The government’s Resources and Waste Strategy has been unveiled, setting out how ministers aim to change the way consumers deal with waste from the home to the workplace.

It includes the introduction of a deposit return scheme in 2023, subject to consultation early next year.

Gavin Partington, Director General at British Soft Drinks Association, said:

“The soft drinks industry supports the introduction of a GB-wide full deposit return scheme for all plastic and can beverage containers. We believe this is the best way to increase recycling levels and tackle litter.

“Reform of the current producer responsibility system is also necessary to create greater transparency and increased investment in UK recycling infrastructure.”

Jonathan Davison, Beverage Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, identifies the defining beverage market trends in 2018:

1. Company diversification:

Responding to a game-changing shift in consumer attitudes towards health and wellness, carbonated soft drinks giants looked to protect their volume and value sales through category diversification. Delivering on its promise to become a “total beverage company”, Coca-Cola led this trend through a wave of acquisitions across multiple industry sectors, as well as revamping the marketing of Diet Coke and Zero Sugar.

The company also expanded into other categories such as dairy alternatives, increased its energy and juice drinks portfolios and made its presence felt in Foodservice with the £3.9bn acquisition of Costa Coffee.

2. Combatting packaging waste:

The strength of consumer demand for sustainable packaging solutions is driven by industry collaboration and company innovation.

Over 106 brands signed up to the UK’s ‘Plastic Pact’, while PepsiCo joined Nestle, Danone and Origin Materials in the NaturALL Bottle Alliance. When asked about the effect of a tax on plastic products, ^*79 % of global consumers indicated their shopping behaviour would change. In the UK, Government and industry have reflected this sentiment in a number of actions this year.

The Gov’t continues its consultation on a UK wide deposit return scheme (DSR) for drinks containers. Starbucks introduced a ‘latte levy’ of 5p on single-use paper cups, Carlsberg launched its pioneering ‘snap packs’ solution to bond packs of multiple cans together without using plastic rings and a number of resealable and recyclable can innovations have been launched.

3. Cannabis-infused drinks:

Functional beverages continue to play an important role in the beverages market with the perceived health benefits of cannabidiol (CBD) driving a surge of interest amongst young consumers in 2018.

This emerging sub-category has caught the attention of the biggest players in the market. Constellation Brands and Molson Coors made significant investments in August and both Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are keeping a watching brief on developments.

4. Blossoming plant-based sub-category:

Vegans and vegetarians make up just ^*7% of the world’s population so it is significant that attitudes to plant-based drinks from non-vegetarians shifted markedly in 2018, as the multi-layered benefits of these drinks became more apparent. The growing consumer interest in this sub-category has taken it mainstream, with market volumes set to increase by ^**5% in 2018.

Key developments in 2018 included Coca-Cola’s relaunch of its dairy-free smoothie brand AdeZ and the introduction of a range of plant-based milks under its Innocent brand, together with new launches from Starbucks and PepsiCo.

5. Individualism and self-tailoring:

GlobalData’s latest report, ‘‘TrendSights Overview: Individualism & Expression – Exploring the impact the Individualism & Expression mega-trend has on innovation across the FMCG space, 2018”, reveals that consumers are looking for more bespoke, individual experiences, with 61 % of global consumers expressing an interest in creating their own products.

In the crisps market, Walkers’ ‘Salt ‘n’ Shake’ provides a good example of how well this concept can work and some soft drinks brands are now including similar options for customization. Kolibri Drinks launched of a range of botanical products this year which allow consumers to tailor the flavour and sugar content themselves, by using a syrup-based sweetener stored in the cap. This concept could be widely adopted by ready-to-drink (RTD) formats, providing consumers with more choice by offering customisation with convenience.

^*Source: GlobalData 2018 Q3 global consumer survey
^**Source: GlobalData

The production decrease in the citrus belt (São Paulo and Triângulo Mineiro) in 2018/19 was confirmed by Fundecitrus (Citrus Defense Fund) in a report released on December 10. Despite the increase compared to that estimated in September, data indicate that the current crop should be 30.8 % smaller than the previous, totaling only 275.7 million 40.8-boxes of oranges.

