RPC Containers Market Rasen’s expertise in the injection moulding of unusually shaped containers has been instrumental in the launch of a new concept in milk packaging, the Jugit. Developed by Dairy Crest in association with the Sainsbury’s supermarket chain, Jugit offers consumers a pouch-based format that uses substantially less packaging material than conventional plastic milk containers, allied to the convenience of an easy-to-pour, reusable jug manufactured by RPC Market Rasen. “Consumers are increasingly conscious about the environmental impact of packaging, and material reduction is a key means of improving this,” explained Richard Pryor, Innovation Controller at Dairy Crest. “A huge amount of plastic is used annually in the manufacture of milk containers, but pouches require only 25% of the plastic found in the equivalent size of container, making them extremely attractive from the viewpoint of sustainability.” Dairy Crest trialled pouches in Sainsbury’s in 2001 but, while successful, the format was not deemed ready for the mainstream marketplace. Today, Pryor believes that consumers are now prepared to make the change. “The example of countries such as Canada, where consumers have successfully switched to this ‘greener’ way of buying milk, suggests the same can be achieved in the UK.” Consumer fears Pryor adds that, “The main barrier to widespread adoption of pouches is the means of opening and pouring them. This is where the Jugit comes in.” Typical consumer fears about pouches include the suspicion that bags will burst, their lack of recloseability and concerns that they can only be opened using scissors. Working with design agency Vibrandt 1hq, Dairy Crest developed the Jugit format to specifically overcome these factors. Jugit features a two-part lid with a hollow spike attachment, which perforates the pouch as a natural consequence of assembly. After the pouch is dropped into the jug and the main body of the lid closed, trapping the top of the bag using secure clips, the spike is inserted to perforate the pouch. The top of the attachment then flips open to provide a handy, recloseable pouring spout. To encourage reusability of the Jugit, the only part that needs to be cleaned between pouches is the spike attachment. Jugit is sold with two of these, so that consumers do not have to wash the attachment before fitting each new pouch. A detachment handle is also supplied to enable greater flexibility in pouring. National launch in 2009 Dairy Crest asked RPC Market Rasen to turn the Jugit concept into a workable pack because of its proven track record in creating complex packaging formats. The fact that the site is UK-based was also a factor, reducing the freight miles involved in delivery of the jug. RPC Market Rasen worked closely with Dairy Crest, Vibrandt 1hq and pouch manufacturer Glopak to ensure seamless integration of the four parts of the Jugit – jug, lid, spike and handle – as well as the necessary durability for long-term reuse. The lid, spike and handle are injection moulded in white PP, while clear material is used for the two pint jug. This enables the Sainsbury’s branded pouch to be seen throughout its product life, while Dairy Crest has also taken advantage of the clarity by placing the cardboard sleeve used to brand Jugit inside the jug. RPC Market Rasen is currently manufacturing Jugit using a pilot mould to coincide with the trial launch of the format in selected Sainsbury’s stores. If the trial proves successful, full tooling will be commissioned to enable a full national launch in 2009. The launch was heavily publicised in the British press, with the RPC jug featured prominently. “Jugit has already captured people’s imagination and it is the eye-catching appearance of the pack from RPC Market Rasen – as much as its memorable and innovative functionality – that will encourage consumers to switch to pouches when purchasing milk,” confirms Richard Pryor.

By Mike Ramey After studying current research, the American Medical Association (AMA) has concluded that high fructose syrup – used to sweeten many soft drinks – does not appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners. However, the association calls for further independent research to be carried out into the health effects of high fructose syrup and other sweeteners. “At this time there is insufficient evidence to restrict the use of high fructose syrup or label products that contain it with a warning,” said AMA Board Member William Dolan, MD. “We do recommend consumers limit the amount of all added caloric sweeteners to no more than 32 grams of sugar daily, based on a 2,000 calorie diet in accordance with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” High fructose syrups are sweeteners produced from starches such as maize, rice and wheat. As well as soft drinks, they are used in many food products including breakfast cereals and bread. * Little evidence* Some health experts have suggested that high fructose syrup is implicated in the increase of obesity among modern consumers. But there is little hard scientific evidence, and the few studies currently available have mostly focused on possible short-term effects. “Obesity continues to be a major public health problem in this country,” continued Dr Dolan. “Overweight and obese adults and children are at an increased risk of chronic health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. “Eating a healthier diet can help maintain a healthy weight and drastically reduce your chances of developing weight-related illnesses.” The report of high fructose syrups was introduced at the AMA’s annual policy-making meeting in Chicago on Tuesday (17 June).

