World coffee production over the next year will rise by nearly ten
per cent, or nearly 11 million bags, over the previous year,
fuelling a rising demand for the brew, according to a forecast
report.
Canada's health regulator has found benzene in about 20 per cent of
the soft drinks and other beverages it analyzed in a survey this
year, with four found to have exceeded the country's standard for
the cancer-causing chemical.
Manufacturers in Ireland have recalled two diet drinks from the
market, after testing by the country's food regulator found high
levels of the cancer-causing chemical in their products.
France will again get European Union money to turn 150m litres of
quality wine into unusable, industrial alcohol, as the Commission
promises to clean out Europe's wine lake once and for all.
DSM Food Specialties has launched a new pectinase for red berry
processing, which it claims will help manufacturers achieve higher
juice yields and stable colour when processing acid red berries.
More imagination is needed if the European Union's wine reform is
to truly create a wine sector that will fend for itself against
marketing masters from the New World, says the head of a French
winemakers' delegation to...
Britain's middleweight brewing sector has continued to motor along
nicely over the last few months, to the dismay of real ale
campaigners who see Britain's small-time brewers melting into the
history books.
A UK mineral water company has launched the first corn-based
biodegradable bottle in that country's market, linking its fund
raising activities with environmentalism.
Five US soft drinks were found containing the cancer-causing
chemical benzene at levels above the legal limit for drinking
water, America's food safety watchdog has announced, sparking calls
for more thorough testing.
Drinking more orange or grapefruit juice may reduce bone loss and
decrease the risk of osteoporosis in later life, suggests an animal
study from Texas.
The evidence that green tea could benefit heart health are
"supportive" but not "conclusive", said the FDA, leaving the door
open to backing such health claims in the future.
Carlsberg's plan to scale down operations in Western Europe in
favour of emerging beer markets in Eastern Europe and Asia has
helped it to improve first quarter results this year.
The makers of the Red Bull energy drink will continue lobbying the
Turkish government, after being forced to reformulate to meet the
country's ban on high caffeine energy drinks.
In the overcrowded spirits industry, the future success of leading
players rests on their ability to free up finances for
acquisitions, says new report.
Soft drinks firms have bowed to pressure from lawyers by pledging
to pull more fizzy drinks out of US schools, but faced continued
uncertainty last night as some legal experts involved pointed to
loopholes in the deal.
More lawsuits have been filed against soft drinks firms alleging
their drinks were contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical
benzene above America's legal limit for drinking water.
Asia Packaging Industries has broken ground on a US$39 million can
factory in southern Vietnam, which is designed to meet rising
demand for packaged beverages in the market.
Long-term heavy coffee drinking does not increase the risk of
coronary heart disease (CHD) say Harvard researchers, results that
also have positive implications for the stimulant drink industry.
Americans will replace the French as the world's biggest wine
drinkers within three years, says new research, putting greater
pressure on France's shrinking share of wine exports.
Cadbury Schweppes has reformulated its flagship Seven Up drink with
only natural ingredients, in an attempt to grow the brand through
rising consumer demand for natural products.
A new test should more accurately show the amount of benzene in
soft drinks on shop shelves, but that does not mean there is no
problem, says the scientist behind the new procedure to
BeverageDaily.com.
Finnish company Valio is continuing R&D into fruit juice-based
probiotics, with a study in the journal LWT reporting
excellent stability, survivability and tolerability of two strains.
America's Food and Drug Administration has questioned the accuracy
of its own testing for benzene in soft drinks between 1995 and
2001, but held off criticism from Congress members for refusing to
publish results from its current...
Lawyers in the US announced yesterday they were taking two soft
drinks firms to court, alleging lab tests showed drinks
contaminated with benzene above America's safety limit for tap
water.
Testing soft drinks to reflect the effects of storage and transport
conditions will be crucial to realistically monitor benzene
formation in different drinks, a former industry scientist told
BeverageDaily.com.
Soft drinks makers have been hauled before the European Commission
to explain the presence of benzene traces in drinks, putting the
industry under pressure after recalls in the UK.
Soft drink consumption is the principal factor behind the growth in
global drinks, with health playing an increasingly important role
in consumer choice.
Britain's food safety watchdog has demanded recalls on four soft
drinks brands, after it found they were contaminated with benzene
at up to 28 times the country's limit for drinking water.
Both green and black tea could protect against age-related diseases
like Alzheimer's, says a new study, adding yet more support to the
benefits of tea extract on brain health.
The French government has launched a multi-million euro rescue plan
for France's ailing wine industry, including €12m export support
and an overhaul of the quality control system.
Levels of benzene found in soft drinks so far are not a safety risk
for consumers, says the US food safety watchdog, attempting to calm
public concern.
Combining alcohol and Red Bull reduces the 'perception' of
impairment, though alcohol's harmful effects on motor coordination
remain intact, according to a new study.
Green tea catechins may improve reference and working-memory
related learning ability, say research from Japan, adding to claims
that green tea can help ward off Alzheimer's.
Dynasty Fine Wine Group, one of China's top three wine makers, is
set to increase its production capacity to 50,000 tons this year,
to meet fast-rising demand for the drink in an increasingly
affluent population.
More and more wineries are putting pictures of animals on their
wine labels, a plan that has shown early success with younger,
fun-seeking consumers, says a new report.
One of southern France's biggest wine groups has pulled out of
negotiations over a battle plan for the country's ailing wine
sector, days after militant winemakers sent 1.5m litres of its wine
flowing into the street.
Coca-Cola said it was testing its soft drinks around the world for
benzene, as the group sought to reassure consumers that soft drinks
were only a very small contributor to daily benzene intake.
A controversial agreement to protect Europe's traditional wine
names like Champagne and Port from use by American winemakers has
been officially signed by the US and European Union.
Trace amounts of a little-researched toxic metal have been found in
bottled water brands in PET bottles across Europe and Canada, says
new research from Germany.
Nestlé Waters has confirmed it is examining how to re-organise its
75 bottled water brands into a more coherent unit, as rivals spring
up from all sides.