In this scenario, orange juice inventories at processors are predicted to decrease to critical levels again by June 2019, which may ensure a balanced supply for the following year, even if orange production increases in 2019/20 – as expected by agents. According to CitrusBR (Brazilian Association of Citrus Exporters), juice inventories are forecast at 146.7 thousand tons, only enough for two months exports, at the most.

According to Fundecitrus, estimates increased because of the higher moisture in the citrus belt, which allowed the fruits to grow, mainly pear and late oranges.

However, in the first semester of 2018, the lack of rains hampered oranges growth and weakened plants vigor, and the fruits were vulnerable to drops and diseases. Thus, the drop rate this year (until November) is already higher than Fundecitrus expected.

In the field, pear orange harvesting has already reached 83% of the total volume expected, while the harvesting of valência and natal oranges has reached 66 %. Considering all varieties, 78 % of the total production has been harvested, similar to that from the same period last year (75 %). In light of that, agents expect the 2018/19 harvesting to end earlier, which may push up orange quotes in early 2019, when supply is usually low.

Despite the smaller volume forecast for the coming months, agents from processors believe crushing should not be interrupted between the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 (when at least one plant of each processor should be operating). With the slower fruits growth in the first semester, crushing increased in mid-August, due to the ratio out of the standard desired for pear oranges.

BRAZILIAN MARKET – Orange consumption increased in early December, boosted by the payment of workers’ wages and the warmer weather in São Paulo State. However, rains accelerated fruits growth, which led farmers to fasten the harvesting pace in order to avoid losses. In that scenario, supply increased and pressed down quotes.

Besides, the higher availability of stone fruits, which is common for this time of the year, hampered the demand for oranges in the Brazilian market in the first fortnight of December, helping to lower prices.

Mountain Dew, a PepsiCo International brand, has launched a special edition 33cl package featuring fluorescent inks in the Middle East. Designed to attract consumer attention and boost sales in the hot summer season, the ultra-bright green colour on the can accentuates the bold Mountain Dew logo and reinforces the brand’s image.

The neon colour glows in the dark, adding the elements of fun, surprise and interactivity to the packaging for this iconic brand. The inks were applied to beverage cans manufactured at Crown’s facilities in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan at full line speed, ensuring productivity levels were optimized. Crown also worked closely with PepsiCo and ink supplier INX to secure the necessary regulatory approvals. The neon cans were sold in the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Lebanon, Qatar and Jordan markets from August 2018 until.

Metal has impeccable sustainability credentials – cans are 100% and infinitely recyclable – with no loss of properties, making it an important contributor to the circular economy. Once the containers enter the material-to-material loop, where they get recycled again and again, they can return to store shelves as new beverage cans in as little as 60 days.

All Oranges 77.0 Million Boxes

The 2018-2019 Florida all orange forecast released by the USDA Agricultural Statistics Board is 77.0 million boxes, unchanged from the November forecast. If realized, this forecast will be 71 percent more than last season’s final production. The forecast consists of 32.0 million boxes of the non-Valencia oranges (early, midseason, and Navel varieties) and 45.0 million boxes of the Valencia oranges. Regression data used are from the 2008-2009 through 2016-2017 seasons. All references to “average”, “minimum”, and “maximum” refer to those 9 seasons unless noted. The hurricane affected 2017-2018 season is excluded from the regressions.

Non-Valencia Oranges 32.0 Million Boxes

The forecast of non-Valencia production is unchanged at 32.0 million boxes. Current fruit size is below the minimum and projected to be below the minimum at harvest. Current droppage is above average and is projected to be above average until harvest. The Navel forecast, included in the non-Valencia forecast, is unchanged at 800 thousand boxes, and is 3 percent of the non-Valencia total. Final Navel size is below average and droppage is close to the maximum.

Valencia Oranges 45.0 Million Boxes

The forecast of Valencia production is unchanged at 45.0 million boxes. Current fruit size is below the minimum and is projected to be below the minimum at harvest. Current droppage is above average and projected to be above average at harvest.

