With a recently updated bottle design, the zero calories, zero carbs and caffeine infused spring water beverage known as Fyxx Hybrid Energy Drink recently co-sponsored an album release party featuring the launch of Donna Summer’s new album entitled Crayons. The private concert featured selections from her new CD as well as Summer classics. Top executives from Sony and celebrities were at the event held at the posh ‘Mansion’ night spot in Manhattan, where Fyxx Hybrid was the beverage of choice. Consumers can purchase Fyxx Hybrid in stores across New York and New Jersey or online.

**PepsiCo and Whole Earth Sweetener Company follow the lead of competitors Coca-Cola and Cargill in announcing their new sweetener made from the stevia plant. **The trademarked PureVia will debut in a new PepsiCo beverage called 'SoBe Life' to be launched in Latin America, starting with Peru. The sweetener will be launched in the United States this autumn before expanding into drink and food products around the world where it will initially be available in three SoBe Life flavour blends: tropical pomegranate, strawberry kiwi and orange tangerine. Coca-Cola and Cargill announced the launch of Truvia, a sweetener also made from the stevia plant, earlier in July. In May, Whole Earth Sweetener Company, a subsidiary of Merisant Company, submitted a notification and supporting scientific data to the FDA that the ingredient is generally recognized as safe for use in beverages, foods and tabletop sweeteners. PepsiCo intends to market PureVia in beverages and foods while Whole Earth Sweetener Company will market the brand as a tabletop sweetener. The stevia derived sweetener has yet to be approved for use as a food ingredient in Europe. “Consumers have always been looking for a beverage that is natural, tastes great and has no calories, and SoBe Life with PureVia answers the call,” said Massimo d’Amore, CEO of PepsiCo Americas Beverages. “This will have great appeal to health-conscious people who are looking for hydration and natural ingredients.” “The introduction of PureVia represents the culmination of four years of research and development to bring this revolutionary new product to market and satisfy consumer demand for great tasting, all-natural, zero-calorie sweeteners,” said Paul Block, CEO of Merisant and Whole Earth Sweetener Company. “What’s unique about PureVia is that we’ve identified a way to extract the purest part of the stevia leaf to reveal the cleanest and most consistent taste.” “This is a potential game-changer among zero-calorie sweeteners,” said Senior Vice President Lou Imbrogno, of Pepsi Worldwide Technical Operations. “PureVia is all natural. It’s extracted from the stevia plant leaf and not synthetically produced. We’ve got ample supply and we look forward to bringing PureVia to consumers around the world.” As a tabletop sweetener PureVia can be used in place of sugar in both hot and cold beverages, as well as sprinkled on cereal and fruit. It will be available for purchase at food and grocery stores across the United States and at <1> later this autumn in 40-stick cartons. The active sweetener in PureVia is Reb A, or rebiana, a purified component of the South American stevia plant – long known for its extraordinary sweetness. Stevia is approximately 200 times as sweet as sugar, and Reb A is the sweetest, purest part of the stevia leaf. Other forms of stevia, which typically are less pure than PureVia, are currently sold in the United States as dietary supplements and have been used for years by consumers in countries such as Brazil, Japan and South Korea. PepsiCo and Whole Earth Sweetener Company have agreed to buy the natural sweetener from PureCircle, a leading supplier of pure Reb A, which also will have the exclusive license to market Reb A under the PureVia brand in certain categories. The global production of stevia leaves is estimated at about 40,000 metric tonnes, of which 80% is grown in China. <1>: http://www.PureVia.com

*Diet Coke’s new 'Win a Diamond a Day' promotion will see silver shrink sleeves by CCL Decorative Sleeves gracing shelves in Ireland, where the promotion is running. * The full body shrink sleeve carrying promotional details is featured on the 50cl PET Diet Coke bottle. Printed in a bright silver lustre with diamond graphics, the sleeve has been designed to create maximum visibility. It also protects the competition’s integrity as the win/lose text and rules are printed on the inside of the sleeve on a tear strip, and cannot be read by the consumer until after purchase when the outer jacket can be removed. Strict security procedures have been put in place to ensure that the audited number of winning sleeves is provided. The fact that the sleeve can be fully removed is also a benefit, as it aids the recyclability of the bottle. Manufactured in 50 micron, low temperature, high-shrink PET film, the sleeve is applied to the bottle on line after filling by steam shrink. The quality of the print ensures that the sleeve still maintains its lustre even after the heat shrinking process. “We chose to work with CCL Decorative Sleeves because we knew that the company would be able to deliver the important combination of promotional impact and security for this key promotion,” said Brand Manager of Coca-Cola Bottlers Ireland & Ulster, Nora Torpey. “We are delighted with the end result.”

