*The Pink Ribbon Foundation is committed to bringing together individuals, charities and organisations to raise money for breast cancer. * With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Foundation is launching a series of activities that are being kicked off with the publication of ‘inthePINK’ magazine, available on the newsstand nationally from 9 October. The inthePINK magazine celebrity launch party will be held at the beginning of October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month in London. Ty Nant Natural Mineral Water will be helping to raise the profile for the cause by asking some of these designers to decorate a classic cobolt blue Ty Nant glass bottle in their own individual style using nail polish provided by Nails Inc. Contributions are due from some of the cream of the design world, with Hamish Morrow, Ben De Lisi, Elspeth Gibson and Justin oH all already committed to the cause. The company will also be contributing a penny for every ‘Pink’ bottle of Ty Nant Natural Mineral Water sold over the following six months.

Chinese Sucralose manufacturer Guangdong Food Industry Institute has been cleared of the infringement complaint put forward by Tate & Lyle to the US International Trade Commission (ITC). The complaint alleges infringement of process patents relating to the production of Sucralose and certain intermediate compounds. This initial determination was presented by the US ITC 22 September 2008. Wang Sanyong, a Corporate Officer of Guangdong Food Industry Institute, said: “We are extremely pleased with the determination of Judge Bullock of the ITC ... We have been open and forthcoming in presenting the facts to the ITC as fully and completely as possible. "It would be recalled that one of the patents asserted by T&L was dropped before the hearing commenced and after an inspection of our facility. T&L’s expert acknowledged that GDFII/L&P Food’s current process, as inspected, does not infringe two of the other patents. The fourth asserted patent expires in July 2009, only a few months after the new target date for the ITC’s final determination. "We are confident that the final determination will indeed mirror this initial determination and are looking forward to this determination by the ITC in January 2009." "This has been a long process, but this historic determination is a great milestone for us as we move in the right direction to being vindicated in this complaint and to proceed in our global strategic plans for our Züeit-branded, high intensity Sucralose sweetener," added Roger Matkin, CEO of Ingredient Specialties, Inc (ISI), a California-based strategic global alliance partner. Director of sales and marketing of ingredient specialties, Bassam Faress, said: “We believe in intellectual property and the necessity for enforcement. Unfortunately, this is one of those instances where the exercising of this right is misplaced.”

*A producer and bottler of its own brands of mineral water and beverages, Italian Spumador also offers packaging solutions to major international brands for an array of non-alcoholic beverages packaged in a wide variety of PET and glass packages. * The company is now actively pursuing its growth strategy through the addition of a new aseptic packaging line from Sidel. “We anticipated that we would need a facility able to handle a large number of products," said Tullio Tiozzo, Spumador Operations Director. "This new line was designed to achieve extreme flexibility and speed in format changeovers while maintaining all the high quality standards that are fundamental to aseptic lines. And we really do seem to have reached this objective.” Flexibility This new aseptic line from Sidel has already been operating at the Sant’Andrea Bagni facility, producing 24,000 bottles an hour in seven different formats, ranging from 0.1-litre up to 2-litre. The key to its flexibility is the Sensofill FMa filler. Spumador is the first manufacturer to use this aseptic filler especially designed to accommodate a wide variety of production runs. Product and format changeovers can be performed without loss of sterility, which facilitates overall operations. The Sensofill FMa also reduces losses during product changeovers, and cuts down water and APA consumption. This new aseptic line is used to package still and neutral pH beverages in PET bottles. Such products include sports supplements, iced teas, dairy- or soy-based beverages, 100% pure juices, fruit juice-based beverages with pulp, and beverages that are enriched with vitamins and other nutrients. As for package flexibility, the line produces bottles with flat or sport caps in multi-layer PET and single layer PET with barrier coating, produced with reel-fed labels, wrap-around labels, transparent or customised heat shrink labels.

Founded by Ross Lane more than 70 years ago, Lane Affiliated Companies is a family owned business headquartered in Colorado, US. Its territories include portions of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The deal would be PBG's largest acquisition of a US bottler since becoming a publicly traded company in 1999. "The Lane family has been an invaluable member of the Pepsi network for decades. Their long-time tradition of customer service and community involvement has earned their company a reputation as one of the best bottlers in the system," said PBG president and CEO, Eric Foss. "We're very pleased to add the Lane operations to our business. Once completed, the deal will strengthen our operations by expanding our footprint across contiguous territories and enhancing our ability to meet the needs of our customers." The transaction is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter of 2008. Financial terms were not disclosed.

