* * The Wensleydale Creamery at Hawes in the UK has launched a new generation of Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with Ocean Spray Cranberries. This new cheese is now bursting with 30% extra Ocean Spray Cranberries, which have a pure, natural sweetness that complements the crumbling creaminess of the Wensleydale. The range will be regularly updated, but the first seasonal cheeses are Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with Ocean Spray Cranberry & Orange, Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with Ocean Spray Cranberry & Papaya, and Real Yorkshire Wensleydale with Ocean Spray Cranberry & Mango. Wensleydale cheese has been made in Wensleydale since 1150, when the Cistercian monks first settled in the dale and established a monastery at Fors, just four miles from Hawes.

The Fiji Sugar Corporation Ltd and Tate & Lyle have announced that they have entered into a long-term agreement on the supply of raw sugar for preferential import into the European Union market. The contract for the supply of up to 300,000 tons of sugar per year will run until 30 September 2015. Tate & Lyle Chief Executive Sugars Ian Bacon said: “We're delighted to have concluded a new long-term contract for the supply of up to 300,000 tons of sugar per year from Fiji to Tate & Lyle in Europe. This is another significant step towards meeting our strategic supply objectives. “This is a positive move for our European sugar business and follows recent announcements such as the switch of the UK retail brand to Fairtrade, investment in renewable energy technology at our Thames Refinery, and investments in Lao and Italy. “We look forward to continuing to work closely with the Fijian sugar industry in the years to come.”

Latest figures from Tesco Stores in the UK confirm that the supermarket’s localchoice milk is shaking up the milk aisle as shoppers choose to support smaller dairy farmers in their local area. According to Tesco’s 2008 Corporate Responsibility Review, customers bought 18 million litres of localchoice milk last year and the supermarket confirmed it is currently selling 500,000 litres a week across the UK where it is stocked in nearly 800 stores. Launched last year across 14 regions, the milk - which is sourced exclusively from the region where it is sold - is now available in 20 regions across England, Scotland and Wales with more than 150 farmers signed up and receiving a premium price for their milk. Tesco Corporate and Legal Affairs Director Lucy Neville-Rolfe said: "Since its launch our localchoice milk has gone from strength to strength. Customers love it because it gives them the choice to be able to buy milk from their area and support farmers from their region. And the additional support given to these smaller farmers is helping them to build a brighter and more sustainable future. “This year we plan to put localchoice into even more stores and will rollout new packaging and promotional material to make it even more eye-catching for customers. We hope to make localchoice milk the nation’s first choice wherever they are in the country.”

*US Campbell Soup Company today announced it has completed the sale of its Australian salty snack brands to a group of Australian investors, including the senior management of The Real McCoy, an Australian-owned snack foods company. * Campbell's announced the agreement of sale on 28 April 2008. The transaction included the following salty snack brands: Cheezels, Thins, Tasty Jacks, French Fries, and Kettle Chips. The transaction also included two plants in Australia that produce salty snacks. Financial terms were not disclosed.

CAOBISCO, the association representing the chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries of Europe, will bring together key European regulators, legislators and industry for an event that will debate the role of CAOBISCO products within the 21st century dilemma that is the 'lifestyle challenge'. To be held on the 27 May 2008 in Brussels, 'CAOBISCO Invites' will consider the current opportunities in the chocolate, confectionery and biscuit industries. This year's conference will place special emphasis on the diet and lifestyle challenges of the 21st century, looking at issues including EU regulation, food labelling, product innovation and advertising. The conference will also serve as a venue in which recent innovations and efforts of the industry to embrace the role it plays in the lives of its consumers at a critical time when they also look to the future and debate how to meet changing consumer demands and retain competitiveness in an evolving business environment. Confirmed speakers include key European regulators and legislators, scientific experts and major European industry representatives. The conference will address the current political climate surrounding diet and lifestyle issues, with a view to encouraging debate and broader thought on whose role it is to promote a healthy lifestyle and giving practical examples of what CAOBISCO industries are doing to respond to growing regulation and consumer concern, with direct company presentations including Ferrero, Mars and Godiva.

