The 100-year old Spanish laboratory Oliver Rodés has lent a sample of its 5,000 water bottles from over 120 countries to Expo Zaragoza. When Dr Benito Oliver Rodés began analysing his first water bottles in 1902 he could never have imagined that over a century later, a large selection would be on display at an international event. Laboratorio Dr Oliver Rodés currently works with hundred of companies throughout Europe related to the bottled water sector, pharmaceuticals and the control of residual water. Since its establishment in 1902, the centre has become a leading authority in the analysis of bottled and medicinal mineral waters. Throughout its 106-year history the company has analysed many bottles and a sample of those containers are kept in a museum at corporate headquarters. In total, Laboratorio Dr Oliver Rodés has more than 5,000 water bottles from more than 120 countries worldwide. Now, a significant part of this collection will be present at Expo Zaragoza. The show features around 500 exhibitors from 120 countries. The bottles on show are from 1950 to the present day including containers made of glass, plastics (PVC, polythene and polycarbonate) and even tetrabrik. Many are unique examples, whether due to their shape, embossed marks or special characteristics. They also feature different types of water: still and sparkling, medicinal mineral water, water with natural minerals, and treated drinking water. The Laboratorio Dr. Oliver Rodés collection will be shown at the entrance to the Catalonia pavilion in the form of a waterfall, so that visitors start their tour of the exhibition with the water bottle display. Grandson Rodés Jordi Oliver Rodés, great grandson of the founder and General Manager of the laboratory commented: "Some months ago, the Generalitat asked us to take part in the display within the Catalan pavilion at the Expo and, taking into account the fact that water is the event’s main theme, we are very pleased to be taking a considerable part of our museum to Zaragoza.” The complete collection can be visited at the headquarters of the laboratory in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona). While all of the company’s bottles can be found there, some of them are especially significant, such as the first five-litre glass bottle and bottles containing water from spas worldwide. The Laboratorio Dr Oliver Rodés works with hundreds of companies throughout Europe related to the bottled water sector, pharmaceuticals and the control of residual water. The laboratory currently analyses more than 100 different springs all over Spain, as well as many others in Europe and on the other continents. On a national level, the laboratory has worked with the Environment and Health Ministries and with a range of autonomous governments, while outside Spain it has worked with such prestigious organisations as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Safety Foundation (NSF), the European Federation of Bottled Water (EFBW) and European Bottled Watercooler Association (EBWA).

UK supplier Kleena Coola is now stocking a wide range of cleaning goods from UK-based manufacturer Cleenol. The most exciting addition will be the Cleenol Envirological Range of 'house-keeping' products. The range has been formulated to minimise the impact of each product on the environment, while not compromising on quality or performance. The range uses raw materials from renewable sources, is fully biodegradable and uses recycled or recyclable packaging. The range includes pure white detergent for hand dishwashing, glass cleaner, multipurpose cleaner as an alternative to highly alkaline alternatives, antibacterial bath and washroom cleaner for effective cleaning and descaling, liquid hand soap and citric toilet cleaner. Kleena Coola will also hold stock of a number of other Cleenol products, such as Envirowipe plus, traffic film remover, heavy duty cleaner (suitable for cooler bodies) and floor cleaner, as well as offering hygiene training and management systems for bottling plants. Kleena Coola Managing Director Ian Devine explained: “We have added various janitorial products to our offering which customers have found very useful, when ordering from our range of hygiene and sanitisation goods.”

By Mike Ramey** Agricultural, environmental and food industry groups in the US are urging the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to scale back the production of bio-ethanol this year, in light of the soaring cost of food exacerbated by recent severe flooding in the Midwest.** The flooding of “America’s grain bowl” threatens not only to send food prices still higher, but is also increasing the price of ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), used by many US soft drinks producers to sweeten their products. Earlier this month, PepsiCo CEO and Chairman Indra Nooyi urged the US Government to curb the seemingly inexorable rise of commodity costs. One contributory factor to the increases is the diversion of grain to bio-ethanol production under the so-called “food-to-fuel” policy. The EPA is currently considering a formal request from Rick Perry, Republican Governor of Texas, to reduce this year’s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by half. The RFS calls for 9 billion gallons (34 billion litres) of ethanol be blended into America’s fuel supply in 2008. However, a new study to be presented to the EPA on Monday (23 June) claims that increased bio-ethanol production has only a small effect on fuel prices, but a massive impact on food and ingredient prices. Dr Thomas Elam of FarmEcon, an agricultural and food industry consultancy, is one of a number of experts who are backing the study. * Negative effects* “It is clear that while America’s ethanol mandate has done little to hold down the steadily-climbing gasoline prices, its negative effects on the security of our food supply and the cost to feed our families are huge,” Dr Elam said during a conference call with journalists. “In light of recent events, it is imperative that the Government re-examine and reduce these mandates. We are facing tighter and tighter supplies of grain that threaten to devastate meat, dairy and poultry producers, and cause food price increases for the American consumer. The Government must not allow this to happen.” Other participants in the conference call also expressed concern about the potential environmental damage of increased ethanol production. “This year’s 9 billion gallon RFS mandate will cause an estimated 100 million tons of soil erosion, and put 300,000 tons of nitrogen fertiliser into Midwestern waters,” said Richard Wiles, Executive Director of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-governmental research organisation based in Washington, DC. “Thanks largely to the ethanol mandate and an excessively wet spring, pollution levels in the Gulf of Mexico are expected to reach record levels, with a dead zone the size of Massachusetts. That’s a high environmental price to pay for a bio-fuels policy that is straining family food budgets for the poorest Americans, and is doing next to nothing to lower gas prices.” The EPA must issue a decision by 24 July on Governor Perry’s call to cut this year’s bio-fuel production target.