Meat processors such as Butterball reveal that a cooperative engineering effort and 3D modelling 'bends' the process to the exacting requirements of the final product. Producers of ready-to-eat meat and poultry are incorporating infrared (IR) food processing technologies to ensure food safety as well as optimising colour, taste and cooking efficiencies. IR pasteurisation equipment is bolstering efforts to combat the hazards of Listeria and other pathogens on products ranging from hams and briskets to deli loaves. The use of quick IR surface treatment of such pre-cooked products can provide a log reduction of three or better. By combining short, medium and long wave high-response IR emitters, a process can be fine-tuned to maximise product safety while also achieving the required surface finish, including colour and texture of meats as well as topping products such as cheese. Yet, too often, such equipment is only available "off the shelf" and isn't readily adaptable to the existing process. As a result, food processors find that the end product has to adapt to the limitations of the equipment and this can affect the colour, texture, flavour, processing time, throughput, and safety (along with other factors). Fortunately, there is an alternative. Major food processors such as Butterball are now determined to "bend" the equipment to meet the exacting safety and food quality needs of the product through a new paradigm: cooperative engineering and innovative 3D modelling with the equipment manufacturer to streamline and improve the process. At Butterball LLC, IR pasteurisation was recently added to the lines at the Jonesboro, AR and Longmont, CO plants. Both 3D design and equipment customisation were major contributors to the success of this project. "Although we were primarily interested in the food safety benefits of IR pasteurisation as well as protecting our brand, we also felt there was an opportunity to optimise the equipment in terms of human safety and ease of maintenance," says Steve Valesko, Butterball Vice President of Engineering. "We also sought to incorporate automation features that would monitor equipment status and notify the operator if the IR pasteuriser was approaching a need of service." The trial run – standard equipment Valesko, a long-time veteran of the industry, says that although he anticipated the need to customise the new IR equipment to Butterball's specification, the engineering and production groups began the move to the new pasteurisation equipment by trying standard equipment offered by Unitherm Food Systems (Bristow, OK). "They're a major supplier of equipment to our industry, and we were assured that they would work with us to tailor the new equipment to meet our requirements," Valesko says, "so we felt that 'test-driving' the standard equipment would both facilitate and expedite that process." Unitherm is recognised for its abilities to meet regulatory as well as engineering requirements, and its capabilities in customising equipment. The firm describes this as 'bending' the design of its cooking and chilling equipment to ensure an optimum fit with the advanced features wanted on the production lines of many of the food industry's biggest players. "There's a tremendous need in the food processing industry to have access to customised equipment," explains David Howard, Unitherm CEO. "For instance, there is certainly a selection of standard IR equipment available, but in order to get the results needed for food preparation safety and other features, it's usually a good idea to engineer the equipment to best fit the customer's needs and provide the highest quality and yield of products." "That demands a cooperative engineering effort where feedback can be turned into appropriate and beneficial design modifications that meet the needs of the end product," adds Howard. "We ran the initial equipment for about a month," Valesko says. "Although it was quite evident that we would need to make alterations to our final IR pasteurisation equipment design, that trial period with the off-the-shelf equipment was highly beneficial. It permitted us to see the equipment in action and redesign it with Unitherm to meet the needs of both our process and our products." The preliminary trials, held at Butterball's Jonesboro plant, entailed full production runs, checking product temperatures and ensuring that the IR pasteurisation performed the proper amount of log reduction of food-borne bacteria. "Our basic concern was to ensure the wholesomeness of our product," Valesko says, "which entailed the necessary protection of our deli products prior to sealing in the bag." He adds that some of Butterball's deli customers, including major supermarket chains, have begun to request IR pasteurisation as an assurance of safety for the meat and poultry products that they slice and sell. 3D for validation and further improvement After the trial run, Butterball engineers and process people decided on several upgrades for the IR pasteurising equipment, either to meet their food safety goals or to better integrate with the process. "What we didn't want was to change the way the equipment operated," Valesko explains. "Yet, there were specific alterations that we knew would make the system much better for our operations." Most of the alterations Butterball requested were aimed at improving human safety and ease of maintenance. They specified a change in the way the equipment hood opens and closes, so that it's more user friendly. The outside of trial pasteuriser would get hot, so Butterball stipulated that it be made cool to the touch. The Butterball project team also requested that the belt could be cleaned more easily. The key to making those changes was the collaborative effort between the equipment design engineers along with Butterball's engineers and process managers. Among the most noteworthy tools to facilitate that collaboration was a 3D modelling program that Unitherm uses so that every nut and bolt of a system can be portrayed, reviewed and approved (or further modified). "The 3D modelling was one of the beautiful parts of this project," Valesko explains. "It allowed us to see exactly what the machine was going to look like. And from highly detailed 3D images, we were able to make further alterations, including structural changes to the frame of the machine." Valesko adds that the 3D illustrations helped Unitherm to cooperate fully in adapting or bending its equipment design to meet Butterball's production and quality requirements. "We worked very well together on the project," he says. Now, we feel assured that the equipment has been designed to accomplish what we've set out to do." He says that although Butterball was responsible for the redesign of the IR pasteurisation system, nothing about the final concept is considered proprietary. "The improvements that we made had to do with food safety and human safety issues. Those are concerns that are shared by the entire industry," Valesko says. "So, for the betterment of the industry, we're willing to share information about our own improvements in those areas." 3D design helps IR cook Other IR-based cooking applications, gas infrared ovens, also benefit from the highly interactive process of 3D design. Replacing the popular impingement and spiral ovens, gas IR is quickly becoming the gold standard of control of colour, shape and moisture of ready-to-eat foods such as the breakfast sausages served by fast food restaurants. Lopez Foods, which supplies breakfast sausages to McDonald's, decided in 2007 to upgrade its seven sausage lines to improve efficiency and save on energy while ensuring product quality. By using 3D modelling, Unitherm was able to work hand in hand with the food producer and refine the design to eliminate daily operational concerns that affected the lines. "We redesigned the extraction hood system to reduce cleaning time by 84%," explains David Howard, Unitherm CEO. "With our customer's input, we designed the water flow system and transfer decks to eliminate charring on the stainless steel surfaces. This also reduced cleaning time. But the biggest obstacle was developing a new emitter that had no reliance on ceramics." As a measure of the 3D modelling approach, as well as a commitment to innovation, Unitherm developed a cast burner head featuring a stainless steel sponge material that could be used to create the infrared emitter. "The success of this head took the fragility out of the line, making it 1,000-fold more reliable," Howard says. Howard adds that, until recently, equipment manufacturers were putting 2D drawings in front of their customers' engineers. Because those drawings were flat and a challenge to read, it was difficult to visualise what the finished equipment was really going to look like. "The 3D model shows engineers and other members of a development team a fully designed piece of equipment that they can interact with," Howard says. "This enables them to become part of the process, and the functionality enables them to provide us with an end-user point of view. Although we're experts at developing equipment and systems, there may be some aspects of equipment design that can be improved by the user; the personnel who work with the machine every day." Ed Sullivan is a technical writer based in Hermosa Beach, California