*The Challenger XL energy drink brand has added an additional 20 countries to its list of territories since the start of 2007 and is now present in over 75 countries worldwide. Since its market entry, the the company claims to have sold more than 170 million cans worldwide. * According to Challenger UK General Manager Kobi Ludwin it is the evolution of the British worker’s lifestyle that offers the greatest opportunity for XL: “The energy drinks sector grew by 14% in 2006 and although this expansion slowed in 2007 there is still scope for growth. Penetration of energy drinks in the UK is currently at 20% but it is as high as 50% in some other countries and the long working hours put in by the British, combined with commuting, means that there is a greater pool of potential new consumers to be targeted. “Young workers who enjoy drinking and clubbing are a really key consumer group for us as they tend to mix energy drinks with alcohol to keep them going through the night. The clubbing and promotional scenes are definitely the focus for XL as we break into the UK market.” XL is a lightly carbonated energy drink that contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee, combined with taurine – known to have antioxidant and detoxifying qualities – and vitamin B, which plays a vital part in increasing metabolism, supporting mental and physical performance.

Now that Vitafoods 2008 has ended, Claire Phoenix (Managing Editor, Beverage Innovation), Claire Rowan (Managing Editor Food & Beverage International) and Medina Bailey (Features Editor, Beverage Innovation) share their thoughts on this year's event, which was held in Geneva, Switzerland. *Claire Phoenix – Managing Editor, Beverage Innovation* This year, Vitafoods had grown considerably in size, with many more stands than 2007, and was improved substantially by the addition of the Finished Products section. The networking section was constantly full, indicating the level of business taking place. Rousselot’s stand, which offered attendees the chance to show off their balance and agility with its Wii skiing and fitness game, was probably the most fun! This was heightened by a champagne reception to aid discussion of its hydrolyzed collagen for skin drinks and topical products. I look forward to seeing more interactive stands next year and even more products to taste at The Tasting Bar. Guangdong Yifang Pharmaceutical, based in China’s Guandongprovince, specialises in teas and raw ingredients such as cinnamon,ginseng and angelica. Assistant Manager Charlie Cai explained how thecompany has identified 365 chemical ingredients in one tea and it'sthe way these are put together that provides various health benefits toaid sleep, beauty and digestion for instance. Pu-Erh tea,designed to improve brain function, is very expensive and apparentlyimproves with age – “The greater the age, the wider the smile,” heexplained – with teas from five years old to those having as much as 80years in storage being sold for the highest price. Sabinsa– which has offices in Bangalore and Utah – sells a wide variety ofingredients, including curcumin (the antioxidant) and bioperine (blackpepper), which is said to reduce cancerous tumours. Citrine K BG(beverage grade) is one of the company’s biggest sellers and used forweight management and sports drinks. Already present in the UK, France,Holland and Scandinavia the company is looking to expand in Germany. CampbellBerry-Kilgow of New Zealand Extracts Ltd explained how SauvignonBlanc grapes grown in New Zealand has been discovered to have twice theantioxidant level when grown here due to plants evolving to grow indifficult conditions. The grape extract is freeze dried and somaintains its ORAC content for two years. It is 100% water extractedusing the Aqua Pure process, which means only water is involved, nosolvents. The grape extract product is particularly suited tobeverages – teas, carbonates, fruit juices – “with completetraceability even down to the row of the vineyard on which the grapegrew,” he laughed. “It's grown under New Zealand’s ‘SustainableViticulture’ Programme’ whereby waste, water and irrigation are allunder scrutiny. Campbell was also interested to hear more about ourBeverage Innovation awards and is already thinking of entering nextyear. The company is already looking good for the sustainability andingredient categories. OmniActiveof India highlighted its new UltraSol Nutrient Systems, which is basedon the company’s patent-pending delivery technology said to enhance thebioavailability and/or aqueous solubility of nutrients, extracts andflavourings. UltraSol Liquid Nutrient System is designed for usewith fruit and dairy beverages, nutritional drinks and near water typedrinks to deliver nutrients/extracts or flavourings. UltraSol DryNutrient Systems can be used for the effective blending of lipophilicnutrients and active nutraceutical ingredients in dry blends. Anew concept for busy young women who are unable to eat ‘five a day’ offruit and vegetables was unveiled by Val de Vie on its stand. AppleActive Skin is a powder sachet that can contribute a person’s naturalskin beauty. Available in a Winter and a Summer version, it is designedto be dissolved in a glass of hot water or cold water respectively. Thepowder contains quercetin in addition to vitamin E and C for naturalskin protection. Claire Rowan – Managing Editor, Food & Beverage International *** Vitafoods in Geneva was once again the centre of activity for the functional foods, nutraceutical and food supplement industry this year. Collaboration was a noticeable theme punctuating conversations in the aisles, with companies discussing how to work together to foster innovation and bring solutions. Although significant collaborative work with universities and academia has always been typical of the sector due to the wide-ranging clinical trials and specialist studies required to support claims and prove the efficacy and bioavailability of ingredients, combined activities have now gone one step further. In order to ensure the best flavour and consistency in the end products, Lipid Nutrition worked with Tate & Lyle to perfect its tasty dip concept containing the slimming agent, Pinnothin, and with Doehler to perfect the fruitmix juice drinks that were available on the stand. The company is also adopting a supportive role in directly educating consumers and is readily collaborating with its customers to communicate the benefits of Pinnothin through dedicated articles in the consumer press, among other initiatives. As consumers become more aware of their personal health requirements, and more interested in targeted products with specific health benefits, so the need for companies to join forces and communicate becomes greater. Croda Health Care has linked up with Neptune Technologies & Bioresources for a strategic commercialisation alliance for the USA and Europe. Following the initial joint research and development phase, both companies are now launching the Essentially brand of clinically proven ingredients, which contain Croda Health Care’s omega-3 products and Neptune’s bioactive ingredients. “We work closely with our partners through R&D to develop optimised products that are meeting our partners’ and Neptune’s rigorous quality standards,” said Dr Tina Sampalis, chief scientific officer of Neptune, which has also recently signed agreements with Nestlé and Yoplait to look at developments in functional foods. Similarly, sustainability is noticeably driving the agenda for many ingredients suppliers and food & beverage manufacturers alike. To this end, companies are actively joining forces with experts to help them underpin their own 'green' credentials. Aker BioMarine and Aker Seafoods have entered into a formal cooperation with the World Wildlife Fund in order to work together on the sustainable harvesting of fish and krill (which contains high levels of phospholipids), combating illegal fishing and the traceability of fishery products. Collaboration on all fronts is sure to underpin developments over the next year and Vitafoods should once again be bubbling with the results of this joint activity in 2009. Keep clicking on FoodBev.com to keep abreast of news in the interim! *Medina Bailey – Features Writer, Beverage Innovation* The annual Vitafoods event provides the ideal platform for the functional ingredients and beverage industries, which thrive on innovation and forward thinking. This year, visitors were greeted by a plethora of audience-specific, niche concepts, from teenagers looking to improve their concentration at exam time to young professionals wanting to pep up their diets, and women seeking a natural solution for symptoms of the menopause. Anti-ageing seemed to be a major focus, with ingredients such as omega-3 offering benefits to brain, eye and heart health, and collagen drinks promising more youthful skin without the need for braving the needle. Other trends included solutions for appetite suppression and weight loss, lowering blood pressure, encouraging relaxation and well-being, and detoxing. The Finished Products area highlighted the key advantage of great-tasting functional drinks, which enables them to be easily slotted into consumers’ daily diets with barely any effort on their part to alter their usual routine. Products that offer convenience, as well as perceived functional benefits, are proving to be an appealing prospect for busy, health-conscious consumers. Exhibitors also showed off their green policies by emphasising the sustainability and environmental friendliness of their solutions, from the sourcing of raw materials to the production of the final products. Passing on these credentials to beverage manufacturers is enabling them to make ethical declarations about their products, in addition to health claims on-pack. All in all, the products that really stood out recognised that, as consumers are increasingly addressing their health concerns and putting preventative measures in place, they're also taking more care of what they're putting into their bodies by assessing efficacy, safety and provenance before they buy. It's the ingredients companies that bear these factors in mind as they develop their next novel concepts and new product lines that are most likely to shine again at the show in 2009. *****Read more about this year's Vitafoods event in the next issues of Beverage Innovation and Food & Beverage International (the June issue of Food & Beverage International will include a dedicated Sustainability Supplement, distributed with every copy). <1> The next issue of Beverage Innovation (June) contains a Functional Ingredients mini magazine in which companies present at Vitafoods may wish to advertise. Please contact lee.haines@zipublishing.com for details. * <1>: /subscription/subscribe.aspx