*Giles & Posner, the company that introduced the UK to the Chocolate Fountain phenomenon, has teamed up with Cadbury Canada to offer the Chocolate Fountain Experience to the Canadian retail market. * The first products to be launched are the Mini Fountain, The Hot Chocolate Drinks Maker, and bags of Cadbury’s Fondue Chocolate. Cadbury Mini Fountain: the Cadbury Mini Fountain is half the size of a standard chocolate fountain for the home, and serves 4-6 people Cadbury Hot Chocolate Drinks Maker: the Cadbury Hot Chocolate Drinks Maker allows consumers to blend their own Cadbury creations using a range of flavours and heated milk or cream. Cadbury Fondue Chocolate: Cadbury’s Fondue Chocolate comes in 454g microwavable pouches. The chocolate is multi-use, as it can be used with the Cadbury Mini Fountain, or Drinks Maker, with Fondue sets, or in baking. It comes in a choice of milk, or dark. Giles & Posner Cadbury branded products will be launched in Canada in time for Christmas 2008. Other products, such as a Cadbury Crème Egg Fondue set and Caramilk duo Fondue set, will be launched for Christmas.

Coca-Cola North America (CCNA) has announced it will run a pilot project of its signature contour bottle in a convenient 2 litre size, beginning this week in Birmingham and Chattanooga. These cities were chosen to introduce the new version of the company's most enduring icon because of their longstanding loyalty to Coca-Cola and the strength of their local Coca-Cola bottler, Coca-Cola United. The new 2 litre form of Coca-Cola's iconic package was preferred over the straight wall bottle overwhelmingly in recent internal consumer tests. According to the survey, consumers found the bottle easier to hold and easier to pour from. The new size contour plastic bottle will be available in stores throughout the two cities beginning 16 June. All Coca-Cola trademark brands will be available in the new contour package. Importantly for customers, research conducted by CCNA with consumers suggests that the new package has the potential to re-energize sparkling beverage sales in their stores as well. "Along with Coca-Cola's one-of-a-kind real cola taste, the iconic shape of the contour bottle is what people love most about the brand. They are both a part of its timeless magic," said Hendrik Steckhan, President and General Manager, Sparkling Beverages, Coca-Cola North America. * Recycling initiatives* Birmingham and Chattanooga also will benefit from special recycling initiatives, which CCNA and Coca-Cola United have created to commemorate the introduction of the new package. In Birmingham, the two companies are donating contour bottle-shaped recycle bins to The McWane Science Center as part of a major recycling initiative there. Chattanooga will receive contour bottled shaped recycling bins for Signal Mountain High School and Heritage High School, set to open in the fall. In addition to the new 2 litre contour bottle, CCNA's other sparkling beverage brands will also have new 2 litre versions of their proprietary packages as part of the pilot in Birmingham and Chattanooga. The familiar shapes of Sprite's signature bottle and the distinctively shaped bottle for CCNA brands like Fanta, Fresca, Pibb Extra and others will all be offered in 2 litre form for the first time. The pilot will be supported with in-store, radio, out-of-home and newspaper advertising.

Scotland’s Irn-Bru 750ml ‘glass bottle’ will allow fans an opportunity to enjoy one of the country’s best festivals, as more than 2000 tickets to Live at Loch Lomond are given away, worth more than £100,000. Barr Soft Drinks have linked up with the festival’s organisers to set-up this massive competition, meaning that every glass bottle of Irn-Bru over the next few weeks will feature the opportunity to win. 1000 pairs are on offer, including 20 VIP passes, which gives special access from Cameron House by boat to the event’s backstage area. Consumers will known instantly whether they've won, by scratching the panel on the promotional pack.

One year after a similar promotion drew 435,000 votes, US-based dairy company Stonyfield Farm will again donate $100,000 to three environmental groups through a 'Bid with your Lid' programme. The exact amount donated to Ocean Conservancy, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and Worldwatch Institute will be determined by the public, which will cast votes online or by mail with specially marked yogurt lids. Each year through its Profits for the Planet (PFP) Program, Stonyfield Farm donates 10% of its profits to efforts that help protect and restore the Earth. This year, the world's leading organic yogurt maker will give a minimum $20,000 donation to the three participating organisations. An additional $40,000 - for a total donation of $100,000 – will be allocated among the three causes based on public voting. "This promotion is a win-win for all concerned," says Stonyfield Farm President and CE-Yo Gary Hirshberg. "Consumers enjoy our tasty, organic yogurts and the participating organisations benefit from our donation and also from the exposure this promotion will provide." During the months of June and July, Stonyfield Farm will print a promotional message on a minimum of 20 million yogurt lids, asking consumers to ‘bid with their lids’. Voting ends 31 August 2008.

