Beverage Innovation magazine, in partnership with UNESDA – the Union of European Beverages Associations, has announced that the 2009 beverage innovation awards will be a feature event at drinktec in Munich in September 2009. The local partner for the event is WAFG – the German Alcohol-Free Drinks Association. Drinktec, held every four years at Neue Messe München, is the world’s largest beverage and liquid food technology trade fair. With a predicted 70,000 plus visitors in 2009, it represents a perfect fit for the beverage innovation awards, which are now in their fifth successful year. Categories and a call for entries will be announced on 1st September 2008, providing the event’s sponsors with the opportunity for a full 12 month promotional programme. The judging panel will include brand, nutrition and environment experts. There will be awards for best new juice, functional, energy, adult and dairy drinks; best newcomer brand or business; best new ingredient; best marketing campaign; best environmental, ethical, sustainability and health initiatives; as well as a wide range of packaging awards. Beverage Innovation Editor Claire Phoenix commented: “drinktec represents a unique opportunity for the whole non-alcoholic beverages industry to come together and celebrate innovation in product development. The Best Overall Concept winner at this year’s event in Moscow was a product which was completely on trend with a simple and natural offering, while other winners demonstrated the increasing importance of health and wellness ingredients, marketing, education, and environmental and ethical agendas. Major players and entrepreneurs all benefit from this acclaim.” drinktec: unique selling point “All parties see the benefit of this combination which will add value to the event,” said Exhibition Director Petra Westphal. “By representing the entire beverages industry, drinktec has a unique selling point as the world’s leading sector meeting place. It makes sense that the beverage industry should celebrate innovation in Munich.” “The non-alcoholic beverages industry is highly innovative, offering consumers a wide variety of choice. In the past three years there has been a strong focus on low and no calorie products as well as drinks with particular health profiles and ingredients,” commented UNESDA Secretary General Alain Beaumont. “We are delighted to partner with Beverage Innovation magazine in showcasing the wealth of innovation in the sector.” “One of drinktec’s strengths is that it is held only every four years,” added Zenith International Publishing Group Editorial Director Bill Bruce. “Visitors see a real step change in the way the industry is responding to the varying demands of the marketplace and setting new trends through innovation in packaging and ingredients. We are convinced that the awards will reflect the most exciting developments in the industry and we aim to ensure the gala dinner is the biggest ever held in the sector in Europe.” SPONSORSHIP For more information or to enquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact <1>. <1>: bill.bruce@zipublishing.com

* In the US, Celsius – the original calorie burning beverage – is now available in 438 outlets of the Midwestern retailer, Kum & Go. * Celsius has been scientifically formulated and clinically tested to burn up to 100 calories or more per serving will be available in all Kum & Go locations. Kum & Go will carry the popular green tea raspberry acai, green tea peach mango and sparkling wild berry and orange flavours. Celsius can be found in Kum & Go stores in New Year’s end cap displays for consumers eager to start their New Year’s resolution of consuming healthier beverages and foods. Celsius will support sales at Kum & Go with pump toppers, promotional pricing and advertising. According to Kevin Krause, Senior Vice President of Marketing: "We pride ourselves on providing quality products and superior customer service in each and every Kum & Go store. We believe that our customers are looking for great-tasting, functional beverages such as Celsius calorie burning beverage. The clinical studies that scientifically support Celsius confirm that this is a high performance drink our customers will embrace." Celsius Vice President of Strategic Accounts and Business Development Janice Haley said: "Kum & Go is a cornerstone of the Midwest community as is evident by their recent award for Retail Leader of the Year, by CSP magazine. We're honoured to be working with them to deliver Celsius to their customers, and have been impressed with their launch process and the education within their company ranks, which has resulted in great enthusiasm for Celsius. It's clear to us how Kum & Go continually retains their leadership position in convenience store ranking." Sustained calorie burn Celsius drinks are powered by a proprietary blend of ingredients including green tea with EGCG, ginger, caffeine, calcium, chromium, plus B vitamins and vitamin C. Scientifically shown to raise metabolism over a three-hour period, consuming Celsius results in a sustained calorie burn while keeping you energised. Kum & Go, awarded as Convenience Store, Petroleum’s 2008 RetailLeader of the Year, was started in 1959 in Hampton, Iowa and now hasmore than 430 stores in 12 states.

