A teenage entrepreneur who once recalls how last year he had relied upon high school friends to make local deliveries of charity water Give from their cars, believes the beverage is making steady progress and will become a popular national brand. Ben Lewis, the 19-year-old CEO of Pittsburgh based PurBlu Beverages, is currently looking to expand its sales force to boost the ethical brand in the competitive US bottled water market. Launched in August 2007, Give picked up significant publicity at the Natural Products Expo West show in March 2008 and has already gained listings with Whole Foods Market stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region. "Give is more than bottled water. It's a movement and our customers have proven that," added Lewis, currently studying Business Management at the University of Pennsylvania. “It's not just that 10 cents of every bottle sold goes to charity, though clearly that's important. It's also that Give painlessly educates consumers about the philanthropic sector and the importance of giving back. And it lets them choose how to give and allows their giving to become part of who they are.” Give drinkers can decide which cause to support by selecting any one of three different coloured bottles: Give Life is blue, for children in need; Give Hope is pink, for breast cancer research and prevention; Give Love is green, for environmental causes. PurBlu will launch an interactive website mid-summer which will allow customers to make suggestions on which charities to make donations towards and vote for their favourite. Besides setting up an non-profit foundation with independent trustees so that vendors can also make contributions in a legitimate way, Lewis highlights that the company will be transparency and inform customers how much money was raised at the end of the year.

Natco Foods Limited, a UK Asian food brand, has recalled a batch of its fennel seed products due to the presence of salmonella, according to TalkingRetail.com. The Food Standards Agency has issued a food alert on 20 x 400g and 6 x 1kg pack sizes of Natco Fennel Seeds with expiry date of December 2009 (batch code: 4538). No other Natco Foods products or batch codes are known to be affected. This news comes just days after Tesco and Waitrose announced the recall of thousands of tubs of their own-brand houmous products, which were also found to contain salmonella.

Arla Foods is increasing its investment in Argentina. Last year, the Board of Directors decided to invest US$20 million in the expansion of the factory in Porteña. This will now be increased by an additional $10 million to finance a new production of ingredients for ice-cream and cheese. The Board has agreed to increase the investment in Argentina from the initial $20 million to $30 million. This not only takes account of added costs for machinery, buildings and equipment for ice-cream and cheese ingredients, but also reflects rising steel prices and the low dollar rate. The factory in Argentina produces added value whey protein powder sold as ingredients to the dairy and bakery industries. Current production, however, only utilises 30% of the raw material. The rest will be used for less profitable permeate for animal feed. The investment in a new spray tower will provide for the appropriate technology to produce high-quality whey permeate powder and strengthen earnings from the already profitable Argentinean business.

*Sara Lee Corporation's board of directors recently declared a regular quarterly dividend of $.105 per share on the company's common stock, payable on 8 July, 2008. * The dividend is payable to stockholders of record at the close of business on 2 June, 2008. Sara Lee Corporation has paid quarterly dividends to its shareholders continuously for more than 60 years, and this announcement represents the 249th consecutive quarterly dividend declared by the corporation.

UK soft drinks makerAG Barr PLC, manufacturers of the world famous Irn-Bru, has awarded Masternaut Three X a contract to supply a web-based real-time satellite tracking service for its primary delivery fleet. AG Barr is implementing the system to improve driver safety and loss prevention management. Simon Reynish, Primary Planning and Project Manager for AG Barr, has been following the telematics market for some time in order to source an application that fits AG Barrs' diverse needs, beginning with live tracking, allowing AG Barr to monitor exactly where it's vehicles are. "From this initial application we will develop the system, so that it will enable us to manage driver performance proactively, focussing on fuel consumption, environmental impact, vehicle servicing, and conformance to the Working Time Directive. This will give AG Barr management the ability to give constructive feedback to Drivers against their Personal Development Plans, an initiative for all Barr's employees, that is being rolled out across the business, in advance of the implementation of the Driver CPC legislation," he says. The Masternaut web-based vehicle tracking service uses satellite positioning (GPS) to establish the precise location of each of vehicle within AG Barr's primary fleet. This information is then automatically transmitted via high-speed mobile communication technology (GPRS) to a central server. The real time position of every vehicle is displayed using Microsoft Virtual Earth online street mapping over a secure connection using any web-enabled PC or handheld device, with minute-by-minute vehicle activity reports delivered automatically by e-mail to AG Barr's logistics management team. AG Barr, like its technology partner, is a rapidly growing company, with the acquisitions of Strathmore Water in 2006, as well as Vitsmart & Vitaminsmart brands and Taut International at the beginning of the 2008. "We are implementing Masternaut as part of our development plans and will have several trials to extend the system to assist in achieving our strategic goals that will further enhance our operations, levels of customer services and corporate responsibility. We look forward to making more announcements about how Masternaut Three X is assisting AG Barr PLC as we move forward with it through 2008," concludes Simon Reynish.

