*Bacardi rum has launched The Bacardi Classic Cocktail Mojito, a ready-to-serve cocktail made with Bacardi Superior Rum, natural lime and mint flavours. * The Bacardi Classic Cocktail Mojito package features a distinctive green cap and light and 'refreshing' design. The 15% alcohol-by-volume (30 proof) ready-to-drink cocktail has a suggested retail price ranging from $19.99 for a 1.75-litre bottle, soon to be followed by a 750ml size. "The Bacardi Classic Cocktail Mojito delivers real mojito taste in a ready-to-drink package," said Joe Metevier, brand director of Bacardi Traditional Rums. "It reinforces our position as the leader in mojito cocktails through executions in all major adult beverage categories." The Bacardi Classic Cocktail Mojito offers the ultimate in flavour, convenience and true brand heritage dating back to the mid 1800s, when Bacardi rum was first used to make the mojito.

Aimed at style-conscious female buyers, Works With Water's latest spring water is Beauty. Beauty is the first spring water clinically proven to improve acne by reducing both the inflammation and bacteria associated with blemishes. It's also the first spring water to contain the ingredient Praventin, which, in medical trials, improved blemishes by 95% within two months.

Up until now, no one had been able to successfully create a commercial, handled PET liquor bottle due to the difficulty of blow moulding around a grip. This industry 'first' is a result of a two year co-operative venture between McCormick and Amcor. “McCormick is the number two domestic vodka brand. With a lot of competition in the value priced category, we were looking for a way to differentiate ourselves,” said McCormick President and COO Jim Zargo. Meeting the challenge McCormick brought its vision to Amcor two years ago and challenged its engineering team to come up with a commercial solution. The project would end up pushing both container and equipment engineering to new limits. “We knew that you can’t blow a PET handle, so we worked with Amcor to figure out how to do it. We even looked at a clip-on version, but found out pretty quickly that it wouldn’t support the 1.75 litre volume,” Zargo says. “This is an extremely difficult process to execute. One of the trickiest elements is to make sure that the grip is perfectly placed inside the mold. If that is not done correctly or if the material isn’t heated just right, you either won’t ‘capture’ the grip or you will puncture the material,” explained Amcor Project Engineer Jonathan Jarman. “The other major issue is that there wasn’t a machine with a proven track record for this type of application.” Purpose-built machine Since there were no commercially available units, a proprietary 'reheat, blow' machine was purpose-built for the project. (The bottle is produced at Amcor’s KY plant in Nicholasville. The facility is known as the 'center of excellence' for liquor production.) With all of those variables in the mix, the bottle design itself also needed to make accommodations for the volume displaced by the grip. “McCormick wanted us to emulate the look of their former 1.75 litre bottle, but we needed to modify that a little to still get the right volume. The solution was to move the shoulder up and reduce the neck height,” Jarman said. Two years in the making, the bottle entered distribution at the beginning of the year. The company has a special section on its website heralding the launch. Since the introduction, McCormick has been enjoying strong feedback from both distributors and retailers. “We are also happy to report that consumers are reacting very favorably to the new bottle. We have already experienced sales growth and are gaining distribution based on the new packaging,” Zargo said.

*Got a craving for coffee flavour? You're in luck, as Swiss Valley Farms dairy cooperative has announced Cravelatte Milk and Coffee. * This new item captures consumer interest in coffee-flavoured beverages at a significantly lower price compared to similar items on the market. Sales of RTD coffee exceeded $1 billion in 2007 and continue to expand. Consumers want to enjoy these drinks on-the-go, and Cravelatte meets that need in clear plastic pint-sized bottles. Consumers are also looking for lower fat options, and Cravelatte contains 1% milk with only 2.5g of fat per serving. Each bottle delivers 50% of the daily recommendation for calcium and vitamin D. Cravelatte is available in grocery, drug, convenience and vending channels, and is typically priced around $1 a bottle. The introduction is being supported with coupon ads, billboards, print, radio and point of sale material.

