Nestlé UK and Boost Juice Bars have joined forces to launch a range of 100% fruit smoothies with added nutritional benefits, aimed at the 18 to 30-year-old health-conscious consumer. The UK healthy drinks and smoothie market is a crowded one, but there's a gap for a more functional range of ready-to-drink smoothies that still deliver on taste. Made by the Australian juice experts, Boost Juice Bars, the Boosted Smoothies brand is described as cheeky, noisy, vibrant, raunchy, adult, yet accessible, honest and fun. Dragon was asked to create a big idea for the brand, which would create new news in the category, building on the Boost vibe and be in harmony with the 'Love Life' essence of Boost Juice Bars. Boosted Smoothies will be available nationwide from the end of April in four flavours: Mango Mania – Energy Boost gives a lift thanks to guarana and ginseng; Berry Blitz – Immunity Boost features a dairy-free probiotic and Vitamin C to help strengthen the body’s defences; Smashin’ Strawberry – Mind Boost has a ginseng & guarana mix which can aid memory and concentration; and Topical Twist – Metabolism Boost contains Teavigo a taste-free green tea extract which can have a positive effect on fat oxidation. The launch is being supported with a £5 million integrated marketing and communications campaign.

Mars Incorporated has announced a merger agreement with Chicago based Wm Wrigley Jr Company in a transaction valued at approximately $23 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, Wrigley will become a separate, stand alone subsidiary of Mars. With $5.4 billion in sales, Wrigley is a world leader in gum and confections. The company has had a strong year, with 17% increase in quarterly earnings per share and earnings up 16% from a year ago. Under the terms of the agreement, unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies, shareholders of Wrigley will receive $80 in cash for each share. Based on Wrigley’s closing share price of $62.45 on April 25, 2008 and its three month weighted average share price of $59.88, this represents a premium of 28.1% and 34%, respectively, to Wrigley stockholders. Financing for the transaction will be provided by Berkshire Hathaway, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan. At closing, Berkshire Hathaway will make a minority equity investment in the Wrigley subsidiary. Strong foundation The combined company would have a strong foundation of established brands in six core growth categories – chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery, gum, food, drinks and petcare – including M&M’S, Snickers, Dove, Mars, Orbit®, Extra®, Doublemint, Uncle Ben’s, Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin and Banfield. The transaction builds the Mars business by strengthening and diversifying its confectionery business, and enhancing its potential for growth in the chocolate, non-chocolate confectionery and gum categories. “When this transaction is completed, we will be proud to welcome Wrigley’s associates to our company,” said Mars Global President Paul S Michaels. “The strong cultural heritage of two legendary American companies with a shared commitment to innovation, quality and best-in-class global brands provides a great basis for this combination. We are looking forward to continuing on our path of growth by jointly developing those values even further.” The combination will allow Wrigley to retain its character and focus as a stand-alone business while being part of a larger family corporation that has a strong heritage and an entrepreneurial and global culture. Michaels added, “We understand how important Wrigley’s presence has been for Chicago over the past century and have committed to maintain its headquarters and operations in the city. Mars has a long history of involvement in the greater Chicago economy and community, and we look forward to strengthening these ties by maintaining Wrigley’s heritage there.” Wrigley was founded in Chicago in 1891 and Mars currently operates three plants in Illinois, including a chocolate confectionery plant in Oak Park, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2004. To provide more focus to Mars’ brands and drive growth, the company will be transferring its global non-chocolate confectionery sugar brands, including Starburst and Skittles, to Wrigley. Following completion of the transaction, Bill Wrigley, Jr. will remain Executive Chairman of Wrigley, reporting to Paul S. Michaels. He will work closely with Bill Perez, President and Chief Executive Officer, and the current Wrigley management team, which has a strong track record of delivering consistently superior performance. The proposed transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by Wrigley stockholders and certain governmental and agency regulatory clearances. Both parties hope to close the transaction within six to twelve months.

