By Atlas Copco Oil-Free Air Division, Vice President of Marketing, Ignace Cappuyns ** Reader query: “We need to invest in compressors for our beverage plant. How do we know which to choose, taking into account high performance, energy efficiency and filter costs?”** Compressed air is used by manufacturers all over the globe to cool PET and glass as part of the manufacturing process. With today’s high and still rising energy costs, energy efficiency is of greater importance than ever before and a topical theme worldwide. Frequently more than one type of compressor is required with oil free compressors for sterile zones involving food and beverage filling, and standard compressors for end of line packaging equipment. If a compressor stops, the whole plant comes to a halt. Downtime has immense value to a company. Increasingly companies are looking for calibrated measurement systems and we offer unrivalled energy efficiency in screw compressors. Compressed air equals 10% of the energy used by all industry as a whole. 80 terra watt an hour per year (Twh/yr) in Europe, which equals 10 million tonnes of C02. The greatest improvement of all can be made by detecting leaks and so improving energy efficiency. Parabolic antennae developed by Atlas Copco a few years ago pick up leakages using ultrasound. A more recent development is that of VSD (variable speed drives), which save between 25 to 35% of energy used. All of our competitors have now incorporated this option. Finally, recovery of waste heat and heat exchange is becoming increasingly important with a number of plants using the warm water resulting from cooling compressed air for washing bottles and equipment. In fact, only 5% of energy is used in compressing the air, by far the majority is used in the required cooling. So, air compression is a rising cost and as fuel costs rise it can no longer be regarded as just an overhead. Globally we have agreed to reduce emissions between 2008 and 2012 (by 8% in Europe, 7% in US and 6% in Japan). To make this achievable we need to use intelligent controllers – to optimise and control the installation and give lower lifecycle costs. By putting into practice all the methods listed above, around 32.9% or roughly one third of energy costs can be saved. Atlas Copco puts leading edge technology in the marketplace. The commercial battle is not just to look at the purchase cost (just 15% generally of lifetime cost), but overall energy use and the cost of filters. By using the superior screw element we keep specific energy requirements as low as possible. We have reduced the consumption of air compression machines by 6% over six years, which equates to 1% per year, and in kilowatt hours is really significant. As innovators and pioneers in the air compression field, the company aims to ensure better productivity for its customers and ultimately better profitability. Market demands include: * A fast payback on investments * Operation in harsh and dusty environments * Reliability in extreme heat - some areas such as the Middle East have plants operating in temperatures of up to 50°C * No loss of production * Cool, dry and clean compressed air at the lowest possible cost. *Patented energy efficient screw * The new GA can work at maximum temperatures of 46°C and has a Class F insulator and B rise. It also needs to breathe, and for this we have a two step dust protection system. This filter lasts 8,000 hours, which is twice that of the previous generation filter. The GA Variable Speed Drive sucks outside air in, then controlled by the speed drive, oil is used to cool the radial cooling fans. But cooled air means water droplets and hence corrosion, so the compressor also contains a water separator operated using centrifugal force. A valve opens according to the amount of water collected, while an integrated dryer – the FD310 ensures no moisture remains to cause corrosion. Warm air incoming at 30°C is cooled via a refrigeration process and water drained away. Dry air is achieved through the heat exchanger to prolong the lifecycle of the compressor. Sensors are used to measure both temperature and pressure and are controlled by an electronikon regulator, which can text an alert to change the oil or replace the filter. This can now operate in 31 languages, including Japanese and Chinese. The GA VSD therefore delivers total control and reliable high performance, giving a fast payback on investment. *Low noise = lower costs * “In the development process of the new GA, we made substantial efforts to reduce all types of losses, whether flow related, mechanical or electrical. The latest design techniques such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis were used to meet these objectives,” said GA Product Manager at Atlas Copco, Paulo Pereira. He was keen to point out that because the system produces less than 50% of the noise of previous models, it no longer needs its own compression building but can be part of the plant floor, reducing the need for extra piping and compressed air leaks. This has been achieved due to the variable speed drive fans, which have reduced the sound drastically. The decibel level is now below 71 and no other compressor company has been able to achieve this. In addition, no other compressor on the market has this lifetime for its filters – which is extremely important in the overall cost to the consumer. As for heat exchange – with this new model 94% of the energy can be reused – to increase the heat of water going into a boiler or for showers for staff and as a general energy resource. Investment in energy resources can therefore be recovered in two months and for the overall cost of the compressor, in two years. The first of these machines were delivered in May 2008. As a larger company, we can afford to invest in research and from experience it will take from two to five years for others to react and produce similar products. Companies looking for a sound energy saving investment would find the new GA range best for non food and beverage areas (end of line packaging etc). The Z range which received ISO 8573-1 certification in 2006 ensures that no traces of oil can be determined in the air stream. Compressors are relatively long lived capital goods with an average lifetime of 13 years for compressors between 10 and 90 kw/h and 16 years between 90 and 300 kW. They operate on an average of around 3,500 hours per year. Driving down energy costs is our mantra and one of growing importance to beverage companies worldwide. Today unrivalled energy efficiency is the key to everyone’s success.

