French wine sector leaders have launched a battle plan to tackle
the industry crisis, including fixed minimum prices and vineyard
conversions, as militants re-launch their campaign in the south.
Portable, idiot-friendly wine analysis equipment was all the rage
at this year's Sitevi wine production expo, with one machine using
rays to assess the quality of grapes standing out.
Tea waste is almost as rich in potent antioxidants, such as
catechins, as the new and expensive green tea leaves used by the
supplements industry, according to Iranian research to be published
later this month in peer-reviewed journal...
Two French entrepreneurs have developed a novel hand-held wine
tester that will better help wine firms meet specific consumer
tastes by taking scientific samples like a diabetic measures blood
sugar.
The EU and US have signed off the first stage of their wine
agreement as France's agriculture minister tells annoyed winemakers
the deal is not as strong as it could be.
While Europe's food regulatory agency performs a risk assessment on
Isopropylthioxanthone (ITX), Tetra Pak is moving to phase out use
of the printing chemical from some types of juice packaging by
January, the company told FoodProductionDaily.com...
Drinking decaffeinated coffee may increase consumers' harmful LDL
cholesterol more than normal coffee, and thin people are at a
greater risk, suggests new US study.
Cadbury Schweppes has announced it plans to sell its European
beverages arm for £1.2bn to a private equity consortium led by Lion
Capital and Blackstone.
Starbucks is fast becoming the new embodiment of the American dream
with a 27 per cent rise in profits on the back of aggressive
expansion that may soon see the group moving into Russia.
French water and dairy firm Danone has signed a deal to get rid of
its troublesome water cooler business in the US, though not without
taking one last hit.
French wine makers are planning a new protest in Narbonne, the
centre of violent scenes earlier this year, in answer to the
continuing low prices on the market and poor government support.
The increasing theft of beer kegs is costing brewers millions of
pounds every year, as industry bodies pledge tougher surveillance
to halt the beer keg bandits.
Alco-pops have lost the plot on the UK alcoholic drinks market and
the sector will carry on sinking until producers come up with
something new for Britain's youth, says a new report.
Nestlé has filed patents all around the world for a new, foamy
coffee drink that is made and looks like beer but contains no
alcohol, in a sign it is exploring new product avenues.
Prices for quality French wines have continued to crumble in recent
months as the gap closes between them and their less regulated
counterparts, leaving ominous signs for the future of some in the
industry.
The UK ranks second behind Canada in the level of productivity of
its food, drink and tobacco products work force, but Austria,
Finland and the Netherlands are on the way to overtaking the
island, according to an international study.
Food standards authorities in Australia and New Zealand have
legalised drinks fortified with calcium, offering opportunities for
firms amid growing consumer demand and poor dietary intake.
The Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) has agreed to relax maturity
standards for oranges and grapefruits processed for juice in a move
to help growers impacted by Hurricane Wilma.
The French food safety authority is advising consumers not to drink
more than 30 ml of noni juice per day as some studies have linked
it with hepatitis.
The world's biggest drinks firm has shunned the chance to buy New
Zealand's Montana wines off Pernod Ricard because it will not
generate enough growth.
Sports drinks, juice and bottled water spearheaded a set of
encouraging third quarter results from Coca-Cola as
health-conscious consumers force a realignment at the major soft
drinks players.
Belgian company Orafti has introduced a new low colour organic
sweetener that could tackle the problems faced by organic soft
drink manufacturers, including off-notes in colour and taste.
A 40 per cent increase in marketing funds should help French wine
makers tackle falling sales in the UK and combat the very real
threat from New World wines.
As the EU announces another €450m round of subsidies for member
states to restructure their vineyards, plans are already being laid
for major reforms to Europe's wine sector next year.
The amount of fake food and drinks entering the EU grew by 200 per
cent last year, with the higher quality of counterfeits making
detection more difficult, the bloc's administrative arm said this
week.
Premier Foods will sell its Typhoo tea brand to Indian group
Apeejay Surrendra as the good old British 'cuppa' tries to readjust
amid coffee culture and private label dominance.
Italian fraud police have seized more than nine million bottles'
worth of high quality Chianti Classico wine at the renowned Ruffino
winery in Tuscany, seriously threatening the group's supplies at
the start of the new season.
International coffee roaster Douwe Egberts is set to follow
Nestlé's lead by launching an ethical coffee brand in the UK in
order to tap into the country's lucrative ethical consumer trend.
Nestlé, the world's largest direct coffee buyer, will launch its
first certified fair trade brand across the UK this month as
consumers place ever more importance on ethical shopping.
A herbal beer developed by an Indian research institute will
finally reach the market in 2006, claims the researcher, after
several delays to its launch.
Seasonal beer is Anheuser Busch's latest attempt to reinvigorate
itself on America's stagnate beer market as the firm attempts to
get closer to the craft beers that are out-performing the sector.
Carlsberg has confirmed it plans to shut around half its European
breweries within a decade to reflect a permanent shift in beer
market growth from west to east, and more specifically, China.
Energy drinks push their way to the front of PepsiCo's portfolio as
the Gatorade brand drives forward third quarter sales alongside
more growth from diet and non-carbonated drinks, leaving fizzy cola
festering on the shelf.
French wine cooperatives have rejected the recent wine labelling
agreement between the EU and US, claiming the deal will not benefit
European producers as much as the Commission thinks.
A chance to fight Pierce's disease, one of the wine industry's most
deadly foes, at its origins has come a step closer after scientists
found common weeds nestling in vineyards were helping the sickness
to spread.
Fruit and vegetable juices are excellently placed to take
functional innovation forward, but producers must first get to
grips with the intense scrutiny their products will attract from
regulators and consumers, says Cargill nutritionist.
The world's largest supplier of private label soft drinks, Cott,
says 2005 profits will be badly hit by low fizzy drink consumption,
rising PET costs and poor performances from own-label bottled
water.
Scientists investigating the effects of green tea antioxidant EGCG
on mice's brains believe their positive results may signal its use
as a preventative or treatment of Alzheimer's disease in humans.
The evidence in favor of pomegranates is stacking up, as the latest
research indicates that drinking a glass of pomegranate juice each
day may be of benefit for patients with coronary heart disease.
US wine producers may soon scrub names of traditional European wine
regions, like Champagne and Burgundy, off their bottles in exchange
for better access to EU markets, in a breakthrough deal.
A new rapid pasteurisation technology developed by Tetra Pak claims
it can slash production costs and time by combining pasteurisation
and mixing, as well as retain more nutrients in the end product.
New yeast blends to help vintners enhance flavour as they make
wines with ever higher alcohol content have been developed by
international ingredients firm Chr Hansen.
Freak storms have ravaged France's Languedoc-Roussillon region,
threatening to damage the new wine crop by leaving some vineyards
under water at the crucial harvesting stage.
Opportunities await for Europe's beer industry to tap into growing
consumer health trends as Belgian brewing scientists offer newly
developed testing to assess the nutritional quality of beers.
Foster's has taken a streamlined approach to 'brand Australia' on
the world wine market, announcing two wineries will be sold off as
the firm tries to realise cost-savings from its Southcorp buyout.
