The 2009 Product of the Year awards are now open for entry. If you think you’ve got an innovative product, why not put it forward for the UK’s biggest independent vote to see if the nation agrees? The deadline to enter is 30 June 2008. Any product or product line launched within the past 18 months can be entered into the 2009 awards. For more information on how to position yourself alongside the likes of Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Premier Foods, Beiersdorf and PepsiCo, visit www.productoftheyear.co.uk

Oogie's Snacks, a Denver-based producer of all-natural gourmet popcorn, has announced that its products will now be sold at 225 Hy-Vee stores throughout the Midwest. First established in 1930, Hy-Vee currently ranks among the top 30 supermarket chains in the nation, with sales of more than $5.6 billion. Hy-Vee stores are located across the Midwest in Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Illinois. Oogie's Gourmet Popcorn will be available at the entire network of stores in a full range of flavours including Spicy Chipotlé & Lime, White Cheddar, Sun-Dried Tomato & Parmesan, Smoked Gouda, Romano & Pesto, Caprese, and Asiago & Cracked Pepper. "We determined that Oogie's was a quality product that would fill a niche in the snack category," said Todd Tetmeyer Specialty Foods Buyer at Lomar Distributing, the exclusive distributor for Hy-Vee stores. "It's unique, different and certainly fulfils Hy-Vee's commitment to providing great quality food products." "I think our authentic ingredients and gourmet flavours will really help complement Hy-Vee's natural snack offerings," said Eric Thier, Oogie's President and CEO. "Although we're already in all 50 states, the added distribution with Hy-Vee will help with market penetration and introduce Oogie's to a whole new audience." Darrin Foster, Oogie's Chief Operating Officer and Iowa native added, "I grew up shopping at Hy-Vee, so seeing Oogie's on the shelves there will really mean a lot to me."

This follows the release of year-end figures that show it defying current beer trends. Relaunched in the UK in 2005, Peroni is the fastest-growing top 10 premium lager, with sales up by over 39% versus last year. In a premium lager market struggling to retain value, Peroni is building growth while remaining premium-priced versus the market average in all formats. "The premium lager market is currently polarised," said SABMiller Europe MD Alan Clark. "A number of large, household names are suffering in terms of both volume and value, while Peroni enjoys significant gains. We firmly believe that this is attributable to the robust distribution and pricing strategy we have implemented and the engaging marketing activities of our UK team. "While other brands are being heavily discounted, we are consciously taking a very different approach. Peroni offers UK consumers a truly aspirational, premium beer which is helping to restore value to the UK market." Italian style In the UK, Peroni has focused marketing activities around the brand’s Italian credentials, partnering with chef Giorgio Locatelli to create and promote iconic Italian dishes, working with Italian Vogue to produce a photographic retrospective of '50 years of Italian Style, and later this year working with iconic Italian design brand Alessi to produce bespoke pieces. The sales strategy has been similarly focused, with distributors Miller Brands UK following a disciplined distribution model to ensure that the brand is stocked and marketed in outlets that can ensure throughput and quality. Peroni Nastro Azzurro is brewed by SABMiller’s Italian subsidiary, SpA Birra Peroni, and marketed and distributed in the UK by Miller Brands.