Lovejuice, the UK’s premier smoothie and juice bar operator backed by Smedvig Capital, has acquired Barefruit Juice, a chain of juice bars in the North of England. This acquisition accelerates the expansion of Lovejuice and in particular provides a stronghold in the North. Lovejuice is also pleased to announce the imminent opening of a new flagship outlet in the recently completed Terminal 5 complex at Heathrow airport. Lovejuice fought off tough competition to secure a store in the new Terminal and is delighted to be in such an exciting new development, which will see millions of travellers passing each year. Barefruit Juice is a highly complementary acquisition for Lovejuice – sharing a similar ethos and culture when it comes to product and service. Barefruit is a chain of smoothie and juice bars which like Lovejuice aims to provide alternative nutritious beverages to caffeinated and carbonated drinks sold at the majority of UK fast food outlets. Like Lovejuice it is committed to choosing the healthiest and best ingredients to ensure the quality of the products they provide. With this parallel commitment to healthy fruit and vegetables being the constituent parts to their offering Barefruit made the perfect partner for Lovejuice. Commenting on the announcement, John Heseltine, founder of Lovejuice, said: “This acquisition marks the next important stage in our growth, as we build scale and a strong presence across the UK. We are growing our portfolio of outlets and remain on the look out for comparable acquisitions as the juice bar sector moves into a period of consolidation. We will also continue to open new stores organically when the right opportunities arise” He added: “Winning a key spot in the new terminal building was quite a triumph for us and a superb endorsement of the quality of the Lovejuice brand. These are exciting times for us and we look forward to making similar announcements in due course as we continue our ongoing growth pattern and dedication to healthier alternatives to traditional fast food on the move.”

*Sigpack Systems, a Bosch Packaging Technology company, received the international iF Packaging Award for the packaging concept Burgopak. * The packaging solution with a user-friendly sliding mechanism combines product and process innovation and has already received several prizes, including the SwissStar Award and the WorldStar Award. The iF Packaging Award jury selected the Burgopak packaging style with patented sliding mechanism as the best packaging construction and functionality out of 148 applications from 17 countries. Besides pharmaceutical products, such as blister packs, the Burgopak is suitable for packaging chewing gum, hard candy or consumer goods in various format sizes, including CDs, DVDs or SIM cards. The Burgopak is constructed of a wallet format combined with a folded box, which is exposed at the head sides. Consumers open the user-friendly packaging by pulling a flap on one side. The sliding mechanism causes the opposite product carrier to slide open, revealing an instruction leaflet or operating manual. The innovative mechanism is tamper-proof and differentiates brands from the competition. "Sigpack Systems cooperates closely with design agencies," said Andreas Graf, system integration manager at Sigpack Systems. "Innovative packaging styles such as the Burgopak enhance the product presentation at the point of sale. By automating original packaging formats, we make them accessible for the mass market." The iF International Forum Design GmbH awarded the prize for outstanding design to 53 products. All winners have their awarded products on display at Interpack 2008 in Dusseldorf, Germany, 24-30 April.

