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.

* * 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