Martin Amann, Packaging Design Specialist at Amann & Partners in Switzerland spoke at the recent Global Dairy Congress in Athens about emotional packaging design. He gave dairy innovation his view (issue 18 – June 2008). I guess we all agree that the consumer needs a certain amount of information on a pack. The crucial point is how much is enough and where does it get too much? The amount of information required or expected is heavily dependent on the limbic profile of the consumer. The more ‘Balance instruction’ a consumer has, the more he is interested in details and information of any kind. Consumers having more ‘Dominance or Stimulance instruction’ are rather relaxed concerning information. Many companies now put the GDAs (Guideline Daily Amounts) on the packs. Quite often the GDAs are put on the front panel. Whether this kind of information is helping to sell products is an open question and I am convinced that on some products it is even counter productive. It is the same as putting a sticker with the gas consumption on a big heavy SUV. What makes sense for a small car with a good energy balance is not very useful for other types of cars. In general I fear that we overload packs with too much – and often not very relevant – information. If the back of a pack (or even the front panel) looks like instructions for using a medical product, who do we expect to really read all of that? My point of view is: give the important and honest information where it makes sense but don’t forget that purchasing decisions are made to a large extent on an emotional level. The French Canadian writer and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said: “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Shouldn’t we trust and follow this quote a bit more?

“We’re off to a strong start as a focused confectionery business and expect first half revenues above our goal range and good progress on margins. These results will demonstrate the strength of our total confectionery platform, the benefits of the significant investments made in recent years and the potential of our business. Despite the challenging economic outlook and further increases in input costs in the second half, we are confident of a successful outcome for 2008, ” said Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer. The company expects strong revenue in the first half with second quarter growth likely to be modestly higher than the 7% like-for-like growth reported for the first quarter. Good progress is being made on margins despite a further increase in marketing investment. Price increases have been implemented across the majority of our markets and these are recovering significant increases in input costs. Margins in the first half will benefit from positive product mix and previously announced “Vision into Action” cost reduction initiatives including downsizing central and regional functions and outsourcing non-core activities. In Britain, Ireland, the Middle East and Africa, revenue growth has been driven by higher marketing and double-digit growth from the emerging market businesses. Profit and margin progress in the first half will be strong with margins benefiting from a further improvement in Nigeria, cost reduction initiatives and lower one-off costs in Britain and Ireland. In Britain, revenue growth is expected to be ahead of the confectionery market which is ahead 2% year-to-date. The exit from some less profitable promotions has been more than offset by good growth in core brands, including Cadbury Dairy Milk. In Europe, planned route to market changes in Russia and Turkey and lower market growth in Southern Europe have impacted performance. Gum growth remains strong reflecting the combination of market growth across the region and share gains in Southern Europe. In Turkey, Cadbury is integrating its existing distribution infrastructure with the Intergum business and revenues in the half are being impacted by the exit from a number of distribution arrangements. Overall, margins are expected to be lower in the region in the first half given the route to market reorganisation. In the US, the gum market is ahead 8% year to date, benefiting from the 2007 price increases and continued high levels of innovation activity. Growth continues to be driven by our Trident and Stride brands. In Asia Pacific, revenue growth in the half has benefited from an improved performance from confectionery in Australia and strong double-digit growth in emerging markets. In Australia beverages, revenue growth has strengthened in the last few months and in emerging markets, India has had another excellent half with good performances in all categories. * Outlook* For the first half of 2008, the company expects revenue growth above the top end of its 4% - 6% goal range and margin growth of at least 150 basis points (at constant exchange rates). We expect our commodity cost increases for the year to remain in the 5% - 6% range, however, these increases are now expected to be weighted toward the second half. Following the completion of the demerger on 7 May 2008, Americas Beverages will be classified as a discontinued operation and the results will not be included within the continuing operations of Cadbury plc.