More than 40 supplier companies to the bottled water and POU cooler sector are expected to exhibit their products and services at the 14th EBWA European Water Cooler Trade Show. Athens plays host to the event, which will be staged at the Hilton Hotel between 27 and 29 October. With the theme of 'Healthy market, healthy environment', the conference sessions will cover health and hydration, the environment, market development and high growth opportunities. The event is the second, more informal industry show in EBWA's programme, held in the year between major trade fairs. The tabletop trade show will provide bottler and distributor customers access to a broad range of service providers. Free online booking for the trade fair closes on 1 October, so organisers are recommending that visitors reserve their place as soon as possible. For full programme details, exhibitor list and to book online, visit <<1>">www.zenithinternational.com/events]<1> or call +44 1225 327900. <1>: http://www.zenithinternational.com/events

**In response to 'Caffeinated Energy Drinks – A growing problem', a study to be published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the American Beverage Association (ABA) issued the following statement:** "It's unfortunate that the authors of this article would attempt to lump all energy drinks together in a rhetorical attack when the facts of their review clearly distinguishes the mainstream responsible players from novelty companies seeking attention and increased sales based solely on extreme names and caffeine content. "Their review confirms that the amount of caffeine in mainstream energy drinks is, in fact, moderate. As a comparison, energy drinks typically contain half the caffeine found in regular coffeehouse coffee. Specifically, a 16oz regular blend coffee at a popular coffeehouse contains 320mg of caffeine, while a comparable size mainstream energy drink contains about 160mg. "So those suggesting that energy drinks should require warning labels need to be aware of the slippery slope this would create: to be consistent, products at coffeehouses also would require such unnecessary labelling. "Furthermore, our companies market their energy drink products responsibly. It's unhelpful to the public that the authors would combine certain extreme products with illicit or suggestive names with other more mainstream energy drinks in an effort to sensationalise and demonise the entire product category and gain exposure for their work. "Our companies meet all government labelling regulations. Consumers can easily find out how much caffeine is in a beverage by calling the company's 1-800 number or visiting its website. In addition, some of our member companies voluntarily list the amount of caffeine directly on a product's label. "Quite simply, energy drinks can be part of a balanced lifestyle when consumed sensibly."

