*The Juice Brewery has launched Hoppers, a new drink dubbed a ‘soft brew’. * The adult drink mixes beer ingredients, such as hops and malt, with fruit flavours, apple, citrus and blackcurrant. All ingredients are natural and the non-alcoholic drink has fewer calories than normal beer. Created by a group of drink lovers who didn’t want to feel deprived by choosing the ‘soft’ option, fruit Hoppers were the pioneering answer to this dilemma. With the idea hatched in a pub and their first batch brewed in a kitchen, the founders sought an industry aficionado to oversee their invention: Tim Dewey, CEO of The Juice Brewery. “Most soft drinks on the market are unpleasantly sweet and goody two shoes – definitely not something that most men would feel confident drinking," said Dewey. "We realised there was a big gap in the market for a delicious, grown-up soft drink and so, taking our inspiration from the brewery, we invented what we call a ‘soft-brew’ – a soft drink with enough attitude and maturity to be at home in a pub. "With health and drink driving so high on the government agenda, it’s about time a sophisticated alternative was available. This is a new way of drinking for society’s new way of thinking.”

Rob Sutton, Pomegreat marketing director, said: “Pomegreat Pure has been developed in response to the demand from adult health seekers – people who are aware of the innate health properties of the pomegranate plant and are looking for it in its purest form. Pomegreat Pure is a premium juice that delivers outstanding flavour, with natural sweetness and complexity.” Pomegreat Pure has been hugely successful in consumer taste tests and Pomegreat is confident that its intense flavour and healthy properties will generate even greater interest in the pomegranate drinks market. The pomegranate juice sector is worth £33m, and Pomegreat currently enjoys a 20.6% share of the chilled pomegranate sector, with sales in excess of £3.1m. “We recently launched Pomegreat Ruby and Pomegreat Sapphire, two new chilled juices that contain a secret elixir that uses the whole of the antioxidant-rich fruit," added Sutton. "Pomegreat Pure will appeal to pomegranate lovers who want a stronger, fuller bodied taste which is brimming with goodness.” Pomegreat Pure is available in a 500ml bottle with an RRP of £3.29.

Current CFO Nik Jhangiani will move to the newly created post of Strategy and Business Development Director. Athens-based Coca-Cola Hellenic said Jhangiani will focus on new opportunities for growth across the company’s product portfolio and vast territory, which covers almost 30 countries, from the Republic of Ireland to the east of Russia, and from Estonia to Nigeria. Jhangiani will report directly to Doros Constantinou, MD of Coca-Cola Hellenic. The company noted that new CFO Murray has held a number of senior executive posts within the Coca-Cola system, and has a record of driving operational excellence and tight cost control. Murray began his Coke career in 1987 with the Coca-Cola Bottling Co of New York, where he served as Controller of Operations, Director of Purchasing and CFO for the BevServ Division. In 1997, he joined Coca-Cola Amatil in Vienna as Business Planning Manager for Europe, and later Vending Manager. In 2001, Coca-Cola Hellenic appointed Murray General Manager in Hungary, and in 2006 he became General Manager in Switzerland. Murray was officially appointed Deputy CFO less than two months ago. However, Coca-Cola Hellenic said he had been working closely with Jhangiani since July, to ensure a seamless transition to his new role.

*New Jersey-based First Juice has received a 2008 PTPA Media award (Parent Tested, Parent Approved) and was also recognised in the PTPA Green Category. * PTPA Media's mission is to discover and appraise new products designed for children and families. Winners of the prestigious Seal of Approval from PTPA Media are selected based on value, functionality, quality and appeal of the product. Being honoured with this award is a huge achievement for a product geared to babies, children and parents. "We're excited to announce the winners of the PTPA Media Inc product call, Fall 2008," said Sharon Vinderine, a Director at PTPA Media Inc. "It's a win-win situation for the consumer as well as the manufacturer. Parents who are shopping for products for their families can look for our Seal of Approval and know that these products have been tried and tested by parents for parents." First Juice, the first organic fruit and vegetable juice beverage for toddlers with half the sugar of traditional 100% juices, made its debut nationwide at Whole Foods Market and Babies "R" Us in January 2008. It has become a favourite among parents interested in helping their children establish healthy eating habits from the start. PTPA Media Inc has reinforced that parents truly love the nutritional value and convenience of First Juice. "To be recognised by PTPA Media is an honour. The only even more meaningful praise we receive is when a fellow parent serves their child First Juice," explained David Glasser, Founder and CEO of First Juice Inc. "Our nutrition and taste standards for the juice, and our convenience standards for the packaging, were uncompromising, and always will be."

