Schweppes Australia has launched a new energy drink variant of its popular Solo brand, called Solo Strong. The launch has been supported with a light-hearted television commercial in the same vein as the Solo brand’s 'Man Cans' campaign. The original Solo lemon flavoured drink was launched in Australia in 1973 as the ready to drink version of traditional 'pub squash'. It is positioned as a very masculine drink and has had many television commercials that play to its overtly male image, the latest being the highly successful 'Man Cans'. Solo is the market leader in the lemon soft drinks category in Australia and grew by over 30% in 2007. There are four variants of Solo: regular lemon, lemon & lime, Solo sub (no added sugar) and the new Solo Strong which contains guarana and caffeine. Solo Strong is available in 600ml and 1.25 litre PET as well as the 440ml ‘man can’. The Solo Strong commercial is online at <<1>.">www.oneandahalftimestheman.com.au]<1>. <1>: http://www.oneandahalftimestheman.com.au/

Researchers at the University of Bath and the food & drinks research centre at Campden BRI are leading a project to create a new high-speed, environmentally friendly packaging process that will use recycled materials and reduce the amount of plastic used, cutting the waste that goes into landfill. The half a million pound project is focused on improving the 'form-fill and seal' type of packaging used for foods such as rice, pasta and crisps. By designing a more efficient way of sealing the packaging, the researchers hope to reduce the amount of material used by 13%, which would lead to a saving of more than 39,000 tons per year of landfill waste. Dr Ben Hicks, Professor Glen Mullineux and Dr Jason Matthews from the University's Department of Mechanical Engineering are working as part of a consortium that includes Campden BRI, HayssenSandiacre Europe, Amcor Flexibles Food and United Biscuits. The two-year project is funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). It will examine the process used to mechanically fill and seal the packaging and then use this information to design a new packing machine that uses less plastic and can use recycled materials. Dr Ben Hicks, Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the University's <1>, said: "Projects such as this are fundamental to the consumer goods industry if it is to meet the challenge of sustainability. "In the area of consumer packaging, ever-tightening legislation is forcing goods manufacturers to reduce material consumption and reduce the environmental impact of their finished product. To meet such targets, there's a need for manufacturers to maximise the efficiency of existing equipment, minimise material consumption and use thinner, lighter-weight, recyclable and recycled materials. "The project brings together a diverse mix of industrial and academic research partners, combining both theoretical and practical studies to tackle this challenge. The project is building on the theoretical and modelling expertise of the University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, and using the materials and packaging testing facilities of Campden BRI to try out the new system. "The scientific knowledge base is further enhanced by the materials processing knowledge of Amcor, the practical experience of consumer goods packaging from United Biscuits, and the machinery design knowledge of HayssenSandiacre.” In addition to reducing the amount of plastic used in the packaging, the research team are also investigating new sealing processes that can be used with the latest biodegradable materials, which will lead to further environmental benefits. * * <1>: http://www.bath.ac.uk/idmrc/

*PETnology’s special exhibition about plastic packaging – the 'Packaging Wall of Excellence' – attracted visitors’ attention at Brau Beviale 2008. * The 'Packaging Wall' of illuminated display boxes had been built on a 100m2 stand. Modern LED technology produced shimmering and changing colours, creating a special atmosphere as a meeting point which was used by many exhibitors for client meetings. 17 companies used the PETnology stand to present their products and to highlight their new developments, including Alpla, Concordia Development, Corvaglia, KHS Corpoplast, Kortec, Krones, LyondellBasell, MHT, Netstal, PolyOne, Otto Hofstetter, Resilux, Röders, Eugen Seitz, Sidel, SIPA and tecPET innovation. The newly issued 140-page PET yearbook 'Connecting ComPETence' was also released at Brau, covering all the exhibiting companies, plus a review of the conference 'PETnology Europe 2008', which provides comprehensive information along the PET value chain. PETnology’s Barbara Appel said: “When we decided to realise this new marketing tool, our aim was to accentuate uniqueness and to emphasise special highlights in a special atmosphere. In the future, the creative idea of the 'Packaging Wall of Excellence' will be presented on different international trade fairs. The next opportunity will be Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, 10-13 March 2009.”

According to Simon Stewart, marketing director at Britvic: “Our research shows that consumers love the Tango brand for its taste and everything that it stands for, and they wouldn't want to see it go. We’ve launched the Save Tango campaign in response to this, to rekindle that latent love for Tango, to create a national conversation about it and to give fans the opportunity to get involved in securing the future of their beloved drink.” British advertising agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty is behind the campaign, which kicks off with a series of short 10-second ‘teaser’ clips designed to create intrigue and spread the news that the Tango is under threat. “The campaign taps into the insight that people feel we’ve all started to take ourselves a little too seriously and have taken being ‘PC’ a bit too far. ‘Save Tango’ capitalises on this sentiment with a series of humorous and typically Tango ‘on-the-edge’ antics that are set to entertain consumers as well as galvanise their support,” added Stewart.