*Innovation in the global packaged water industry was celebrated last night in the spa town of Wiesbaden near Frankfurt in Germany, with the presentation of the 2008 Water Innovation Awards organised by Zenith International Publishing. * []<1> Following five successful years as the bottledwaterworld awards, the new-look Water Innovation Awards recognises excellence and creativity on a unique global platform for the packaged water industry. From relatively modest beginnings, this year’s competition attracted a record 201 entries from 40 countries. Among the product categories were best new bottle in PET, glass, label and packaging innovation. There were also categories for flavoured and enhanced water, children’s water concept and marketing campaigns, along with best newcomer. This year saw the introduction of two new categories that looked at sustainability in two distinct dimensions: Best Ethical Initiative and Best Environmental Initiative. Group Editorial Director Bill Bruce said: “Entries in each category were outstanding this year. Congratulations to all involved for making the awards a tremendous success, in particular to all those who entered – plus our kind sponsors.” The overall awards were sponsored by Norwegian closure specialist SmartSeal, while category sponsors included flexible packaging firm IPN, quality assurance management firm SGS Institut Fresenius, and labelling experts Stora Enso. []<1> *The results * The Best Overall Concept was Isklar from Norway, with packaging and brand development support from UK-based Blue Marlin Brand Design. Water innovation editor Nayl D’Souza said: “Of all the entries in the competition, the jury felt compelled to give Isklar top marks all round. In particular, the judges felt that the packaging and brand architecture had an unmistakable style. The visually striking design of the bottle and label reflects a contemporary brand with ‘ice clear’ clarity, and achieves a high level of shelf stand-out at retail outlets.” Beyond the slick design, the brand also scored highly in its marketing efforts and attention paid to minimising environmental impact. The Gold winner of the Best Bottle in PET was Panama Blue from Panama Springs, which used an elegantly shaped one-litre format that takes visual cues from contemporary wine bottles. Other finalists were Chic from Sociedade de Agua de Monchique from Portugal (Silver) and Sourcy from Netherlands-based Vrumona (Bronze). Highly commended in this category was Upland Natural Waters from Nigeria. Striking Gold in the Best Bottle in Glass was the Christian Lacroix-designed Evian bottle from Danone, released in a 75cl prêt-a-porter version for sale in premium restaurants and upmarket retail outlets. Other finalists were Mist from US-based Lucid Enterprises (Silver) and Valverde from Spumador (Bronze). Highly commended in this category was Solé Arte from Fonte Sole. The Gold winner Best Label category, sponsored by Stora Enso, was awarded to ganicwater from Germany’s Ganic Consumer Products, with impressive high-quality imagery and typography design. Other finalists were Acqua Filette from Fonte Italia (Silver), Beauty from UK-based Works with Water (Bronze), Chic from Sociedade da Agua de Monchique (Bronze) and Jupik Aqua from Hoop Polska (Bronze). Highly commended in this category were Denmark’s Iskilde and US-based Walnut Grove Spring Water. The low-calorie range of infused water from US-based owater won the Gold in the Best Enhanced Water Category. Close behind was Avra Herbal from Coca-Cola Hellenic in Greece (Silver) and Nestlé Fitness from Nestlé Waters (Bronze), as well as Vitalis Smart from Portugal’s Unicer Águas (Bronze). Incorporating a blind tasting in this year’s judging assessment, the Best Flavoured Water Concept was won by Ritmo Luso from Portugal’s Sociedade Central de Cervejas e Bebidas (Gold). The company also scooped a Silver in this category with Formas Luso, while Bronze was awarded to ganicwater from Ganic Consumer Products. Jupik Aqua from Hoop Polska won Gold in the Best Children's Concept category by a clear margin. Runners-up were Iceni Waters (Silver) with its Shaun the Sheep packaging tie-in and Y Water (Bronze) for its Lego-like connecting bottles. Highly commended was the innovative bot from bot Beverages. []<1> Going for gold The Gold winner of the Packaging Innovation category was won by Krones of Germany for its NitroPouch concept. Other finalists were FLEX closure from SmartSeal (Silver) and Clean Valve for pouches from IPN (which SmartSeal also assisted on). Y Water struck Gold in the Best New Brand or Business, sponsored by IPN. Silver was awarded to Isklar. There were two Bronze winners: Balance Water Company and Iceni Waters. The Gold winner in the Best Ethical or Humanitarian Initiative – sponsored by SGS Institut Fresenius – was won by Eden Springs Israel for its pre-school water drinking programme. Silver was awarded to Thirst Aid from Calypso, while Tumai Water from Spero Group picked up a Bronze prize. Highly Commended were PurBlu Beverages, PhilanthroH20 and Eden Springs Israel for its donations to the charity, Variety Foundation. Gerolsteiner’s ‘real-time’ link to its cycling team in the Tour de France was voted Gold award winner of the Best Marketing Campaign ahead of Highland Spring (Silver) for its Protected Land campaign, and Coca-Cola Beverages Austria for Römerquelle’s ‘Summer’ TV spots (Bronze). Highly Commended in this category were Coca-Cola Germany for its integrated Vio campaign, PepsiCo North America for its Sobe Life Water Super Bowl ad, and Eden Springs Israel’s campaign cleverly reminding consumers that 70% of your body is made of water. The Gold winner of the Best Environmental or Sustainability Initiative was Highland Spring for piloting the Carbon Action Plan. Isklar took Silver, while IPN achieved Bronze for its Clean Valve for Pouches and pouch technology. Please visit the link below, where all the pictures of the 2008 Water Innovation Awards dinner and presentation photos are hosted for you to download. By Tuesday next week, we will be adding captions. For further updates or for more information visit www.foodbev.com or call +44 1225 327890. []<1> <1>: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24670467@N03/sets/72157607486588646/