RDA Organic has launched a range of organic "fresh functional superfruit" drinks that make bold health claims. The organic fruit in each bottle of the RDA Organic fresh functional superfruit range has been selected for its high content of essential vitamins and minerals. The fruits are extremely high in antioxidants and polyphenols. The first flavours in the range are Acai berry, Blackcurrant and Evesse Apple, and Pomegranate, Blueberry and Evesse Apple. Grown in Herefordshire, Evesse organic apples are the UK's local superfruit. Rich in health-boosting flavanols, Evesse apples help to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. RDA Organic is the first brand globally to use Evesse organic apples and has agreed a brand partnership with the British growers for the next two years. "Forming this partnership has given us a great opportunity to add this fantastic variety of organically grown British fruit to our range," said Patrick O'Flaherty, founder of RDA Organic. "Previously, the major source of epicatechin – the flavanol identified by nutrition researchers as the key component in fruits proven to give cardiovascular benefits was cocoa. Now, however, Evesse organic apples provide the perfect solution to allow us to give our consumers a fantastic opportunity to improve heart health and promote good circulation while enjoying a delicious organic drink." The RDS Organic fresh functional superfruit range is available in Waitrose and Ocado.com, as well as various independent chains. RDA Organic was a finalist in the <1>, which was held in Moscow earlier this year. <1>: /articleDetail.aspx?contentId=732

Close to 200 US beverage industry entrepreneurs and seasoned veterans participated in the first Innobev US event held yesterday at Le Parker Meridien Hotel in New York City. The event, sponsored by Wild Flavors Inc, was organised by UK-based global market experts Zenith International and leading US beverage authority Bevnet, in association with beverage innovation and Beverage Spectrum magazines. After a welcome and introduction by Zenith Chairman Richard Hall, the opening session was entitled: “Breaking the mold” and began with Peter van Stolk, Chief Executive of Tree Fort Group and Founder and former CEO of Jones Soda Company speaking about “Making it happen”, the need to connect with the consumer through the use of the Internet. “Leading outside the box” was the subject for Greg Steltenphol, Founder of Odwalla Inc which sold to Coca-Cola back in 2000 and who is now Co-Founder and CEO of organic and Fairtrade pioneers Adina World Beat Beverages. The International keynote address, with the title: “Natural integrity”, was given by father and son team Jon and Kristjan Olafsson of Icelandic Water Holdings, producer of Icelandic Glacial carbon neutral spring water, which attracted a 20% stake investment from Anheuser-Busch in 2007. The second session looked at how to grow a business and was opened by Beverage Spectrum Editor Jeff Klineman who discussed: “Spotting the characteristics of innovation success and failure”. Wolfgang Reichenberger, General Partner of Inventages, then considered what ticks the right boxes when it comes to attracting investment. This was followed by a case study of Sweet Leaf Tea by Founder and CEO Clayton Christopher. The afternoon opened with an innovator panel consisting of: Bill Sipper, Senior Partner of Cascadia Consulting Group; Michael Weinstein, CEO of Inov8; Tom First, CEO of O Water; James S Tonkin, Principal of Tonkin Consulting; and Dr Erik Donhowe, Vice President – Beverage Business Unit of Wild Flavors Inc. A “Dragon’s den” style distributor panel consisting of: Big Geyser COO Lewis Hershkowitz; Davis Beverage Group CFO Ken Davis; Polar Beverages Inc Vice President of Marketing Gerry Martin; and Tim Sperry Group President Tim Sperry watched three presentation from entrepreneurs keen to pitch their products in just three minutes each. The passionate and entertaining presentations were made by: Dan Ratner, Head Greenologist of Cell-Nique; T J McIntyre, Founder and President of Pixie Maté; and Brad Winter, CEO of SoNu Beverages. The panel gave honest and helpful advice on products presented. Closing the packed day were three Market briefings. Zenith International Vice President – Americas Andres Padilla spoke about “Emerging beverage growth opportunities. Zenith International Publishing Group Managing Editor Bill Bruce then looked at whether the industry was following or setting trends by reviewing recent global product launches. Finally, Ross Colbert, Managing Director – M&A Americas discussed “Practical steps for securing finance”.