Red Tea is derived from the South African rooibos plant, is naturally caffeine-free and long valued as a source of antioxidants. With only 50 calories per serving, Nestea Red Tea Pomegranate Passion Fruit contains no artificial colours and all-natural pomegranate and passion fruit flavours. Nestea Red Tea Pomegranate Passion Fruit joins Green Tea Citrus, Diet Green Tea Citrus, Iced Tea with Lemon and Diet Iced Tea with Lemon flavors in the brand’s product line-up. Earlier this year, Nestea Green Tea Citrus and Diet Green Tea Citrus were re-introduced with 50% more antioxidants. Nestea Red Tea Pomegranate Passion Fruit will be packaged in 20oz PET bottles and 12-packs of 16.9oz PET bottles. Nestea Red Tea Pomegranate Passion Fruit will be available nationwide beginning in February 2009 and will be supported with a fully integrated marketing programme including elements such as national print advertising, digital media, point-of-purchase displays, public relations and consumer sampling programmes.

Planet Green Bottle Corporation has signed an agreement with Wells Plastics (UK) on oxo-biodegradable plastic bottle technology. Planet Green Bottle Corporation (PGBC) has commenced accepting orders for additive, pre-forms and plastic bottles which are manufactured using technology which the company claims renders plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles oxo-biodegradable. Oxo-biodegradability is triggered with exposure to oxygen, heat and UV light and therefore ensures long shelf life before the degradation commences. Plastic bottles will oxo-biodegrade in landfills, ditches, rivers and oceans, PGBC said. Under contract with PGBC, UK company Wells Plastics proved that it could reverse the anti-microbial activity and accelerate microbial activity that causes degrading of plastic bottles that are perceived to last forever in landfills, ditches, rivers and oceans. Andrew Barclay, Director of Technology for Wells Plastics, said: "Reverte mixes with the standard PET feedstock with no impact on the clarity and physical properties of the bottle. The contents are protected and the shelf life unaffected. "Once disposed of and exposed to UV light and heat, the spent bottle commences its degradation profile, first breaking into small pieces, and then once the molecular weight is reduced sufficiently the material becomes available for biodigestion. PET plastic bottles manufactured using the Reverte additive can enter the normal plastics recycling streams without issue or adverse affect." Patrick Rooney of Vancouver, Director of Corporate Development of PGBC, added: "We became enamoured with the potential of biodegradable PET plastic bottles when I read the research of Captain Charles Moore, a world-renowned marine scientist demonstrating that the world's largest garbage dump in the middle of the Pacific Ocean was as large as Africa and was largely plastic garbage destined to last forever. "This 'plastic soup' has six pounds of plastic for every one pound of plankton. Much of our fish supply depends on plankton. We must start to change the paradigm of how we handle plastic refuse. The National Association for PET Container Resources reported that only 23.6% of PET bottles were recycled in 2006 down from 40% in 1996. We are advocates for recycling. However, until the numbers change, we need biodegradable plastic bottles now."

Hydrosol’s new stabilising system, HydroTOP Light 20, opens the door for manufacturers to produce low-fat or ‘light’ sausages. The HydroTOP Light 20 compound consists of vegetable protein isolates, fibres and cold & hot gelling hydrocolloids. It can be used to improve the water binding properties and stability of sausage emulsions and greatly reduces the precipitation of jelly in all types of boiled sausage with casings as well as canned products, according to Hydrosol. “The key to developing and producing compounds of active substances on the basis of single functional components like hydrocolloids, proteins and fibres is to make use of the synergies between the individual ingredients,” explained Friedemann Nau, head of applications technology, meat & sausage products at Hydrosol. HydroTOP Light 20 can be used in formulations where ice has been used during the emulsification process in order to keep the temperature of the product below 10ºC, to prevent jelly and fat separating in the sausage. It's also suitable for use with an ice content of 30 to 50% and is said to make production more reliable even when the raw material quality fluctuates, according to Hydrosol.

The new look of Bottlegreen Sparkling will grace in-store shelves during November, consisting of conical bottles and stylised illustrations in the chalky bright colours already associated with the adult cordial identity. Other similarities include the typography; the prominent positioning of the Bottlegreen logotype and the pale metallic green labels for the six flavours, which appear ‘stitched’ over the illustration. A pale green metallic cap differentiates the Sparkling range from the cordials. The Sparkling products are available in 27.5cl and 75cl bottles.

*Sydney-based Karpati Corporation claims to have developed an innovative way of producing drinking water from fruit. Company officials claim there is no waste in the process and the by-product is high quality fruit juice concentrate that is exported. * The business states it has developed a pressure chilling process that produces both high quality fruit juice concentrate as well as pure water from fruit which has no fruit flavour. The company has already Karpati Water has been trialled in various cafes, restaurants and catering outlets and is now launching across Sydney. The water produced uses a slightly different molecule composition being oxygen-18 rather than oxygen-16 (predominant in drinking water), which Karpati reports is scientifically proven to keep people hydrated longer. “The unique production process can produce pure water from many types of fruit including oranges, apples or grapes. There is no difference in the quality or taste of the water produced by different types of fruit. "It produces approximately 3 litres of pure water and 1 litre of fruit juice concentrate from 4 litres of juice. This amount of fruit juice is made from approximately 7-10 kg of fruit, depending on the fruit,” according to the company. Karpati Corporation is owned by Eva Karpati, an entrepreneur well known in the Australian cosmetics industry for developing natural skin and hair care products free from chemicals. The filtration of water through fruit seems to fit with her business's overall organic health positioning.