**Nestlé has issued a press release following reports in Hong Kong newspapers claiming that traces of melamine had been found in a Nestlé growing-up milk. **The press release states that Nestlé is confident that none of its products in China is made from milk adulterated with melamine. The Hong Kong Government's Food and Environmental Health Department has released a report declaring that Neslac Gold 1+, which was mentioned in the media reports, is safe and that no melamine was detected in the product. Neslac Gold 1+ was previously tested by government-approved independent laboratories such as the Hong Kong Standards and Testing Centre Ltd (18-20 September) and the Food Industry Research and Development in Taiwan (16 September). Neither test detected melamine in the product. Nestlé has a close relationship with its milk producers in China and advises them continuously on the quality of milk production. Nestlé also has the same stringent quality control system in place in its factories in China as in any other part of the world. More than 70 different tests are routinely conducted in the course of producing infant formula and other milk products. In fact, the Chinese authorities have issued official certificates for all tested Nestlé products stating that no melamine has been detected in any of them. In general terms, melamine is found throughout the food chain across the world in minute traces, which do not represent any health risk for consumers. There's a generally accepted tolerable daily intake of melamine in food in the EU (0.5mg/kg of bodyweight/day) and in the US (0.63mg/kg of bodyweight/day). The lowest level of melamine traces which can be measured by commonly used testing equipment (2 ppm) is 20 times below these internationally recognised safety limits. In other words, based on this 2 ppm value, a three-year-old child would have to consume more than 40 litres of milk every day to exceed these safety limits.

*Mood Foods is a new company with the sole focus of creating ‘chocolate with integrity’. The company claims never to use refined sugar in the chocolate it produces, favouring agave nectar – a natural syrup from the Blue Weber Cactus of Mexico – as a sweetener that has a low glycaemic index (GI). * Mood Foods uses as many Fairtrade products as possible and is registered with The Vegan Society. In addition, the chocolate is certified organic with the Soil Association. “We always use unroasted cocoa," said Mood Foods founder Richard Turner. "Roasting is a nutritionally destructive part of normal chocolate manufacturing that ordinarily robs most chocolate of its potential health benefits." Phytonutrients (flavanols) occur naturally in cocoa and have been linked to numerous health benefits such as reducing blood pressure in people with mild hypertension and increasing blood flow. “Chocolate is a very nourishing food and that’s part of the reason so many people enjoy it," said Richard Turner. "The biggest drawback is the sugar content that can leave us with that sugar-low feeling. We believe in creating a chocolate with maximum nutritional impact – that’s the cocoa, the added ingredients like goji berries and the agave nectar.” The team are launching three flavours: goji lucuma, hempseed banana and cashew coconut, with more being developed.

**Bebida Beverage Company is launching a new bottled water under the name Guppy Water. **Guppy Water will be offered in a youth-friendly serving size of 8 fl oz, with fun logo featuring a friendly cartoon character fish. The company is also in the process of launching Piranha Spring Water, which features a not-so-friendly-looking fish on the logo. In addition to appealing to a youth oriented consumer market, the petite, economical serving size is anticipated to appeal to individuals that prefer a smaller serving size. Bebida Beverage anticipates additional market growth for Guppy Water as a ‘companion beverage’ product. Guppy Water, while targeted primarily at the youth consumer market, will provide retailers and adult consumers with an economical alternative to the standard 16.9 and 20 fl oz bottled water selections.

**llanllyr Source has been unveiled as the water sponsor of the UK Top Restaurant Awards, the winners of which will be announced on 6 October. **The awards will showcase the ‘best of British’ cuisine in the same way as the now extensively publicised World’s Top Restaurant Awards does. "How what we do affects the environment has always been very important to us," said Patrick Gee, one of the founding directors of the company. "My family has farmed this land where our source is since 1720, so we do know its history. "Our land is organic and accredited by the Soil Association, but we go much further than that and, for example, use only recyclable packaging and a recycled glass bottle that was re-engineered last year to use substantially less glass." llanllyr Source is drawn from an entirely sustainable source beneath organic fields in unspoilt west Wales, that were used at least as early as the year 1180. In the last year, the company has been recognised in winning the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, Class magazine’s design award for Best Soft Drink or Water and Food From Britain’s Drinks Exporter of the Year and Welsh Exporter of the Year and the True Taste of Wales Award.

The milk contamination crisis in China has worsened, with a reported 13,000 infants now affected by tainted dairy produce. Four deaths have been blamed on toxic milk powder, which has been contaminated with the industrial chemical melamine. The contamination has spread to other dairy products, such as ice cream and yogurt, and Reuters recently revealed that a popular milk sweet had also been found to contain melamine. China's food quality watchdog has said it found melamine in nearly 10% of milk and drinking yogurt samples from three major dairy companies: Mengniu Dairy Co, the Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group and the Bright group. China's "quality chief", Li Changjiang, resigned from his position on Monday. The Xinhua news agency stated that "Li was the highest ranking official brought down so far by the dairy product contamination scandal".