Finnish retail specialist Kesko – with around 2,000 stores in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and Russia – has added dairy products to its Pirkka range of goods. The Pirkka product range is complemented by light and skimmed milk, low-lactose cream and dairy butter. The half-litre skimmed milk is a new product in the Finnish market and has been introduced in response to demand from small households. "Pirkka products are used regularly in our daily lives. The absence of ordinary milk from the range has been a clear deficiency,” said Kesko Food Vice President for Commerce, Ari Akseli. The products are supplied by established Finnish dairy company Osuuskunta Maitokolmio. "It took us long to find a suitable supplier. We're pleased to begin cooperation with a smaller domestic operator and offer them an opportunity to cooperate with such a large volume product,” added Akseli. "Kesko Food has been very positive and open-minded about the development and introduction of the product family. Such an attitude encourages small and medium enterprises to show their competencies and develop their operations," says Osuuskunta Maitokolmio Managing Director, Juha Murto-Koivisto.

UK water cooler manufacturer Ebac has outed production plans for its new Direct Dispense POU unit, which it believes is set to revolutionise the POU market. Available from May 2008, the newcomer has been developed to challenge existing POU coolers by claiming to offer a 98% reduced chance of microbiological contamination, compared to models that house a standard reservoir. According to the County Durham based firm, some POU coolers are open to microbiological vulnerability as the larger their surface area, the greater the chance that water contamination will occur. “An ordinary reservoir has a typical water volume of 2,500ml and a typical surface area of 1,000cm2, which offers a huge amount of microbiological vulnerability,” it explained. “Even with direct chill, the typical water volume is 500ml, which is significantly lower in volume to an ordinary reservoir, but the surface area increases to 1600cm2 , giving it a greater vulnerability to microbiological growth. UV protected reservoirs show some improvement with 60ml water volume and 200cm2 surface area, but there are still parts of the cooler the ultraviolet light can’t reach, such as pipes and taps.” Ebac’s new model offers a 30ml water volume and 100cm2 surface area, which it believes could lessen the microbiological risk. Ebac Chairman John Elliott MBE commented: “Microbiological vulnerability in the POU market is very important to water cooler businesses and distributors. Our customers want a product that differentiates them from their competitors and gives them a competitive advantage. Not only are we providing a product that our customers want, but we are also providing a product that their customers want too.” Direct Dispense technology also differs to traditional POU coolers in the way it filters water. As with all POU coolers, water is supplied directly from the mains, which has been disinfected (typically with chlorine in the UK) to remove bacteria and ensure that it remains safe to drink by the time it reaches the public. With Direct Dispense, the water supply is not filtered before entering the cooler reservoir, but immediately prior to the water being dispensed. Therefore, the disinfectant properties of the mains supplied water stop any bacteria growth occurring in the reservoir or connected parts. It is not until water is dispensed that it passes through a filter, ensuring high quality water with the least possible chance of contamination. Filter replacement should also be easier than everwith an Ebac POU cooler as its “slot and go” cartridge can be changed in a matter of seconds with minimal effort. The unit is then 100% sanitised as all parts susceptible to microbiological vulnerability have been replaced. A further innovation is a patented flood prevention device. The StopMax has been designed to provide peace of mind against accidental flooding, which has always been a concern with POU units. The first Direct Dispense machine on the market, Ebac’s new model is based on its best selling FMax platform, with all of the same features,such as an energy saving hot tank and high burst rate. “It is great to break the boundaries of innovation in water cooler design with the Direct Dispense cooler,” said Technical Director, Philip Walton. “The pre-production model has already received an enthusiastic response from significant customers in the industry, which further demonstrates the demand for such a product in the marketplace.”

Connect Water Systems UK has acquired a substantial shareholding in Purepoint, a Scottish mains connected water cooler company based in Ayrshire. Connect UK Chairman Brian Knight commented: “This strategic investment enables us to extend the reach of the Connect service into a key area of the UK market. Martin Ross and his team are ideally placed to grow their existing cooler base more rapidly in the future and their experience in this market will strengthen Connect’s ability to deliver the high level of customer service our national and local clients demand”. Connect pure filtered water coolers and heaters are already available from centres in County Durham, Oxfordshire, Essex and Devon.