*Clesa SL – part of Italian dairy production giant, Parmalat – is releasing Tetra Pak slim packaging, condensed and evaporated milk, yogurt and petit fresh cheese production and packing lines for online auction later this month. * Scheduled to close on 22 May 2008, the auction, managed by online auctioneers GoIndustry, is tipped as a good bet for Indian, Middle Eastern or European manufacturers looking for a complete package. All the equipment, based at various Clesa sites, is still assembled and can be viewed in their original configurations. The four available Tetra Pack filling lines include two 200ml slim packages with straw applicator and heat film wrap capability, as well as two 1-litre base package lines for milk (Models TBA/8 and TBA/9). For those looking for yogurt and fresh cheese or condensed and evaporated milk processing and packaging, complete lines are available for purchase, currently in situ in Alicante and Burgos, Spain. The lines accommodate metal cans and plastic bottles, and complete heat, cold and steam production processes. Equipment includes pasteurisers, homogenisers, separators, evaporator, stainless steel silos and vessels, egg breaker, CIP units, tray washers, thermoformers, blow moulder, palletiser, compressors, steam boilers, water treatment and refrigeration plant and condensers. The sales form part of Clesa’s consolidation of production capacity as part of its move (of a number of brands) to larger capacity, new plants in Barcelona and Madrid.

