*Maritime’s six Herb & Spice Blends are set to launch as Tesco own-label products in selected UK Tesco stores in August 2008. * The six new flavours are Aromatic Coriander Blend, Delicate Basil Blend, Fragrant Thai Blend, Hot Chilli Blend, Intense Garlic Blend and Zesty Ginger Blend. UK-based Maritime has spent more than 12 months developing this new product range, which is slightly smaller and packed with even more herbs and spices. Tim Bertin, Managing Director at Maritime Sales, said: “People are looking for better quality, fresher-tasting, convenient products to help them create dishes to their own individual taste preference quickly and easily. Taste will always be the most important factor in cooking and eating, but time pressures mean we can feel limited in our choices for a quick and delicious evening meal. The Herb & Spice Blends are a convenient but natural way for people to be more creative in the kitchen with minimum fuss and zero mess.”

Yili, China’s leading ice cream manufacturer and an official sponsor of this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, has developed an Olympic torch of its own in the form of a novelty ice cream. The Chinese company soon realised that some special efforts would be needed produce these special ice creams and be ready for the arrival of the Olympic torch in Beijing. So Yili turned to Tetra Pak to come up with a solution for high capacity, automated processing. Produced on a Tetra Hoyer Comet C filling machine, the automated version of the novelty ice cream is a remarkably close match to the original. Thanks to the machine’s servo ice cream doser and rotary device, Yili has achieved the required production capacity and reduced its dependence on manual labour considerably. The machine is one of four Tetra Hoyer Comet C fillers ordered by Yili in 2007. This year, the company upped its order to nine – overturning an earlier decision to buy five machines from a local competitor at half the price. The key factors in Yili’s revised decision were the proven stability of the Tetra Hoyer technology, flexibility in product changeovers and the consistent quality of the final products. Despite the higher price, Yili felt that the prospect of an excellent return on investment was sufficient reason to increase their investment budget. Ruby Fang, ice cream plant sales manager at Tetra Pak China, is highly satisfied with the increased Yili order: “When we first started talking to Yili about this project, they only wanted to buy four filling machines from us,” she said. “We spent a lot of time preparing documents for Yili’s management to illustrate the advantages of our machine. It was also important for us to have the right understanding of industry trends and our customer’s needs. That meant the discussion with the customer was focused upon the values.”

To celebrate the beautiful surroundings of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Brecon Carreg Natural Mineral Water is launching a summer on-pack-offer promotion, encouraging consumers to take a ‘Walk on the Wildside’. From July, the promotion can be seen on the labels of all Brecon Carreg bottles. Consumers will have the chance to win one of 50 Geopark family breaks and over 10,000 other prizes including Ramblers’ Association membership packages for two, Brecon Carreg picnic rucksacks and insulated bottle pouches. The western half of the Brecon Beacons National Park has been designated by UNESCO as a Geopark - one of just 32 sites in Europe working to conserve and promote their geological heritage. Fforest Fawr (Great Forest) Geopark is Brecon Carreg Natural Mineral Water’s magnificent home. Consumers can enter by logging on to <<1>">www.breconwater-wildside.co.uk]<1> and entering a unique code found on all Brecon Carreg promotional bottle labels. Brecon Carreg General Manager Liz Sherry said: "This promotion is all about celebrating the great outdoors. At Brecon Carreg, we feel very lucky to be working in the heart of a beautiful Geopark everyday and we wanted other people to have the chance to enjoy these special protected places too. "Ideally, we hope all the prizes will go some way to helping people enjoy being active and getting outside this summer as well as remembering the importance of staying hydrated while on the go." <1>: http://www.breconwater-wildside.co.uk