Please download the full citrus crop production forecast: www.nass.usda.gov

Growth in the global food and beverage processing and packaging equipment market looks promising over the next four years. Frost & Sullivan’s latest analysis reveals that improved economic conditions in emerging nations, changing dietary preferences globally, and a rising demand for nutritious and ready-to-eat food products are driving demand for food processors and boosting growth in the packaging equipment market. The global food and beverages processing and packaging equipment market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 4.1 % from 2017 until 2022 and reach $78.6 billion.

“With increasing food and beverages product demand and a growing emphasis on food safety, food processors are reliant on equipment manufacturers to provide processing and packaging equipment that is agile and utilizes advanced technologies to minimize energy usage, operate at a higher efficiency, and improve yield,” said Arun Ramesh, Team Lead, Agriculture and Nutrition, Visionary Science, Frost & Sullivan.

The global demand for food products has led equipment manufacturers to acquire, merge, and partner with companies to leverage technology innovation. To remain competitive in an evolving market, Ramesh recommends that players create smarter products by investing in new capabilities such as advanced data and analytics, robotics and automation, and extend their capabilities to offer full solutions, including installation, monitoring, services, and integration. Additional factors imperative to growth include:

• Equipment manufacturers upgrading to advanced machinery for processing and packaging to cater to changing consumer preferences and consumption patterns
• Using machine learning and other tools to predict process delays, make improvements to engineering and optimize equipment design
• Refreshing operating models with an emphasis on enhanced after-sales and growth-focused strategies

“Machine downtime is still a major concern in the industry, and there is room for further investment in research and development among equipment manufacturers to develop equipment that is flexible and modular and customized to fit different products and customer needs while optimizing total cost of ownership,” noted Ramesh.

Global Food and Beverages Processing and Packaging Equipment Market, Forecast to 2022 market intelligence examines global growth opportunities in the food and beverages processing and packaging equipment market in detail with an emphasis on key growth factors across end-application segments, global and regional market trends, technologies, and product innovations.

Global Food and Beverages Processing and Packaging Equipment Market, Forecast to 2022 is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan’s Visionary Science research and analysis available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organizations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future.

Revolution Brands LLC announced it had begun accepting wholesale pre-orders for Slice – a new sparkling water flavoured only with USDA-certified organic fruit juices, organic flavors and carbonated water.

Intellectual property attorney Joseph C. Gioconda of the Gioconda Law Group PLLC represented New Slice Ventures in acquiring the federally registered trademark rights to the Slice brand.  Spiral Sun Ventures, a seed capital fund that invests in early-stage companies that create better-for-you consumer products, has invested in New Slice Ventures.

Slice is now available in four flavours in 12-ounce cans: Raspberry Grapefruit, Blackberry, Mango Pineapple and Apple Cranberry.  Slice will be sold by the 4-pack, but is also available in single serve cans.

Slice has no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial colors or caffeine. Slice is only 25 calories per can which is up to 80% fewer calories than most regular cans of soda.

Mark Thomann, CEO of New Slice Ventures LLC, which now owns the Slice trademarks in the United States, said: “We are excited about the launch of Slice. Slice is a great brand and one that can connect with a new generation of consumers who want something a little healthier than soda, but just as delicious.”

Glenn Backus, a former executive with H-E-B, Trader Joe’s and Supervalu is with Revolution Brands, which handled the creation and launch of the new Slice.  “We worked very hard to create an organic sparkling water that tastes amazing and has a sweetness much closer to soda than any other sparkling water on the market.  Customers have asked for a healthier alternative to their usual soda, but traditional sparkling water brands lack the flavour they crave.  So, we created the new Slice. Only 25 calories per can with a refreshing sweetness that everyone will love.”

Stora Enso and Sulapac continue to combat the global problem of plastic waste by introducing a demo of a sustainable straw at Slush 2018, a global leading startup event gathering of 20,000 tech enthusiasts. The demo, targeting industrial scale production, is designed to replace traditional plastic straws with renewable ones. The straws are based on Sulapac’s biocomposite material – made of wood and natural binders – designed to be recycled via industrial composting and biodegrade in marine environment.

“This is an important step for Stora Enso and showcases our long-term commitment to gradually replacing fossil-based materials with renewable solutions. Our collaboration with Sulapac is a great example of what we can achieve through partnership in terms of driving innovation to create sustainable solutions within the bioeconomy,” says Annica Bresky, EVP, Consumer Board division.