"We're proud to be the first company in Australia to feature the Carbon Reduction Label, which not only helps us to improve the efficiency of our business, but also provides customers with important information allowing them to make smarter shopping decisions," said Tom Daunt, MD buying, Aldi. "We believe it makes good business sense to protect and promote the environment in everything we do, and the Carbon Reduction Label will help us achieve this." The Carbon Reduction Label informs consumers of the total carbon footprint of a product, from raw materials and manufacturing right through to disposal or recycling of packaging. The Label helps people understand how they can reduce their own carbon footprint and fight climate change. "Independent research conducted for Planet Ark found that 60% of Australians would be more likely to purchase a product displaying the Carbon Reduction Label, and we welcome Aldi to this groundbreaking programme," said Paul Klymenko, research director, Planet Ark. By adopting the Carbon Reduction Label, Aldi joins an international list of major businesses that have committed to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of products. Planet Ark brought the Carbon Reduction Label to Australia in partnership with its originators, the Carbon Trust in the UK. "It's great to see the expansion of the Carbon Reduction Label in Australia with Aldi, a major international retailer," said Euan Murray, carbon footprinting general manager, Carbon Trust UK. "We all want to do our bit to tackle climate change, but consumers can find it confusing to know what to do. The Carbon Reduction Label is a simple way of supporting those brands and companies that have measured their footprints and are actively trying to reduce their impact." The Carbon Reduction Label is now appearing in 19 countries, with labelled products having annual sales of about A$4.5bn. Source: Carbon Trust UK

This is the latest in a string of high-profile sponsorships which has seen Carling become one of the most prolific investors in Scottish sport. As part of the sponsorship deal, Carling will have a major presence at Murrayfield stadium, where the brand will be visible on billboards, LED pitch boards, bars inside and outside the stadium and staff uniforms. Source: Molson Coors

Bill Bruce is group editorial director, FoodBev Media. This is a personal blog and views expressed are his own. It might not be the fastest moving trend in dairy, but ‘yogurt for men’ is nevertheless a trend to watch. Starting with Fonterra’s Mammoth Supply Company yogurt in 2010, the launch of Powerful Yogurt in the United States, in March 2013brought the trend to life. The next notable entry into this rather specific category was Danone for Men, in Bulgaria, in August 2013. The start of 2015 sees the arrival of another male focused yogurt, withDannon Oikos Triple Zero yogurt, in the United States. So, why yogurt for men, rather than just ‘yogurt for everyone’? For years, advertising for the category has been aimed at promoting yogurt’s healthy benefits to women… but then, the focus turned to protein. From Powerful Yogurt’s hilarious ‘discover your hidden abs’ adverts to the new Danone Oikos sports tie-in, the benefits of protein – coupled with an increasing understanding of benefits ranging from improved digestion to better sexual health, have made yogurt a sensible addition to the male diet. What do men want from yogurt? Powerful Yogurt was developed by a team of sports nutritionists, trainers, and food scientists. The ‘for men, by men’ snack is designed to help men lose fat, gain muscle, and improve digestive health. At launch, the brand said: “In a niche typically dominated by female consumers, we decided to develop a new Greek yogurt specifically suited to address the unique health and nutrition needs of the most neglected consumers in the category: men.” Danone for Men was launched following research which showed that men prefer to consume dairy products with high fat, thick, with natural ingredients and with distinctive taste. To meet these expectations, the company created a thick yogurt with 5% fat that can even be consumed with a fork. As I said in a blog back in August 2013, this was hardly a new concept. The first yogurt that I was aware was specifically launched with men as the target audience was in New Zealand by Fonterra’s Mammoth Supply Company, way back in late 2010. With its heavy looking tubs, it featured the on-pack slogan, This is men’s yogurt and you’re a man… now find a spoon, fork or spade and dig in . So why yogurt for men? Improved digestion Yogurt contains probiotic bacteria, which are primarily known for their ability to promote digestive health. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, several of the strains of probiotic bacteria found in yogurt may help prevent or treat digestive difficulties including indigestion, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease. Yogurt’s probiotics can also promote regular bowel movements, better immune system functioning and improved vitamin, mineral and nutrient absorption. Weight management Science suggests that certain dairy products, including yogurt, can help obese men lose weight. A long-term study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2008, said that ‘regular yogurt consumption was inversely associated with weight gain and waist circumference measurements in overweight men. The same relationship between yogurt and weight changes did not hold true for overweight women’. Sexual health According to LiveStrong , if the results of studies conducted on male mice are any indication, yogurt may also have sexual benefits for men. According to a research review published in the journal PLoS ONE in 2014, male mice fed a yogurt diet developed larger testicles, higher testosterone levels and higher sperm concentrations. Dr Susan Erdman, one of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology authors of the research review, hypothesized that the fertility benefits observed in the mice could be due to yogurt’s probiotic bacteria. Build muscle Finally, yogurt, and especially Greek yogurt, is a rich source of high-quality, muscle-building protein. Just one 6oz container of nonfat, plain Greek yogurt packs in 18 grams of protein without the fat that could be gained from other sources. So finding ways to focus a male audience on the benefits of yogurt is relatively easy. I’ve been saying for nearly two years that this trend would develop and it’s been slower than I’d expected. Following the new launch from Dannon in the US… I now predict it will speed up.