*Fragrances and flavourings manufacturer Symrise has entered into a strategic partnership with the American corporation, First Choice Ingredients. * The aim of the cooperation is to ensure future growth of Symrise’s product range in the dairy and cheese sector, particularly strengthening its expertise in enzyme-modified flavourings. “The agreement, which was signed in October, is part of Symrise’s consistent strategy of further developing important core competences in technologies,” said Dr Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, Global President of the Flavor & Nutrition division at Symrise. First Choice Ingredients has decades of experience in fermenting and developing enzyme-modified flavourings. At the company's site in Germantown, Wisconsin in the US, the Dairy Flavor Innovation teams jointly formed by Symrise and First Choice will work on the development and production of these flavourings at a location in the heart of the US dairy industry. Enzyme-modified flavourings are not only a vital component in dairy products, they also play an important part in snacks, savoury products and prepared foods. Symrise's goal is to channel the fermentation competences of First Choice Ingredients for other lipid- and protein-based substrates to continue developing its selection of flavourings from natural fermentation. The collaborative effort is closely linked to the acquisition of the flavouring sector of Danish manufacturer Chr Hansen earlier this year. First Choice Ingredients will produce some of the Chr Hansen flavourings. “Vertically integrating basic dairy raw materials and exceptional competences in the field of fermentation creates a unique selling point in terms of product qualities," said Dr Matthias A Güntert, President, Flavor & Nutrition, North America, Symrise. "We will keep expanding our portfolio, especially in the sector of enzyme-modified cheese, milk, cream and butter flavourings.” James P Pekar, President, First Choice Ingredients, added: “As a corporation with decades of experience in developing enzyme-modified flavourings, we see here a unique opportunity to merge our competences with Symrise and take the next step together towards a successful future.”

*Richard Doyle has been elected to a four-year term as the new President of the International Dairy Federation succeeding UK-based Jim Begg. * Doyle is currently Executive Director of Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), an organisation that represents the interests of the Canadian dairy producers and the promotion of dairy products and their nutritional benefits. Doyle has 32 years of experience in the dairy industry and an active involvement in IDF at national and international levels. Commenting on his appointment, the new President said, “I strongly believe that IDF is well positioned to respond to the future challenges facing the global dairy industry, both in terms of offering a well recognised scientific and technical base and as an international forum where industry leaders can share their experiences, solutions and strategies to address an ever-evolving dairy marketplace.” * Jim Begg talked to dairy innovation magazine about his four years as IDF President. The interview and more news from the IDF World Dairy Summit in Mexico will be here on www.foodbev.com/dairy very soon.*

**Red Bull has partnered with The Independent UK newspaper to distribute 'The Red Bulletin – An Almost Independent Magazine'.** Currently distributed in Austria using similar distribution models, the international version of the glossy magazine will be published monthly in the UK in the Saturday edition of The Independent, from January 2009. Selected content will also be available online at <1>, with video content aligned alongside key featured stories. Content of the 100-page magazine will showcase forthcoming events, plus regulars such as 'Me & My Body' (an athlete explains how their body works for them). Another section, 'Heroes', focuses on the people associated with Red Bull and those who have inspired them. It includes 'Hero’s Hero', 'Pioneers' and in-depth profiles. Norman Howell, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Red Bulletin, said: “The success of the F1 Red Bulletin, which quickly became a collectors’ item in the demanding world of motorsport, has encouraged us to spread our wings and offer the UK public a lively magazine in which the highest standards of written and visual journalism will marry with the fun and energy that have become Red Bull’s signature style. "The Red Bulletin will provide us with a platform to share some of the incredible events, sports, people, music and cultural projects that the Red Bull brand is currently involved with worldwide.” Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz added: “Our idea to showcase the world of Red Bull in an intelligent, witty and tongue-in-cheek style has proven so successful in Austria that the timing is now right to take the development of the project a step further.” The Red Bulletin’s partnership with The Independent was formed because of their shared consumer approach, audience profile and innovative spirit. Daryl Fielding, Commercial Director of The Independent, said: "We're really excited about The Red Bulletin project and view it as a mutually beneficial partnership on many levels. We provide Red Bull with a ready-made, engaged and life-hungry audience, while Red Bull gives our readers added value, with a premium, glossy, high-quality publication." Principally targeted at men, The Red Bulletin also neatly fills the void for a premium glossy weekend supplement specifically focused on the male market. <1>: http://independent.co.uk