With an extensive track record in food-based consumer packaged goods, Oliver will oversee all aspects of the company’s internal and external operations, brand philosophies and product launches. “We're thrilled to announce the addition of Tom Oliver to our executive management team,” said David Jenkins, chief executive officer and founder of Next Proteins. “Tom brings a wealth of cutting-edge food product experience to Next Proteins. He has a stellar record in leading and growing companies, which, coupled with this global experience, makes him the ideal leader to expand our number one selling Designer Whey business.” “I'm delighted to utilise my aptitude in operations, leadership, brand building and business growth at Next Proteins,” said Tom Oliver. “I look forward to working with our internal teams, distribution partners, retail affiliates and manufacturing suppliers to build on the current success of Designer Whey products in the competitive nutritional supplement category.” Tom Oliver is a veteran food executive with extensive experience in product development and the operations of creating successful consumer goods. Oliver served as executive vice president of domestic and international operations while at PowerBar. He oversaw the development and launch of four new product lines in one year; managed a new factory and distribution centre that produced over a million bars a day. He also headed PowerBar’s company-owned subsidiary in Germany. Additionally, he was a member of the executive team that sold PowerBar to Nestlé for one of the highest multiples ever paid for a food company. Most recently, Tom Oliver manned the helm for seven and a half years as CEO of CoolSystems, the makers of Game Ready. Prior to his tenure at CoolSystems, he was the vice president of Global Quality Control for Dole Foods and also served as vice president & General Manager of Dole Foods in the Philippines.

By Mike Ramey Cott Corp of Canada today revealed plans for a major shake-up designed to take the company back to its roots as the world’s biggest producer of retailer brand beverages, and return the struggling business to profitability. The President of Cott’s North American business unit and its 'Chief People Officer' will leave the company, and their responsibilities will be shared among other senior executives. Various executive posts throughout the organisation will also be eliminated, in some cases by not filling existing vacancies. Cott estimates that total severance costs will amount to $6-$8 million. Overall, the company plans to cut selling, general and administrative (SG&A) costs by more than 10% or $20-$22 million per year. The total annual savings, including headcount reductions and “manufacturing and supply chain optimisation,” is expected to be $39-$43 million. More than $10 million of these savings will be achieved in the second half of this year. The recovery plan has been drawn up by Interim Chief Executive David Gibbons, a Cott Director who stepped in to run the company on a caretaker basis following the departure of CEO Brent Willis in March. Gibbons believes that, under Willis, Cott diverted too much of its energy and resources away from its core retailer customers, as it launched its own portfolio of branded beverages. He has pledged to refocus the company on retailer brand beverages, particularly in its key US market. Change of course “We will change course,” Gibbons said in a formal statement announcing the shake-up. “Through these efforts, we will continue to reposition Cott to play a greater role as a champion of private label. “Our role is not to invent new categories. Our role is to be ‘fast followers,’ to leverage the growth of expanding categories, and to improve profitability for our retail partners at lower prices to consumers.” Gibbons added that Cott was already concentrating its marketing efforts on the needs and requests of its retailer partners: “This will be our focus. Our existing retail partners will drive our new product development.” Cott simultaneously announced changes in its Board of Directors, following the acquisition of an 8.7% stake in the company by the New York-based hedge fund Crescendo Partners in May. The Board has been increased from ten to 11 members with the addition of four new Directors: Eric Rosenfeld, Greg Monahan, Mark Benadiba and Mario Pilozzi. Three former Directors have meanwhile stepped down: Frank Weise (a former CEO and Chairman of Cott), Don Watt and Serge Gouin. Gibbons has been appointed Chairman of the Board, and is leading a committee of Directors in the search for a new permanent CEO for Cott.

