*In a landmark sales agreement, Designer Whey will now sell the company’s best-selling protein products through online retail giant Amazon.com. * The agreement will make Designer Whey’s whey protein products available to Amazon's millions of global customers, and makes it possible for Designer Whey to expand its distribution. The agreement with Amazon includes all Designer Whey products, in addition to the recently released Protein Blitz enhanced beverages. Amazon.com and DesignerWhey.com shoppers can also find the Original and All Natural product lines, such as 12.7oz canisters and 2lb jugs of traditional flavours, and this summer’s popular Protein 2Go, travel-size water bottle mixers. David Jenkins, Founder and CEO of Designer Whey sees this as a landmark move: “Amazon.com ships over one million orders each day and Designer Whey protein products will now be accessible to busy people who make their purchasing decisions online, enabling them to live a more healthy, balanced lifestyle. The company’s flagship brand, Designer Whey, is changing the way America and the world wide web feel about protein."

Rose Plastic is expecting a large amount of interest from the wine and spirits industry in its new packaging concept. The new product features an innovative, practical closure mechanism, and is available in a variety of sizes, with the ability to vary the inner length. “There's demand in the market for good quality, well-packaged wines and spirits," said Craig North, UK Sales and Marketing Manager of Rose Plastic. "We're really excited about what this stylish, new concept will mean for drinks producers. The new packaging is ideal for manufacturers who want to differentiate their product, add shelf-appeal and ultimately gain a price premium. It also creates an excellent visual display, while providing protection during transportation and storage.” All Rose Plastic products are manufactured from materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene and poly vinyl chloride, all of which are light yet extremely strong.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published a study that outlines the health benefits of yogurt. According to the study, yogurt may reduce bladder cancer risks by up to 40%. It was reported that: "Those that consumed two yogurt pots or yogurt mini drinks were less likely to develop bladder cancer than those that ate no or little yogurt."

On 4 November, Americans will take to the polling stations to cast their vote for either John McCain or Barack Obama, and Ben & Jerry's plans to reward them for doing so. Each voter who proves their eligibility for a free scoop of ice cream, either by displaying their "I Voted" sticker, showing a photo of themselves at the polling station, or doing the "I Voted" dance, will be rewarded at a participating Ben & Jerry's outlet. The free scoops are being dished out between 5-8pm on 4 November, regardless of who you vote for!

With the party season looming, one of the first things that crosses the mind of most venues, restaurants and hotels is catering and food. As there are so many developments in the party food and snacks market, sometimes choosing what to have can be as difficult as putting it all together. The Mintel report in May 2007 also revealed signs that the consumption of snacks has decreased due to trends towards healthier food. However, the trend focuses on the eating patterns for a particular period, and during the winter in particular, customers are more relaxed towards their diet and are more likely to indulge in snacks, party food and alcohol. There are ways of staying on top of the trend, and that is being innovative and sourcing different types of snacks. For instance, vegetable crisps are more versatile than potato crisps, with different vegetables giving different flavours and tastes. Richard Thompson, Brand Manager at Glennans, says: "The colour, texture and flavour that Glennans vegetable crisps offer make them a fantastic addition to any dish. For example, our development chef was able to crush the product down to use as a topping for a mousaka, opening up even more possibilities.” Getting creative with crisps You may be wondering how you can be creative with vegetable crisps, especially when you're entertaining big groups of people, but there are so many possibilities for finger food that combine the vegetable crisps, from beetroot canapés, with beetroot crisps as the basis, as well many more combinations. Richard goes on to explain: “The versatility of the product means it works perfectly with any course, from beetroot crisps with goat cheese and apple chutney canapé, to savoury spicy granola, or with soured cream, salsa and crushed Glennans vegetable crisps – there are so many ways they can be served as a light snack or starter.” With the range of vegetables used, the choice is ample: butternut squash, yams, sweet potato, plantain, parsnip, eddoes etc. Being innovative is something Glennans is already doing: “We've even started to run competitions within national groups, to encourage and challenge chefs to try new and innovative ways of using the products," says Richard. "We're only aspiring chefs ourselves, so when we hear new ideas that chefs have come up with, it's really quite exciting for us. We're always keen to hear new ideas and recipes.” So what's in store for the future of crisps and party snacks? As the market varies and changes, and as new products, new ideas and healthy eating regimes force healthier snacks to market, chefs, restaurants, hotels and venues will need to be much more creative. Richard concludes: “We fry eddoes, yams, butternut squash and white, sweet potato too. On top of this, we're always trying new things. The last vegetable we tried was lotus root! We're always expanding our portfolio of vegetables to make sure that we continue to inspire chefs.” Richard Thompson is Brand Manager at Glennans, a family company that manufactures vegetable crisps and croutons from their base in Staffordshire, UK.

