**Dutch company, Maxim, recently announced the launch of Energy + Restitution, a powdered drink designed to optimise fluid balance during exercise. **The beverage contains a mix of carbohydrates and minerals as well as incorporating the award-winning peptide PeptoPro from DSM Food Specialties, to actively promote improved endurance, performance and restitution. PeptoPro is a peptide based on natural milk protein. Due to its small chains of di- and tri-peptides, it can be fully and rapidly absorbed by the body without adversely affecting the digestive system. Its amino acids are therefore made available to the muscles considerably faster than if conventional sources of protein are consumed. Maxim Sports Nutritionist Kelly Hendriks said: “We wanted to create a sports drink which worked on a number of levels to improve overall sports performance. The result is Energy + Restitution – a highly effective hypotonic drink which not only delivers fast hydration but also works to reduce muscle fatigue thanks to the inclusion of PeptoPro. As a highly soluble protein hydrolysate, PeptoPro ensure the body’s muscles receive the protein they need quickly and effectively and so helps to actively reduce muscle damage. With its proven properties, quick absorption and neutral taste, PeptoPro delivers the benefits we were looking for. We have received some very positive feedback from athletes already and believe that Energy + Restitution will continue to be well-received by consumers.” Energy + Restitution is orange flavour and is sold in 400g tins. It contains 40.8g carbohydrates, nine vitamins, three minerals and six grams of PeptoPro per serving. For optimum fluid and energy balance, consumers are advised to drink 200ml every 15-20 minutes. It's currently available in many countries throughout Europe, including the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Poland, Slovenia, Malta and Baltic region. It is also sold in Canada.

As entries continue to flood in for the prestigious 2008 Water Innovation Awards, the magazine has announced a preliminary list of international judges who have been confirmed to officiate at the judging event. Following five successful years as the bottledwaterworld awards, the new-look Water Innovation Awards recognises excellence and creativity on a unique global platform for the packaged water industry. This year’s judges will include Felicity Shakespeare from Givaudan, the world’s largest producer of flavours and fragrances (headquartered in Switzerland). She is joined by Caroline Herbst at Krones, the largest supplier of capital equipment for bottling and packaging in the world (based in Germany). The distinguished line-up is further enhanced by the presence of Romeo Corvaglia, founder of the successful Corvaglia plastic cap business. Water Innovation is pleased to announce that the jury will also feature the expertise of Victoria Green from UK retailer Waitrose, product development knowledge from Peter Rickett, co-founder of award-winning Designworks Windsor, as well as environmental analysis from Australian born Edward Kosier of Nextek, specialists in polymer recycling and lightweighting. Water Innovation Editor Nayl D’Souza will join the team of experts to judge the entries and the judging panel will be chaired by Zenith International Publishing Group Managing Editor Bill Bruce, who will ensure full account is taken for each of the nominations. "Beyond design and marketing excellence or the level to which a company enjoys sales success or addresses issues on sustainability, we always look at the products within their individual market context and above all else examine their fitness for purpose," he explained. Water Innovation Editor Nayl D’Souza said: "Each of the judges so far announced for the 2008 Water Innovation Awards is an expert in a vastly different area relating to the bottled water industry. They will together bring a high degree of wisdom, enthusiasm and experience to the task of judging our entries." "Clearly, the judging event will bring together some of the most influential names in our industry. However, *Water Innovatio*n plans to add a few more important industry specialists to the jury and announce the final line-up of judges before 1 August – the deadline for awards entry submission." Last year, the awards attracted 169 entries from 32 countries. Even greater success is anticipated in 2008. With the entry deadline looming, those interested in participation in the competition are being urged not to miss out. <1> The awards ceremony will be part of the <5th global bottled water congress><2> September 22-24, 2008, in Wiesbaden (near Frankfurt) on September 23. <1>: /awards/ <2>: http://http://www.zenithinternational.com/events/event_detail.asp?id=52

Bionade, a popular German organic soft drink, has launched in the UK. Following on from its recent introduction to the Australian market, the family-run business will sell Bionade in "top bars across London" for £2.95 a bottle (33cl). Enotria, known for distributing high-quality wines, has decided to take on Bionade in the UK simply because it's so different: "It's not just another fizzy, syrup-based soft drink," said Alison Levett, Enotria's Chief Executive. "Bionade is a more sophisticated product with genuine provenance." Fundamentally different from other soft drinks that are usually produced synthetically, and contain either lots of added sugar or artificial sweeteners, Bionade is a completely organic product created by the fermentation of water and malt. In a special process utilising bacterium kombucha, the malt sugar isn't converted into alcohol, but into gluconic acid, an ingredient which occurs naturally in honey. In an interview with The Independent last year, Bionade MD Peter Kowalsky said: "We've had people assume that Bionade must be some low-alcohol beer, especially because it comes in what looks like a beer bottle. And in Germany, we do have a lot of beer drinkers that drink Bionade when they can't drink beer, because it has that similar malty, tangy taste they recognise. But it is a health drink."