A team from Alcoa’s Hungary based Auto and Truck Structures business has delivered bespoke lightweight aluminum truck bodies to Sip-Well within a three month turnaround time. Constructed from aluminium extrusions, castings and plate from Alcoa Kofem, the truck bodies aim to save weight, while increasing payload for Sip-Well, a Belgian home and office delivery company. Aside from a short delivery deadline, Sip-Well also requested special features for its two water delivery trucks. Specifications included double wide rack roll-up doors covering two bays each, a compartment for coolers and specially designed thin walls between the bays to make maximum use of the body length. “Alcoa Auto and Truck Structures worked closely with Sip-Well from concept to design and product,” said Alcoa Auto and Truck Structures Director Business and Applications Development Commercial Vehicle Dr Holger Haddenhorst. “For these new truck bodies, we also incorporated a new safety feature. Foldable steps also function as a warning system with sounds and lights, in case the driver forgets to close any of the six side steps before departing. This required creating and then adding a well thought out safety system for early warning in case the side steps accidentally open during driving." The additional safety system is now also available to other customers with similar requirements. “We are very pleased with the new aluminium truck bodies. With the weight savings the aluminium provides, we were able to increase payload productivity, plus add a special safety feature,” said Sip-Well Logistics Director Jorgen De Pelsmaeker. Sip-Well has since ordered four more truck bodies from Alcoa Kofem. Alcoa Auto and Truck Structures supplies truck bodies to customers worldwide. Serving the aerospace, automotive, packaging, construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, Alcoa produces and manages aluminium, fabricated aluminium and alumina facilities, bringing design, engineering and production capabilities to its customers.

*A UK-based plastic cup and 19 litre (5 gallon) water bottle cap supplier has launched a service that will enable its customers to recycle returned plastic components. * Packseal devised the free scheme to assist its clients with their recycling needs and give them the opportunity to earn money from the sale of scrap plastic. If sufficient quantities of bottles, caps or other clean waste, which are inevitable by-products of the bottled water cooler business, are collected by the company’s recycling partners, then payment could be made for the returned material. Every customer who purchases Packseal caps will be eligible for the initiative, free of charge. Initial responses from clients have been positive, with a number already taking the scheme on board. Packseal will be exhibiting at the forthcoming BWCA show at stand 36a where interested parties can find out more about the service.

Austrian plastics firm Greiner Packaging is now the sole proprietor of 5 gallon (19 litres) packaging manufacturer Capsnap Europe, following an overhaul of the company’s ownership structure. Capsnap was set up in 1999 as a 50:50 joint venture between Greiner and 5 gallon and dairy closure producer Portola Packaging. This latest agreement, which was signed on 20 December 2007, saw Greiner take over the shareholding of the US Portola Group from 1 January 2008. All employment roles will be retained and Capsnap will continue to be Portola’s distributor for caps in Europe, although some specific markets and customers will be served directly by Portola. “5 gallon packaging will be a significant segment for the plastics industry in the future. As the sole owner of Capsnap Europe, we will push ahead with the development of this important pillar for Greiner,” said Greiner Packaging International CEO Willi Eibner. Capsnap General Manager Günter Ausserwöger commented that the company would be better able to respond to the 5 gallon bottle market in Europe with a single owner. “We will thus be able not only to react faster to European market requirements, but also to align our packaging solutions more flexibly to them,”he said. According to Portola Europe Managing Director Glenn Heighington, the agreement is in line with Portola’s strategy to focus on its core competency - the production of plastic closures for the water, juice and dairy industries. Greiner Packaging achieved a turnover of €290.9 million in 2006 and employs over 2,500 people in 21 production sites across Europe.