According to the report, Credit Suisse proposed that the group firstly issue a bond and then subsequently de-list the stock, always keeping the ratio between debt and EBITDA at four times, which is one of the targets of the group. However, the recent rise of the share price from the lows of €3.5 to the current €4.05 is one of the obstacles to the transaction, the report said. yael.schrage@thomsonreuters.com=">yael.schrage@thomsonreuters.com" at="at" Forbes.com="Forbes.com">

*As political controversy continues to swirl around the Beijing Olympics, Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) is launching a major promotional campaign focused on the athletes and the sporting ideal of the Games. * The campaign revolves around a group of high-profile US Olympians and Olympic hopefuls, with the message being communicated to consumers through special limited edition Olympic packaging, press and television advertising, and various online tie-ups. The aim is to unite sports and Coke lovers through the international spirit of the Olympic movement. “Together, Coca-Cola and the Olympic Games have shared and promoted the values of unity, optimism and inspiration for 80 years,” said Hendrik Steckhan, President and General Manager, Sparkling Beverages, for Coca-Cola North America. “For the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, we’re continuing that legacy of engaging the world. By combining Coca-Cola cans in different languages with six amazing athletes, we have created a programme that celebrates global communities coming together, and the unifying spirit of the Olympic Games and Coca-Cola.” On 19 May, almost three months before the opening of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing, CCNA will release limited edition cans and FridgePacks bearing the familiar Coca-Cola logo in different languages including Ethiopian, Russian, Thai and Mandarin, as well as English. It will be the first time the Coca-Cola script has appeared in different languages in the US, with new designs being released every two to three weeks. Special 20oz (591ml) Coca-Cola bottles will also feature labels with multiple languages including those of Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Korea, Nepal and Sri Lanka. To link US consumers with the approaching Summer Games, collectable packaging and in-store materials will feature a “Six Pack” of athletes: Olympic gold medallists Natalie Coughlin (swimming), Steven Lopez (taekwondo), and Sanya Richards (track and field); Olympic competitors LeBron James (basketball) and Andy Potts (triathlon); and Olympic hopeful Shawn Johnson (gymnastics). * Active ambassadors* The “Six Pack” athletes are also serving as Coca-Cola “Ambassadors of Active Living,” encouraging consumers to maintain a healthy lifestyle. In New York on Friday (9 May), five of the six filmed special NBC vignettes that will air on US television to raise awareness of the collectable Coca-Cola packaging. These vignettes will join other Olympic-themed Coke ads over the summer, including a commercial celebrating the 80-year relationship between Coca-Cola and the Olympic Games. The website mycoke.com will meanwhile run a number of Olympic promotions designed to appeal to teenage consumers in particular. Visitors to the site can design their own virtual Coke bottle to share with other fans around the world; learn about the Coca-Cola “Six Pack” of athletes; download wallpaper and screen savers; and enter a sweepstake to win a snowboarding trip with Olympic medallist Gretchen Bleiler to Vancouver, future venue of the 2010 Winter Olympics. <1> will also feature “WE8,” a global collaboration between eight visual artists and eight progressive musicians to create eight limited-edition aluminium bottle designs and free, downloadable companion songs. Over the summer, thousands of samples of the special bottles will be given away in Simon shopping malls across the country. Members of the mycokerewards.com loyalty programme can also redeem their points for Olympic gear, download Olympic packaging collector’s sheets, and enter a sweepstake to win a tour of the US Olympic Training Centre with an Olympic athlete. The Coca-Cola Company has been an Olympic partner for 80 years, and is the longest continuous corporate supporter of the Olympic movement. Coke is the official non-alcoholic beverage of the Olympic Games to the year 2020. <1>: http://Mycoke.com

UK vending supplies company Abbeychart recently ran a successful clients and families day out on the North Yorkshire Moors Steam Railway. The train was pulled by Company founder and Group Chairman Peter Best's own locomotive with the dual aim of raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support and providing a fun day out for over 200 guests. The 'Abbeychart Express' steam locomotive puffed its way from Pickering to Grosmont and back in April, a journey of about an hour each way through some of the most stunning scenery in the country. Altogether £1250 was raised for the cancer patient care association, and a good time was had by all in the sunshine. Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer, providing practical, medical, emotional and financial support, and campaigning for better cancer care.