Fruitsense from Old Orchard Brands in the US is a functional, vitamin-enhanced juice drink in large, lightweight plastic bottles typically reserved for the fruit juice aisle – a move that suggests the single-serve, on the go segment of flavoured waters is headed towards at-home consumption. Each 8oz serving contains antioxidant vitamins C and E, essential vitamins A and B, with functional ingredients including echinacea, EGCG, CoQ10, ginseng, taurine, hibiscus, magnesium, zinc, calcium and iron. All six flavours are sweetened naturally with low-glycemic organic agave nectar and 5% fruit juice, resulting in only 45 calories per serving. The product has no preservatives and is gluten free. "FruitSense combines the best of all worlds: 5% real fruit juice, added vitamins, a low calorie count, and an organic sweetener that's friendly to a diabetic diet," said Vice President of Marketing for Old Orchard Brands Kevin Miller. "In a multi-serve bulk pack, we offer consumers a lower cost per ounce, making a more environmentally-friendly package. We feel this gives our product a strong competitive edge." According to a recent Beverage Marketing Corporation study, the fastest growing segment in the beverage category is flavored and functional waters, which saw double digit growth year-to-year in 2007. FruitSense has been designed to take advantage of this growth trend. FruitSense is being offered in six flavors, each supporting a distinctive health benefit: Key Lime Colada is enhanced with EGCG to help boost metabolism; Pomegranate, Blueberry, Mangosteen includes Co-enzyme Q10 for heart health; Kiwi Dragonfruit contains ginseng and taurine for natural, caffeine-free energy; Strawberry, Peach, Melon includes hibiscus, vitamin D, and magnesium to combat stress; Tangerine Grapefruit includes zinc and Echinacea for preventative health; and Cranberry, Raspberry is blended with calcium, vitamin D and iron for women's health. Old Orchard will kick-off the launch of FruitSense with national print advertising, radio advertising, and product sampling, and is giving away free bottles of FruitSense to the first 50,000 visitors to the company's website: www.fruitsense.com. * About Old Orchard Brands* Sparta, Mich.-based Old Orchard Brands is one of the fastest-growing fruit juice brands in the US. Established in 1985, the company offers consumers 30 frozen concentrate flavors and 62 bottled varieties in a range of 100 percent fruit juices and blends, premium and organic juices, fruit juice cocktails, low-sugar fruit juice cocktails, and juice-infused teas. Old Orchard Brands currently produces more than 80 million 64-ounce bottles of fruit juice and 45 million 12-ounce canisters of frozen juice concentrates each year. The company is known for its innovative and value-added products that target the needs of today's health conscious consumers. Old Orchard Brands is an Allied Capital company.

Kenzai, the UK’s first producers of organic ready-to-drink iced teas, is to launch new packaging to celebrate the launch of its third flavoured iced tea. With white, green and the new jasmine flavoured tea, Kenzai’s three blends are made using real tea leaves and contain no additives, preservatives or colourings. Malinee Woeste, founder of Kenzai Tea, said: “To celebrate the launch of our third blend, the Jasmine iced tea, we're thrilled to kick-start our new packaging. This will include updating all our labelling and refreshing the look of Kenzai tea, while maintaining our traditional outlook on design and production. I'm delighted with the new look and I'm sure it will appeal to our customers also.” Kenzai Jasmine, White and Green teas are available in recyclable 330ml glass bottles from all good specialist food shops, and online at www.kenzai-tea.com – priced £1.75 a bottle.

An exotic spirit is about to hit American taste buds as International Beverage Holdings Ltd, USA (IBHL USA) imports Mekhong from Thailand. IBHL USA is backing the US launch of Mekhong with a heavy marketing and promotional push for on-premise accounts centred on the 13 new Mekhong cocktail recipes. Colourful Mekhong POS materials are being used and launch events are being scheduled in New York and Los Angeles The Thai spirit is made mostly from sugar cane and rice and infused with a special blend of indigenous Thai herbs and spices. The highly secret Mekhong recipe was developed to complement the taste and flavour of Thai food. At 35% alcohol by volume, the product's smooth mixability makes Mekhong an ideal spirit for fascinating and flavourful cocktails. Perfect for taking advantage of the resurging 'cocktail culture' in America that is looking for fun and interesting new flavoured cocktails. Mekhong is distilled, blended and bottled at the Bangyikhan Distillery on the outskirts of Bangkok. The brand is named after the mighty Mekhong River, which is derived from "Mae Nam"-Khong in Thai meaning "the mother of all waters" and has a long mystical history in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. Launched in 1941 as Thailand's first domestically produced branded spirit, Mekhong quickly became the most popular brand in Thailand and still today is synonymous with Thai pride and patriotism. Warding off evil spirits Mekhong is made using a unique fermentation and triple distillation process, but it is the blending process that makes Mekhong a premium golden spirit. The final distilled spirit is mixed with demineralized water and an old highly secret recipe of indigenous herbs and spices which are then combined and blended over time in the "blender purse." This is done in several traditional and symbolic stages related to the five natural elements: earth, water, air/wind, fire and aether (the mythical upper air that encompasses everything), which together gradually creates the unique golden, dark amber and reddish copper color, and mild, mellow taste and aroma of Mekhong. Mekhong comes in a unique 750 ML international bottle taking its design inspiration from traditional Thai boating on the Mekhong River. A colorful red and gold ribbon is tied around the neck of each bottle. The ribbons are a symbol of good luck and are representative of the ones boaters tie around their vessels to ward off evil spirits as they travel the Mekhong River.