Following the launch of the first Centre for Excellence (for Structured Emulsions) at Vlaardingen in the Netherlands last month, 14 May saw more than 200 global visitors attend a grand opening for the Centre of Excellence for Drinks at Colworth Science Park in Bedfordshire, UK. Further Centres of Excellence are to be opened shortly in Italy, Germany and Poland, each with its own area of expertise. Giving the opening ceremony speech, Director Phil Evans said: "Our main mission at Unilever is 'Adding vitality to life'. We're all concerned with how we look and feel and want to live a healthier life and give our children a good start, too. "There's an unmistakable link between nutrition and health taking place in consumers' minds right now, and we want to make this both convenient and affordable. Our expertise in plant materials – ie releasing the natural goodness from plants into drinks means that consumers can access nutritional foods in a very convenient format whether at home or on the go. There's no better way of dosing yourself with a health benefit than through drinks. "If you discount water, then 40% of fluid consumed globally is tea-based beverages, and Lipton is by far the largest tea brand in the world – by a factor of three. Among our brands, we can also list Adez, Knorr Vie, SlimFast Hungershots, Flora/Becel and Brooke Bondl." Advances in technology Mr Evans continued: "In Europe, there were 40 centres of Research and Development – there will now be six in total to build critical mass and enhance capabilities through direct interaction. Here in the UK Centre of Excellence, we employ 90 people of 15 nationalities. It's advances in technology which drives forward our plans. "Our expertise is taking tea from the bush to the brand, and we reach back a long way and have moved forward into packaging expertise with many ready to drink teas in PET. We aim to bring the best science and technology into the supply chain. And while upholding the importance of safety and microbiology through our understanding of nutrition and ingredients, we're able to differentiate from our competitors. We spend time understanding our consumers as 'consumers taste with their eyes', and so product colour and packaging, leaf size and appearance are all important. "Our most recent move indicates our ambition to be environmentally and socially responsible, our strong links with Rainforest Alliance are a major first step. All our leaf teas on a global basis will come from sustainable sources – meaning the way we make, package and dispose of it are all under scrutiny. "People are also important to us – we're not just grafting old onto new but developing a new culture. We use our knowledge and know-how from our other centres and have made this move to ensure that we work globally and think globally and take calculated risks. "We work with passion to deliver real consumer benefits. Mere lip service is no good. The great innovations are those that are also a business success and we can deliver these by linking consumer insight with technical insight.” Centred on vitality Vice President of Beverages, Didier Dallemagne, followed by saying: "We are all now used to terms such as catechins, theanine and flavonoids being applied to tea. Tea has a 5,000-year-old history and Lipton has a great future. We're energised by the knowledge we have and frustrated by the choices on offer, as we cannot do all that we want to at once. "It's very impressive to see this centre through the eyes of those who come here, such as our colleagues in the Pepsi Lipton International JV. All our brands are centred on vitality, from shot drinks containing functional ingredients, and teas, fruits and vegetables with their inherent benefits. Our research and development is centred on and embedded in the brands, and we have developed ‘Benefit Ladders' for Lipton. "Four clear innovation platforms include magnifying inherent goodness, packaging development, making our products accessible to the mass market, and social and environmental responsibility. "Our business results have been very good, with growth of 14% gross last year, of which 7% was for leaf tea alone." Emmo Meijer, head of global research and development, finished by saying: "Today is not about Colworth but about communicating our capabilities on a worldwide basis and supporting all our businesses around the world." Soy juice The soy juice drink Adez is doing exceptionally well in South America, where people understand soy’s benefits better than anywhere else around the globe. Flavours, including red berries and mango passion fruit, are being added to with golden kiwi and guanabana. Lipton’s expertise has prevented the separation problems of early soy drinks, which had a chalky, grainy texture and improved the smooth and creamy mouthfeel of this functional drink. Full of calcium and vitamins C and D, it's also popular in Holland, with further growth expected across Europe. Apparently, Lipton has reduced the sugar used in its RTD tea by 30% in the last five years. Iced tea is today more authentic and more natural. Concentrate kits of 5,000 litres are sent to 100 Pepsi bottlers around the globe. In 2007, one billion litres (that’s 3 billion cans) were sold, which is enough for 382 Olympic-sized swimming pools!

**Solbar Industries Ltd in Israel has launched Solpro 957, a low sodium 90% isolated soy protein at VitaFoods, Geneva, Switzerland. **In spite of the fact that salt is an important part of our diet international health organizations have made a call to lower salt content of products to the lowest levels possible. Solbar is joining the efforts of responsible food manufacturers when it comes to soy proteins. VP Marketing and Development Gary Brenner reported: “Solpro 957 has already been approved in the United States and Europe for two key market segments, bakery and ready-to-drink beverages. An important part of improving the nutritional profile of food products is reducing sodium content by 15 to 20% in many cases.” Solbar has maintained that it can reduce typical sodium levels in its soy isolate to 300 mg/100g (3,000 ppm). Typical sodium levels in soy isolates are estimated at 11,000-13,000 ppm. Key factors for successful sodium reduction include guaranteeing that the protein has no metallic flavor, low viscosity and working well in meat and food formulations. According to Brenner, market targets include processed meats, convenience foods, instant soups, bars, cereals and beverages. On 2-3 June, Solbar will co-sponsor the 5th International Soy & Health Conference to be held in Ghent (Belgium), which will introduce updated research on the health benefits of soy isoflavones in reducing symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes.

