DSM has announced the launch of TensGuard, a new and unique ingredient developed to target the growing global market for blood pressure management. The product of advanced enzyme technology, DSM’s TensGuard contains dairy peptides, proven to help control blood pressure to maintain a healthy heart. The active peptide responsible for the blood pressure lowering effect in TensGuard is the so-called ‘Lactotripeptide’ Isoleucine-Proline-Proline (IPP). While lactotripeptides are present in normal dairy products, they're inactive within the original milk protein. To become effective, these peptides first need to be released through enzymatic predigestion. TensGuard contains activated lactotripeptides, delivering their benefits in a highly concentrated and convenient form. Luc van der Heyden, Business Manager Heart Health, said: “The launch of TensGuard is the result of a long period of dedicated research. Our extensive studies have ensured that we have a clinically proven, highly effective ingredient. This is complemented by in-depth consumer perception studies looking at attitudes and behaviour in relation to high blood pressure. As a result, we're confident we have a high performance ingredient and a receptive global market of significant size.” TensGuard is a natural dietary ingredient, produced using a patented process which offers exciting opportunities for food and dietary supplement companies. TensGuard has a unique, clean taste, provides clear solutions in water, necessitates only low dosages, and is stable under almost all food processing conditions. A tablet grade has also been developed under the name TensGuard TG. TensGuard TG is formulated for good flow properties and has the handling characteristics required by the dietary supplement market. Positioned as a convenient way for consumers to manage blood pressure as part of a healthy diet, TensGuard offers manufacturers a clinically proven ingredient, supported by positive consumer research.* High blood pressure is a well known and independent risk factor for coronary heart disease, heart and kidney failure and stroke. Small reductions in blood pressure can have beneficial effects for cardiovascular disease risk. Research studies indicate that a reduction in systolic blood pressure of 3-5 mmHg is associated with a decrease in the risk for stroke of approximately 15% and coronary heart disease of approximately 10%.

Purdue University is hosting the 25th Annual Aseptic Processing and Packaging Workshop to be held May 12th-15th, 2008 in West Lafayette, IN, USA. The Workshop is targeted at food processing and attended by food development professionals seeking basic knowledge involved in the development of aseptic systems. In 2003, the Scholle family donated $1.5 million to fund an endowed chair at Purdue University’s Department of Food Science program. This contribution helped strengthen Purdue’s work in the science of food processing and as a global leader in the development of aseptic packaging. The current Chair and Department Head of Food Science program is Dr Philip E Nelson. Dr Nelson was recently named 2007 World Food Prize Laureate. After partnering with Scholle Packaging, Dr Nelson developed a low cost aseptic bag-in-box system for preserving and shipping processed fruits like tomatoes. By the 1980s, this technology had spread throughout the global food industry and into other markets such as dairy and juices. Dr Nelson, a faculty member at Purdue University, will be attending and speaking at the seminar.

There are over 700,000 water coolers in UK workplaces, used by over 10 million people daily. BWCA members supply both bottled water coolers and plumbed-in mains versions to all types of commercial and industrial facilities – including offices, shops and factories – as well as schools and hospitals. Employers who choose to install coolers are fulfilling their legal obligation to supply water in the workplace – a choice often dictated by the lack of access to mains water facilities on the premises. Britain’s 30 million working people spend an average of 10 of their 16 waking hours either travelling to or being at work. For much of this time, tap water may not be readily available, and therefore removing bottled water as a source of hydration will simply lead to people becoming dehydrated (already a serious problem) or switching to soft and carbonated drinks. Hydration at home and at work is a vitally important issue. Over 50% of the population is said to be moderately dehydrated most of the time, with serious health and well-being implications. Bottled water coolers use reusable and recyclable bottles, often sourced and delivered from local suppliers. None end up in landfill. BWCA members are passionate about providing employers and consumers with options to allow them to make appropriate hydration choices, ensuring that water coolers are available where they are the best option.