New UK fruit juice company Fairjuice is set to launch the next big super-fruit drink to hit the market. Made from 100% fresh pressed fruit, Mulberry Fair is full of heart healthy antioxidants using the long forgotten fruit of the Mulberry bush. Set to launch the next phase of the red revolution with its unique pressed fruit juice range in June, these health enhancing drinks which contain Mulberry Juice have higher antioxidant levels than blueberry or cranberry. They also are a source of the heart healthy antioxidant resveratrol which help to combat the effects of obesity on the heart. Mulberries are also used in China to help suppress the appetite, which may be a useful weapon against the obesity epidemic. Overlooked for decades, beverage manufacturers are rediscovering Mulberries. Harvested close to Shanghai where Mulberry bushes were grown initially for their leaves which are used to feed silkworms. Each year to celebrate the harvesting of these special fruits, the Chinese hold a Mulberry Fair to bring the local communities together. Fairjuice aims to supplying niche and unique blends of juice to consumers who can appreciate the premium taste experience. The company Managing Director, Rachel Price, has been in the food and drink industry for the last 14 years. “We believe there is a market for a premium consumer, who not only wants to stay healthy but wants to enjoy the super-fruit drinks that count towards this. "Our juices have been very carefully selected from around the world to provide a wonderful taste sensation. The fabulous heart healthy antioxidants this juice contains are a first in the UK market and we are excited to bring them to consumers and retailers. "Mulberries have also been grown in the UK for years but never harvested, so perhaps now is the time to forget Acai and Goji berries and to look at fruits which could be grown in the UK. Fairjuice is delighted to be meeting the challenge of bringing a new product to market and we look forward to expanding our range.”