Apuro is launching its ACIS range of water coolers into Europe. After successful sales into Spain, the company is focusing on expanding its export business in other EU countries and is actively seeking distributors. "We've successfully established the ACIS brand in the UK market," said European sales manager, Nigel Elwick. "This is a natural progression for the range. The technology used in developing our latest models, notably the DC (direct chill) units, is helping us open up the continental market." Apuro’s ACIS 800 Series of direct chill units offers a continuous supply of chilled, filtered mains water, using a refrigerated coil to chill incoming water directly instead of chilling water held in a reservoir tank. "The models are stylish and practical," said Elwick. "They're perfect in situations where a traditional tank-model can't cope, such as in colleges where there are peaks of demand between classes." Special deals on floor-standing ACIS models The price promotion that Apuro has been running on the ACIS 700 Series of floor-standing bottle coolers is due to finish at the end of April. The special deals mean that dealers can get large discounts off the standard trade price of the bottle coolers. There are two floor-standing water coolers in the promotion, offering a choice of chilled and ambient or chilled and hot water. The top-of-the-range A/SWC710D Floor Standing unit has a tank capacity of 3.9 litres of chilled and 1.9 litres of hot water. The ACIS floor-standing bottle coolers have a variety of unique selling points, including built-in cup dispenser and single-tap outlet for increased hygiene and ease of use.

Sustainability and the environment are to be the focus of heightened activity at the International Dairy Federation, the organisation’s board has decided. In its first full meeting, IDF’s new directors approved an ambitious programme aimed at improving the global dairy industry’s environmental positioning. A work schedule is being drawn up by IDF’s Science and Programme Co-ordination Committee (SPCC) and additional resources have been earmarked by the board to give the initiative early impetus. IDF President, Jim Begg said: “We are acutely conscious of the potential impact on the dairy industry around the world of issues such as climate change and carbon footprinting. There is a global role for providing good balanced information in this area, particularly on the environment, so that developments are influenced by sound science. We aim to secure a leading role for the IDF in this area. “We also intend to develop best practice in the key environmental areas relevant to the dairy industry. We shall do this using our own resources and by working in partnership with other organisations active in this area, such as the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform.” IDF Director-General, Christian Robert, said: “IDF is already leading projects on environmental issues such as fresh water treatment, re-use of processed water, cutting on-farm emissions of greenhouse gases, effluent treatment and reduction of dust emissions from dairy plants. “But this new initiative should add to our understanding of the issues and improve our ability to guide the dairy industry down the path of sustainability.”

Bottlers who purchase ProStack and TierStack racks do so to improve bottle life, production efficiencies and safety throughout their operations, and to reduce truck damage. Proper forklift handling is a critical aspect to achieving these goals. According to Steve Kurth, director of North American sales: “This video will allow our customers to educate new and existing forklift drivers in the safe handling of our products. Also available with the DVD are written reference materials and a test."

Campina has recently started making vla (custard), the traditional Dutch dairy treat, using Campina milk with a more balanced fatty acid composition and a lower sugar content. The sweet taste so popular with millions of Dutch consumers won’t change, however. The new custard has been developed in response to the trend for tasty yet more responsible products that tie in with people’s daily consumption patterns. As well as Campina custard, there's now Campina yogurt and traditional Campina porridges made from Campina milk, with a more balanced fatty acid composition. These have been available on the supermarket shelves since last spring. * Other healthier options* Following on from the changes it has made to its milk, Campina is also making its custard, yogurt and porridges using healthier Campina milk. The litre packs of Campina yogurt and Campina custard have also acquired a large screw cap for greater ease of use. These large caps are already in use on litre packs of Campina VlaFlip, allowing consumers to see the product attractively pouring out of the container. Less sugar, no artificial sweeteners Campina is also responding to the trend for a more healthy lifestyle by reducing the sugar content in its custard. This was achieved through months of developing the product without the use of artificial sweeteners. Campina is confident that this innovation will make an important contribution to responsible nutrition. "By extending the range of Campina products made with our healthy Campina milk, and by adding less sugar to our custards, we're responding to consumer demand for responsible products which are also very tasty," said Bas van den Berg, Managing Director of CPE Nederland. Typical Dutch dessert treat Dutch consumers eat an average of eight litres of custard each year; it’s usually taken as a dessert after the main meal, especially in winter. The combination of its sweet taste, thick pouring consistency and shape of the packaging (a half or full-litre family pack) makes custard a typically Dutch dessert treat. Campina is also an important supplier of sweet desserts to other countries, such as Germany and Belgium, but most of these are sold in individual portion packagings.