Cadbury Schweppes plc, the beverage and confectionary company, on Tuesday reported a 65% drop in 2007 annual profit from the year earlier, when the company had a large one-time gain from selling some of its businesses. Net profit was £405 million (€540 million, $792 million), down from £1.17 billion a year earlier when profits included a pretax gain of £631 million (€841 million, $1.23 billion) from the sales of beverage businesses in Europe, Syria and South Africa. Profit from continuing operations was £407 million (€543 million, $796 million), down 22% from the previous year. Revenue was up 7% to £7.97 billion (€10.6 billion, $15.6 billion). The figure included a 16% gain in revenue in the Americas Beverages unit due to the acquisition of the Dr Pepper/Seven Up bottling group. Splitting the business Cadbury Schweppes is splitting its business into two units: Cadbury PLC, whose brands include Cadbury's chocolate and Trident and Dentyne chewing gum; and Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc., formerly Americas Beverages, the leading US producer of flavoured, carbonated beverages. Cadbury Schweppes shares were down 5.7% at 577.5 pence (euro7.70 US$11.29) on the London Stock Exchange. "The driver of the shares today is more likely to be the announcement that there will be no capital return to Cadbury shareholders on demerger of Dr Pepper Snapple," said Rob Mann, analyst at Collins Stewart.

*Today, Berkeley Springs will stage a seminar called 'Water: Our Legacy', which will address industry issues. * Featured speakers have included hydrologists, hydrogeologists and representatives from such varied organisations as Potomac Water Watch, the International Bottled Water Association, US Geological Survey and Department of Environmental Protection. This year, water innovation Editor Nayl D'Souza will deliver a presentation about bottled water and sustainability. Other speakers include bottled water expert Arther von Wiesenberger; Joe Hankins, Director of Freshwater Institute; J. Scott Shilpe of American Water Works Association and Russell Carolla of VA Water Conditioning Corporation. The Friday seminar will precede the main Annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting event on Saturday when competition entrants are expected to compete in five categories: Municipal, Bottled Non-carbonated, Purified Drinking Water, Bottled Sparkling and the People's Choice Package Design.

As the first Northern Ireland dairy company to produce milk enriched with omega-3, Dale Farm continues to lead the way in product innovation with the launch of Mega Milk, the first local product to offer the additional benefits of omega-3. Representing a substantial investment, the new product is the result of extensive research and development, and responds to a growth in demand for functional dairy products along with a requirement for foods that offer added value and greater convenience. Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) has supplied the MEG-3 brand omega-3 EPA/DHA. Speaking about the new product, Dale Farm Head of Marketing, Brian Beattie, said: “As today’s pace of life continues to quicken, consumers increasingly want that quick health fix, and Mega Milk is the ideal solution as it offers a convenient and nutritious route to get even more out of milk. “Dale Farm has established a reputation within the dairy sector for being at the forefront of innovation and new product development. Mega Milk follows in the footsteps of two extremely successful products: The One milk and Dromona Probiotic Cheese. Both were firsts within the Northern Ireland consumer market, with the Probiotic Cheese a first throughout the UK and Ireland. We are extremely proud of these achievements and, as such, we are very excited about how Mega Milk will be received by consumers.” ONC Executive Vice President of Marketing, Ian Lucas, said: “We're very excited to be working with Dale Farm to launch the first product containing the MEG-3 ingredient in Ireland. Milk is such an important part of the diet and we believe it's a perfect fit with the MEG-3 omega-3 ingredient. As Dale Farm says, 'you get more out of milk with Mega Milk!'” Mega Milk not only contains added vitamins and nutrients but all the natural goodness and taste of fresh milk. Mega Milk is sold in one-litre cartons and is now available from all leading supermarkets. A major TV advertising campaign and supermarket sampling across Northern Ireland will support the product launch.