Sustainability is a key challenge in our modern and environmentally aware society, and even more in the centre of interest with recent initiatives from big retailers and brand owners. Reducing carbon footprint is the main focus, particularly in the packaging market – and, in this regard, biopolymers are consistently in the spotlight. What are biopolymers? Terms like 'biodegradability', 'compostability' and so forth often lead to confusion, and consumers often don't know how to deal with these new features, which makes them unsure of the real benefits of biopolymers. Generally, polymers can be divided into four different groups depending on their source and their ability to degrade in a certain environment. The majority of standard plastics such as Polyethylene (PE) and Polypropylene (PP) are non-(bio-)degradable and are based on fossil resources. Some others, such as Polycaprolactone (PCL), are (bio-)degradable even though they're made of fossil raw materials, and there are different so-called 'oxodegradable' additives on the market that trigger degradation of non-degradable petroleum-based polymers and allow them to degrade. This could be an interesting option for some very specific applications where degradation is the key functionality and not driven by sustainability. Examples are mulch films in agriculture or, potentially, shopping bags. Presently, the term ‘biopolymers’ is often associated with biodegradable and bio-based polymers. The most prominent example is Polylactic acid (PLA), which is presently supposed to be the most prevalent biopolymer on the market. However, biopolymers refer only to plastics that are based on renewable resources and are therefore not necessarily related to biodegradability. For instance, sugar-based PE is considered a biopolymer even though it's not biodegradable. Do we need biodegradable polymers? Biodegradability is an attribute that's often associated with environmental friendliness, but on the other hand also with instability of the polymer and low performance. Currently, biodegradability is frequently used as a marketing tool, though not all aspects of biodegradability are known and therefore hardly foreseeable (eg impact of degradation products). Already, we're confronted with headlines pointing to the rising prices for corn tortillas in Mexico due to the increasing demand of bio-resources causing corn shortages. Feed stock and farmland for biopolymers are in competition with biofuels as well as land capacity, which could be used to feed people. The benefits of biopolymers capable of being chemically recycled rather than composted are therefore obvious. Collecting industrial and post-consumer waste of polylactic acid (PLA), for instance, and converting it back to lactic acid by depolymerization results again in a purified base material for the polylactic acid production. In doing so, corn production, corn wet milling and fermentation could be avoided, and leading to an overall reduction of costs and energy consumption. Biodegradability should rather be regarded as functionality for some specific applications than being directly linked with biopolymers. Furthermore, when considering the high efforts presently made to improve the mechanical and technical properties of biopolymers, future biopolymer solutions will most probably end up losing the biodegradability at the expense of strength. In essence, the development of bio-based polymers should target a polymer which is recyclable rather than biodegradable. Carbon footprint In this context, the main driver for biopolymers on the market turns out to be the fact that they're based on renewable raw materials. This is presumably linked with the increasing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of products, and furthermore to comply with internal sustainability commitments. Biopolymer resin producers especially enhance their life cycle studies by purchasing renewable energy credits, but this option is certainly independent of the polymer produced. For the time being, Ciba’s market analysis in collaboration with Pira International and life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of biopolymers in cooperation with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) show neither clear advantages nor disadvantages of biopolymers compared with traditional mineral, oil-based polymers. As processing, use, collection and even waste management (except composting) don't show significant difference, and are comparable for all kind of polymers in terms of energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions, a fully greenhouse-gas-neutral option can only be achieved by using renewable resources. Even if 100% recycling could be feasible, traditional plastics would still need crude oil as a feed stock and therefore release net CO2 to the atmosphere. The long-term vision for a sustainable solution points to biopolymers that are 100% recyclable. If this is considered unfeasible, then at least incineration with heat recovery should be the option and not composting, in which, neither energy nor base material can be recovered (destroying value). Kompogas – anaerobic digestion One exception from the above statement, and therefore an additional end-of-life option for some biodegradable polymers, could be anaerobic digestion. In contrast to composting, the material breakdown occurs in the absence of oxygen and therefore produces carbon dioxide and methane instead of carbon dioxide and water. Moreover, anaerobic digestion is a renewable energy source because the methane and carbon-dioxide-rich biogas, which is produced during the process, is suitable for energy production, helping replace fossil fuels. The Swiss company Kompogas is producing CO2-neutral energy from biogenous household waste with this method. Additionally, the nutrient-rich solids left after digestion can be used as fertiliser. However, the quality of compost obtained from (bio-)degraded packaging waste is questionable. Hence, the issue of not being able to reuse base material, as in the case of recycling, will still remain. Furthermore, many biodegradable polymers, including PLA, are not (yet) suitable for anaerobic digestion. Nevertheless, this could be an attractive end-of-life alternative for several very specific applications where biodegradability implicates additional functionality and value. Role of raw material suppliers Ciba continuously strives for superior performance and is committed to contribute to long-term sustainable development. Regarding biopolymers simply as a new type of polymer on the market, Ciba is committed to learn more about these new materials. The company is capitalising on its expertise in polymers, colorants and additives to support the development of biopolymers by improving their technical performance through additives, focusing on testing compatibility with polymers and recycling rather than biodegradability. Beyond the interests in the embryonic biopolymer market, Ciba offers a wide range of sustainable solutions for plastics and paper/paperboard packaging. Consequently, the company’s contribution to sustainable packaging will not only concentrate on additives and colorants for biopolymers, but also include strength solutions which allow significant light-weighing of packaging as well as improvement of recycled resin performance. There will be no standard solution eliminating all present and future concerns. Rather, the point is to find individual ways to change general attitudes and develop technologies to balance environmental, economic and social aspects of sustainability in order to ensure the same quality of life also for future generations. By Dr Markus A Meier and Miriam Wehrli