The deal is an attempt to guard against the company’s experience with Energy Brands’ Glacéau enhanced water, distributed by Dr Pepper Snapple when it was still operating as Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages. CSAB helped to build Glacéau into a major brand, only to lose Glacéau distribution to Coca-Cola bottlers after The Coca-Cola Company bought Energy Brands last year for a record $4.1bn. Although CSAB/Dr Pepper Snapple received $90m in compensation for giving up the business, this was considerably less than it would have received as a shareholder. Now Dr Pepper Snapple – spun off from Cadbury as an independent company in May this year – has resolved that it will only distribute third party beverages if it has a permanent distribution agreement or an equity stake in the product. “When somebody hits the home run, we get part of it.” Larry Young, president and CEO of Dr Pepper Snapple, explained to The Wall Street Journal. Dr Pepper Snapple is already distributing Hydrive in a number of its key midwestern and east coast markets, and the company’s stake will rise as it expands the drinks into other markets. Although exact details of the deal haven't been revealed, Dr Pepper Snapple’s share in the business will not rise about 25%, according to the WSJ. Industry veterans Hydrive is a line of low-calorie, enhanced water energy drinks packed in 15.5oz (458ml) resealable bottles. The brand was launched in 2006 by beverage industry veterans Mike Weinstein (former CEO of Snapple and president of A&W) and Brian O’Byrne (former CEO of Yoo-hoo/Orangina) through their INNOV8 beverage development company. The drinks are currently available in more than 12,000 accounts in 21 states. Dr Pepper Snapple now has a minority interest in the subsidiary Hydrive Energy LLC. “We're very pleased to be working again with two well-respected beverage veterans, Mike Weinstein and Brian O’Byrne, on their latest beverage innovation,” said Larry Young, president and CEO of Dr Pepper Snapple. "Hydrive energy drinks are uniquely positioned to take advantage of growth in the two fastest-growing beverage categories, enhanced water and energy. The opportunity to participate at an early stage in the growth and success of such emerging beverage ventures is very exciting for us, and part of our overall portfolio strategy.” Brian O’Byrne, CEO of Hydrive LLC, said: “Dr Pepper Snapple has been doing an outstanding job getting Hydrive in distribution in its markets. The brand is already sold in over 9,000 accounts by DPS, and the number keeps growing every day. We're looking forward to expanding into additional markets in the future."

*More than 230,000 new bottled water coolers, dispensers and pumps were installed across East Europe during 2007, bringing the total number to 1.54 million, an 18% increase on 2006, according to the latest findings from leading drinks consultancy Zenith International. At 1,529 million litres, 2007 sales through coolers rose to 11% of total bottled water consumption, compared with just 4% in 1999. * "East European countries that have become EU members now account for 47% of all cooler, dispenser and pump placements, led by Poland, Lithuania, Czech Republic and Romania" observed Zenith Market Intelligence Director Gary Roethenbaugh. Russia has been East Europe's biggest cooler market since the concept first gained a foothold in the early 1990s. In 2007 the country was responsible for 43% of units and 38% of volume. However, its share is being eroded year on year and smaller nations with increasingly dynamic economies are driving extra demand. Romania has taken a place in the 2007 top five rankings for bottlers as well as distributors in East Europe through La Fantana. Poland's Nestlé Waters and Eden Springs achieved first and second place in both lists. "By 2012, we are forecasting that 3.1 million bottled coolers, dispensers and pumps will have been placed in East Europe, of which 1.1 million will be in EU member states," concluded Gary Roethenbaugh. "International cooler industry heavyweights such as Nestlé, Eden and Culligan have already recognised the potential in this region and are looking to expand their presence in emerging East European cooler markets."

*Spanish water cooler designer and manufacturer Canaletas has reached an agreement with the renowned 'Fundació ACE Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades (ACE), an organisation which promotes research into neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's Disease. * The private ACE foundation, officially recorded as a "charity foundation with assistance" and registered by the Catalan Government in 1995, concentrates its activity on researching and helping people suffering from these pathologies. The collaboration will initially last one year, with the possibility of renewal. Over this time, Canaletas will subsidise some of the activities driven by the foundation, which helped over 4,500 patients in 2007, a total of 1,300 more than in 2006. Canaletas General Manager Jordi Morera commented: "Our company is aware of how Alzheimer's affects so many people and we wanted to contribute by supporting those who altruistically try to help people with neurodegenerative diseases. That is why we decided to collaborate with the ACE Foundation." Alzheimer's is currently the most common disease in patients with neurodegenerative pathologies (59% of total cases). Over 7,000 people died in 2002 in Spain due to the disease, a huge increase from a decade ago when the recorded number of deaths was under 1,200.

