*US based Wells’ Dairy has launched a range of low fat yogurts containing Omega-3. * The new Blue Bunny Light Omega-3 low fat yogurts are sweetened with Sucralose, Neotame and acesulfame K, so claim fewer calories than regular low fat yogurt. Packed in 4oz tubs, the yogurts are available in four flavours - black cherry orchard, blackberry crème, raspeberry crème and strawberry patch. Flaxseed oil has been added as the source of the Omega-3 fatty acid.

*US cheese maker Sargento Foods has announced new arrivals in the specialty cheese category with the release of a new series of Artisan Blends cheeses. * The new line features a mingling of high quality Sargento cheese with flavourful, hand crafted artisan cheese to create a unique blend that allows any at home cook to “embrace the art of cheese”. Sargento Artisan Blends selections are available in six shredded varieties, which include unique twists on Parmesan, Parmesan & Romano, whole milk mozzarella, whole milk mozzarella & provolone, double Cheddar and Swiss blend. “Research has shown us that more than half of American consumers are purchasing specialty cheese on a regular basis,” said Michael G Vaszily, Sargento Senior Core Marketing Manager – Shredded Cheese. “Artisan Blends meets that demand in a way that brings together our own commitment to excellence and passion for cheese with the rich tradition of old-world craftsmanship.” Each artisan cheese maker that contributed to the development of Sargento Artisan Blends was selected in recognition of their own passion for cheese and commitment to the highest standards of flavour. * Trendy Cheddar* In addition to the Artisan Blends selection, Sargento has also introduced Sargento Limited Edition Pasture Grazed Cheddar developed through a partnership with two specially selected dairy farms in Southwest Wisconsin, clearly responds to the market. According to the US National Restaurant Association, pasture grazed foods were one of the top 20 culinary trends of 2007.

What started as the Fresh Juice company in 1930, Hansen Beverage Co has thrived on energy drinks and is pumped with success in the US through its Monster energy brand. Outsourcing manufacturing and distribution keeps Hansen lean – it markets through extreme sporting events and in store promotions, a bold player in an $18.7 billion industry with double digit annual growth. In 2006, 79% of purchases were through the convenience sector, with just 16% through the grocery channel. Now a US Fortune 100 company selling 16oz cans of Monster, plus L Carb variants, Energy Juice Khaos and coffee based Java Monster, more recent launches include M80 with 80% juice. It is now planning to launch in the UK market in February 2008 – going head to head with Red Bull, Relentless, Boost and a host of others including Irn-Bru 32 and Rockstar through AG Barr. Founder Rodney Sacks spoke at our Global Congress in Madrid last year. “Monster is a brand with attitude - aggressive, sinister, mysterious, cool and fun. Monster is about action sports, rock music, partying, chicks, living life on the edge and going big.” In the US, Monster sponsors the entire <1> race team, SCORE Baja 1000, X games - a multi action sport event, Dakar Rally, NHRA drag racing and Moto GP, to name a few. As Sacks went on to explain: “Monster is a grass roots brand that can’t be built from a headquarters. It had a massive sampling of 1.5 million cans delivered peer to peer in 2006. This youth cult integration is key to Monster’s success. CAT teams are collegiate ambassador teams who give away samples at large colleges and universities with 10,000 plus students. The CATs ensure Monster is at all the right parties and study halls are stocked with Monster during finals week. Established marketing partners such as <2>, <3>, <1> lend credibility to the brand. The image focused website is kept fresh with daily news and events. Monster tries to reach out to consumers in new ways. For instance, the Las Vegas mono rail has 35,000 visitors and has Monster in-car video screens featuring action sports. Apparently, Monster vending machines are outselling water vending machines in Vegas. Recent promotions include tickets to <4>, an across the states <5>, <6> and even one week at Cape Woodward with mountain bike maestro Dave Mirra. So where next for the Monster invasion - Ireland, Germany, Scandinavia, Russia - the Netherlands? We’ll be hiding under the covers but watching intently. <1>: http://www.kawasaki.com <2>: http://www.billabong.com <3>: http://www.makita.com <4>: http://www.supercross.com <5>: www.warpedtour.net <6>: http://www.ozzfest.com

R&R, one of the UK’s top ice cream manufacturers, is launching Thorntons individual ice cream luxury sticks, capitalising on the consumer trends for premium and indulgent products. Toffee Temptation is “an irresistible toffee dairy ice cream swirled with mouth watering Thorntons toffee sauce smothered in thick milk Belgian chocolate and Thorntons Special Toffee pieces”. Appealing to diehard chocolate lovers, the Chocolate Trio version is “creamy half white dairy chocolate ice cream, swirled with a rich dark chocolate sauce and half dark chocolate dairy ice cream coated in a thick layer of Belgian milk chocolate”. R&R Senior Marketing Manager Charlotte Hambling commented: “By responding to a real trend in premiumisation in this category we are adding value back in to the individual ice cream sector. The Thorntons brand has iconic awareness, as consumers recognise the heritage of the brand and the quality that it promises to deliver.”