By Thomas Anderegg, CEO Corvaglia Closures* *The main driver for current developments in bottle closures, apart from improvements in existing concepts, is a steady pipeline of innovations. * For high-value products and the creation of unique selling points or added value for the customer, the optimisation of the costs isn't the top priority. For mass products on the other hand, cost leadership is imperative in the long run. Both of these trends are reflected in the new generation of closures for beverage bottles. Innovations in design and added functionality as well as increased ease of use provide significantly opportunities to achieve a differentiation in the marketplace. If these options are used skillfully, a manufacturer can achieve a unique position and escape the downward spiral of cost reduction. * Functionality and ease of use* Apart from a visually appealing and informative appearance and perfect functioning, the ease of use and handling is the be-all and end-all of any successful package. Saving time, energy and space is becoming more and more important to today's consumers, who are looking for added functionality beyond the closing, sealing and opening functions of a standard closure. Such needs are met by a user-friendly closure that combines added functionality with an esthetic appeal. One example of such added functionality is the active SmartSeal Flex closure. The main feature of this innovative development is the active valve with additional sealing properties. With this solution, accidental spillage is excluded. The closure only opens during drinking and offers a high level of user friendliness and safety. Design and differentiation The plastic closure of a beverage package is an important part of the brand concept and underpins its originality, appearance, status and maturity. An attractive package is known to arouse the interest in a product and may have a significant impact on the decision to buy. Skilled package design results in a high level of differentiation of the product. As an important component of the beverage package, the closure therefore plays a major part in positioning a product in the marketplace. The special design of bottle and closure of the Y-Water kids' drink successfully provides the new product with unique selling point. Neck and cap of the bottle are based on the PCO Corvaglia closure thread design. The use of a top cap achieves a well proportioned continuation of the bottle contour. * Limits to enhanced functionality* The design freedom in creating a new closure and the enhancement of its functionality are limited by the costs and the intuitively controlled acceptance by the final consumer. A closure must be easy to understand and easy to handle. Unfortunately, you still find poor examples on the shelves where these principles haven't been observed. If it becomes necessary to provide the bottle with written instructions on how to open it, sales of the product will be impaired, no matter how sophisticated the additional function or how attractive the design may be. Keep it as simple as possible – this should be the motto, the only exception being special applications such as child safety locks. * Cost and weight reduction* With identical offers, the consumer will opt for the least expensive product. This results in pressure on the costs of the package and thus also of the closure. Standard closures are mass products that are available from a number of manufacturers and are interchangeable at a justifiable expense. To keep transport costs as low as possible, mass-produced closures must be produced near the bottler. While the variety of expensive colors and printed caps is continuously decreasing, the proportion of one-piece closures is on the rise. 'Shoot and ship' – this best describes the efforts to cut closure costs to the absolute minimum. Yet, the best result in weight and thus cost reduction can only be achieved if bottle and closures are seen as one. The PCO Corvaglia short thread saves about 1.5g in neck weight and up to 1.2g in cap weight compared with the standard PCO 1810, and this without any sacrifice in the performance of the system. The high compatibility with existing preform molds, blow molding machines and bottling equipment permits an implementation at lowest costs. This lightweight product for bottles for non-carbonated drinks is currently being launched in the US. The neck only contributes 1.7g to the weight and the cap weighs less than a gram. Light-weighting in plastic closures is only limited by the technical feasibility. Continuous weight reduction makes increasing demands on the robustness of the closure. This applies to all areas alike – from production to packaging, storage and transport to handling, conveying and filling and through to the ultimate function of the closure on the bottle in the stores and the hands of the final consumer. Virtually in all fields, current trends are accompanied by an increasing environmental awareness, driven by the continuously rising prices of raw materials and their limited availability. Also, the effect of the carbon dioxide emissions caused by the product (product carbon footprint, PCF) is a matter of concern. This calls for sustainable developments meeting the demands of the current generation without jeopardizing the options for the generations that follow. Waste must be eliminated wherever this is possible and must be recovered where not. Waste reduction comprises all measures preceding the recycling stage that result in less waste. If waste streams cannot be avoided, the input materials should be recycled as secondary raw materials. Another important aspect of all ecological considerations is the saving of energy in all steps of the production process by measures reducing the primary and secondary energy demand. And this is where the Corvaglia neck systems and caps make an important contribution.