*The Coca-Cola Company has announced it has received a letter from its Chairman of the Board, Neville Isdell, confirming that, consistent with the succession plan announced in December 2007, he will not stand for re-election to the Board of Directors at the April 2009 Annual Meeting of Shareowners. * James D Robinson III, Presiding Director of The Coca-Cola Company, also announced that the Board intends to elect President and CEO Muhtar Kent to succeed Mr Isdell as Chairman of the Board following the April Annual Meeting of Shareowners. “I've always believed that well-conceived and well-executed succession planning is a vital responsibility of public company boards,” said Mr Isdell. “We met that responsibility when we announced one year ago just such a plan, including placing the future leadership of the company in the experienced and talented hands of Muhtar Kent, who is providing outstanding leadership as he manages for today and tomorrow.”

*UK-based Firefly Tonics will add Recharge, an antioxidant-rich drink, to its range of healthy beverages. * “We developed Recharge because we wanted to make the ultimate drink for a run-down day," said Harry Briggs of Firefly Tonics. "We picked the most antioxidant-rich juices (pomegranate, blood orange and rose hip), and asked our herbalist to develop a formula that would give an immediate boost, and support the immune system. He chose echinacea, elderflower and Siberian ginseng for immune support, along with kola nut, rosemary and chilli for a mood-lift. “We started developing the drink in May this year, and it took about three months of testing to get the drink absolutely right. “The photo on the front of the silver bottle was sent to us by a customer, and captures the spring in your step you have when you’re on form. It’s a man leaping on Bondi beach!”

Panamanian-based Next Generation Waters has launched its eponymous range of functional waters in the US. The low-calorie beverages are being distributed by Southern Wine and Spirits and sold in independent convenience stores throughout Southern Florida. Following two years of product development, sampling and advance marketing activities, Next Generation Waters had already gained widespread attention at US trade events earlier this year, and had entered the 2008 <1>. The brand’s dumbbell-shaped packaging is striking and male-oriented. Fortunately, animations on the labelling help to soften the masculinity of the product, which is aimed at young men and women. The six variants of Next Generation Waters include: Hot, a tropical dragonfruit flavoured water marketed as a drink to enhance sexual appetite; Strong, a fruit punch flavoured water that contains whey protein; Live Long, a pomegranate flavoured water with antioxidants and tea extracts; Chill, a lavender-pear flavoured water with herbs such as chamomile and lemon balm; Thin, a strawberry flavoured water with Super Citimax and ChromeMate; and Kick, a citrus flavoured water with energy boosting caffeine and ginseng. The business also produces Ñúu, a brand of spring water sourced from the highlands of Volcán, Chiriquí in Panama. The business pledges to donate a portion of its sales of its drinks to WaterAid. <1>: http://www.waterinnovationawards.com

CCL Label scooped the top prize for the best cost savings idea at Heineken’s first Pitch Event for packaging suppliers. Heinken invited 12 packaging material suppliers to participate in the first Heineken Pitch Event, which was established as a means of tapping into the expertise and creativity of its packaging material suppliers to generate innovative and feasible ideas for cost savings. Proposals were presented by the suppliers to a multidisciplinary team of Heineken managers who picked one overall winner. CCL Label suggested small changes to the label to allow for a more efficient use of materials and machinery. “Heineken is actively pursuing innovations and costs savings,” said Wiggert Deelen, director Heineken Nederland Supply. “Our goal is to generate a continuous supply of cost savings ideas, and this is the first time that our purchasing department has generated ideas together with suppliers in this interactive way.” It was the simplicity of CCL Label's idea and the amount of savings achieved that were decisive factors in the decision to award the company the prize.