Lactalis McLelland has combined two of Scotland’s most iconic industries to produce an exclusive cheese only available in Scotland. Seriously Smokey is a combination of extra mature Cheddar produced at the Caledonian Cheese Company, Stranraer, which is then smoked for four hours using wood from old whisky barrels at the family owned Rannoch Smokery in Perthshire. Lactalis McLelland Group Managing Director Andy Smith said: “Consumers in Scotland love smoked products - from fish and meat to cheese, especially those truly authentic Scottish products, and nothing could reflect the traditions and epitomise the quality of Scottish skills and produce more than Seriously Smokey. “The Seriously range has had an exceptional year and the Caledonian site has been key to these successes. Adding Smokey to the range demonstrates our commitment to new product development and shows how important our Scottish heritage is to our business in the future.”

The danger and long term consequence of eating an unbalanced diet is fed to us on a daily basis, but it has just been revealed that the humble potato, the staple diet to millions, in food intolerance terms, is the safest food in Britain. And that’s official! The findings come from food intolerance experts, YorkTest.com, who have compiled a list of the safest foods in Britain that offer up the fewest reactions, and the good old spud is up there as the safest bite in town. According to figures from more than 8,000 patients who took a food intolerance test with YorkTest.com in 2007, less than 1% appeared in the highest intolerance bracket to potato.With all its goodness and nutritional qualities, this makes it a food least likely to be linked with symptomssuch as IBS, migraine, fatigue and eczema. Based on consumption, the figure is all the more remarkable when you consider that each and every person in the UK eats 200lbs of potato a year, and in total, the UK manages to get through 5.5 million tons a year in the form of chips, roast, mashed, boiled and baked. Whereas some food intolerances appear to be caused by too much of the same food on a too regular basis, the potato is the exception to the rule. Also on the list of safe foods to eat are: grapefruit (only 0.44% of patients show a positive intolerance), apricot (0.61%), apple (0.61%), barley (0.65%) and lemon (0.68%). Some foods do have fewer percentage reactions to potato, but would significantly increase if they were eaten in the same quantity. 20% of our entire intake of food is potato. A family of four would expect their shopping basket to contain just 13% of fruit. This makes the spud the outright winner, and the safest food in Britain. Patrick Holford, nutrition expert and bestselling author on health and food-related matters says: “What the list reveals is that, however rare, people do become ill from what they eat. Anybody with a suspicion that their lack of 100% health is to do with food would hardly consider taking potato out of their diet, and so discovering the real and probable cause of ill health by a process of self-elimination can be a bit like finding a needle in a haystack. “Food intolerance testing takes away the guesswork and usually saves time and money. Eight out of ten people who find their hidden allergies notice a difference in how they feel within weeks.”**

Crop tonnage of macadamia nuts is predicted to double over the next seven years as the ambitious tree planting programme instigated by Australian and South African growers begins to deliver its harvest. This has prompted producer organisations from both countries to collaborate in a UK-focused awareness initiative centred on a Macadamia Advice Centre, with a supporting helpline, website and PR campaign directed towards health professionals and consumers. The campaign will initially focus on raising the profile of the nuts with dieticians, GPs, nutritionists and health writers, and is fronted by respected nutritionist and medical writer Dr Sarah Brewer: "The macadamia nut's health properties are currently a well kept secret. Apart from the unique taste and crunch, macadamia nuts offer the highest levels of monounsaturated fats of any food, including othernuts. And monounsaturated fat reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease and strokes, and is particularly beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes. "Macadamias are also high in antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and fibre. But our recent research among medical professionals has highlighted that a significant percentage have no knowledge of the benefit of macadamia nut consumption, and I am pleased to be associated with a campaign intended to rectify this." Australian Growers are represented by the Australian Macadamia Society (AMS), and the SA growers by the South African Macadamia Growers' Association (SAMAC), with the programme being the first time the two organisations have collaborated. Sales of macadamia nuts in the UK have increased by over 250% in the last five years, but with sales currently standing at 500 tons per annum, huge sales growth opportunities exist.

Britvic, the second biggest UK soft drink maker, is attempting to fuel growth after the country's wettest summer on record hurt revenue last year, and bans on indoor smoking cut into pub sales of sodas. The company spent about £170 million to buy the unit of Dublin-based C&C, adding Ballygowan mineral water and becoming PepsiCo Inc.'s Irish bottler. “It's been a challenging environment for them,” said Altium Capital Analyst, Wayne Brown, but added that the worst was over. Britvic held its annual meeting on 30 January and disclosed that the sales include a £49 million contribution from its Irish unit for 2007's last quarter. Growth in total sales increased from 5.7% in the fiscal year through September, which included only five weeks of revenue from the acquired division. The company has recently introduced non-carbonated beverages such as Robinsons Smooth Juice, as concerns about obesity spurred some Britons to avoid sugar-laden sodas. Market share gains for Robinsons helped UK sales of still products to rise 1.2% in the quarter as the market shrank by 1.7%, Britvic said. Revenue from carbonated beverages gained 0.4%, compared to total market growth of 2.5%, Britvic said. “We remain confident about the delivery of market expectations for the year,” Chairman Gerald Corbett said in the statement. Operating margins were steady compared with a year earlier, he added. The company has forecast annual pretax savings of about €14 million from buying the C&C unit. Costs to the rest of its business will total as much as €25 million over three years, CEO Paul Moody has said.