Stora Enso signed a joint development agreement with Sulapac in May 2018 to license its materials and technology. The development of the demo straw is a joint collaboration between Stora Enso and Sulapac – a cooperation which complements Stora Enso’s extensive biocomposite portfolio.

“Eco-awareness is a strong driver for consumer demand, and our customers want help in replacing non-renewable materials. Different biocomposite solutions, such as renewable caps and closures and straws will be add-ons and a complement to our own consumer board portfolio, bringing additional value to our customers,” says Hannu Kasurinen, SVP Head of Liquid Packaging and Carton Board.

Sulapac’s material works in existing extrusion lines and the target is to have the straws commercially available in Q2 2019.

“Today, we proudly announce that we are launching a demo for a recyclable, microplastic-free and marine biodegradable straw. This is the world’s most sustainable straw that can be produced on an industrial scale and we have jointly developed it with Stora Enso. Billions of plastic straws are produced and used every week. This straw has the potential to be a true game changer,” says Sulapac’s founder and CEO Suvi Haimi.

1893 – It was the year of inventions that are still indispensable today, such as the diesel engine by Rudolf Diesel and the zipper by Whitcomb Judson. And 1893 also showed what persistence means. Andy Bowen and Jacke Burke fought a seven-hour, 19-minute boxing match over 110 rounds – with no winners in the end. At the same time, the businessman Franz Ramesohl and the cabinetmaker Franz Schmidt in Oelde, Westphalia, proved their innovative strength, creativity and stamina. They opened a workshop on September 1, 1893, and produced a hand-operated milk centrifuge with the model name “Westfalia”. Ramesohl & Schmidt oHG had three locksmiths and two turners 125 years ago. They produced the hand-operated milk centrifuges with the simplest but effective equipment. Entrepreneurial skills, craftsmanship and technical expertise coupled with a love for innovation formed the basis for the following 125 years.

The roots of the company developed into today’s GEA site, the most modern separator plant in the world. The products “made in Oelde” are supplied all over the world. The export quota is currently over 80 percent. GEA’s expertise now encompasses over 3,500 different processes and 2,500 products for various industries ranging from food and beverage, marine, oil and gas to power, chemical, pharmaceutical and environmental technology.

Regionally rooted, globally active

Today, Oelde is GEA’s largest single site worldwide with a production area of around 37,000 square meters. Around 1,900 employees, 180 of whom are trainees, are currently working in the areas of design, production and administration. GEA invested heavily in the site in 2013. “We had and still have the clear ambition not simply to swim in the global competition, but to determine it by increasing efficiency,” says Steffen Bersch, member of the GEA Executive Board, who worked for many years in Oelde himself. For example, the new building in Oelde, which was built in 2013, was essentially based on the idea of sustainability: its own combined heat and power plant with an electrical output of 1.2 MW reduces the CO2 footprint and generates enough electricity to supply more than 2,000 average households. The new separator production enables GEA to optimize processes throughout the entire production process. The use of well-trained and committed employees in conjunction with modern production machines and technologies has led to significantly reduced throughput times in the production of the separators and plants, most of which are customized to the customer’s needs, while maintaining above-average product quality.

The company’s own Process Test Center (PTC), which opened in 2014 and provides extensive specialist support for customers’ investment projects, also enables even greater customer orientation: Starting with the specification of product properties through the determination and design of machine types to pilot tests at GEA and on site at the customer’s premises. In cooperation with the customer, GEA Product Managers and GEA Process Development, the PTC also develops and tests completely new processes. The PTC also underscores GEA’s innovative strength as a leading international technology group. More than 11,000 tests and process developments as well as more than 18,000 laboratory product analyses have been carried out to date. This know-how is bundled in a database, which is supplemented and updated every year by around 500 new product tests and over 150 process developments.