AIJN, the European Fruit Juice Association, celebrated its 50th anniversary in Brussels on 24 June with a symposium featuring a wide range of renowned industry experts. The opening address was given by AIJN President Andre Biles, CEO of Gerber Emig Group, who discussed the Association’s history before outlining the “roller coaster” of challenges facing the industry and what the symposium had to offer. Talking through the day’s programme and looking to the last session of the day on the subject of sustainability, he said: “There is no downside to addressing any issue relating to sustainability”. Robert Kay-Shuttleworth of Canadean then presented 'The world and European fruit juice industry in data'. Looking at the important subject of 'The role of fruit juices in a healthy diet', Professor Teresa Nicklas of the Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine Houston, USA, presented some fascinating studies on the nutritional importance of juice. Following a juice break, delegates returned to a round table session entitled 'The EU policy and strategy to improve healthy nutrition'. The session was opened by Patrick Coppens, the Manager of Food Law at European Advisory Services, who looked at 'Key legislation affecting fruit juices'. The lively round table debate was moderated by European Advisory Services Director Guy Valkenbourg. Representing the view of the European Commission was DG SANCO Eric Poudelet. The view from the European Parliament was given by MEP Member of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Dagmar Roth-Behrendt. The industry’s view as represented by PepsiCo-Tropicana UK & Ireland Nutrition Director Sue Gatenby; and representing the view of a Member State: France (incoming EU Presidency) was Francis Amand from the National Directorate for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control Investigation. The afternoon began with a session entitled 'Where does our juice come from?', and included three presentations: 'The Brazilian FCOJ supply chain: its complexity and challenges' by Ivan Marie Schuermans, Customer Service General Manager of Brazil based Citrovita; followed by David Fox, Chairman of the British Fruit Juice Association and Global Strategic Account Director for Cargill, who spoke about 'The supply chain for non-orange fruit juices'; and Juan Podesta, Division Manager Food Processing Systems for FMC discussed 'Long-term challenges of raw material sourcing'. * Sustainability* The final session of the afternoon looked at 'Sustainability in the fruit juice industry' and was introduced and moderated by The Terrace Director Leontine Gast from the Netherlands. This was followed by a presentation by SAI-Platform Working Group Fruit Chairman Idwin Bouman who considered 'industry objectives and initiatives'. 'Challenges to the manufacturer' were examined by Ernesto Brovelli, Coca-Cola North America Juice Centre of Excellence Manager – Horticulture, Processing & Ingredients Innovation. Tetra Pak Environment Director Erika Mink discussed 'the role of packaging in sustainability', and to close the session, Joke Aerts, European Co-ordinator for the Rainforest Alliance, talked about 'Partnering with an NGO, creating real impact on the ground'. The 50th birthday celebrations continued later that evening in Rubens’ Castle, Elewijt, where delegates practiced and then sang Happy Birthday to AIJN.

The AdvanCheK Plus is a fast, reliable and economical way to introduce x-ray inspection into food production lines. It delivers superior sensitivity over traditional detection methods and combines contaminant detection with gross mass measurement, for guaranteed product safety and quality. This new system ensures the detection of foreign bodies such as metal, stone, glass, bone and high density plastic, when they're wrapped in foil or metalised film packaging, at a standard inspection speed of up to 500 packs per minute. Depending on pack size, faster line speeds are possible without compromising sensitivity or reliability. Niall McRory, European sales and marketing manager, Mettler-Toledo Safeline X-ray, said: “The AdvanCheK Plus is an advanced inspection system. It offers contaminant detection and mass measurement simultaneously on every pack from one simple and easy to use colour-sealed industrial touch screen and intuitive interface. Building on the success of AdvanCheK, the new system delivers increased functionality, as well as improved sensitivity thanks to the five optimised filters checking for contaminants. Because the AdvanCheK Plus can store and retrieve reject images, manufacturers can prevent future contamination by investigating, identifying and dealing with the source.” The new AdvanCheK Plus offers a flexible approach to product inspection, with communication via USB or ethernet, directly or via the OMAC-compliant OPC server available. Housed in a state of the art X-Pod, the electronics are easily accessible in a user-friendly modular design for quick servicing.