The joint venture will further strengthen the relationship between Arla Foods amba farmers and AFMP farmers (MPL members), and will give UK farmers more insight into their processor’s business. Under the joint venture, a new company will be established, which will hold a 7% share in Arla Foods UK plc. Arla Foods amba and MPL will each take a 50-50 stake, with money invested by MPL helping fund further investment in Arla UK’s processing business. Commenting on the joint venture, Arla Foods UK plc’s CEO, Peter Lauritzen, said: “Arla Foods amba is a farmer cooperative and is committed to strengthening its relationship with UK farmers. The joint venture underlines Arla Foods amba’s commitment to come together with UK farmers so they have an opportunity to input into Arla UK’s strategy and share in the success of the UK business.” Common interests The joint venture company board will have equal representation from both MPL and Arla Foods amba. The purpose of the board meetings will be to discuss the performance and strategy of the UK business and discuss matters of common interest between UK, Danish and Swedish producers. Under the joint venture agreement, the level of investment in MPL for AFMP farmers (MPL members) will be one penny per litre. Due to MPL’s previous investment in Arla Foods UK plc, the majority of farmers have already paid in full for their original share allocation. Any overpayment will be returned to members. New members joining the Partnership will pay a 0.2ppl levy, through MPL, over a five-year period, to bring their total investment to one penny per litre. Jonathan Ovens, chairman of MPL and AFMP, has welcomed the move. “The joint venture has given us the opportunity to join a family of farmer shareholders and to get closer to, and gain a greater understanding of, Arla’s UK business. We are buying into a good, strong business and are excited about the company’s long-term strategic direction. Ove Møberg, chairman of Arla Foods amba, is also delighted: “This initiative unites almost 11,000 Danish, Swedish and British dairy farmers in a joint venture and allows UK farmers to be part owners of Arla Foods UK plc. “We've had a good, positive dialogue with MPL over the last 10 months and welcome the opportunity to work more closely with them in the future.”

Sales by Germany’s Eckes-Granini Group – a major producer of juice and fruit drinks across Europe – rose 12.6% to €921 million in 2007, the company revealed today (14 May). Turnover of Eckes-Granini’s core business, excluding the company’s distribution partnership with Szentkirályi mineral water in Hungary, rose 12% to €899 million. The overall growth was driven by increased sales in Germany (+8%) and France (+18%). The group’s value share across its seven key markets increased to 14.1% in 2007, from 13.7% in 2006. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) were 3.7% up at €38.3 million, despite higher raw material costs and continued investment in market development. “Thanks to the excellent performance of our strategic brands, we succeeded in raising both turnover and volume sales while achieving respectable earnings,” commented Eckes-Granini Chairman Thomas Hinderer. Three key brands Volumes in the core business lagged behind revenue, growing 6% to just over 1 billion litres. Volume gains were led by the international brand granini (+6%), coupled with Joker in France (+12%) and Marli in Finland (+20%). Including 118 million litres of bottled water sold through the partnership with Szentkirályi, total volume was 8% up at 1.15 billion litres. Eckes-Granini now employs a total workforce of roughly 1,500, and has sales and production subsidiaries in 15 countries: Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Romania and Russia. The group expects turnover to grow more strongly in 2008, despite a slight decline in volumes and continued high costs for raw materials. Expansion will be achieved through a combination of organic growth, acquisitions and strategic partnerships. “We have the required liquid resources, and are financially well equipped to meet the challenges of the future,” said Hinderer.

The TV campaign features the puppet Brains from Thunderbirds giving the performance of a lifetime while keeping himself topped up with Drench water. Proving that 'Brains perform best when hydrated', he dances to the 90s dance classic by Snap, Rhythm is a Dancer. Drench will now be available in 1.5-litre, 2-litre PET bottles and multipacks of six of the existing 500ml format with sports cap and easy-grip bottle shape. The original single-serve 500ml and 750ml formats will continue to be available in the grocery and impulse channels to capitalise on the convenience trend for soft drinks. Cameron Davidson, senior brand manager for Drench at Britvic, said: “After great success in impulse and convenience stores, the Drench brand is ripe for entry into the take-home grocery channel. As the only water brand to communicate the benefits of drinking water for mental hydration rather than just provenance, Drench is a great proposition for consumers looking for bottled water to drink in the office, on-the-go and at home.” The new Drench range will be available in-store at Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Somerfield and Waitrose from May 2008.

