UK water cooler manufacturer Ebac has appointed a new Eastern European Sales Manager, based in Poland, to expand the company’s presence in the Eastern European region. Marcin Popiolek, who has more than seven years' experience in sales management, has been appointed to the newly created role. Based in Warsaw, Marcin will look to expand the profile of Ebac throughout Eastern Europe. Commenting on his new role, Marcin said: "I'm very much looking forward to helping Ebac water coolers expand their status in Eastern Europe. The Ebac brand is very strong in Europe, and their coolers are some of the best in the world. I’ll be working to provide sales and support systems to customers in Poland and nearby countries." Ebac Chairman John Elliott added: “The Eastern European market is expanding rapidly, and we wanted to have a base in Poland which could act as a hub for all our activity in Eastern Europe.”

“Global consumption has increased for all the products we studied,” said Zenith's dairy market intelligence manager, Esther Renfrew. “Spoonable yogurt has seen the greatest growth over the past five years at 23%. "Ice cream volume has also advanced swiftly by 18%, with the majority of additional sales coming from Asia/Australasia and the Middle East.” Cheese accounts for the largest segment of the dairy sector analysed by Zenith, with 18.2 million tonnes consumed in 2008, equivalent to 39% of the total. This is followed by ice cream at 14.3 million tonnes and a 30% share, then spoonable yogurt on 9.9 million tonnes and 21% of volume. Forecasts to 2012 indicate a further increase of 10% to 51.8 million tonnes, with spoonable yogurt gaining as much as 16%. The Zenith report identifies a number of economic and market factors influencing consumption patterns, including: Growing populations and prosperity leading to greater demand. Rising costs and climate change causing supply instability. Consumers placing more emphasis on functionality in dairy products, along with convenience and healthy indulgence. Government policies and industry marketing improving the perception of dairy products and their environmental impact. Zenith’s 2008 Global Dairy Products report also finds that: There are only two markets where volume and consumption per person decreased during the review period: fromage frais in west Europe and ice cream in North America. All other markets showed overall growth. Although market values have fluctuated due to exchange rate instability, local value per kilo has been rising in the majority of product categories. In the Middle East, spoonable yogurt accounts for a higher share than cheese, while ice cream dominates the dairy product market in Asia/Australasia. .

The bottled water will be available in 1-litre and 33cl formats on all NetJets Europe flights, touching down at more than 870 airports across the continent. Icelandic Water Holdings chairman and CEO, Jon Olafsson, said: "As a premium, natural mineral water brand, we're proud to be aligned with such a high-calibre business jet operator." The relationship is further enhanced by both companies having a dedicated and ongoing environmental awareness programme in place. Icelandic Glacial lays claim to being the world’s first CarbonNeutral certified bottled water for its product and operations. Meanwhile, NetJets Europe has launched a multi-faceted climate initiative in 2007 and has plans to be entirely carbon neutral by 2012. “We pride ourselves on delivering the best service in every way for our customers,” said Nick Rose, director Flight Centre, NetJets Europe. “Icelandic Glacial’s premium nature, striking packaging and leading environmental commitment make it the perfect choice in bottled water for our business jets.”

The New Zealand unit of CCA wants to buy the bottling production line, brands and business assets of Baker Hall from Old Fashioned Foods Ltd (OFF). CCA has the exclusive licence to bottle the Coca-Cola brand in New Zealand, and has five bottling plants in New Zealand. The Baker Hall business is a cordial manufacturing and marketing business based in Auckland, and is 100% owned by OFF, a global manufacturer and exporter of food and beverages. In considering the application, the Commission's role is to determine whether the acquisition has the effect of substantially lessening competition in a market. According to reports, analysts say the deal could be part of a major realignment of drinks giants which has been under way over the last few months. Last month, Lion Nathan, the alcoholic beverage company, announced a $A7.6bn ($4.9bn) takeover of Coca-Cola Amatil. However, CCA rebuffed the offer. 46% of Lion Nathan shares are owned by Japanese drinks company Kirin, the rest by Australian and New Zealand share funds. The company has 52% of the New Zealand beer market while Coca-Cola Amatil has 53% of the New Zealand non-alcoholic ready-to-drink market and 75% of the carbonated soft drink market. In October, Japanese drinks company Suntory has purchased Frucor, which holds the Pepsi bottling licence in New Zealand. Frucor's brands include Fresh Up, Mizone, V, H2go and Just Juice.

*Last week, Toronto City Council voted to ban the sale of plastic water bottles on all municipal premises from City Hall to golf courses by 2011. The ban will be effective immediately at City Hall and civic centres. * In addition, the council announced it would introduce a CAN$0.5 charge on plastic shopping bags; ban biodegradable and compostable plastic bags; ban retail bags with rope handles or metal grommets by the end of next year; and request retailers to provide shoppers with alternatives to having to pay for a plastic bag, whether by providing cardboard boxes or paper sacks for shoppers. Stuart Green, spokesman for Toronto Mayor David Miller, told reporters that the new packaging reduction by-laws are part of the city's goal to achieve 70% waste diversion from landfill by 2010. He also said the city would be upgrading drinking fountains to provide easy access to drinking water. In response to the ban, the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) provided the following statement: "The City of Toronto’s ban on the sale of bottled water in city-owned buildings is a misguided attempt at addressing a municipal waste issue. This measure will reduce the city’s waste by a mere fraction of 1%, while it deprives its citizens of making a healthy beverage choice. "'City customers who, in the past, have picked up a bottle of water to drink while standing in line to pay for permits or taxes will now be forced to quench their thirst with less healthy beverages, which are packaged in a denser grade of plastic at twice the volume of bottled water," said IBWA Vice President Communications, Tom Lauria. "With the incidence of diabetes, obesity and heart disease on the rise, any actions or misinformation that would discourage consumers from drinking a safe, healthy product are not in the public interest," he added. "Bottled water is just one of thousands of consumer goods that are packaged in plastic containers, and any efforts to reduce environmental impact of packaging must focus on all consumer goods and not target just one industry. "While much needs to be done to improve recycling rates, bottled water containers make up only 0.3% of the entire municipal waste stream. Clearly, bottled water containers are not making the significant contribution to our landfills as environmental activists claim. "Bottled water packaging is 100% recyclable. A growing number of bottled water producers have introduced much lighter weight bottles and using recycled material in their packaging." Mr Lauria said it was ironic that while recycling rates needed to improve, demand for recycled single-serve plastic PET was at an all-time high, and the US was currently facing a national shortage of recycled PET, which is used to manufacture carpeting, fleece, decking and auto parts. "Last year, the US had to resort to importing recyclable PET from South America to meet manufacturers’ demand,” said Mr Lauria. "The City of Toronto would be better off focusing its efforts on enhanced recycling programs rather than restricting people to making healthy beverage choices."

**Cool Change Natural Spring Water from Australia is a newly launched spring water launched in PLA (polymer of lactic acid). **The small, family run business based in Victoria’s Yarra Valley producing Cool Change aims to tap into consumers' concern over the level of PET bottles disposed at landfill sites rather than being recycled. Currently available in 50cl formats, Cool Change is being sold in cafés, eateries, health, organic and independent food stores across Australia. The company has plans to develop 35cl, 60cl and 1.5 litre formats. The business sources the biodegradable Ingeo PLA bottles from US-based NatureWorks, a company that claims the material requires less energy for production (67% less fossil fuels) and has the flow on effect of producing 90% less carbon emissions in producing the resin required for the bottle. Cool Change Natural Spring Water MD and Owner Richard Paterson said: "Consumers will not stop buying bottled beverages, so we’ve put our efforts in providing more sustainable packaging choices." In addition to the packaging, Cool Change has minimised its carbon footprint by reducing energy use, and offsets greenhouse emissions that have been created. The company has a carbon neutral production process certified by the Carbon Reduction Institute. Cool Change PLA bottles need to be industrially composted to deliver the maximum environmental benefit of the packaging, but Mr Paterson acknowledges that most waste bottles in Australia will currently either be composted or end up in landfill. He is a strong advocate for improved commercial composting infrastructure in the country.

*Love Limited Edition UK has sold six limited edition Love H2O bottles, each encrusted with more than 6,500 Swarovski crystals, for £1,000 (€1,175 or $2,330) a bottle. * Also known for its jewel-encrusted vodka products, the company diversified into bottled water over a year ago and sources the water for its luxury packaged brand from Wenlock Spring Water in Shropshire. Love H2O co-founder Ash Kelly told Water Innovation magazine: “Love H2O has become a collectible fashion accessory. It’s difficult to shop for someone who seems to have everything, but our water is a great gift which can provide an interesting talking point. After all, we all love water. “Each of the limited edition hand-crafted bottles reportedly took one week to produce. All six bottles have already been reserved and will be delivered after Christmas. In the meantime, the bottles are being used as display items in each of the six Selfridges stores across the UK. Andy Price, a spokesperson for Selfridges in Birmingham, said: “Each individual crystal is precisely positioned by hand into its own perfect space. These bottles are more like pieces of art rather than just a very expensive drink. The original Love H2O is a really good seller for us, but the limited edition one is a show piece for Christmas.” The original Love H2O bottled water has so far been released in three editions, with the current range ready for Christmas. With the brand’s theme of love, Valentine's Day sales are also important to the business. “Considering the economic climate, business for us is good in every respect. Vodka sales are also up and not just through Selfridges,” added Mr Kelly. []<1> <1>: http://www.lovelimitededition.co.uk

Innovia Films’ renewable and compostable packaging film, NatureFlex has been chosen by Nestlé UK to wrap one of its signature confectionery brands, Quality Street. Having supplied Nestlé UK for many years with its coloured Cellophane products, Innovia Films was keen to meet customer demand when a move towards compostable packaging was sought for Quality Street. Nestlé UK approached Innovia Films to develop a range of certified compostable films to match, as closely as possible, the existing range of coloured Cellophane films. The move is part of Nestlé’s overall strategy to reduce packaging and develop more sustainable packaging materials, making it easier for consumers to reduce waste. “Reduced or more sustainable packaging is a key priority for Nestlé, and we're delighted that the NatureFlex colour film range will help Quality Street customers and consumers reduce waste and at the same time ensure consumers are still able to recognise this well-loved brand,” said David Rennie, Marketing Director, Nestlé Confectionery UK. The development of coloured NatureFlex is the direct result of work carried out at Innovia Films’ own Research and Development facility. It follows 18 months of development and testing prior to the relaunch of the Quality Street packaging, which took place recently in time for the pre-Christmas sales window. NatureFlex films are cellulose-based, derived from renewable wood-pulp and are certified to meet the European EN13432 and American ASTM D6400 standards for compostable packaging. The wood-pulp is sourced from managed plantations from referenced suppliers operating Good Forestry principals (FSC or equivalent). NatureFlex films typically have a renewable bio-based content of some 95% by weight of material. “Developing a range of coloured films that closely match the requirements of such a recognised brand, and that meet the strict requirements of the composting legislation, was a real challenge, which we're delighted to have been able to deliver,” said Andy Sweetman, Innovia Films’ Global Marketing Manager, Sustainable Technologies.

While standard WPC has long been used to replace up to 30% skimmed milk powder in ice cream formulations, quality problems have prevented additional cost-cutting by the addition of even more WPC. An unpleasant off-taste and poor stability are among the disadvantages quoted by Arla. According to Arla Foods Ingredients, Nutrilac Ic enables skimmed milk powder to be replaced 100%. Improvements in body, creaminess, melting resistance and warm-eating properties go beyond the pure cost-cutting purpose of standard WPC, the company said. Functional Milk Protein Business Unit Manager, Arnd Wilmsen, said: "We have developed a group of products that can match the diverse needs of individual markets and of products with a protein content ranging from 15% to 80%." Manufacturers can use Nutrilac Ic directly in their existing processes. "We are always ready to advise them on any process alterations necessary and on how to optimise their application," Arnd Wilmsen added.

*Yakult USA Inc, the North American business of probiotics pioneer, Yakult Honsha Co Ltd, has announced it will broadcast an educational segment entitled 'Friendly bacteria improve health' via the National Medical Report on US public television. * The four-minute educational programme informs viewers of the benefits of probiotic bacteria, and provides a historical background and testimony from scientists in the field. The probiotic drink Yakult was launched in the US last year on the back of a major campaign aiming to convey the benefits of 'friendly bacteria', as recent surveys showed a lack of awareness of the bacteria. The current public television broadcast is intended to reach 40 million households and help educate Americans who may not know about the health benefits of probiotics. The National Medical Report segment will air for the duration of next year on more than 150 public television stations in 200 regions across the US. In addition, more than 200 cities abroad will have the opportunity to watch Yakult’s special segment via Voice of America/WorldNet networks in 2009, potentially reaching an additional 96 million viewers.

The EU has adopted its Food Improvement Agents Package (FIAP), a comprehensive set of rules that ensures consistent use of additives and enzymes throughout the EU. The acceptance of the package means improved security for consumers, as food in the EU has to comply with the same strict requirements for additives and enzymes. In future, all additives and enzymes will be evaluated by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Danisco, a Danish provider of food ingredients, enzymes and bio-based solutions, released a statement following the news: "Danisco has followed the making of the FIAP closely and we're very satisfied with the outcome. It's a huge step forward for the consumers, who can now be confident that in future, additives have to meet the same standards throughout the EU. "For us as an industrial business, the harmonisation particularly in the enzyme area means that we now only have to obtain approval from one central authority. This is a good result for the consumers and the industry." In addition to harmonising the rules, the adoption also means that fixed time limits will be established for approval procedures as well as shorter processing time for applications filed by the industry. EU countries will monitor the consumption of additives and submit the results to the European Commission and EFSA going forward.

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has appointed new Accredited Trade Organisations (ATOs) to manage the groups that form the British Pavilion at shows previously handled by Food from Britain (FFB). The organisations are the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, PS8 Ltd, Montgomery International and William Reed Business Media. 10 of the trade shows organised by FFB will be covered by the new ATOs, as well as shows for the ingredients and brewing sectors. UKTI TAP funding will remain in place, offering eligible SMEs up to six grants to exhibit at accredited international trade shows from 1 April 2009, under new rules announced by UKTI recently. Commenting on the announcement, John Adams, CEO at Food from Britain, said: “We want to reassure producers that British Pavilions at many of the world’s leading trade shows will continue after FFB’s closure in March next year, and that funding will still be available to assist new, small exporters. It’s satisfying to see that a forum that offers so much value and such great returns will still be available to help British companies build their international business. “We've spent many years working to create a strong national group that has been such an attraction for buyers looking to source new, innovative and unique products abroad, and feel that we have successfully accomplished that mission. It's good to know that the British Pavilion will continue to thrive under the guidance of the various ATOs at international food and drink trade shows across the globe.”