Imagine a coating that prevents dirt and stains adhering to it, making surfaces easy to clean and also actively reducing the growth of bacteria and biofilm development – surely something of major value to the food and drink sectors. It would make cleaning much easier, and would contribute to improved hygiene and infection control strategies. But does something as good as this really exist? Nano Hygiene Coatings believes it has something that achieves all of the above – and more – with its recently launched 4MED coating. 4MED is an innovative hygiene coating developed by Nano Hygiene Coatings Ltd, with hydrophobic and oleophobic properties. These properties make the surface non-stick and stain-resistant. The coating combines the benefits of the easy-to-clean properties derived from nano chemical technology with an antimicrobial additive, actively preventing the growth of bacteria such as Escherichia Coli and MRSA. The combination of a hydrophobic/oleophobic surface and active antimicrobial functionality has synergistic benefits, which contribute to improved hygiene and infection control strategies. Acting as reservoirs for many types of organisms, soil can accumulate on surfaces creating the ideal conditions for many types of micro-organisms. While not all micro-organisms are of significance to human health, nor indeed to food production facilities, reducing their growth will significantly reduce the risks associated with any harmful effects. Having a surface that inhibits organisms adhering, such that they can be removed in a benign and environmentally friendly fashion, is beneficial. Does the evidence support this? At Nano Hygiene Coatings, we wanted to find out. We wanted to establish if soil built up on surfaces over time, despite the repeated cleaning effort, and whether having a hydrophobic/oleophobic surface affected the soil build-up. We also wanted to know if we could effectively reduce the bacteria in the soil. The reduction has to be quick and the antimicrobial effect long-lasting. We set up a repeat-soiling and cleaning test. Stainless steel samples were soiled repeatedly by applying a solution containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) twice and then a mixed artificial organic soilant once. This soiling cycle was repeated three times and then followed by a final application of BSA. Between each soilant event, the samples were cleaned for 10 seconds using light manual abrasion under running mains tap water (ca 10-15ºC at 0.5 litres minute-1). Of the two stainless steel samples tested, one was uncoated, while the other was coated with an NHC hydrophobic coating. The results revealed that the appearance of the uncoated surfaces deteriorated significantly when subjected to soiling. Repeated soiling and washing cycles caused further deterioration of the surface appearance. The appearance of the stainless steel became increasingly unattractive. The uncoated stainless steel sample retained significant organic deposits after the soiling/cleaning regime. In contrast, the coated samples maintained their appearance and retained very little soiling. They were both visually and microscopically cleaner than the uncoated surfaces. To determine whether bacteria had been reduced, the above test was repeated but with some changes. The stainless steel was coated with 4MED – the hydrophobic, antimicrobial coating developed by Nano Hygiene Coatings. Antimicrobial activity was determined after the final soiling/cleaning event. A cell suspension of E Coli was held in intimate contact with each test piece for 24 hours at 35°C and tested according to the method described in ISO 22196. The results revealed that biological-significant activity had occurred on the 4MED coated sample, with the bacterial population declining by four orders of magnitude in 24 hours: an effective kill rate of 99.99%. Over the same time period, bacterial populations had declined by 0.5 of a magnitude on the uncoated stainless steel. Tests supporting the claims of any antimicrobial coating should be based on realistic exposure scenarios. That is to say, undertaken in the conditions that they will be used, or simulating those conditions. 4MED has been tested by an independent laboratory, simulating the effect of a surface being splashed by several contaminants: firstly by a splash of contaminated water, and secondly by a splash of contaminated animal/body fluid. Both tests were undertaken with a sample coated with 4MED, and a sample coated with a hydrophobic coating but without antimicrobial functionality. For the contaminated water test, a suspension of E Coli was prepared using the method described in ISO 22196, standard but in sterile distilled water containing no nutrient broth. For the contaminated animal fluid test, an E Coli inoculum was prepared in a vegetable oil/bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution (oil/protein solution). Results showed that 4MED achieves a fast rate of kill of the bacterial population, resulting in a reduction of ca 2.5 orders of magnitude in three hours and a reduction to below the limit of detection in six hours. The Oil/Protein test results showed that the bacterial population declined by ca 0.5 orders of magnitude within 12 hours and a statistically significant 2.5 orders of magnitude in 24 hours – a kill rate of over 99%. The presence of protein-rich soiling agents has slowed down the antimicrobial coating, yet not inhibited it. These results are best seen graphically, so <1>. The contaminated water tests have also been conducted on other metal substrates, including chrome plate and aluminium with similar results: kill rates of over 99% in 3-6 hours. Longevity and durability An antimicrobial coating that acts quickly and is effective against contaminated water and heavy soiling splashes has positive benefits, but what of its longevity and durability? To determine how 4MED performs under these circumstances, a 4MED-coated substrate was artificially aged and the antimicrobial efficacy subsequently tested. Test samples were produced using sterile distilled water contaminated with E Coli. The samples were processed in a dishwasher at 40ºC with no detergent (13 litres per cycle). Sampling points were at 60 dishwash cycles and 120 dishwash cycles. The results showed that the 60 and 120 dishwash cycles did not have any statistically significant impact on the performance of 4MED antimicrobial efficacy. The bacterial populations were reduced by four orders of magnitude following six hours' contact to below the limit of detection in 24 hours. 4MED coated surfaces showed a statistically significant difference from the populations exposed to the hydrophobic, non-antimicrobial coating. The fastest kill rate is in the first three hours. Conclusions Dirt and organic deposits can build up on surfaces, severely impacting the appearance and making them visually unattractive and unappealing. Repeated washing and cleaning causes further deterioration of the surface appearance. Coated hydrophobic/oleophobic surfaces, however, have little or no build-up of soil, which makes them an easy-clean solution. Combining the hydrophobic/oleophobic properties with the antimicrobial functionality of 4MED produces synergistic benefits. By testing under simulated real-life conditions, the claims should satisfy the increasing demand of the authorities for testing under realistic exposure scenarios. 4MED has shown that it's robust and durable. It acts quickly and is effective even after artificial ageing. The implications for improved cleaning and hygiene strategies are clear. 4MED makes the cleaning job easier. It can have a direct impact on the costs associated with the cleaning job, reducing the growth of bacteria and contributing to the lowering of the risks associated with their harmful effects. Allen Chasteauneuf is Director of Nano Hygiene Coatings Ltd, a UK-based developer of high-performance coatings derived from nano chemical technology. <1>: /galleries/galleryDetail.aspx?ContentId=30