Embodi, a new functional beverage in the US, is claimed to provide all the antioxidants and health benefits of red wine – without the side-effects of alcohol. The non-alcoholic juice drink is the first to contain a specially developed grape pomace extract made from the skins, seeds and stems of red grapes, giving it the same healthy properties as wine. “Embodi’s delicious organic fruit juice blend is combined with our red wine grape extract, which provides the health benefits of two glasses of red wine, without the alcohol,” said Dan Waters, CEO of Embodi. “Embodi is a convenient yet great tasting way to take active charge of your health.” Research has shown that red wine can contribute to cardiovascular health, as well as reducing oxidative stress and helping to prevent neurodegenerative disease and diabetes. Resveratrol, a polyphenol contained in both red wine and Embodi, has recently been hailed for its disease-fighting properties. But although resveratrol is a key ingredient, there is evidence that the widest protection is provided by the full spectrum of polyphenol antioxidants found in found red wine and Embodi. * Free radicals* “The unique polyphenol antioxidants in red wine help guard the body against free radicals – molecules which accelerate the degeneration of cells and impact the body’s ability to stay healthy,” said Dr Leroy Creasy, Professor Emeritus of Horticulture at Cornell University, who in 1991 discovered resveratrol in red wine and red wine grapes. “Embodi, with its unique red wine grape extract, delivers these antioxidants in a healthy and non-alcoholic way,” added Dr Creasy. Embodi is made with a proprietary blend of organic fruit juices and grape pomace extract in three flavors: Citrus Resurgence (citrus fruits), Tropical Revival (goji berry and pomegranate), and Berry Renewal (blueberry and pomegranate). The drinks are packed in resealable 8oz (237ml) aluminium bottles that are more easily recycled than plastic and more environmentally friendly to transport than glass. In addition, since antioxidants lose potency when exposed to light or oxygen, the Embodi bottle maintains maximum antioxidant power until the moment it is opened. One bottle of Embodi contains only 90 calories, according to the producer, making it one of the lowest calorie antioxidant beverages on the market. Recommended retail price is $2.49 (€1.60) per bottle. Embodi is currently on sale in the refrigerated drink sections and juice aisles of Whole Foods Market stores across the US.