Whether we're catching up on the latest office gossip, sitting in a business meeting, chatting with our friends, or taking a quick break while out on some retail therapy, moderate coffee drinking during our coffee breaks may be more beneficial for our health than we think. New market research however reveals that current perceptions about coffee in the UK are completely off the boil: A recent ICM poll has revealed that 61% don't know that each of our 4 - 5 cups can count toward daily fluid intake. In addition, a study in Food Additives and Contaminants journal showed that 84% don't know that coffee consumption has been shown to protect against cognitive decline and certain other neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. The same study also showed that 74% of people don't know that coffee may protect against the development of type 2 diabetes According to Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP Richford Gate Medical Practice: "we need to be aware that there are many misconceptions about coffee that are simply not true. There is strong scientific evidence to suggest that moderate coffee consumption (4 - 5 cups per day) may confer a variety of health benefits and should be enjoyed when we take our breaks in the day." As well as being enjoyable, and safe in moderation, caffeine can increase your levels of alertness, helping you to stay on top form when you are at your desk, or in that meeting. What's more, three out of four people (75%) do not realise that scientific research has demonstrated that drinking moderate amounts of coffee may provide health benefits. Going for that well earned coffee break should be part of our daily routine, yet, 63% of us have tried to reduce the number of cups we drink each day because of myths about coffee: **Top coffee myths, facts and figures **ICM interviewed a random sample of 1002 adults by telephone in May 2008 and these are some of the findings that came out of the survey: * Three out of four coffee drinkers (74%) have tried to reduce the number of cups of coffee consumed each day because they think coffee is addictive. There is no scientific evidence to support this claim when coffee is consumed in moderation * Over 50% of coffee drinkers have tried to reduce their number of daily cups because they think coffee is dehydrating. Scientific evidence shows that a cup of coffee will contribute to your daily fluid intake. * Coffee is most popularly consumed by men to concentrate at work and over business meetings, while women will most regularly drink coffee when out shopping or 'on the go'. * 64% of women drink coffee to socialise with their friends and family. * We are now a nation of coffee drinkers, almost three quarters (72%) of us now regularly drink coffee. In some regions of the UK, such as the North East, coffee has already become the most frequently consumed beverage, consumed almost twice as frequently as tea. Coffee is one of the most widely researched commodities and the overwhelming scientific evidence shows that coffee, when drunk in moderation is safe for the general population and may confer health benefits. Independent scientific research shows that: * Many large studies looking at the general population have shown that moderate coffee intake is not associated with any increase in the risk of heart disease - a study published in June 2008 showed that women who drank three cups of coffee a day were 25% less likely to die from heart disease (Annals of Internal Medicine). * It has been demonstrated in several journals (Movement Disorders, Neurological Research and Neurology) that coffee has a protective effect against cognitive decline and certain other neurological disorders; researchers have also shown that coffee consumption is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. * Coffee has been shown to have a protective effect in the liver, according to a study published in Annals of Epidemiology; a 71% lower risk of developing liver cirrhosis was found in subjects drinking three or more cups of coffee each day, while an increase in two cups of coffee per day has been associated with a 43% reduced risk of liver cancer. * Scientists Larsson and Wolk have carried out studies that show that coffee may help prevent the development of type 2 diabetes, people who drink four or more cups of coffee each day have been found to have a 67% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Gastroenterology). "Almost 70% of us in the UK drink coffee to provide a break in our day, coffee has become a major part of the nation's daily routine and we need to understand that coffee, in moderation, is perfectly safe for most people. Relax and enjoy your coffee!" Dr Sarah Jarvis encouraged.