Anheuser Busch in the US has launched Budweiser and Bud Light with tomato juice making a new category in beer – the savoury beer segment. Chelada is a premium beer with spicy Clamato juice. Aimed at 21-45 year old males and in particular Latino Beer drinkers, it comes in 24oz cans and also targets Red Beer and Bloody Beer enthusiasts for brunch events. Available in Texas and California, Budweiser Chelada is 5% proof and contains 186 calories per 12oz serving. Bud Light Chelada is 4.2% ABV and contains 151 calories per 12oz serving.

The Freight Transport Association said that the Chancellor's decision to defer the 2p per litre increase in fuel duty until 1 October was very welcome, bearing in mind last week's increase in the price of oil to $110 per barrel and forecasts that it will rise further. However, FTA said that any duty increase should have been put off for at least a year while the market remains so turbulent. FTA said that a six month deferment would save industry some £140 million. However, since January 2007 the transport industry has suffered fuel price increases of £2.5 billion as the bulk price of diesel has increased from 74p per litre to the current 92p per litre. FTA Director of External Affairs said, "The high price of fuel impacts on not just the transport industry but the whole of UK industry as world prices go through the roof. In turn these increased prices must be passed to consumers. For the Chancellor to have added to this pain by seeking further taxation would have been unthinkable. "But as the price of oil continues to rise, he must continue to keep his foot off the fuel duty accelerator – the proposed half pence per litre above inflation increase from 2010 can be no more than speculative. FTA will seek a further deferment after 1 October." FTA continues to call for a decoupling of the way fuel is taxed on commercial vehicles from cars.

*The world's most avid chocolate fans, which eat chocolate several times a week, live in the UK (46%), Switzerland (45%) and Belgium (43%), according to a recent consumer survey conducted on behalf of Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products. * While many chocolate lovers stick to one type of chocolate (brand loyalty 45%, habit 39%), more than one third of all consumers in Western Europe and the US want more choice, and many have discovered the delights of premium chocolate. Chocolate fans increasingly seek new taste experiences and turn to premium chocolate to indulge their sweet tooth, and 12% regularly try different chocolate types. German consumers are especially keen on change: 25% of German chocolate lovers surveyed regularly try different types and flavours. Amid a trend towards premium chocolate, origin, organic and fair trade chocolates are becoming popular across all markets. Four out of 10 respondents (42%) throughout Western Europe and the US have already discovered origin chocolate, which is made with cocoa beans harvested in one specific country. This represents an increase of 26 percentage points compared to 2006 (from 16% to 42%). One fifth of all consumers (19%) eat it at least once a month. Traditional chocolate countries such as Switzerland (11%) and Belgium (9%) have the highest weekly consumption. A taste for origin The most avid fans of origin chocolates are the Americans (53%) and the Swiss (52%). The Swiss are the most regular consumers of origin chocolate, with 23% enjoying it at least a few times a month. "Our direct sourcing activities in the world's principal cocoa-growing countries enabled us to develop the largest range of origin chocolates available on the market," says Hans Vriens, Chief Innovation Officer at Barry Callebaut. "Barry Callebaut has more than 40 different origins on offer whose unique taste is a real discovery for chocolate lovers across the globe. These finest-quality origin chocolates are made from rare cocoa beans grown on faraway, small plantations or even from vintage beans." To cater for the growing demand for origin chocolate, Barry Callebaut has recently launched six new country origins chocolates, four new regional origins and five new origin cocoa powders, as well as 10 new 'Limited Edition' country origin chocolates. These finest-quality chocolates are the result of rare and meticulously selected cocoa beans grown and harvested under specific local conditions, from plantations, with specific certifications, or even from a specific year. "The rise of single origin and limited edition chocolate is an important driver for change on the chocolate market. These original chocolate varieties are an excellent way for smaller and mid-size companies to successfully differentiate themselves from mainstream chocolates," says Hans Vriens. "Nowadays, chocolate consumption is coming to resemble the way we enjoy wine: we sample and compare different tastes." Fair trade and organic The same growth in popularity is seen in fair trade and organic chocolates. In 2008, 33% of consumers said they had tried fair trade chocolate, while 24% had tried organic chocolate, representing a +23 percentage point and +17 percentage point. Increase respectively vs 2006. Switzerland (46%) and the UK (43%) are home to the most avid fair trade consumers. Leaders in the organic segment are consumers in the US (38%) and the UK (31%). For nearly half the consumers surveyed, the brand name matters most in their choice of chocolate. This is most notably the case for consumers in Germany, the US (both 59%), the UK (53%) and Switzerland (39%). For one out of four consumers, buying chocolate is all about habit. Belgian and French consumers are the uncrowned European 'creatures of habit'. 68% of Belgian and 45% of French consumers always buy the same brand. Does price matter? For some, absolutely: Germans are the most price-conscious chocolate buyers (35%), closely followed by 31% of American and 27% of French consumers. Not surprisingly, the same French (26%) and American (20%) consumers state they are sensitive to promotions. A real American reflex: when tasted during a sampling session in the shop or store, 31% of American consumers buy the product on the spot. While 72% of consumers say they need no special occasion to buy chocolate, one-fourth say chocolate is an ideal gift for any occasion. Seasonal chocolate gifting is a big ticket item in the US: Christmas (45%), Valentine's Day (44%) and Easter (41%) represent real chocolate gifting peaks. In traditional chocolate markets where daily chocolate consumption is high, such as Belgium, France and Switzerland, seasonal gifting is less prominent. Belgians, who are among the top consumers of chocolate per capita in Europe, don't need a special occasion to buy chocolate. Only 8% of them buy it for Christmas and 19% for Easter.