Shoppers are being given an alternative to supermarket shopping in Newcastle's original 'super' market, with a new store selling locally produced, handmade food. 'mmm...' based in Newcastle's historic Grainger Market, is the brainchild of New Zealand born Simone Clarkin, 46, who arrived in the north east six years ago via Russia, Italy, London and West Yorkshire. With a background in imported foods and wines she turned her sights to foods produced here in the region, with a mission to get people thinking about where their food comes from and the impact it can have on the communities who produce it. As well as foods from Northumberland and Cumbria, mmm... is also selling foods made in the UK and further afield from small artisan, organic co-operatives and fairtrade producers. Simone said: "Our philosophy is to sell foods from close to home, but wherever our products are from we work with smaller producers who share our passion for good food and quality of life. "Many of our products are handmade locally using traditional methods with the finest natural ingredients, meaning you can truly taste the difference. "This means they not only taste fantastic, but are good value for money, good for you, the environment and the community." Future plans include stocking spices from an organic Goan spice farm, cookery demonstrations with local chefs and link ups with other quality producers in the region. The shop sells a range of decanted olive and rapeseed oils, balsamic vinegars, organic spices, honeycombs, organic flours, chutneys, pickles, jams, mayonnaise, organic beans, set honey, salad dressings, chocolate, organic spices, snacks, pasta, passata, curry kits, clear honey, rapeseed oil, organic pulses, sea salt, marmalades, sauces, polenta, dried fruits, mustards, rice, organic baby food, and much, much more. Suppliers include, Northumbrian cold pressed rapeseed oils from Yellow Fields and Oleifera; handmade relishes, sauces, and jams from the Hawkshead Relish Company, Cumbria; hot chilli sauces from Trees Can't Dance, Northumberland; stone-ground organic flours from the Watermill, Little Salkeld, Cumbria; authentic Sri Lankan styled chutneys from Cumbria; and handmade jams, marmalade and chutneys from JR Jams, Tyne and Wear.

**In the next issue of Water Innovation magazine out later this month, food and drink expert Michael Mascha, the owner of FineWaters.com, looks at luxury water brands sold through horeca channels to enhance the fine dining experience.** Mascha has written a book that introduces readers to the epicurean delights of water, explains the characteristics that provide various waters with their unique flavours and recommends food pairings. Fine Waters provides tasting notes for more than 100 of the world’s best bottled waters and helpful tips such as optimum serving temperatures for enjoying both still and sparkling waters. The book is being marketed as a connoisseur’s guide to the world’s most distinctive bottled waters.” To buy the book, <1> Michael Mascha was recently interviewed by Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford for NBC's Today Show. <1>: http://finewaters.com/store/book.html