Angel Springs has seen its flexible approach pay dividends as it recently won over 2,500 coolers through key national accounts. The UK based water cooler distribution believes that customers require a provider that can supply and maintain both bottled and mains fed cooler solutions on a national basis, without sub-contracting to third party distributors. Managing Director John Dundon commented: “We are delighted with the success our dual solution, one company approach has brought to us. “When talking to potential new customers it is quickly evident that they prefer impartial, factual advice on the merits of both bottled and mains fed coolers. Buyers have been able to make informed decisions when we have explained the factual, environmental impact of both products.” The company’s 'workplace watercoolers' initiative aims to supply the customer with a solution that is driven by their needs and requirements, rather than simply providing products that best suit the supplier. Consulting with the customer to help them make a balanced choice could lead to better client retention. “When you add our flexible package to this, where customers can move between bottled and mains fed coolers during their contract term, it has meant that we have been able to win multiple national accounts and maintain sensible margins in addition to cost effective mains fed installations.” Since its formation in 2003, Angel has become one of the leading cooler distributors in the UK, doubling its customer base and turnover. It puts its rapid growth down to a commitment to service, strong organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

Acrokool Distribution will be bringing a range of POU water coolers for the office, home and horeca sectors to the UK and Irish markets. Offering medium to high output models from Italian manufacturer Zerica, including its Premium, horeca, office and pub and bar lines, the firm’s sales arm will be headed up by Kevin James, who is confident about its capabilities. “I am really enthusiastic about the potential of this new company and very confident to work with Managing Director Roger Moore and Acrokool, making use of their tremendous technical and operational knowledge,” commented the former Aqua Cool, Nestlé and AA First employee. “We will also be adding two exciting POU products to our range, giving us and our customers the confidence to see reliable, high quality equipment with ample cooling capacity, which is what the UK market needs at the moment. All of this means a quality product and supply readily available, giving distributors the chance to differentiate themselves, promote a line that can compete in a competitive marketplace and keep a reasonable margin at a Marks & Spencer and John Lewis level.” James believes that not only are the UK and Ireland two of the largest POU marketplaces in the world, they are also the most demanding, so stocking quality products and offering full customer support will be essential for the POU only company. “We understand that the quality of construction of our products means that we are not competing at the bottom level with products from the Far East and China. Instead, their style and performance will offer a superior choice to the end user who will not always want to go for the most inexpensive option. We therefore have an ideal selling portfolio for the medium to premium POU and horeca markets.” Further details will be made about the firm in due course.

The Coca-Cola Company has announced a long term target to recycle or reuse 100% of the aluminium beverage cans it sells in the United States. This new objective builds on the company's previously announced goal to recycle or reuse 100% of its PET plastic bottles. "We have made a commitment to ensure the sustainability - and recyclability - of our packaging," said Coca-Cola North America President Sandy Douglas. "We envision a world in which our packaging is no longer seen as waste, but as a valuable resource for future use." Aluminium beverage cans are among the most recycled consumer products in the US - one out of every two aluminium cans is recycled today. Recycling aluminium is highly efficient and requires 95% less energy than creating aluminium from raw materials. It also reduces carbon emissions by 95%. Coca-Cola currently uses an average 60% recycled aluminium in its beverage cans. Coca-Cola also has continued to invest in recycling programmes and infrastructure. In 2007, it invested $60() million (€40 million) in a series of recycling initiatives, including support of RecycleBank's curbside collection program and the construction of the world's largest PET bottle to bottle recycling plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. In 2007, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), the world's largest Coca-Cola bottler, formed Coca-Cola Recycling LLC (CCR) with a mission to recover and recycle the packaging materials developed and used by the Coca-Cola system. CCR plays a key role in the Company's aspiration to recycle and reuse 100 percent of its packaging. While the primary beverage container materials - aluminum and PET - have high value as recyclables, not enough are recovered to meet the increasing demand. "We established Coca-Cola Recycling to help increase recycling rates in North America and to ensure that our system has ready access to recycled material," said John Burgess, president and chief operating officer, Coca-Cola Recycling. "By the end of 2008, Coca-Cola Recycling will recycle more than 100 million pounds each of PET and aluminium." CCR has established centralised recycling centers at CCE's major production facilities across the country. It also has created innovative collection programs at colleges and universities, office buildings and retail centers, as well as major sporting events, music festivals and other large scale events to drive recycling behaviour among consumers.