*World Water Day 2008 (Saturday 22 March) calls attention to the critical need to protect and sustain water resources and “highlights the significance of cooperation and importance of an integrated approach to water resource management of water at both international and local levels,” according to the World Water Day website. * This global appreciation of water also recognises the fact that all consumer products use water as an ingredient or in production, including foods and beverages. Bottled water companies have an outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and responsible use of resources to produce a healthy packaged beverage. And, recognising that water is necessary for life, the industry brings to people bottled water with consistent safety, quality, good taste and convenience. * Consumers should consider these facts about bottled water:* Bottled water and the environment Annual bottled water production accounts for less than 2/100 of a percent (0.02%) of the total ground water withdrawn in the US each year. The bottled water industry uses minimal amounts of groundwater to produce this important consumer product, and does so with great efficiency. Even though it's a minimal groundwater user and is one of among thousands of food, beverage and commercial water users, bottled water companies actively support comprehensive groundwater management practices that are science-based, treat all users equitably, multi-jurisdictional, and provide for future needs of this important resource. Consumers should be aware that bottled water containers are fully recyclable and should be properly recycled through whatever system a local municipality has in place. In fact, all bottled water containers – whether plastic, glass or aluminium – are recyclable. IBWA actively supports comprehensive curbside recycling programs, partners with other beverage and food companies, municipalities and the recycling industry, seeks to educate consumers about recycling, and works to increase all recycling to reduce litter. The bottled water industry is working to reduce its environmental footprint by using lighter-weight plastics for its containers and increasing the fuel efficiency in the transportation of their products to market. Convenience-size water bottles are not a major part of the waste stream, accounting for less than one third of 1% of all waste produced in the US in 2005. Any efforts to reduce the environmental impact of packaging must be comprehensive and focus on all consumer goods. The larger bottles found on many home and office bottled water coolers can be sanitised and reused an average of 40 times before the bottled water company removes them from the marketplace and recycles them. That's why the bottled water industry is considered one of the “original recyclers”. Larger, single-use bottled water cooler containers are recyclable. Global water availability While government and the private sector work to find solutions to provide clean drinking water in underserved communities, bottled water combined with other solutions such as filtration and bulk filling stations, is an efficient and effective means of delivering clean, sanitary drinking water. A growing number of bottled water companies are designating a portion of their income to support global programmes, which help create long-term solutions for the provision of water for drinking, sanitation and hygiene in underserved and developing communities. Bottled water regulations and safety Bottled water is comprehensively regulated as a packaged food product by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which mandates stringent standards to help ensure bottled water’s consistent safety, quality and good taste. By law, FDA bottled water standards must be at least as stringent and protective of public health as US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tap water standards. FDA requires bottled water to comply with bottled water-specific standards as well as regulations required of all food products. Bottled water isn't simply tap water in a bottle. FDA and state governments recognise groundwater and municipal water systems as legitimate and valid sources for bottled water production. There are specific labelling and other standards to help ensure consumers are aware of the type of bottled water they choose. Bottled water companies that use municipal source water treat and purify the water employing processes such as reverse osmosis and distillation before it's bottled and