**Wateraid volunteers were out and about at this year's Glastonbury Festival encouraging people to 'love their loos'. **In order to draw attention to the global sanitation crisis, Glastonbury revellers were encouraged to express their love for their loos on a graffiti wall at the WaterAid stand by the Pyramid stage, as well as adding their names to the 'End Water Poverty' petition to put pressure on the G8 to agree a global action plan for sanitation and water. Over 18,000 signatures were collected during the festival. Campaigns Officer Gerry Austin said: "We were delighted to have collected so many signatures at the festival. The extra signatures bought the total to nearly 70,000 which were handed in to the Japanese Embassy in London. "This was as part of the official presentation of End Water Poverty actions that have happened across the globe - a total of well over 900,000. We're so grateful to Glastonbury festival goers for adding their voices to the big stink, and hopefully more people will love their loos as a result." Celebrities pledging their support and loving their loos included Will Young, KT Tunstall, The Ting Tings and the Fratellis. Our 'I love my loo' sweatbands were very popular, with several celebs sporting them as well as getting temporary WaterAid tattoos and posing in the WaterAid Hunter wellies. The WaterAid Hunter wellies were exclusively designed for the festival, and were signed by a number of famous faces including the Kings of Leon, James Blunt, Duffy and The Subways.

The British Fruit Juice Association (BFJA) Annual Symposium took place last month (5 June 2008) with the theme of sustainability high on the agenda. FoodBev.com is pleased to be able to present a short series of podcasts featuring two of the speakers at the event. The first download is an introduction to the BFJA Symposium by Jill Ardagh, the Director General of the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA). Click the link to hear the introduction, or save it to your desktop by right-clicking and choosing ‘Save link as’. <1> Mark Rhodes is Director of Corporate Environment, Health & Safety at GlaxoSmithKline. His talk, entitled ‘Adaptation or Extinction’, is available to download in two parts. <2>. <3>. Jonathon Porritt CBE is the Chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission, and is co-founder and Programme Director of Forum for the Future. <4>. <5>.Finally, a question and answer session is available to download in five parts. <6>. <7>. <8>. <9>. <10>. <1>: /downloads/BFJA08-01-JillArdagh.mp3 <2>: /downloads/BFJA08-02-MarkRhodes.mp3 <3>: /downloads/BFJA08-03-MarkRhodes.mp3 <4>: /downloads/Part04-Jonathon.mp3 <5>: /downloads/Part05-Jonathon.mp3 <6>: /downloads/Part06-Questions.mp3 <7>: /downloads/Part07-Questions.mp3 <8>: /downloads/Part08-Questions.mp3 <9>: /downloads/Part09-Questions.mp3 <10>: /downloads/Part10-Questions.mp3

The 2008 Global Bottled Water Congress will be held in the spa town of Wiesbaden, near Frankfurt, Germany from 22 to 24 September. Dr Peter Traumann, Chief Executive Officer of German brand leader Gerolsteiner Brunnen will open the event and other presenters include Coca-Cola, Danone and Nestlé. A session on BRIC markets features Ouro Fino from Brazil, PepsiCo from Russia, Mount Everest Mineral Water from India and Heckmann Corporation, new owner of China Water and Drinks. There will also be contributions from Fiji Water, Highland Spring and Nextek on environmental action; and market insights from Innocent, Spendrups, Balance, Centralcer, Aqua Bimini and Zenith International on flavoured and functional waters. Other key programme elements include a trip to the Gerolsteiner plant, retail visits arranged by Coca-Cola, tours hosted by Doehler and Bericap, and a briefing by Seaquist Closures. A particular highlight will be the water innovation awards at a gala dinner on 23rd September. Adopting the theme Motivating Consumers, the conference will discuss ways in which the industry should move beyond hydration and health to overcome environmental concerns and determine new strategies for innovation and communication. “Our aim is for delegates to gain a complete overview of current market trends, issues and innovation along with pointers towards new opportunities and time for highly productive networking,” commented Zenith International Chairman Richard Hall. “We are especially pleased to be visiting Gerolsteiner this year, as the company celebrates its 120th anniversary.” The Global Bottled Water Congress is an annual conference that has been hosted by some of the world’s most famous brands including Evian and S. Pellegrino. Each year the occasion brings together industry leaders, producers, customers and suppliers from top companies in each region across all continents. The event is organised by global consultants to the food and beverage industry Zenith International in association with water innovation magazine. Sponsors for 2008 include leading suppliers Bericap, Doehler, Centralcer, Luso, NSF International, Seaquist Closures and international trade fair SIMEI. For full programme details and to book online, please visit <<1>">www.zenithinternational.com/events]<1> <1>: http://www.zenithinternational.com/events