Following the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA) campaign to encourage consumers to drink tap water, an author has called into question the quality of the tap water delivered to UK homes and encouraged home owners to fit filters to their mains supply. In an extract from his book "The Blue Death: Disease, Disaster and the Water We Drink", published in the Daily Mail newspaper, Dr Robert Morris states: "We should all use water filters in our homes. Properly installed and maintained, they provide an extra measure of protection and give water that is often safer than bottled water, with far less environmental impact. They can eliminate pathogens that our treatment plants fail to remove and protect us from chemicals and the by-products of chlorination." Dr Steve Tuckwell, manager of the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS), believes that Dr Morris has ignored the improvements to drinking water treatment and testing in the last 20 years, made by Parliament, the Drinking Water Inspectorate and the Water Suppliers, specifically to ensure that the UK public water supplies are free from these harmful bugs or chemicals. However, Dr Tuckwell warns that widespread ignorance of plumbing safety regulations means that home owners and businesses that fit mains-fed water filters could be putting their health at risk and need to apply the same stringency as they would to installing gas appliances or electrical fittings. For more on this story, please see the latest issue of cooler innovation magazine.

*The Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative (OMSCo) has launched a free guide for its members who are interested in welcoming schools and local children’s groups to their farms. The initiative kicked off this weekend with Lesley Hurford, a Bristol based OMSCo member, hosting a visit for the local Brownie Guide pack. * The Farm Visits Pack is a step by step guide to hosting visits and includes advice on everything from how to make contact with local schools to preparing the farm for visitors and suggestions for activities on the day. It also contains health and safety information and details on which organisations to contact for funding. OMSCo Marketing Manager Rosie Palmer commented: “Recent research has found that lots of children are so out of touch with the countryside that they have absolutely no idea where milk comes from let alone how it is produced. Opening up your farm as an outdoor classroom can be hugely rewarding and is a great way to provide children with a memorable first hand experience of farm life.” Opening your farm to schools: A guide for organic dairy farmers can be downloaded from www.omsco.co.uk. Packs can also be ordered by calling OMSCo’s freephone careline on 0800 3894998 or by emailing gill.crane@omsco.co.uk

According to the report, Tesco's brand (and reputation) is worth £8.6bn, with Sainsbury's in second place with £4.9bn, and Marks & Spencer in third place with £3.9bn. Experts looked at 100 retailers and ranked them on the basis of factors such as sales, future growth, brand heritage and customer service. The £8.6bn level for Tesco is the amount the brand could be sold for. The UK’s most valuable retail brands 2008 Tesco £8.6bn Sainsbury’s £4.6bn Marks & Spencer £3.9bn Asda £3.6bn Morrisons £2.6bn Boots £1.9bn Argos £1.4bn The Co-operative £1.4bn Waitrose £1.2 John Lewis £1.1bn The UK’s most valuable grocery retail brands 2008 Tesco £8.6bn Sainsbury’s £4.6bn Asda £3.6bn Morrisons £2.6bn Waitrose £1.2bn Somerfield £843m Spar £537m Aldi £430m Lidl £361m Iceland £282m Londis £228m Greggs £117m Ocado £110m Martin McColls £107m Netto £80m Costcu £75m Budgens £66m "Strong brands are more important than ever before as more competition, and the requirement to convince the consumer to part with money, will require more brand differentiation," said Stuart Whitwell of Intangible Business, which carried out the study.

Cadbury plc recently announced the completion of the demerger of its Americas Beverages business to Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. The Cadbury reduction of capital was confirmed by the High Court on 6 May 2008 and Cadbury has today filed the court order at Companies House effecting the demerger. Pursuant to the reduction of capital, the share capital of Cadbury has been reduced by cancelling the Cadbury beverage shares in their entirety and by decreasing the nominal value of each Cadbury ordinary share from 500 pence to 10 pence, thereby establishing distributable reserves in Cadbury of approximately £6.6billion. The distributable reserves will be available at the discretion of the directors for the purpose of future distributions to shareowners.