A dispute between Fiji Water owned by Roll International and Dayals (Fiji) Artesian Waters has ended after the parties agreed to settle a trademark infringement lawsuit. Dayals' Island Chill brand of water evokes an association with Fiji Water’s label. Like Fiji Water, Island Chill capitalises on the image of the island getaway with its 3D label featuring an exotic red flower, square bottle and blue cap. Months after entering the US market, Island Chill filed a lawsuit against Fiji Water in anticipation that Fiji Water would file a suit claiming Island Chill infringed on its trademark. In the suit, which was scheduled to go to trial on June 24, Island Chill owner Jay Prakash Dayal asked a federal judge to determine that the company was not infringing on Fiji Water's trademark by advertising its water as being from Fiji and that the company is not engaging in unfair business practices. However, the companies settled and Island Chill agreed to remove the flower from the bottle’s label and only reference the water’s source, Fiji, on the back of the label. “The idea behind settlement was to stop war between the companies and let everybody continue to compete fairly and sell water,” according to Marc Hankin, Island Chill’s lawyer.

North Downs Dairy is celebrating after the company and its suppliers scooped 19 awards at this year’s Royal Bath & West Show at Shepton Mallet, UK. A panel of cheese experts from around Britain awarded North Downs Dairy and its suppliers 19 awards in all, including five special prizes and several first prizes for Dairy Produce. Mike Davies, Managing Director, North Downs Dairy, said: “Given the number of cheese entries, and the calibre of the competition, we were delighted with the results and would like to extend our thanks and congratulations to all our valued suppliers for their outstanding achievements. “We were particularly delighted with Parkham Farms, one of our key suppliers. The farm won awards for its farmhouse and organic Cheddars. Parkham Farms scooped 10 awards in total, including Special Prizes for their PDO Best Farmhouse Country Cheddar and Best Organic Cheese. “We're always delighted to be involved with the awards at the Bath and West Show. The calibre of the judging remains high, which for a major supplier to the retail industry, broadens the overall appeal of the awards. We believe they also reflect the role Cheddar continues to play as a major player in the cheese sector.”