Nestlé Pure Life earned the company an estimated $3.2bn in 2007. This figure surpasses the combined sales of major rival water brands Evian and Volvic from Danone, according to research from Zenith International and ACNielsen. Nestlé Waters executive vice president and CEO, John Harris, said: “Nestlé Pure Life didn’t even exist 10 years ago, yet it has now become the world’s top selling bottled water brand. That’s quite a remarkable achievement.” Harris revealed that the brand had achieved a 28% compound growth rate over the last four years. Year-to-date growth for the brand was 16%, which rises to an impressive 18% when looking specifically at the North American market. This time next year, the product is set to become the number one selling brand of water produced in the US. In the US, Nestlé didn't launch NPL as a completely new brand. Instead, it acquired the long-established regional brand Aberfoyle in 2000 and transformed the product into Pure Life. The company has since released low-calorie flavour extensions to add value to the brand and give it more flexibility in pricing. The company is making no secret of its determination to grow the Pure Life brand in emerging markets, including parts of Eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The brand has already achieved significant inroads in China, the Philippines, Nigeria, Egypt and parts of the Middle East over the past few years. Nestlé Pure Life is bottled, where possible, in the country or at least the region where it's sold, combining the benefit of a local production and the strength of a worldwide brand. Depending on the country and the consumer needs, the brand is sold as a still, sparkling, plain or flavoured water. Pure Life was also the Official Water of the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006. .

Speyside Glenlivet Natural Mineral Water has been named New Scottish Exporter of the Year at Food From Britain’s Export Awards Ceremony, held at the Landmark Hotel in London on 10 December 2008. The Award, sponsored by Scottish Development International, is designed to endorse the success of Scottish food and drink exports to all parts of the world, and to highlight the opportunities for Scottish brands. Stephen Price, Chief Executive of Speyside Glenlivet Natural Mineral Water, said: “Winning this award is a triumph for brand development and demonstrates the unique provenance of Speyside Glenlivet Natural Mineral Water. Our low mineral content, our brand name and our fine quality presentation ensures our positioning as a premium beverage brand.” Speyside Glenlivet focuses on the premium food service sector and has an impressive client base within the UK as well as overseas. Its reputation for top-end quality branding has been rapidly spreading worldwide as consumers become more discerning. From initial sales close to home in France, Spain and Belgium, Speyside Glenlivet is now exporting to Japan, Dubai, Thailand and Hong Kong. The water is on the menus of some of the world’s most exclusive establishments including the Burj Al Arab in Dubai; Macdonald Hotels, Principal Hotels and Hand Picked Hotels in the UK; and The Ritz in Paris. “The world’s best hotels and restaurants demand top quality products on their menus and wine lists, and their water offering is no different. Speyside Glenlivet Natural Mineral Water isn't just another bottled water but a strong brand with unique Scottish provenance,” added Mr Price.

*Florida mum Ruth Tacks has won the chance to join famous Hispanic mums like actress and model Barbara Mori, singer Alicia Villarreal and TV personality Charityn as a star in the iconic US milk moustache campaign. * The competition was part of got milk?’s Hispanic campaign and Ruth stars in the ad with her three teenage sons: Alvaro David (19), Juan Diego (17) and José Daniel (15). The purpose of the contest was to reward a special mum who understands the importance of drinking and serving milk to her family in order to stay healthy, strong and in shape. Ruth was selected as the contest winner because of her obvious dedication to her family's health. When asked what it meant to be a ‘Super Mamá’, Ruth described it as "doing what's best for your family, including looking out for their nutrition. Ever since my boys were young, I instilled in them the nutritional benefits of low-fat milk. Today, my teenage boys are 19, 17 and 15 and I'm proud that they each still drink three glasses of milk a day."

TNO has developed a drying technology that requires less energy to remove the moisture from food, and boosts the capacity of existing driers. The result of an EET research project (Dutch Economy, Ecology, Technology project), which TNO worked on with HB Drying Systems, Hosokawa, Kievit (Friesland Foods), Unifine and Wageningen University, the adsorption dryer technology reduces energy consumption, yet ensures that the organoleptic qualities of products are retained. According to TNO, the system works by conditioning the dry air sucked in from the environment (which has a varying moisture content) and by generating dry air that has a constant moisture content and constant temperature. Attached to an existing dryer, it improves the dryer capacity and production yield. In addition, the energy extracted from the warm, moist air can be reused in the adsorption process, said TNO, thereby reducing the energy consumption still further. Extracted moisture is no longer transported away from the plant as water vapour but as liquid water. The pilot system has already been installed at the food ingredient company, Friesland Foods Kievit, where it's connected to equipment that's used to make products that are susceptible to temperature and oxidation. In February 2009, the pilot installation will be transported to the spice producer, Unifine, where it will be used to recirculate the drying air, enabling the expensive aromas and flavourings of the spices to be retained.