RPC Containers Market Rasen’s expertise in the injection moulding of unusually shaped containers has been instrumental in the launch of a new concept in milk packaging, the Jugit. Developed by Dairy Crest in association with the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain, Jugit offers consumers a pouch-based format that uses substantially less packaging material than conventional plastic milk containers, allied to the convenience of an easy-to-pour, reusable jug manufactured by RPC Market Rasen. “Consumers are increasingly conscious about the environmental impact of packaging, and material reduction is a key means of improving this,” explained Richard Pryor, Innovation Controller at Dairy Crest. “A huge amount of plastic is used annually in the manufacture of milk containers, but pouches require only 25% of the plastic found in the equivalent size of container, making them extremely attractive from the viewpoint of sustainability.” Dairy Crest trialled pouches in Sainsbury’s in 2001 but, while successful, the format was not deemed ready for the mainstream marketplace. Today, Pryor believes that consumers are now prepared to make the change. “The example of countries such as Canada, where consumers have successfully switched to this ‘greener’ way of buying milk, suggests the same can be achieved in the UK.” Consumer fears Pryor adds that, “The main barrier to widespread adoption of pouches is the means of opening and pouring them. This is where the Jugit comes in.” Typical consumer fears about pouches include the suspicion that bags will burst, their lack of recloseability and concerns that they can only be opened using scissors. Working with design agency Vibrandt 1hq, Dairy Crest developed the Jugit format to specifically overcome these factors. Jugit features a two-part lid with a hollow spike attachment, which perforates the pouch as a natural consequence of assembly. After the pouch is dropped into the jug and the main body of the lid closed, trapping the top of the bag using secure clips, the spike is inserted to perforate the pouch. The top of the attachment then flips open to provide a handy, recloseable pouring spout. To encourage reusability of the Jugit, the only part that needs to be cleaned between pouches is the spike attachment. Jugit is sold with two of these, so that consumers do not have to wash the attachment before fitting each new pouch. A detachment handle is also supplied to enable greater flexibility in pouring. National launch in 2009 Dairy Crest asked RPC Market Rasen to turn the Jugit concept into a workable pack because of its proven track record in creating complex packaging formats. The fact that the site is UK-based was also a factor, reducing the freight miles involved in delivery of the jug. RPC Market Rasen worked closely with Dairy Crest, Vibrandt 1hq and pouch manufacturer Glopak to ensure seamless integration of the four parts of the Jugit – jug, lid, spike and handle – as well as the necessary durability for long-term reuse. The lid, spike and handle are injection moulded in white PP, while clear material is used for the two pint jug. This enables the Sainsbury’s branded pouch to be seen throughout its product life, while Dairy Crest has also taken advantage of the clarity by placing the cardboard sleeve used to brand Jugit inside the jug. RPC Market Rasen is currently manufacturing Jugit using a pilot mould to coincide with the trial launch of the format in selected Sainsbury’s stores. If the trial proves successful, full tooling will be commissioned to enable a full national launch in 2009. The launch was heavily publicised in the British press, with the RPC jug featured prominently. “Jugit has already captured people’s imagination and it is the eye-catching appearance of the pack from RPC Market Rasen – as much as its memorable and innovative functionality – that will encourage consumers to switch to pouches when purchasing milk,” confirms Richard Pryor.

By Mike Ramey After studying current research, the American Medical Association (AMA) has concluded that high fructose syrup – used to sweeten many soft drinks – does not appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners. However, the association calls for further independent research to be carried out into the health effects of high fructose syrup and other sweeteners. “At this time there is insufficient evidence to restrict the use of high fructose syrup or label products that contain it with a warning,” said AMA Board Member William Dolan, MD. “We do recommend consumers limit the amount of all added caloric sweeteners to no more than 32 grams of sugar daily, based on a 2,000 calorie diet in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” High fructose syrups are sweeteners produced from starches such as maize, rice and wheat. As well as soft drinks, they are used in many food products including breakfast cereals and bread. * Little evidence* Some health experts have suggested that high fructose syrup is implicated in the increase of obesity among modern consumers. But there is little hard scientific evidence, and the few studies currently available have mostly focused on possible short-term effects. “Obesity continues to be a major public health problem in this country,” continued Dr Dolan. “Overweight and obese adults and children are at an increased risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. “Eating a healthier diet can help maintain a healthy weight and drastically reduce your chances of developing weight-related illnesses.” The report of high fructose syrups was introduced at the AMA’s annual policy-making meeting in Chicago on Tuesday (17 June).

*Giles & Posner, the company that introduced the UK to the Chocolate Fountain phenomenon, has teamed up with Cadbury Canada to offer the Chocolate Fountain Experience to the Canadian retail market. * The first products to be launched are the Mini Fountain, The Hot Chocolate Drinks Maker, and bags of Cadbury’s Fondue Chocolate. Cadbury Mini Fountain: the Cadbury Mini Fountain is half the size of a standard chocolate fountain for the home, and serves 4-6 people Cadbury Hot Chocolate Drinks Maker: the Cadbury Hot Chocolate Drinks Maker allows consumers to blend their own Cadbury creations using a range of flavours and heated milk or cream. Cadbury Fondue Chocolate: Cadbury’s Fondue Chocolate comes in 454g microwavable pouches. The chocolate is multi-use, as it can be used with the Cadbury Mini Fountain, or Drinks Maker, with Fondue sets, or in baking. It comes in a choice of milk, or dark. Giles & Posner Cadbury branded products will be launched in Canada in time for Christmas 2008. Other products, such as a Cadbury Crème Egg Fondue set and Caramilk duo Fondue set, will be launched for Christmas.