Lockerbie Creamery, part of Milk Link’s The Cheese Company, the UK’s largest cheese manufacturer, triumphed at last week’s Royal Highland Show. It was awarded the title of ‘Supreme Champion’ for its Lockerbie Mature Cheddar and its Lockerbie Salted Sweet Cream Butter. Mark Robertson, Milk Link’s Operations Director, said: “Being named ‘Supreme Champion’ for its Cheddar and butter reinforces our Lockerbie Creamery’s growing reputation for producing the highest quality dairy products, and is a testament to the skill and commitment of our employees. It's a further boost to the creamery, which is the largest dairy facility in Scotland, and one which Milk Link intends to invest in further over the next 12 months.” Charlie Kennedy, Lockerbie Creamery’s General Manager, added: “It's particularly pleasing that a ‘home show’ reinforces our position as a leading dairy facility. These awards are thanks to the continuing hard work and dedication of our workforce.” Lockerbie also took home five silver awards for its Lockerbie Mild Cheddar, Marks & Spencer (coloured) Mild Cheddar, Lockerbie Mature (coloured) Cheddar, Marks & Spencer Mature Cheddar and Lockerbie Salted Butter. Four bronze awards went to: Lockerbie Mild Cheddar, Co-op Mature Cheddar, Extra Mature Cheddar and Lockerbie Unsalted Butter.

*Glenn A Wright, commercial vice president, North American Basic Plastics at The Dow Chemical Company, will help brand owners navigate through the packaging “hype” to discover packaging that can truly be helpful in achieving sustainability goals. * The keynote address will take place at a Conference at this year's Pack Expo, 12 November in Chicago, US. Both events are sponsored and produced by PMMI. Wright and the Conference’s two other keynote speakers, Betsy Cohen, vice president of sustainability for Nestlé, and Trevor Cusworth, director, Deloitte Consulting LLP, will each explore the conference theme, 'Change, Innovation & Sustainability'. Mr Wright’s speech, 'Packaging – Elemental to a Sustainable Future', will cover positive environmental, social and economic impacts of packaging and highlight real benefits that often go unnoticed. Consumer and industry data featured in this session will illustrate how packaging contributes to sustainability, and that when accompanied by education and industry collaboration, may not only benefit the environment, but strengthen brand capability as well. The Dow Chemical Company will also sponsor The Showcase of Packaging Innovations at Pack Expo – a gallery of hundreds of award-winning packaging designs from internationally recognised packaging associations.

Cadbury Schweppes is relaunching its Cool Ridge still spring water brand, with a brand refresh that will hit Australian shelves this month (June 08), incorporating a new pack design and a new product positioning. The new packaging has been developed to maintain the ‘natural’ heritage of the brand which consumers previously associated with the image of a blue waterfall. On the new pack, this has been translated to a pebble surrounded by flowing water, providing Cool Ridge with a cleaner, fresher look and increased stand-out on-shelf. The new brand positioning has been developed to emphasise the fact that Cool Ridge is and always has been locally sourced Australian water, and aims to differentiate the brand from competitors by reinforcing that Cool Ridge is simple, quality Australian still spring water with no gimmicks or pretentions. The brand refresh will be supported by a PR campaign that focuses on ‘honesty’ and aims to respond to some of the unusual claims made about water in a number of areas. The relaunch will also be supported by extensive investment in point of sale solutions and sampling. Sponsorship opportunities focusing on initiatives that make a difference to Australians and Australian water resources will also be explored. Darryn Wallace, Director of Beverage Marketing for Cadbury Schweppes said that a brand refresh for Cool Ridge was a very positive step: “Cool Ridge has always been a strong performer within our stable of beverages. It has very broad distribution in a category which continues to grow year on year. And with the improved shelf presence of the new pack design, we expect to see solid growth.” Sales figures reveal that bottled water is growing in popularity in Australia, with an increase in consumption of 10% per year for the past six years .

The Australian Federal Court has ruled that Nudie Foods Australia Pty Ltd, makers of nudie fruit juice drinks, has been misleading the public as to the fruit content of two of its products: Rosie Ruby and Rosie Blue. nudie claimed that Rosie Ruby juice consisted of 100% cranberry cloudy juice and Rosie Blue was solely cranberry and blueberry juice. But the drinks in fact contained only about 20% of those juices with the rest predominantly made up of reconstituted apple juice, the court found, following legal action brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The misrepresentations were made on nudie products in shops around Australia and on advertising between July 2007 and January 2008. The Federal Court ordered nudie to publish corrective advertisements, establish an education, training and trade practices compliance programme and pay legal costs to the ACCC. ACCC Chairman Graeme Samuel said it was “another warning” to companies to consider carefully what claims were made about a product on its labelling and in marketing. The orders require nudie to ensure that the fruit listed on the label corresponds with what is in the bottle. Could this mean an end to the quirky names that have become the brand’s hallmark?