Responsible sourcing, effective recovery and energy optimisation were key criteria in the selection of seven successfully commercialised products and processes as winners of the 20th DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. Bottles for Kraft Salad Dressings won a top award to recognise nearly 19% weight reduction, improved transport efficiency and energy conservation. The bottle was manufactured by Plastipak Packaging of the USA. Replacing traditional confectionery packaging inserts with a biodegradable component made from renewable resources made Plantic Technology of the UK a winner for the Marks & Spencer Swiss Chocolate Assortment package. Water bag in box was another winner. Made by Lindoza Vida, Klabin, Brazil, this is an energy saving alternative to bottle water. Ampet Single Serve Danish Seafood served up in Faerch Plast's package also won an award, as well as Jordans Organic Crunch in a compostable, biodegradable flexible pack.

*A voluntary food labelling system developed by the EU food and drink industry is being taken up by companies of all sizes across the EU. * The Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) labelling system, developed by the industry under the EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health, is already being rolled out by large companies for a majority of products this year. Ferrero has recently decided to implement GDAs for its best-known products. By the end of 2009, Kinder and Nutella products in Europe will clearly display their energy, sugars, fat, saturated fat and sodium/salt content. Emerging results from the largest independent research yet carried out into commitments made under the obesity platform suggests that small companies are now following their example*. The new research includes SMEs for the first time, as well as large food companies. 2,025 companies have been questioned for the survey so far, of which more than half were SMEs. The food sectors covered include bakery products, breakfast cereals, confectionery, meat-based products, dairy products, ice cream, oils & fats, sauces & seasonings, and soft drinks. “I'm pleased to see a growing number of small- and medium-sized businesses now choosing to adopt GDA labelling,” said Jean Martin, President of the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA). “It's becoming ever clearer that GDAs are the best option for everyone: from the small local producer to the large multinational, and for all Europeans looking for clear, consistently presented and nonjudgemental information about their diet.” ‘Survey of European Food and Beverage Manufacturers: Meeting the Changing Needs of European Consumers through reformulation, innovation and labelling (ongoing). APCO Insight & Dr. Brian Young, University of Exeter.

The European Commission plans to provide a further €117.25 million for food assistance as a response to the impact of the increase in food prices on the world's most vulnerable people. Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said: "The rise in basic food prices is a worldwide humanitarian disaster in the making. Ongoing humanitarian food programmes are under enormous pressure with less food available for people already on the brink of starvation. Millions more, who were just about coping before, now risk going hungry. Addressing food price issue is a global challenge requiring long term solutions but the emergency is now. We have an obligation to act – and act quickly." The latest humanitarian funding consists of €57.25 million taken from the existing food aid budget run by the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department, plus a requested €60 million in new money. The Commission has responded on a rolling basis as this crisis has developed. In the face of increasing needs, it committed €160 million – more than 70% of the available food aid funds – in a decision adopted in February. It has also fast tracked the deployment of the rest of the budget with €6 million included in a special package for Bangladesh announced on 10 April, as well as the €57.25 million. The announcement of €117.25 million will raise the total humanitarian food aid budget so far in 2008 to €283.25 million. In 2007, the Commission provided more than €150 million in humanitarian funds to the World Food Programme, equivalent to almost 70% of the Commission's overall food aid budget. Funds were also channelled through other UN partners, non-governmental organisations and Red Cross/Crescent agencies.

Cadbury Schweppes plc has announced that, in connection with the proposed demerger of its American Beverages business to Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has declared DPSG's Form 10 Registration Statement effective. The document, which was revised and filed on 22 April, 2008 as the sixth filing of the Form 10 Registration Statement, is available on the SEC's website and will shortly be sent to shareowners. Once the scheme becomes effective, existing Cadbury Schweppes ordinary shares and ADRs will be cancelled and delisted to be replaced by Cadbury plc ordinary shares, Cadbury beverage shares and ADRs. It's expected that Cadbury ordinary shares and ADRs will begin trading on the London Stock Exchange under symbol "CBRY" and on the NYSE under symbol "CBY", respectively on 2 May 2008.