It's now easier for women on-the-go to grab a healthy powdered drink supplement with Protein.2Go packs – just add the protein powder to a water bottle, shake and enjoy. Protein.2Go flavours include Orange Mango, Pomegranate Fruit, French Vanilla and Double Chocolate. “Protein.2Go packs offer a nutritious snack and are perfect for women with hectic and busy lifestyles,” said David Jenkins, CEO for Designer Whey. "Protein.2Go packs come in innovative and colourful packaging designs. Each pack contains a great-tasting supplement that's easy to use and provides better hunger control while boosting your energy levels.” Whey protein builds and rebuilds the body’s muscles and bone. It also offers many unique health benefits for today’s on-the-go woman, including anti-ageing and weight-loss help. The revolutionary benefit of Designer Whey products is the utilization of Whey, a protein-rich liquid component of milk produced as a by-product of the cheese-making process. Whey protein has been called the ultimate functional food.

*Fonterra says the worsening drought situation could cost its dairy farmers as much as NZ$500 million by the time the season ends in May. * Chairman Henry van der Heyden says that the dry spell has already cost farmers about NZ$60 million in milk payout, and on-farm losses would continue to mount unless there is significant rainfall. “The weather is key. And every day without rain is hurting farmers, and will have a flow-on impact for local communities and the broader economy. This has really taken the shine off what should have been a fantastic season for our farmers, with a record payout. Farmers are facing up to some very real challenges, both in terms of lost cash flows and also in managing their farms with very little feed available.” Van der Heyden says Fonterra had forecast a 3% increase in milk supply for the 2007/08 season. However, the record dry summer over much of the country means season-to-date milk production is now falling below last year. “The dry spell is widespread and is hitting farmers hard in most parts of the country. On a daily basis compared to the last year, Waikato is down 27%, Bay of Plenty is down 21%, Taranaki is down 9% and Southland is down 1.5%. “Clearly, we’ll be right there with farmers hoping for rain. We've been looking into supplementary feed options and how we can support farmers and rural communities in other ways. But the stark reality is that there's a real feed shortage both in New Zealand and overseas. “While Fonterra is now facing something of a double whammy, of a drop in milk production and a Kiwi dollar close to US80 cents, we're holding to our forecast of a payout of $6.90 per kilogram of Milk Solids,” he says. Fonterra CEO Andrew Ferrier adds: “At this stage, we're also confident we can meet all our customers’ contracted orders, but supply is tight. Given our expectations of significantly reduced supply in New Zealand, we now find ourselves effectively booked up for the season. This is forcing us to advise customers that we may not be in a position to take all new orders for New Zealand supply."

*Appletiser, the 100% fruit juice drink with a touch of sparkle, is celebrating after becoming the fastest growing Adult Special Soft Drinks brand of 2007, with a +12.2% value growth increase across all channels. ** This unprecedented figure has been further cemented by figures which reveal Appletiser’s closest competitors are in decline by as much as -28.5%*. A combination of increased listings across retail, on premise and cold channels; the launch of well-targeted NPD and the roll-out of a strategic marketing plan has led to the brand now being worth over 25.8m retail sales value (RSV). Thanks to the brands’ governmental 5-a-Day accreditation, the Appletiser, Grapetiser and Peartiser 330ml cans are now listed in over 750 educational sites across the UK. The brand also continues to secure new listings within all retail channels, clocking up a staggering 14,000 new distribution outlets in 2007, including Tiger Tiger, Pizza Express and Superdrug. “The Appletiser brand is going from strength to strength,” said Andy Thompson, Appletiser Brand Manager. “We're thrilled to reign as the fastest growing Adult Special Soft Drink brand of 2007. This is testament to the brands’ focused marketing strategy centred on our 5-a-Day accreditation, and of course the launch of Peartiser, which further strengthened the brands’ growth. The summer ‘win a dream lunch’ on pack promotion also proved successful, increasing sales of the Appletiser brand by over 38% compared to the previous year in Grocery. “During 2008, the brand will continue to be heavily supported, up to the value of £6.8 million. We will continue to implement a single-minded marketing strategy to communicate Appletiser’s key product credentials, in particular 5-a-Day. This will consist of a year-long online and viral campaign, women’s print advertising, UK-wide sampling, implementation of a Buzz marketing programme and targeted PR activity. We expect that 2008 will continue the successes achieved in 2007, driving the brand towards being the drink of choice for 25-35 year old women looking for a great tasting, healthy and premium soft drink.” Source: AC Nielson 1 Dec 2007