Horizon Milling has developed three new prototypes that demonstrate how food manufacturers can easily incorporate a concentrated source of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants into great-tasting snacks, cereals and bars using all-natural GrainWise Wheat Aleurone. GrainWise Wheat Aleurone is a concentrated source of essential vitamins, including thiamin, niacin and folic acid; and important minerals, including phosphorus, magnesium, iron and zinc. It includes antioxidants from whole wheat and contains 45% dietary fibre. “It can be challenging for food manufacturers to develop all-natural products that are also rich with nutrients,” said Kyle Marinkovich, marketing manager, Horizon Milling. “Because GrainWise Wheat Aleurone is all-natural and packed with nutrition, it’s a great way to enrich consumer products while still remaining all-natural.” According to Marinkovich, today’s consumers are looking to get maximum benefits from their food, and simply because a product is labelled “all-natural” doesn’t necessarily mean it has a broad nutritional profile. “GrainWise Wheat Aleurone helps our customers deliver maximum value to consumers who seek concentrated nutrition in their all-natural foods,” he said. The following three prototypes are new examples of how food manufacturers can use GrainWise Wheat Aleurone to enhance the nutrition profile of their products.

Glassmaker O-I has further boosted the environmental credentials of glass packaging with the launch of a new lightweight standard half-litre beer bottle. The bottle is made by O-I for Adnams beers, and won a Starpack award in 2007. The new 300g container, which is available to all UK brewers in clear and amber glass, uses the same blank moulds as the Adnams bottle. This has enabled O-I to reduce the weight of its standard half-litre beer bottle by around 33%. Figures released by WRAP (the Waste Resources Action Programme) indicate that, if all 500ml ale bottles reduced weight at this rate, the reduction would save 10,055 tons of glass, with all the associated environmental savings in terms of carbon, energy consumption, quarrying and transportation*. O-I is pioneering these dramatic improvements through its highly developed expertise in narrow neck press and blow (NNPB) manufacturing technology. Paul McLavin, UK sales manager for O-I, says: “This investment by O-I demonstrates our commitment to the continued environmental improvement of our industry and our customers’ businesses. The benefits proved by the Adnams development and the subsequent use of this technology by Marston’s are now available to all.” *Based on figures devised by James Ross Consulting for WRAP, 2006

Bio-Synergy has launched a new functional beauty drink called Beauty From Within. The product contains white grape juice, Aloe vera, green tea extract and vitamins A, D and E – all of which are believed to be useful ingredients that can help maintain healthy skin. Vitamin A is known to maintain skin health and increases the rate of skin turnover as well as aiding collagen production. In addition, research has shown that the vitamin is best absorbed through the gut and not via the skin. Vitamin C is known for its effectiveness as an anti-oxidant and the ability to enhance the synthesis of collagen, resulting in a more youthful appearance. While vitamin E helps to repair the skin and protects against pollution. The main ingredients, white grape and green tea, also have anti-oxidant properties and can improve skin tone and elasticity. Finally, Aloe vera is renowned for a multitude of therapeutic benefits. According to the company, both Jennifer Lopez and Victoria Beckham are said to be fans of the anti-oxidising and fat metabolising beverage.

We applaud Acting Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Connor for his common sense decision to continue the moratorium on milk from cloned animals, while USDA and other government agencies review the implications that the approval of this niche technology would have on trade and public health. Numerous surveys reveal that consumers are not comfortable with the idea of buying milk from cloned cows, and more time is needed for the American public to gain a better understanding of this new technology. US dairy exports have grown significantly during the past few years, reducing the cost of government support programmes. However, milk and food from cloned animals have not been approved for consumption in most countries that are importing our products. Therefore, it would be prudent to wait until all major foreign trading partners have reviewed and approved the same cloning technology in their respective countries. Moving too fast on this technology without a thorough and deliberative dialogue at all levels could also unintentionally lead to reduced domestic consumption of milk, a nutrient-dense food that is an excellent source of nine essential nutrients, including protein and calcium. USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend at least three daily servings of dairy as part of a healthy diet. We're reassured that the Food and Drug Administration has confirmed that there are no health or safety issues with food from cloned animals. During the moratorium, we encourage the biotechnology industry to work with consumers to help them gain a full understanding of the technology.