The news article [<'arniston bay wine launched in 1 litre tetra pak'><1>] announcing the launch of a range of Arniston Bay wines packed into Tetra Pak contains so much “green wash” that it's almost laughable. No sensible consumer is going to be taken in. What, for instance, does the term “recyclable” actually mean? Almost anything is potentially recyclable. Glass is actually recycled – up to 90% recycled content in most green wine bottles, and can be recycled over and over again. What evidence exists to verify the claim that the carton is 80% more environmentally friendly than glass? As there has yet to be a full cradle-to-cradle life-cycle assessment undertaken for glass, the figure quoted can only be regarded as wishful thinking. Is it also right that brand owners and retailers should introduce a packaging format associated with the juvenile market at a time when underage consumption of alcohol is such a social issue? The closest that Arniston Bay gets to matching the quality, feel and inertness of glass is the use of glass bottles in the graphics on the carton. It will never be able to replicate the real deal for wine packs – glass bottles themselves. David Workman has a history in the glass industry spanning more than 30 years. He has worked in a variety of senior sales and marketing roles within the UK’s leading glass container manufacturers. He was appointed as Director General of British Glass in 2001. <1>: /articleDetail.aspx?contentId=1647

*Using green technology, the Quangoff natural spring water dispense system has been specially developed for the demanding hotel and restaurant sector. * The natural spring water is delivered from four UK spring sources in 20-litre recyclable bag in boxes. The system eliminates the need for disposable glass or plastic bottles. The dispense system is compact and easily sited on top of a bar or counter area. David Lenderyou, Managing Director, Quangoff said: “The current economic climate may mean that business owners have other concerns on their minds, but saving energy saves money and taking a positive stance on environmental issues is hugely important to customers and employees. “Over the last 18 months, we've seen increased demand for 'enviro-positive' water from the restaurant and hotel trade. In a recent customer survey, we found that 97% score the environmental benefits of the Quangoff system as their key reason to purchase.” The benefits of the Quangoff system are being enjoyed by a variety of outlets across the hospitality sector, including cafes, bistros, restaurants, contract caterers and independent hotels and hotel groups.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) today announced that Cadbury has become its latest Tier Two Supporter. The deal will be effective immediately, giving Cadbury the designation of official confectionery and ice cream supporter for London 2012, rights to use the London 2012 marks on-product, as well as marketing rights to Team GB and ParalympicsGB. At Games’ time, Cadbury will supply all confectionery and packaged ice cream sold at venues and within the Olympic Park. Cadbury was also an official supplier of the Sydney Games in 2000, as well as the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (2002) and Melbourne (2006). The Bournville-based company becomes London 2012’s second Tier Two supporter, following the announcement of Deloitte as Professional Services Supporter at the end of last year. London 2012 CEO Paul Deighton said: “Following the success of Team GB and ParalympicsGB this summer, we all came back from Beijing with a spring in our step and this has been replicated in the commercial sector. There has been a surge of interest in London 2012 and I’m thrilled that Cadbury has come onboard. "They have a great track record supporting both major sporting events and community initiatives, and we welcome them to the London 2012 family. This is another fantastic achievement for the commercial programme, and with this deal we have now raised over £430m, which is well on our way to our domestic sponsorship target as we seek to raise the £2bn required to stage the Games in 2012.” Todd Stitzer, CEO Cadbury plc, said: “For nearly 200 years, Cadbury has been part of the fabric of British life, so we're extremely proud to be a sponsor of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Since John Cadbury opened a chocolate shop in Birmingham in 1824, we have strived to be a company that is both performance driven and values led – a philosophy that is at one with the long-held ethos of the Games: inspiration, optimism and community. "London 2012 is a huge opportunity for us all to celebrate everything that is great about Britain and to bring local communities together throughout the UK. We look forward to building on all these things through our existing community partnerships. The Cadbury brand reaches every corner of Britain. The Games has the power to excite and inspire, and by working together we can bring a bit of fun and magic to everyone’s lives."