Chr Hansen has launched "the first ever product line of frozen wine cultures" – FroZen. Chr Hansen was the first company to supply the global wine industry with easy to use malolactic frozen starter cultures for high-quality red wines. The company has now introduced a new range of frozen starter cultures aimed at white wines such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. “We're very proud to launch this range of frozen malolactic starter cultures, now available both for white wines and red wines," said Laurent Hubert, Marketing Director, Wine Cultures, Chr Hansen. "With the FroZen range, wine producers are guaranteed total process control, robustness in production and shorter production time, which again leads to cost savings. The FroZen range can reduce the malolactic fermentation time by as much as 40%. Around 265 million hectoliters of wine are produced worldwide (OIV, March 2008), and traditionally 95% of the red wines undergo malolactic fermentation, while only 20% of white wines are produced in this way. “We will first launch in the Northern hemisphere and our range will be used extensively from September in markets such as France, Germany, Italy, USA and Spain – and more will follow. When the wine season begins in the Southern hemisphere, we'll launch there too – and our expectations are high." The range is also available in a freeze dried version and all come in the convenient DVS (Direct Vat Set) concept for optimum convenience, control and consistency.

For decades Heinz's beans have been synonymous with the slogan: Beanz Meanz Heinz. In recognition of this, Heinz, has unveiled a contemporary new look for the label of its iconic product and for the first time in its history, the label will simply say - Heinz Beanz - rendering the ‘baked’ a thing of the past in the UK. The front of the label is not the only change to the new look cans, which go on sale from August 2008. The 415g cans will now also highlight the multitude of surprising nutritional benefits in a portion of Heinz Beanz - including: packed with fibre, low in sugar, virtually fat free. In addition the can will also feature bean pictured on pack, however, no change to the product itself is being made According to John Alderman Marketing Manager for Heinz Beanz: “Heinz Beanz have been powering the nation for over a hundred years and to say thank you to our loyal fans, we have given this iconic product a 21st century makeover. The new health messaging on the back of pack shows Heinz’s commitments to health, which over the last five years has seen a 30% cut in added salt of Heinz Beanz and we are further committed to making additional cuts without compromising on taste. Parents can continue to feel confident feeding their families Heinz Beanz as a healthy, nutritious meal option.” The UK’s love affair with Heinz Beanz shows no sign of cooling, with British consumers eating more beans then ever before. 850 million portions were devoured at dinner tables up and down the country last year with a whopping 96,000 plates eaten every hour!

NSF International Communications Manager Greta Houlahan comments on the recent Cryptosporidiosis incident in the Northampton and Rugby areas in the UK. After reading the FoodBev article: '<1>', Houlahan wanted to introduce FoodBev readers to the NSF/ANSI Standard 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects. The water treatment systems certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 53: Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects can potentially help protect against a wide array of microbiological, chemical or particulates, including cysts. NSF International tests and certifies water treatment systems used to reduce contaminants, such as cysts, from drinking water. It is important to note that products certified under this Standard are not required to be effective against all contaminants for which testing is available. NSF Certification to NSF/ANSI Standard 53 includes ongoing monitoring to ensure products continue to perform as originally certified, that the information on the product label is accurate, and that the product does not introduce harmful levels of metals or other contaminants into drinking water. To find water treatment systems that have been certified by NSF, visit[ http://www.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/]<2> To determine which products have met the cyst reduction requirement, check the 'Cyst Reduction' box under 'Reduction Claims for Drinking Water Treatment Units - Health Effects'. <1>: /ArticleDetail.aspx?contentId=1136 <2>: http://www.nsf.org/Certified/DWTU/

Milk Link has launched moo one% in the UK, a long-life milk containing just 1% fat, as an addition to its popular long-life milk brand ‘moo’. moo one% has the same amount of calcium and vitamin B as regular semi-skimmed milk, yet just half the fat. Heather Coates, Senior Brand Manager, said: “moo one% tastes just as good as regular semi-skimmed milk with the added benefit of only containing 1% fat. There are brands of fresh milk with only 1% fat, but this is the first long-life version. Since the launch of ‘moo’ in 2004, we've listened to feedback from our consumers and constantly updated the brand. Milk drinkers want the taste of semi-skimmed with less fat – they want moo one%.” The ‘moo’ brand was launched in 2004 as a response to increasing trends for healthy eating, standing for tasty dairy produce which is packed full of calcium, protein, minerals and vitamins, providing lots of natural goodness. moo one% is now available in Sainsbury’s and will be stocked in other major retailers over the coming months. The recommended retail price is 75p.