Danisco has attained long-term access to two highly documented probiotic strains in a new licence agreement with Fonterra. The agreement also marks Danisco’s launch of the strains, marketed as Howaru bifido and Howaru rhamnosus, on the dietary supplement market. Danisco Vice President Dairy Supplements Business Unit Scott Bush welcomed the renewed opportunity to supply the probiotics for many years ahead, and looks forward to a stronger development partnership between Danisco and Fonterra. “Howaru bifido and rhamnosus offer our customers a unique competitive advantage, as they make it possible to market products with proven benefits,” Bush says. “Health professionals, regulatory authorities and consumers are increasingly aware that probiotic health benefits are strain-specific. More and more, they require that these benefits be demonstrated in human clinical studies. Yet some probiotic products on the market still contain strains that have little or no documentation of health benefits in human clinical studies. For the Howaru strains, we have such evidence of efficacy.” Clinically proven key products in Danisco’s leading range of premium probiotic cultures, Howaru bifido and Howaru rhamnosus are clinically proven to strengthen the human digestive and immune systems. Since 2001, when Fonterra first granted marketing and selling rights to Danisco, the strains have been successfully applied in a wide range of applications with strong health benefit statements. As human clinical studies continue to provide more evidence of the strains’ health benefits, the global market for probiotics is experiencing annual growth of around 10%, with the growth rate in North America currently at 20%. It is against this positive backdrop that Danisco has chosen to launch Howaru bifido and Howaru rhamnosus on the dietary supplement market. Young Living Essential Oils has become the first customer applying them in its high potency probiotic supplement, Life 5. The supplement builds and restores core intestinal health by providing five clinically proven probiotic strains, including three advanced 'super strains' to enhance intestinal health, sustain energy and improve immunity.

US filtration products company Pureez has launched a countertop hot and cold POU water cooler that uses ultraviolet (UV) rays to purify water. Using a “double-active” carbon filter and 0.6 micron filter, the machine aims to dispense up to 40 cups of cold water at 39 to 57°F or 50 cups of hot water at 197 to 204°F within an hour. The unit that features a series of self-tailored settings and automated service alerts is available in six colours, with a self-installation kit for setting up next to a refrigerator or sink, as well as the option to arrange a professional installation visit. "Our coolers are designed to look as good as pure water makes you feel. We believe coolers should be compact enough to be a welcome addition to your home or office, and not an inconvenience," said Pureez Director of Marketing, William Patsy. The company is aiming to target the coolers at parents of young children in particular due to the machine’s “mix” button that enables the user to control the temperature of the water, making it suitable for preparing infant cereals and foods. Designed to fit on most countertops, the Pureez measures 35cm high, 29cm wide and 39cm deep, and weighs in at 14kg.

Sidel, one of the world’s top suppliers of complete bottling lines, will take part in Interpack, packaging’s biggest trade show, in Dusseldorf from 24-30 April. Sidel will present its newest packaging solutions, from bottle design to palletizing. This year, sensitive drinks take centre stage. Flavoured waters, juices, nectars, isotonic drinks, teas and liquid dairy products are extremely popular with consumers who are fuelling a surge in demand for health and wellness products. Sidel will unveil its latest aseptic packaging solutions for this market segment, which puts a premium on product safety. In addition to product safety, the environmental impact of packaging is playing an increasingly important role. Reducing consumption of raw materials, energy, water and chemicals has become a top concern of beverage industry professionals. Part of Sidel’s booth will be dedicated to breakthrough solutions created by Sidel to address to these concerns. Another area of the booth will showcase innovative end-of-line solutions. *About Sidel* Sidel is one of the world’s top suppliers of beverage lines and packaging equipment. The company employs 5,300 people around the world and is a division of Tetra Laval.