Coressence has chosen Cobell's new 'JuiceBox' container. The package offers juice on-tap in wine box-style three-, five- and 10-litre packs. All the JuiceBox packs use an aseptic system which provides a longer 'opened' shelf life (of up to 14 days chilled). This is four times longer than other standard packaging. Nick Sprague, Chairman and founder of Cobell, said: "We're absolutely delighted to have been given this opportunity and it marks yet another significant stage of growth for our company. Coressence recognised our experience and also our innovative aseptic packaging system that will ensure they maintain the high quality of the pure juice that is so important to them and to the health-conscious consumer. "We source fruit from all over the globe, so it's good in this case to be working a little closer to home!" The particular flavanols in the Evesse have been proven to increase blood flow through the heart by relaxing the arteries. This vaso-dilation can also help asthma, exercise recovery and warm-up, reduces blood clots and swelling in the lower legs, and improves skin tone. Richard Wood from Coressence said: "We're delighted to be working with Cobell at a time when European regulations relating to health claims are entering their final stages. Evesse Juice allows health claims to be used on-pack."

Rexam has produced a new look and feel to a limited edition can for Latvian brewer Cesu Alus using registered embossing and 'Illustration Impact' for its premium beer cans. Rexam's registered embossing technique enables customers to highlight specific details on the can, whether it be a face, logo or product name, while 'Illustration Impact' allows photo-like images to be printed on-can. "Having used Rexam's embossing technology in the past, we were looking for a new way to promote the Cesu Premium brand and bring in new consumers," said Eva Sientinsone Zatlere, Chairman of the Cesu Alus Board. "Registered embossing offered the perfect vehicle for this." Aimed primarily at men aged 25-40, the cans have been available in all retail outlets throughout Latvia since July 2008, and will be available for at least four months. Cesu Alus is the first company in Latvia to use registered embossing and 'Illustration Impac't on the same can, proving that Latvian consumers are embracing new and creative drinks products. The campaign is being supported by a nationwide TV and print campaign. Marketing Manager for Rexam Beverage Can, Ann Bonner, expects the campaign to be one of its most successful yet for embossing. She believes that, "in the tough competitive climate, the ability to stand out on-shelf can make all the difference to drinks brands".

Following reports in some UK national newspapers, InBev has released a statement denying that it will launch a stronger version of its popular Stella Artois lager. The alleged "Stella Black" was reported to offer a 5.5% alcohol level (the normal level for Stella Artois is 5.2%). A spokesperson for InBev said the following: "InBev UK is constantly looking at a number of product innovations. However, InBev UK categorically denies it is launching any variants of Stella Artois at a higher ABV than currently available." The company did, however, launch a lower strength version of Stella Artois earlier this year, with an alcohol level of just 4%. A marketing campaign for this lighter variant will launch in November 2008.

**Crayons beverage company of the US has launched what is claimed to be “the first and only all-natural line of FUNctional drinks” designed specifically for children and teenagers. **The new drinks are being unveiled at the Natural Products Expo East, held in Boston on 16-18 October. Each Crayons FUNctional juice drink uses a special blend of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre to offer a range of specific benefits, including: Multi-vitamin total body support Calcium-boosting bone health Antioxidant well-being Immunity support Afternoon pick-me up Simple refreshment. The drinks are made with 30% real fruit juice, sweetened only with organic cane juice, and are said to contain 30% less sugar and carbohydrates than most other juice drinks – totalling just 90 calories per 8oz (237ml) serving. Ron Lloyd, CEO of Crayons, said: “As a parent, I'm thrilled to finally have a healthier beverage option for today’s active kids. “Crayons All Natural FUNctional Fruit Juice Drinks provide parents with a nutritious and delicious choice that makes all other juices and/or fruit juice drinks obsolete. No other kids’ beverage compares to our combined level of fun and function.” * Colourful graphics * The new FUNctional line is intended to build on the success of Crayons’ existing juice drinks for kids and teens, introduced in 2007. FUNctional drinks contain the same bold fruit flavours, and are packaged with the same colourful graphics in environmentally friendly 8oz aluminium cans. The drinks are expected to retail at or below $0.99 per can, and will be available in single cans and a x4 multipack. The six flavours are: Blueberry-Raspberry RAZZICAL, formulated with three essential antioxidants. Fruit Punch 3PM, an “afternoon pick-me-up” containing B vitamins for energy and fibre equal to two cups of grapes. Tickled Pink Lemonade THIRST-C, “The Quencherator,” combining vitamin C with traditional refreshment. Watermelon & Wild Berries BUFF BONZ, with vitamins plus calcium to support sound muscle and bone development. Kiwi Strawberry SUPER-V, a multi-vitamin beverage. Outrageous Orange Mango D-FENSE, an immunity support drink with vitamins, zinc, and as much fibre as an orange.