delivered to consumers as a packaged food product. The product will be labelled as 'purified water', or alternatively 'reverse osmosis water' if it's treated by reverse osmosis, or 'distilled water' if it treated by distillation. If bottled water is sourced from a municipal water system and hasn't been further treated, FDA requires the label to state that it's from a municipal or community water system. Bottled water products are required to comply at all times with FDA Standards of Quality. As with other food products, bottled water is subject to the food adulteration and misbranding requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and is subject to the full array of FDA enforcement actions, including warning letters, civil (seizure and/or injunction) and criminal penalties. As with other food products, bottled water may be recalled from the marketplace. In addition to federal and state regulations, IBWA members are required to adhere to standards in the IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice, which in several cases are stricter than FDA, EPA and state bottled water regulations. The IBWA Bottled Water Code of Practice is enforced through a mandatory, annual, unannounced plant inspection by an independent, third party organisation. With much attention focused on the safety and security of the nation’s food supply, the bottled water industry has elevated its efforts to provide consumers with a safe, high-quality product. The numerous federal and state regulations and standards already in place, coupled with the bottled water industry’s use of enhanced learning and security systems to help ensure the safety and security of our products, mean that consumers can trust and rely on their bottled water. Bottled water and emergency response IBWA and the bottled water industry have worked to develop solutions to better enable federal, state and local emergency response agencies to act with greater efficiency and speed with regard to bottled water distribution and coordination in emergency relief operations. IBWA’s broad expertise can help government officials better understand the issues involved as they attempt to create a more workable system. Why consumers choose bottled water Some groups have sought to frame drinking water issues as a “bottled water vs tap water" debate, and that confuses consumers. Consumers are not uniformly replacing their public drinking water with bottled water. Many consumers likely drink bottled water and tap water depending on the circumstances. It doesn't, however, always amount to a tap vs bottled water choice. Consumers across the US choose bottled water because it's a healthy, refreshing beverage. In some cases, consumers drink bottled water as an alternative to other packaged beverages because it doesn't contain calories, caffeine, sugar, artificial flavours or colours, alcohol and other ingredients. Or, they choose bottled water because they're not always satisfied with the aesthetic qualities (eg taste, odour, colour) of their tap water. There are thousands of public water systems across the US, most of which are succeeding, yet others are faced with occasional 'challenges', emergencies, or natural events that may cause service interruptions. Bottled water container safety Bottled water is but one of thousands of beverage and food products packaged in plastic, and satisfies consumer demands for the safety and convenience of packaged food and drinks. All plastics (and other materials) intended for contact with foods or beverages, including bottled water, are regulated by FDA to help assure their safety. The materials used in all bottled water containers are shown to be safe through extensive laboratory testing. FDA comprehensively regulates the safety of food, including bottled water, by carefully reviewing food and beverage packaging materials before allowing them onto the market. As part of its review, FDA assesses the migration potential of plastics and the substances with which they are made. FDA allows food-contact plastics for their intended use based on safety data. The process includes stringent requirements for estimating the levels at which such materials may transfer to the diet. FDA's safety criteria require extensive toxicity testing for any substance that may be ingested at more than negligible levels. This means FDA has affirmatively determined that, when plastics are used as intended in food-contact applications, the nature and amount of substances that may migrate, if any, are safe.