Graham Neale of GlaxoSmithKline Nutritional products and President of UNESDA – the Union of European Beverages Associations – looks at the key issues facing the industry. As President of UNESDA, I recently had the opportunity to host a meeting of CEOs from across our industry to discuss key challenges facing the sector and explore strategies to address them. This was the fifth CEO session, but the first under the new governance of UNESDA which now recognises equal membership rights for national associations and corporations. Meeting in Paris, the group spent time sharing ideas and experiences and discussing future initiatives with regard to consumer and corporate responsibility focused issues facing the non-alcoholic beverages sector. What struck me most was the constructive nature of the meeting, and how competitors within the sector can leave their respective corporate hats at the door and meet around a table to consider key political issues beyond products and brands, that concern us all. This is surely the mark of a responsible industry that recognises the benefits of working together on such matters as a strong and united sector. We were a group of just ten people, representing the corporate members of UNESDA – a group large enough to prompt discussion but small enough to take decisions. We had requested status summaries on the implementation of the UNESDA commitments and three other issues facing our industry as elaborated below. With strict instructions to keep to their allotted two minutes, experts from across the industry presented on the four different areas and then a debate on the topics ensued. Health, wellness, the UNESDA commitments and guideline daily amount labelling The first area we explored was that of health and wellness and the role that UNESDA and its member companies and associations were playing in recognising their requirement to act responsibly. In particular, UNESDA made a further commitment to the European Commission’s ‘Platform for Action on diet, physical activity and health’. The latest commitment involves the roll out of guideline daily amount (GDA) labelling among UNESDA members, the first entire sector to do so. Introducing GDA labelling across the sector represents a next step following our commitment to trial a scheme giving clear information to consumers about what they are buying. The rollout of GDA labelling is happening now – and will be independently monitored at the end of this year to verify compliance. Ingredients and proven science Our next area of focus was on the scientific and regulatory issues surrounding our business and in particular our need to ensure that proven science is used as the basis for any proposals relating to our sector. We are particularly concerned that ingredients used in our products that have been classified as safe by the European authorities, should not be undermined by questionnable science and irresponsible reporting. We discussed how we can provide assistance to regulatory authorities in upholding their decisions in order to give confidence to both consumers and industry and thereby avoid confusing consumers. A question of competitiveness The European Commission’s department for business, DG Enterprise, having created a High Level Group on competitiveness in the food and drink sector has requested that a CEO from UNESDA sit on that Group. As a highly innovative sector we discussed this issue of competitiveness within our sector and ensuring an environment where new product development is encouraged. UNESDA has now put forward one of its CEOs to sit on the Commission’s High Level Group. Environmental sustainability The fourth subject for discussion among the group was that of environmental sustainability. The issue of reduction of CO2 emissions and overall carbon footprint has moved up the world agenda very quickly in the past 12 months. The discussion is not limited to Europe, although the EU is seen as taking something of a lead, but is being driven globally, with the involvement of organisations such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The challenge for UNESDA of course is to recognise where our industry responsibility lies and to put in place strategies and actions to address this. Clearly the issue of packaging is high on the agenda and we discussed the need for sustainable packaging policies as well as effective systems for recovery and recycling. All of the opportunities discussed among the CEOs are now being fine tuned within the different UNESDA committees and will result in actions for the organisation over the future 12-18 months. The annual CEO forum represents a vital discussion forum for the industry. A chance to discuss the consumer and corporate responsibility related issues facing the sector and set a strategic vision for the UNESDA work programme for the years ahead.

*SunChips, Frito-Lay's popular line of multigrain snacks, is living up to its name by using solar energy to help make some of the snacks at its California-based manufacturing facility. * California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger inaugurated the new solar field on Earth Day (22 April). The recently installed solar concentrator fields at the facility, one of seven locations where SunChips snacks are made in the US, will help drive the actual production of thousands of bags of 'solar-powered' SunChips daily. The solar field project is a result of a partnership with the California Energy Commission. “I commend Frito-Lay and the California Energy Commission for working hand in hand to build this innovative project,” Governor Schwarzenegger said. “The plant will harness the power of Central Valley sunshine to reduce its natural gas use, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, all while helping us meet our renewable energy goals.” “Frito-Lay is committed to utilising innovative programs and technologies that help minimise our impact on the environment,” said Leslie Starr Keating, senior vice president, operations, Frito-Lay North America. “By harnessing the power of the sun at our Modesto facility, we continue on our environmental journey and demonstrate that we can be positive stewards of our business and the planet.” The new five-acre solar concentrator field includes 54,000 square feet of concave mirrors designed to absorb sunlight. The solar energy captured by the 192 solar collectors will generate steam that helps heat the cooking oil used in the SunChips manufacturing process. By utilising steam in the manufacturing process, the facility will be able to significantly reduce its use of natural gas.

What at first appears to be a new glossy campaign for a premium mineral water brand turns out to be a screen ad by Amnesty International designed to shock viewers with the reality of an interrogation technique used in places such as Guantanamo Bay. The water glistens as it arcs through the air, the edgy electronic soundtrack creates a sense of anticipation, but then the film takes a disturbing twist as a man is being subjected to ‘waterboarding’, the controversial interrogation method used by US security service which involves partially drowning a prisoner by pouring water down their throat and nose. Amnesty and other human rights campaigners believe the method is a form of torture, but US authorities describe it as ‘enhanced interrogation’. The ad was the joint work of media agency Drugstore and film-makers Marc Hawker and Ishbel Whitaker of DarkFibre films, and features performance artist Jiva Parthipan.