Dairy Farmers of Britain, the largest liquid milk processor in Wales, has launched a new initiative to increase sales of fresh Welsh milk on the doorstep. The new scheme, with eye catching bilingual branding, is intended to appeal to consumers who want to know that their fresh milk is sourced from local farms and processed and packaged in the local area. It is now available through Dairy Farmers of Britain’s milkmen across South Wales. Michael Shields from Dairy Farmers of Britain commented: “Our doorstep delivery customers in Wales can now wake up in the morning to a fresh pint of milk that is guaranteed to be from a Welsh farm. By supporting the ‘Wake up to Welsh Milk’ doorstep delivery service, customers can enjoy the convenience of having fresh milk delivered to their door whilst helping provide a secure and sustainable future for Welsh dairy farmers and their families.” Dairy Farmers of Britain farmer member, Clive Jones, of Beili Glas Farm near Carmarthen added: “I am delighted to be playing my part in providing Welsh milk to Welsh households. When customers decide to ‘Wake up to Welsh Milk’ from Dairy Farmers of Britain they are helping Welsh farmers like me receive a fair price for their milk.”

Zenith International Publishing and Zenith International have announced the launch of the beverage directory – your free search directory for the non-alcoholic beverage industry. With broad industry coverage, the beverage directory includes top level company and executive information on businesses operating in and supplying the European beverage sector – from manufacturers to suppliers, from retailers to brand owners. In partnership with UNESDA, the Union of European Beverages Associations, it offers you a fast and easy way to find information on more than 5,000 companies – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – making it the most reliable and comprehensive resource for beverage professionals. the beverage directory 2009 online, and as a printed book, will be used as a daily reference tool by thousands of people working across the non-alcoholic beverages industry and beyond. the beverage directory 2009 will be sent to and marketed to named senior decision makers: Senior executives / management; Technical / R&D managers; Process & manufacturing managers; Sales & marketing managers; Brand and innovation managers; and Purchasing managers Print launch at SIAL The printed version of the beverage directory 2009 will be launched at SIAL 2008 in Paris – one of the world’s leading industry events – with over 140,000 visitors and 5,300 exhibitors. “At last, a one stop shop for all the contacts you need to do business in the non-alcoholic beverages industry in Europe and beyond,” commented Zenith International Publishing Group Managing Editor Bill Bruce. “Inclusion in the directory is absolutely free – and enhancements to add logos and additional information as well as sponsorship and advertising opportunities are all sensitively priced. “In partnership with UNESDA this useful book, backed up by a living online resource represents a unique opportunity for companies to ensure that they are in front of the whole industry all day, every day.”

To mark UK Recycle Week, four sculptures made from Coke cans were unveiled in four cities across the country. *To mark UK Recycle Week, four sculptures made from Coke cans were unveiled in four cities across the country. Iconic aluminium sculptures made from Coca-Cola, diet Coke and Coke Zero cans were unveiled in four cities across the country to mark the beginning of Recycle Week (2-8 June 2008). * The Angel of the North, Big Ben, Clifton Suspension Bridge and the Birmingham Bull have been re-created in spectacular form by artists commissioned by Coca-Cola in a bid to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of recycling and to encourage more consumers to recycle their drinks cans and bottles. While soft drinks packaging is one of the world’s most recycled materials, only 25% of plastic bottles and 48% of aluminium beverage cans are currently recycled in the UK. Liz Lowe, Citizenship Manager at Coca-Cola Great Britain said “We hope these dramatic Coke can sculptures will encourage people to think twice about where they throw their empty drinks containers – our packaging is not just waste, but a valuable resource which can be used again and again. Recycling saves energy and we can all do more. “As a company, we take our environmental responsibilities very seriously and we are working on a number of initiatives to minimise the environmental impact of our products and operations. For example, well over 90% of the waste produced at our manufacturing sites is now recycled, we’re gradually making all packaging smaller and lighter and our cans and glass bottles contain around 30-50% recycled material.” Recycling Zones On the eve of Recycle Week, Coca-Cola also announced plans in partnership with WRAP to create 80 “Recycling Zones” across the country over the next three years. Recycling bins will be located in high-traffic public places including theme parks, shopping centres, transport hubs and leisure facilities to allow consumers to recycle soft drinks packaging more easily when they’re out and about. The Mayor of London is a supporter of Recycle Week. Boris Johnson,said: “Recycle Week is a fantastic initiative and does a huge amount toencourage us all to recycle more. I hope the sight of one of London'smost famous landmarks made from recycled drink cans, will inspireLondoners to make an extra effort to recycle their rubbish, rather thanchuck it in the bin and condemn it to a landfill site.”