With a £31 million advertising spend, extensive prime-time terrestrial television coverage, outdoor advertising, print advertising and extravagant Point of Sale solutions, Red Bull is gearing up to make a big impact on the 35,000 spectators who will line the shores of the River Thames in London on 2 and 3 August, 2008, to watch the world's top pilots soar to victory at speeds of up to 250mph in the fifth leg of the Red Bull Air Race World Series. Last year the race was a great success with sales volumes were up 32% in the On trade and an additional 62,634 cans were sold during the air race period in July. Overall last year's event deliverd Red Bull's six biggest weeks of sales ever at 32.5 million cans were sold in July 2007 with £4.11 million worth of sales generated in the week leading up to the Air Race alone. This year Red Bull's interactive Air Race Bar will make its debut across the UK in selected bars. The surface of the unique iBar functions as an interactive screen that allows people to interactively watch a selection of visuals such as the air race. Jamie Rake, Red Bull Head of On Trade said: "The Red Bull Air Race is such an amazing weekend. It was the first event I went to after starting here and watching the planes racing down the Thames with the backdrop of Canary Wharf and the O2 was something special! We're really looking forward to this year's event and trialling some exciting new ways of bringing the Red Bull air Rie to life in the on Trade. Last year saw a 32% increase in sales, let's see if we can do even better this year."

UK-based Extreme Spirits Ltd, owners of the award-winning WOKKA SAKi, has announced that from 1 August 2008, the company's ‘east meets west’ vodka will be rebranded to 'Wokka – Fusion Vodka'. Extreme Spirits is also launching a quarter size version (20cl) bottle known as ‘Mini Wokka’. Wokka is a micro-distilled grain vodka with a subtle blend of Japanese sake infused with Asian fruit. Tim Day, Marketing Director of Extreme Spirits, said: “After conducting considerable research in the UK and US, both the trade and consumer unanimously prefer the name Wokka. By declaring the brand as a ‘Fusion Vodka’, we have in fact defined a new category and one that better personifies the nature of Wokka." Wokka Saki was launched in South Beach Miami on April 2005, and is now exported internationally to 10 countries. It's the only flavoured vodka that has twice won ‘Double Gold’ from the San Francisco International Spirits Competition, considered to be the most prestigious spirits event in the world. Tim Day added: “The addition of ‘Mini Wokka’ is very exciting for us and it has been specifically created to serve the Asian fusion restaurant sector. Mini Wokka will be served as a four-person serve sipping vodka sake in high-end restaurants to accompany food; it's particularly impressive when paired with Sushi.”

Croco Worldwide, part of the UK-based entertainment media company Galleon Holdings Plc, has received an order valued €2.35 million from PepsiCo. Galleon said the first commission covers the materials and associated manufacturing costs. The global consumables manufacturer intends to drive promotions on a worldwide basis. The product, which cannot be named for competitive reasons, has already been tested successfully in several markets. "Adding a third product IP to 'Blasterz' and 'Roks' will help us as we expand our distribution by territory and channel," said Galleon CEO Stephen Green.