The product is initially available in a handful of D'Agostino supermarkets in Manhattan, and will be rolled out across the US this autumn. Truvia is also being sold online through <<1>.">www.truvia.com]<1>. The recommended retail price for a box of 40 Truvia sachets is $3.99, making the product a little more expensive than older sweeteners such as saccharin, aspartame and sucralose, sold under brand names including Sweet'N Low, NutraSweet and Splenda. Truvia is made with rebiana, a compound produced from stevia, the so-called “sweetleaf” shrub that is native to parts of Central and South America. Stevia-based sweeteners are already used in food and beverage products in Japan and South Korea, and are available as a nutritional supplement in the US. But Truvia is the first tabletop sweetener created from the plant. "Made with rebiana, the best tasting part of the stevia leaf, Truvia natural sweetener offers consumers zero calorie sweetness in their favorite foods and beverages," said Steve Snyder, Vice-President with Cargill Health and Nutrition. Food and beverages From early next year, the product will also be included as a sweetener in beverages and foods such as yogurt, cereals and snack bars, Snyder added. Cargill says it has tested Truvia extensively, and published the results of studies demonstrating the product’s safety in the scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology in May. Company spokeswoman Ann Tucker said that, under the rules of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), no further approval was required to sell Truvia as a general purpose sweetener. Coca-Cola and Cargill jointly own the Truvia trademark, and Coke has exclusive rights to use the sweetener in beverages. Soft drink rivals including PepsiCo and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group are also working to develop their own natural, no-calorie sweeteners. However, Coca-Cola is not yet prepared to reveal when it will introduce stevia-sweetened drinks. "We will explore possible applications for our portfolio, but for competitive reasons we cannot discuss timing," said company spokesperson Kelly Brooks. <1>: http://www.truvia.com

US-based Checkpoint Systems, manufacturer and marketer of identification, tracking, security and merchandising solutions to the retail industry and its supply chain, and Sealed Air Cryovac, a global manufacturer of a wide range of food and protective packaging materials and systems, have announced the launch of an anti-theft tagging solution for food products. The companies claim that the combination of Checkpoint’s Food-Safe EAS labels, certified for direct contact with food, and Sealed Air Cryovac’s SmartPak vacuum shrink bags can allow retailers to reduce the inventory shrinkage of cheese and fresh products. Initial studies have shown that this RF-EAS source-tagging programme may cut down inventory shrinkage of dairy products from 9% to 1%. Checkpoint’s research and development laboratories produced the first RF-EAS Food-Safe label – the only label to-date that has received European authorisation and ISEGA certification, for direct contact with dry, moist and fatty food products. The distinctive feature of the label is its conformity with European health and safety legislation to control the direct contact with fresh and dry foodstuffs. Initial tests were conducted on Parmigiano Reggiano in Italy for a six-month period to determine the effectiveness of Checkpoint’s label source tagged and integrated into Cryovac vacuum shrink bags. The first market request to Sealed Air Cryovac was for two million packs for the protection of Parmigiano Reggiano alone, however, it is expected that the system will be applied to other types of ‘softer’ cheeses and packaged cold meats as these products represent a significant percentage of those displayed in supermarkets’ refrigerated food cabinets and are also important in terms of sales and inventory shrinkage. “Sealed Air Cryovac is a solutions provider offering value added products and systems to the entire food supply chain. With the RF technology provided by Checkpoint, we are able to help our customers and retailers to further improve their bottom lines by reducing the in-store theft of items such as Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. There are more opportunities with this technology in the fresh food segment,” said Mr Gerd Wichmann, Marketing Director EMEA, Cryovac Packaging.