They say a product has the briefest time to create a positive impact on today’s shopper. Several studies show that it takes around 1.6 seconds for a consumer to decide whether to buy a product before moving on to another product, or even another category. So with more and more food labelling legislation in the pipeline, what will be the impact on labelling design? Blue Marlin Executive Creative Director Martin Grimer presents his view. Food packaging is already subject to a huge amount of labelling regulation and controversy already surrounds the ‘traffic light’ system – championed by the UK’s Food Standards Agency – that highlights the fat, saturates, sugars and salt content of food using a series of different colours. Consumers are also faced with a wide range of other labels, demonstrating (for example), organic standards, local produce, air freight, farming standards, Fairtrade, LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming), and recycling instructions. And more is on its way – proposed European regulations will require manufacturers to clearly display the energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates (with specific reference to sugars) and salt content per 100 ml/g or per portion of the product, all on the front of the pack. They would also have to indicate the proportion of these elements to the reference intakes (eg Recommended Daily Allowance). The design industry is not being consulted, but surely a lack of engagement with designers is missing a trick. The creation of these mandatories is, at the core, the creation of a graphic language. This needs to have an empathy with brands and categories, and at best promote engagement beyond pure functionality. Food labelling mandatories inform better when well designed. While a certain amount of information is important from a healthy diet perspective, from a consumer’s point of view there is certainly a danger of information overload. Not only will this potentially detract from manufacturers’ opportunities to create strong branding, it will also simply negate its own purpose as shoppers are swamped by a mass of facts and figures and they find it increasingly difficult to navigate and find exactly what they need or want to know. If we take, as an example, our work with Arla Foods to design new packaging for a range of fresh and UHT milk, a simplified approach created significant shelf standout while helping to convey key information. In this case designs for the new range of milks were created around a central communication of the fat content of milk whilst maintaining the colour coding that shoppers use to identify whole, semi or skimmed milk. Agencies must adopt this type of creative approach to satisfy the needs of consumers, regulatory authorities and brand owners.

