australia's
Barossa Valley, marking...
The American arm of Danish food ingredients company Danisco this
week announced the launch of a flavour concept designed to target
the ice cream and frozen novelty segment and to maximise on the
persuasion techniques of children.
Enzyme company Novozymes has announced the development of a new
enzyme for syrup production. According to the company Liquezyme X
allows manufacturers to improve syrup production with fewer
chemicals at lower cost.
California-based Naturade, the marketer of soy protein products,
posted a decrease of 24 per cent in net sales for the second
quarter, and an operating loss of $0.7 million (€0.7m).
SPI, the company which owns the popular Stolichnaya and Moskovskaya
vodka brands, is to take legal action in the European courts to
prevent the Russian government from hindering distribution of the
vodka throughout the Union, a move...
Dutch brewer Heineken will take responsibility for the marketing
and distribution of its own brands in the UK after its licensing
agreement with Whitbread lapses in 2003.
Dutch life science company DSM, together with Agennix, a US
developer of recombinant human lactoferrin, has opened a new
manufacturing facility on DSM's fermentation site in Capua, Italy.
Choglit - no, not the name the European Commission wants producers
of non cocoa-butter chocolate to adopt but the name of a new drinks
brand produced jointly by Coca-Cola and Nestle and launched in the
US earlier this month.
Red wine in particular has benefited from scientific evidence that
it is good for the heart, but little has been said about wine-based
drinks such as Cognac. But one company, Pierre Boullmer Estates, is
focusing on the health benefits...
Pharmaceuticals giant Roche has reported a 28 per cent fall in net
profits for the first half, but stuck with its forecast of a return
to double-digit growth in 2003.
The acquisition of the Belgian-based flavour house Perlarom has
enhanced Danisco's position in the premier league of European
flavour houses, the Danish company reported this week. In May this
year Danisco acquired the Perlarom...