Simply Hibi, a hibiscus based juice drink in the UK, has launched new packaging and secured an introductory deal with Waitrose supermarket. Its 1 litre bottle has now been replaced with a new Tetra Pak carton which tells the story of the drink's production process in Uganda. The company behind the production of Simply Hibi, Ibis Organics, claims that its production process is both ethical and sustainable. It also runs a farming project in Uganda, that it says has transformed the lives of over a thousand families who harvest the hibiscus flowers used to make the beverage. The newly re-designed carton complements Tetra Pak’s emphasis on being a safe, innovative and environmentally sound packaging option. According to Ibis Organics, Simply Hibi is composed of 85% of hibiscus infused water and 15% fruit extract, it is 100% natural and has no added sugar, is completely free from artificial colourings and preservatives and has an intense rich flavour brimming with the taste of berries and with 17 times more antioxidants than other juice drinks on the market, it is packed with health benefits. Will Irving, Owner of Ibis Organics, said: ”We are really happy to be re-launching the litre offering into Tetra Pak. This decision came about for a number of reasons, most importantly because it is better for the environment than the original PET we were using. This new placement within the ambient aisle of Waitrose also makes the drink more accessible and has enabled us to drop the price point making it more affordable for customers too. ”

*Dr Pepper is joining forces with pop culture's biggest 'doctors' to educate America on an even better way to drink Dr Pepper: slowly. * Dr J (basketball legend Julius Erving) and Dr Frasier Crane (award-winning actor Kelsey Grammer from the hit TV series Frasier) are just the first doctors of many to promote this new insight into enjoying all 23 flavours. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but scientific research proves that because there are 23 flavours in Dr Pepper to experience, it tastes best when you drink it a little slower. We figured we've got the research, so who better to deliver the message from Dr Pepper than a doctor?" said Dr Pepper Marketing Director Jaxie Alt. "This is big news, so we're bringing in the experts to spread the word that drinking it slowly makes a Dr Pepper even better." The new ad campaign, developed by Deutsch LA, begins airing today on network and cable television stations across the US. The Dr J spot will be the first in the 'Trust Me, I'm a Doctor' campaign, followed closely by a spot featuring Kelsey Grammer as Dr Frasier Crane. The fully-integrated initiative will be everywhere, from TV to billboards. Even online, where visitors to the <1> website can view the TV spots. "When we first heard this idea, we sort of cocked our heads – after all, most great soft drink advertising is not usually associated with scientific research. But then we realised that's exactly what could make it come to life. It's totally unique and unexpected enough to work," said Eric Hirshberg, President and Chief Creative Officer of Deutsch LA. <1>: http://drpepper.com/scienceofslow/

Leo Burnett was hired by Numico, the Dutch baby food maker in August, following a global pitch. After the appointment, Numico was acquired by Danone for an estimated £9.7m. Danone has now awarded Leo Burnett's place on its Numico roster to Euro RSCG, despite it losing out in the competitive pitch against Leo Burnett last year. Leo Burnett handled projects for Numico's Cow & Gate and Milupa brands, and once it finishes working on these briefs, the Publicis-owned agency will not be handed any further work. The UK spend is estimated to be around £4.2m. The move comes just days after Danone reported first-half earnings that showed net profit growing 15.8% to €701m on sales of €7.7bn. Source: Brand Republic

*Maritime’s six Herb & Spice Blends are set to launch as Tesco own-label products in selected UK Tesco stores in August 2008. * The six new flavours are Aromatic Coriander Blend, Delicate Basil Blend, Fragrant Thai Blend, Hot Chilli Blend, Intense Garlic Blend and Zesty Ginger Blend. UK-based Maritime has spent more than 12 months developing this new product range, which is slightly smaller and packed with even more herbs and spices. Tim Bertin, Managing Director at Maritime Sales, said: “People are looking for better quality, fresher-tasting, convenient products to help them create dishes to their own individual taste preference quickly and easily. Taste will always be the most important factor in cooking and eating, but time pressures mean we can feel limited in our choices for a quick and delicious evening meal. The Herb & Spice Blends are a convenient but natural way for people to be more creative in the kitchen with minimum fuss and zero mess.”