In order to reliably ensure maximum customer satisfaction and continuous machine availability during operation, the supply of spare parts is coordinated centrally from Oelde and in cooperation with renowned logistics companies via so-called hubs. These spare parts centers are currently located in Cologne, Germany (since 2011), Singapore (since 2014) and Naperville, USA (since 2017). At the European Parts Logistics Center (EPLC) in Cologne, around 21,000 different articles – from 5 mm diameter sealing rings to machine parts weighing several hundred kilograms – can be retrieved in the shortest possible time; on average, 250 shipments are handled daily. GEA customers can call this service 24/7 via a hotline. If an order is received by 3 p.m. local time, it is guaranteed to be ready for dispatch on the same day. Particularly urgent shipments even leave the site within an hour.

Exploiting the opportunities offered by digitization

The continuously and ever faster progressing digitization changes customers, markets and last but not least GEA. Finding the right answers with innovative digital products and services is crucial for tomorrow’s competitive advantage,” explains Brinke. GEA sees digitization above all as an opportunity and a pioneer for new growth and development potential, both in the new machine sector and with regard to the growing range of service solutions.

A current example from the service sector: GEA PerformancePlus includes service packages that go far beyond traditional maintenance and are an ideal complement to an industry 4.0 strategy. This uncovers optimization potentials that enable sustainable plant operation. Modern technologies for condition monitoring combined with the know-how of GEA employees provide the customer with meaningful condition analyses and information for decision-making with regard to possible process optimizations – with the aim of permanent availability and maximum productivity. At the same time, changed production requirements can be better assessed and orders can be scheduled in an economically optimal manner.

Strengthened by 125 years of success, GEA Separation continues to follow in the footsteps of digital transformation – and so this anniversary not only marks a milestone in the company’s history. At the same time, it is an incentive to push ahead with innovations and continue to improve customer processes and, not least, people’s lives in the long term – in other words, “engineering for a better world”.

The Verder Group, a Dutch family-owned business specializing in the manufacture and distribution of pumps and laboratory equipment, acquires the South-Korean pump manufacturer JEC Ltd.

The Verder Group, the fast growing niche market manufacturer of pumps and laboratory equipment has acquired JEC, manufacturer of hygienic rotary lobe, centrifugal and twin-screw pumps. This acquisition will strengthen Verder’s hygienic position in the pharmaceutical and food & beverage market, offering a full portfolio of high end products in the most important economies worldwide.

Founded in 1990, JEC Ltd. has shown continuous growth due to its innovation in the production of high quality pumps for the food, pharmaceutical and other hygienic markets, nowadays being a leading Asian pump manufacturer. JEC Ltd, the market leader in Korea, has an extensive distribution network worldwide. Director James Song will stay involved in the management of JEC Ltd.

The Verder Group was founded by André Verder in 1959 as a trading company of innovative products. The Group has remained under family management and is active with own sales offices in 27 countries and several manufacturing sites. The two divisions Verder Liquids (industrial pumps) and Verder Scientific (laboratory equipment) have kept an equal growth pace over the years.

The supply of larger-sized tahiti lime increased in São Paulo State in November, due to rains. And as larger-sized fruits arrived at the market, the availability of small-sized tahiti lime decreased – until mid-November, the supply of small-sized fruits was high, since farmers were interested in trading them at high price levels.

In that scenario, quotes were 47.7 % lower than in October, averaging 39.57 BRL per 27-kilo box, harvested, last month. As for liquidity, sales decreased in the Brazilian market too.

PERSPECTIVES – At processors, crushing is forecast to step up only in mid-January – prices have not been estimated yet. This year, the average tahiti lime quotes were higher than in 2017 most part of the year (except for March, July and August), pushed up by lower supply and firm demand, from both Brazilian processors and the international market.

ORANGE – Higher supply and weakened demand pressed down pear orange quotes by 7.9 % from October to November, to the average of 30.24 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, on tree, last month. In general, rains and the slight cold front during the month halted the citrus market. However, although demand decreased, the harvesting was limited by precipitation, constraining sharper price drops.

FIELD – The heavy rains from October and November in the main citrus producing regions from São Paulo State concerned Brazilian citrus growers regarding the quality of the mature oranges from the current season (2018/19). High moisture was leading the late fruits to grow up to large sizes before the ideal harvesting period (due to the higher water concentration), reducing acceptance in the in natura market.

This scenario may also reduce yield at processors. