Trawling through the mounting investigations into the impact of
wine-drinking on heart health, Danish researchers confirm ongoing
findings that drinkers of wine benefit from its cardio-protective
effects, more so than those who drink...
Aluminium packaging giant Alcoa has been named one of the top three
most sustainable corporations in the world during a ceremony at the
World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Molson management will be relieved that Friday's shareholder vote
approved the $4 billion merger with Adolph Coors; the family brewer
is now safe from being an obvious takeover target, writes Kim
Hunter Gordon.
Moldovan wine producer Asconi Corporation is launching 14 new wine
ranges as the company seeks to build on a recent sales increase and
recover Moldovan wine's lost export markets in Russia, writes
Chris Mercer.
Wine grape production is projected to increase by over 5 per cent
to 1.93 million tonnes over the two years to 2006-07, according to
a new report that goes against industry opinion that slowing
exports could lead to a red wine glut.
Danone's rapid expansion into the home and office delivery (HOD)
bottled water market has given it a global market share to match
that of rival Nestlé in recent years, but the growth has not come
without a price, writes Chris...
Fruit juice sales are soaring in the UK, driven by consumers'
perception of the beverage as a healthier alternative to coffee and
fizzy drinks, shows a new Mintel report.
In the last two years Spain, France and Italy's wine production has
increased by over 8 million hectolitres each. In the face of a
global glut, the French wine confederation is calling on the EU to
fund a crisis distillation,...
Dutch brewer Heineken is considering expanding its presence in
China with the acquisition of an additional stake in the Kingway
Brewery, while Japan's Suntory has already stepped up its
operations there with the acquisition of...
PET industry association Petcore has given its full endorsement to
Plasmax, a SiOx-coated barrier from SIG Corpoplast, and ActiTUF, an
in-resin barrier technology from M&G, for coloured bottle
applications.
A recent ban on televised beer adverts in Russia may be reformed by
the country's parliament later this year after complaints from the
industry, but a new ban on outdoor drinking still looms in 2005,
reports Chris Mercer.
Serac has launched a new PET filling machine in Europe, the first
to be suspended from the ceiling. This, claims the company, means
that it will occupy less than half the factory space than
traditional models, as well as offering...
A deal with Britain's Diageo group to begin licensed production of
the Guinness stout brand in Russia was the highest profile
announcement by Dutch brewer Heineken last week, but with moves to
consolidate its position in China...
PepsiCo is rolling out its Smart Spot symbol in Canada to help
consumers identify brands that can contribute to healthier
lifestyles. It will appear on an estimated 5 billion servings of
foods and beverages this year.
V-Net Beverage has condemned the drinks industry's lack of
transparency about its use of ginseng and is launching a 'Truth in
Ginseng' campaign which it hopes will force manufacturers to reveal
full information about...
Evidence continues to mount suggesting the benefits of moderate
drinking to overall health with a new study on over 4,000 older
women finding a daily drink could sharpen the mind.
Sales of oxygen-enriched water have almost quadrupled in Germany
since 2002 to 30 million litres. But in the US where it has been
available for over a decade longer, growth has been attributed to a
much more sophisticated product,...
The Florida Citrus Commission has approved a proposal to allow
citrus growers to opt out of paying taxes that support its
marketing program, according to the Florida Ledger.
In the US, Alcoa Closure Systems International has begun the
commerciallaunch of VinTegra, its new closure system for wine
bottles as an alternative tocorks and synthetic stoppers.
Figures released today confirm that the mere unveiling of the
taint-proof Diamont cork improved sales of all Oeneo closures in
the last half of 2004. But can this boost be transferred to its
barrels division? asks Kim Hunter Gordon.
Growing consumer spending levels in China have helped boost sales
at two of the world's leading drinks groups. South Africa's
SABMiller and France's Rémy Cointreau both benefited from the
increasing interest in premium...
As a weak dollar encourages the ever growing number of American
wine drinkers to stick to home-grown varieties, a survey has
reassured the rest of the viticultural world that they would still
be willing to try other things, writes...
Wheat prices are still open to risk as low global stocks provide
little buffer to surprise supply shocks but soybean prices should
remain low on record high global inventories, writes Lindsey
Partos.
Fuller Smith & Turner, the brewer of London Pride ale, has
geared up for growth by investing in a £2 million new line of keg
racking equipment supplied by German manufacturer KHS, writes
Kim Hunter Gordon.
Sherwood Technology has developed a laser-responsive coating or
'virtual label' for packaging materials such as cartons, cases and
overwraps that removes the need for the application of
variable-data print-and-apply labels...
Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East has started construction of
its new beverage can plant in North Africa, further underlining the
division's commitment to the emerging markets of North Africa and
the Middle East.
A campaign launched this month by the Center for Global Food Issues
(CGFI) warning consumers against claims made on milk cartons has
received short shrift from the organic industry, reports
Philippa Nuttall.
InBev, the company formed last year by the merger of Belgium's
Interbrew and the Brazilian giant AmBev, says it is on track for
solid profit growth in 2004 despite missing its full-year volume
growth target, writes Chris Jones.
Moldovan wine producer Asconi Corporation has announced that its
2004 case sales increased by 20 per cent on 2003 to almost 2
million cases. The news comes at the same time as the inclusion of
10 of the company's wine in a list...
Rumours of the death of PET bottles in Russia have been greatly
exaggerated, as plastic continues to be the packaging medium of
choice for both brewers and soft drink producers, writes Angela
Drujinina.
Southcorp has said that Foster's A$3.1 billion takeover attempt
today is "inadequate and opportunistic". But, with its beer
business stagnating and the global wine trade consolidating,
Foster's may need to get...
Kirin Brewery Company has acquired a further 117 million class B
shares of San Miguel Corporation, pushing its share in the
Philippines food giant up by 4.12 per cent, giving Kirin a 19.67
per cent stake in San Miguel.
Bulgaria's Supreme administrative court upheld today a lower court
ruling to fine the local branch of Coca-Cola leva 20, 000 ($13,400)
for using illicit promotional methods.
Tsingtao, China's leading domestic brewer, and one of the few home
beer brands to make it on to the international market, has
announced that it is about to start marketing a low-end beer in
Beijing. The move is significant as...
Foster's has bought an 18.8 percent share in Australia's third
biggest winemaker, Southcorp, preventing rival bidders from taking
it over and keeping it in Aussie hands.
A drop in export growth and the strength of this year's crop has
meant that the addition of the 2005 vintage will cause a surplus of
red wine in Australia, reports Kim Hunter Gordon.
After a raft of disappointing Christmas trading figures from most
of its main rivals this week, the 1.2 per cent decline in third
quarter like-for-like sales from J Sainsbury announced today will
come as little surprise. But the decline...
The SABMiller vulture has begun to hover as doubt is cast on the
outcome of next week's shareholder vote on a merger with Coors,
writes Kim Hunter Gordon.
As China slowly starts to wake up to the smell of coffee, we
consider whether or not it will ever prove to be a rival for the
nations favourite soft drink, tea. Simon Pitman reports.
Connecticut-based beverage company SoBe - South Beach Beverage
Company - has paid a $219,000 penalty for falsely claiming that its
drinks protect against colds and other illnesses and increase
energy levels.
Following the success of a controversial TV advert, Blavod is set
for further growth in the UK as it signs up with wholesaler Matthew
Clark. Abroad, it sees Poland and other EU accession countries as
lands of opportunity, reports...
Panic reports of the demise of beer in the US and Germany are a
part of the trend for convergence that will see beer sales decline
in traditional beer drinking countries but continue to grow
globally, writes Kim Hunter Gordon.
A study published in the International Journal of Cancer this month
has provided evidence that red wine could reduce the risk of
prostate cancer, and that general alcohol consumtion has no
negative effect.