The brand owner and trade distributor of Aqua Dosa has signed a professional distribution agreement for the high strength version of the sanitisation solution. According to Aqua Cure, the hydrogen peroxide based product is ideal for the water cooler industry, especially given its approval for use in public water supplies and Green Apple environmental award. The company is now planning to offer selected trade clients the solution at a 10% concentration in a 10 litre drum, instead of the standard concentration which is supplied in a 5 litre drum. The main differences between this and many other similar products are its stabiliser and activator capabilities. A very small concentration of colloidal silver is blended, but only activates the hydrogen peroxide when it is exposed to anything that shouldn’t be there, such as bugs or organic material. After all of the organic material has been oxidised, the substance returns to its role as a stabiliser for any remaining and non-reacted hydrogen peroxide in the lines, tank or systems being treated. In order to qualify for the product, Aqua Cure will request that any applying trader initially opts for the user pack, which explains how to handle the high strength solution. By measuring and introducing the correct amount, not only can the solution be administered quickly, it is also a much more cost effective means of purchasing, in both concentrated and bulk format. Once standard documentation from Aqua Cure’s technical department has been received and signed for, product supply can be discussed, along with the best means for measurement according to each individual cooler company. Within the Aqua Dosa range, Aqua Cure offers measuring bottles or dispenser and delivery bottle options, as well as two variants of quantitative peroxide test strips. The firm recommends the use of quantitative test strips, as opposed to basic colour change strips as these cannot prove that full peroxide concentration levels have been established in the cooler.

*Indonesia’s pop singer and budding entrepreneur Mawi has failed to derail court case proceedings by drinks manufacturer Yassa against his mineral water company, Mawi World. The lawsuit, filed in October 2006, claims that Mawi World had infringed on the copyright of its products. * The Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed with costs the application by Mawi World to block the lawsuit that is now expected to begin before the summer although no hearing dates have been fixed yet. Yassa has demanded that Mawi World stops producing bottled mineral water using its licence number, factory address and product contents on its label. Subsequently, Yassa amended its legal action to claim that Mawi’s company had made use of its property instead of having infringed on its intellectual property. In his affidavit to strike out the suit, Mawi said Yassa’s action against his company was vexatious, frivolous and an abuse of the court process. “I have been advised that if the plaintiff wants to take action, it should be against the supplier of our bottled mineral water, Johtaw Corporation,” he said last year. The singer, whose real name is Asmawi Ani, is one of the best selling and influential Malaysian artists in recent years and winner of the country’s popular reality show Akademi Fantasia. He has also been testing his skills in acting and performing magic tricks.

Doh! For a start, I don't think anyone is suggesting that bottled water contributes more than 0.1% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions. The Times newspaper has highlighted imports from the US and Fiji. The government's own trade figures show these were in fact as little as 0.03% and 0.04% of the UK bottled water market in 2006. Fiji Water in The Grocer at the weekend said its water only comes by ship, and a full year's UK imports created less carbon than a return flight from London to New York. Yet somehow, BBC Panorama couldn't avoid its flight to Fiji to investigate. If Fiji water is wrong, what about the £2bn of wine imports from Australasia, South America and South Africa? And why not ban beer from Mexico or India, vodka from Russia, cut flowers from Kenya or computers from Japan? It's not wrong. It's not right. It's a choice. Certainly, we'll all have to wise up environmentally about some of the choices we make, and it's perfectly fair to have a debate about them. But let the debate be informed and proportionate, starting with once-respected institutions such as parliament and the BBC.