*Severn Trent Services in Birmingham, UK, has introduced the ClorTec SCT, a mini on-site sodium hypochlorite generating system to meet water disinfection requirements of the food and drinks industry. Its compact size makes the SCT ideally suited for use in clean environments where low levels of disinfectant are required. * Its integrated, skid-mounted compact design makes the SCT easy to manoeuvre and ideal for areas where space is a premium. Simple to maintain, the new design ensures the system offers the lowest possible capital cost option for generating sodium hypochlorite on site. The system operates on batch mode ensure no degradation in strength of hypochlorite solution and prevent the formation of by-products that is a common problem due to the long-term storage of bulk hypochlorite in the food and drinks industry. Air is blown into the ClorTec SCT at the point of production, which dilutes the hydrogen to a level up to 100 times lower than the legal safety limit. The system is classified as non-hazardous and negates the issue of storage of hazardous chemicals - only salt needs to be made available. On-site generation is a safe and reliable disinfection alternative to chlorine gas and bulk sodium hypochlorite. The ClorTec SCT is the newest addition to a family of systems ranging from 2.7 to 1,360+ kg/day, generating a 0.8 percent sodium hypochlorite solution by combining three common consumables – salt, water and electricity – to produce a chlorine equivalent.

Together with Krugmann, a German specialist for fine spirits, kavo by Greiner Packaging has brought back an ancient drinking ritual. A new packaging made of PET was created for Sambuca con mosca, a traditional Italian anise liqueur. The idea of the bottle in a bottle combines liqueur, coffee beans and a book of matches. Enjoying Sambuca follows a ritual which, according to legend, came into being many centuries ago. According to lore, an elderly lady used to serve her home-made Sambuca to her family. Lured by the sweet flavour, three flies always sat down on the rim of the glass when she was pouring the drink. So the lady came up with the idea of serving her Sambuca with three coffee beans. To be assured that the 'flies' were really dead, the Sambuca was lit before drinking. This ceremony has been practised to this day. Lighting the drink produces an additional effect: the raw beans get roasted in the burning Sambuca within seconds. The bottle in a bottle kavo by Greiner Packaging and Krugmann have worked closely together and developed a packaging solution which integrates all the ingredients used for the Sambuca drinking ritual. The bottle in a bottle consists of two PET bottles. The inner bottle holds 0.7 litres of Sambuca and the outer bottle offers space for the coffee beans. The coffee beans can be taken out through an opening which has been stamped into the bottle wall and decorated with a label. A book of matches which hangs around the neck can be used to light the anise liqueur.

**Following the dismissal of a water machine vendor by the BBC's Dragons' Den team, mains-fed water machine manufacturer Tana Water UK has highlighted the dangers of purchasing filtration products from pyramid sellers without a mandatory service agreement.** In the programme, which aired on BBC Two this week (21 July), the managing directors of Air Oasis Ltd tried to persuade entrepreneurs Duncan Bannatyne, Theo Paphitis, James Caan, Peter Jones and Deborah Meaden to invest in their company. The 'Dragons' probed the concept of condensing and filtering water from the air and questioned whether UK humidity levels are high enough for the product to work there. The enterpreneurs left the den without any investment after the Dragons discovered their plans to sell into the consumer market via a pyramid scheme. During the pitch, venture capitalist Theo Paphitis refuted the company’s claims that the waterless machine had a lower carbon footprint than other water coolers. However, according to the managing director of Tana Water UK, the major issue highlighted by the programme was the fact that Air Oasis is proposing to sell water filters to consumers without mentioning any strategy for providing a regular post sales service to sanitise the machines and change the filters. “I was horrified to see that Air Oasis intended to go into the consumer market using a pyramid selling scheme, where those at the bottom of the scheme make least margin and therefore have least incentive to look after the customer following the sale of the machine,” said Nick Heane, MD of Tana Water UK. Dr Steve Tuckwell, manager of the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS), part of the government’s Department for Environment and Rural Affairs, advises: “Always have water fittings installed by a plumber who is a member of one of the approved schemes and then make sure that the filter cartridge is changed at the correct intervals recommended by the manufacturer to avoid the build up of harmful bacteria.”