Dairy Australia Regulatory and Policy Manager – Nutrition Dr Malcolm Riley was in Europe recently to address a dairy industry meeting. dairy innovation Editor Geoff Platt spoke to him about labelling legislation in Australia (issue 18 – June 2008). They spoke a few days before the Government was due to comment on plans for changes to food labelling. “The most important thing in Australia at the moment is the government mandated nutritional information panel. This is a compositional panel that is required to be on the back of every pack and it has a standard format so there is no discretion about how it is to be presented. The information is presented as specific nutrients per 100g and specific nutrient per serve.” And the serve is formulated by the company not the government, said Dr Riley. “The nutrients include fat, saturated fat, sodium, sugar and any nutrients about which you make a claim on the pack (such as iron), so we have a quite liberal regime in regard to nutrient claims but – we think – the Australian government is coming to the final stages of developing a food standard for health claims. “The front of pack is mainly left to the company to do with what they will and some companies have developed similar sort of symbols to the GDAs (Guideline Daily Amounts) you have in the UK. But I think that is mainly a strategy to pre-empt anything the government might impose.” Riley said the Australian government was certainly doing a review of dietary guidance. “I think the Australian regulators are looking closely as what happens in the UK, as they did with the health claims.” The recommendations the government has been studying have been prepared by the Food Standards Authority Australia and New Zealand – and the government will either accept them or say that some aspects need to go for further review. “We accept it is a very difficult job but we are disappointed in the dairy industry because some cheese are recommended to be allowed to carry health claims and some are not – which is likely to be very confusing for consumers.” The regulators have told Dr Riley that they would like companies to change the formulation of their products – and the same with milks. Most milks are able to carry health claims, but some don’t. The milk people have been drinking on their breakfast cereal for years and years does not carry a health claim – but others do. “I doubt whether they ever thought there was anything different about their milk. Extraordinary “We have talked extensively with the regulators and they have taken on board some of the points. They did accommodate the trend towards adding things to milk like Omega-3 and phytosterols and they made an adjustment to allow those to carry health claims. It would have been extraordinary if those type of foods were not allowed to carry health claims. “Why would you add phytosterols if you could not tell people why it was good for them.” But the industry is disappointed about cheese. The man from Dairy Australia pointed out that cheese is basically concentrated milk. “Their response was that they had made a category for concentrated foods and cheese was too salty. Cheese does have a lot of salt but that is an issue for the industry. So we will see where that happens.” Dairy, as well as other food industry sectors, has been involved in extensive consultations with the relevant authorities. “They met with us in the general consultation and they came to us for specific consultation – we were able to get them to come and talk to us and dairy companies and it was a pretty open discussion. They have been pretty transparent about what they do, but of course it does not mean that they do what we want them to do.” There is a further problem in Australia because enforcement is not down to the Foods Standards Agency, but to the State Governments. “And we have had cases of different States applying the law in different ways – one State says something is OK and another State says it is not.” It is a big issue for dairy because the industry stretches across State boundaries. The States recognise it is an issue and central Government has formed a committee that deals with difference of opinion, but they do not deal with individual differences of opinion - only general principles. There is no court of arbitration to decide who is right and who is wrong. “What will be interesting is that the extent to which States will differ when it comes to substantiation (of health claims).” The recommendations have gone to both the Australian and New Zealand Governments – who, as far as possible, we have harmonised food standards. “There are areas where they are not quite the same and there are occasions when the New Zealand government might move at a different pace to the Australian government.” Certainly health claims have been a difficult area and a grey area, comments Dr Riley. “For us it goes beyond labelling to websites, brochures, adverts – an important area for Dairy Australia because part of our remit is to promote the health benefits of dairy. We cannot really promote the health benefits without making health claims.” Both Australia and New Zealand are big exporters of dairy. Another complication? “Some of the commodities are exported in bulk so they are repackaged in the countries they are going to, but others are already packed so are required to meet the label requirements of the country they are going to. “We work with Codex committees to try and have a result that is good for the industry. Obviously we are intensely interested in what happens at a Codex level and what happens in the individual countries. And what has been of interest over the last couple of years is what individual countries do about trans fat. Often they do not have a good understanding about trans fat and they will make a decision that has unforeseen consequences. For example, no food is allowed to enter Korea that has trans fat, not realising of course that there is trans fat in the meat we export. “And on top of that there is the complication of having to translate documents.”

*Recent YouGov research commissioned by UK coffee chain Costa Coffee has revealed that 80% of people in the UK now want the option of purchasing ethical coffee from their regular high street outlets. And surprisingly, Brits are also willing to pay an average of 14p more per cup to ensure their coffee is ethical. But despite consumers' willingness to pay more, Costa will not be charging any extra for an ethical cup of coffee. * This Saturday 14 June, Costa will host its inaugural Foundation Day, an exciting initiative whereby all profits generated throughout its 700 UK stores on that day will be donated directly to the Costa Foundation to invest back into coffee growing communities. Costa Coffee Marketing Director and Costa Foundation Trustee, David Hutchinson said: "Costa is urging all coffee drinkers to simply purchase their regular cup of coffee at any UK Costa store on 14 June. The money raised will help the Costa Foundation build five schools across Costa Rica, Colombia, Guatemala and Ethiopia. By hosting Foundation Day, Costa is making it easy for customers to make a contribution to the education of hundreds of children." Other interesting research findings include: * 56% of people would be more likely to choose a particular high street coffee shop if it offered ethical coffee. * 39% of people would prefer coffee shops to offer ethical coffee as the default, with a choice to purchase non-ethical coffee (this compares to 32% of people preferring non-ethical coffee as the default). * 35% of people are more likely to visit Costa Coffee after being made aware of the Costa Foundation. David continued: "Our research has shown that ethical purchasing is important to our consumers. Our first ever Foundation Day will highlight Costa's ongoing commitment to coffee growing communities. Coffee farmers have specifically told us that educating their children is the best long-term solution to support the growth of their communities, and we are proud of the programme that we have developed to help them." The Costa Foundation, a registered charity set up in 2006, focuses on providing education to children in coffee growing regions and building schools. Since it began, Costa has improved sanitation, developed land for families to grow crops, built teacher accommodation and built four schools in Colombia, Uganda and Ethiopia. Costa also recently announced a partnership with the Rainforest Alliance, making it the first UK coffee shop chain to commit to sourcing Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee. The Rainforest Alliance programme helps farms to achieve efficient farm management, cost savings and increased production and coffee quality through improving worker housing, reducing pesticide use, improving worker safety, and access to clean water, education and medical care.