If National Vegetarian Week (May 19-25, 2008) has got you thinking about cooking a vegetarian meal or two then great. And what better way to start than with a little help from the experts? "Vegetarian dishes are delightful - full of colour, texture and flavour," says celebrated vegetarian Cook and Author Rose Elliot. "Vegetables are so versatile and even if you're in a hurry all you need is a tasty paste or sauce to stir in to bring pulses, vegetables, pasta and rice to life. "Make sure your larder is stocked with your favourite sauces, pastes and condiments for the days when you don't have time to cook from scratch, so even when you're busy you can easily rustle up a vegetarian meal in minutes. "If you have a few jars of good quality, Vegetarian Society approved sauces and pastes then you're half way to a delicious meal already." Rose is a big fan of Venture Foods - a British, family business that has around 30 products under the Geo Organics brand. She has developed some exclusive recipes with a selection of her favourite products on its http://www.seriouslyorganic.co.uk " href="http://www.seriouslyorganic.co.uk%20">web site including Crunchy Thai Bean Cakes, Easy Satay Rice, Summer Kebabs and Vegetable Tikka Masala. The Geo Organics range includes a number of Indian pastes, Thai cooking sauces, Mexican marinades and vegetarian larder 'staples' - such as Worcestershire Sauce, Tomato & Chilli Sauce and Brown Sauce - to help you get off to a flying start.

Swaledale cheeses have returned to UK shelves following a national shortage of the product. The Swaledale Cheese Company – based in the Yorkshire Dales – had to bring a temporary halt to its cheese making in December of last year when an expansion vessel in the water system burst and flooded their market town premises. Hundreds of kilos of cheeses were damaged when the water – which brought about major structural damage – cut off the electricity supply causing temperature fluctuations in the main storage areas. Most of the cheese had to be thrown away leaving the company not only with a huge clean up operation but also vastly depleted stocks. Mandy Reed, who set up the family business 21 years ago with her late husband, David, explains why this led to a four month shortage of the popular Swaledale Cheese. “All of our cheeses are made by hand and each variety needs carefully controlled temperatures, humidity levels and maturation times of around two months. This process cannot be rushed so there is an unavoidable time delay between making the cheese and having it ready to eat. “We have worked around the clock to get to the point where we are ready to release our first cheeses back on the market,” she added. The recent shortage of cheese had been exacerbated by the product’s increasing popularity, with demand regularly outstripping supply. Last year, the Swaledale Cheese Company made a £250,000 investment, enabling it to double its production facilities. However, the company still firmly resists any move towards mass production. “We are a small, family run business and are keen to keep it that way. All of our cheeses are handmade using traditional methods and each part of the process – from sourcing the milk from local farms to hand waxing the individual cheeses – is done with the utmost care and attention,” said Reed.

Food industry supplier Manchester Rusk Company Ltd (MRC) has announced the launch of a new range of premium quality burger mixes targeted at the butchery sector. The company, which also supplies an extensive range of sauces, marinades, coatings, seasonings and glazes, said the move is in response to feedback from customers who want to be able to offer consumers what they demand - great tasting, premium quality burgers, free from all colours, artificial flavours, MSG and HVP. The mix is available in three variants - premium beef, premium lamb and premium pork or poultry - and mixed with the meat before the water is added, then the burgers are formed in the usual way to the butchers' requirements. One 12oz (340g) pack is sufficient to make 8lbs (3.60Kg) of meat to make up to 40 burgers. MRC Marketing Manager Julie Nyunt said: "We consulted a range of customers as part of the development process and the feedback was clear. They wanted quality ingredients that make great tasting burgers - and that is exactly what we are offering. "We carried out some blind taste tests and our product was preferred by nine out of ten participants - even when up against the recognised market leading brand. We are confident that butchers will be delighted with this new range particularly in terms of functionality, ease of use, taste and price." Ms Nyunt added that promotional materials including a poster and a point of sale ticket would be supplied with the range, showing mouthwatering burgers to tempt customers to purchase. The new seasonings are supplied in cases containing 15 x 12oz (340g) packs and are available now.