ACTIVATE, a new functional beverage being rolled out in Los Angeles, keeps the secret of success under its hat. Each bottle of ACTIVATE is topped by a patented cap containing a precise dose of vitamins and other vital ingredients. When the cap is twisted clockwise, a small plastic blade cuts a seal and an armature opens the internal chamber, allowing the contents to drop into the water below. The ingenious delivery system ensures that ACTIVATE’s functional ingredients are always fresh. According to the drink’s makers, research shows that vitamins and other ingredients may lose some of their beneficial power when immersed in water over time. One obvious solution to this problem is for consumers to take the vitamins in tablet form, or as powders to be added individually to water. But the co-Founders of ACTIVATE believe neither of these methods is satisfactory in the age of on-the-go consumption. “Swallowing horse pills was uncomfortable and hard to remember,” said Anders Eisner. “Dumping supplement powders into water bottles was just messy and awkward. The ACTIVATE cap provides a new form of ingredient delivery, and an easy way to keep healthy.” No preservatives However, the drink’s appeal is not based solely on its innovative closure. “We knew people would not give us a second thought if ACTIVATE wasn’t healthy,” said Eisner’s partner, Burke Eiteljorg. “So there are no preservatives or sugar in the drinks, and they’re low-cal – only 5 calories for an entire bottle. “We also knew no one would give us a second try if they didn’t love the flavour the first time they tried it. “The flavours are light, crisp and perfectly sweet. There’s no tart vitamin taste or heavy, syrupy flavour.” There are currently four ACTIVATE variants, each with a different functional benefit and flavour: Vitamin/Fruit punch, Immunity/Orange, Antioxidant/Berry, andEnergy/Lemon lime. The drinks were launched in Los Angeles earlier this year through Haralambos Beverage Co, the biggest distributor in Southern California, and will be in some 500 outlets by the end of this summer ACTIVATE sells for a recommended retail price of $2.29 per bottle, and is also available online from the brand website.

Irn-Bru soft drink has created the first ever limited edition glass in its 107 year history which will be available in Scotland, in a £2,000,000 consumer promotion campaign, starting on Monday 28 July 2008. The campaign will support Scottish retailers with Irn-Bru’s biggest sales driving activity of the summer which will include TV, PR, Radio, Press and on-line activity. Irn-Bru is growing at a phenomenal 7% value year on year and is the fastest selling flavoured carbonate brand in impulse. The consumer promotion in store is' Buy two x 2 liter bottles of Irn-Bru Regular or Diet and get a free Irn-Brun Glass.' The promotion will be available in both the Multiple Grocery and the Independent Retail trade across Scotland. To help retailers capitalise on this limited edition opportunity each glass comes in its own special display box which will be merchandise in high visibility promotional trays in store. On-trade outlets will also receive stocks of the Irn-Bru glasses to create the ‘perfect serve’ of Irn-Bru for their customers. In another first for Irn-Bru two special 10 second TV adverts have been produced to create awareness of the Irn-Bru glass and the promotional offer in store. The advert will run on ITV and Channel 4 in Scotland from 27 July to mid August 2008. In classic Irn-Bru style the voice over of the advert has been written entirely in prose inspired by the Victorian era’s legendary ‘worst ever poet in Scotland’, William McGonagall. Adrian Troy Barrs Head of Marketing said: "We are very excited about the availability of the first ever iconic Irn-Bru glass. Irn-Bru is Scotland’s favourite soft drink and its consumers have a very special relationship with it so we have no doubt that the appeal of the glass will be massive and it will be a must have and much sought after collectors item in Scotland." The Irn-Bru glass design has been created not only to reflect the brand’s iconic and traditional heritage though its sturdy, masculine structure but its ergonomic shape will also make it easy to grip and comfortable to hold. Additionally the embossed areas at the top and the bottom of the glass mirror the same features to be found on the iconic 750ml returnable glass bottle which will create a sense of nostalgia and brand recognition with Irn-Bru consumers.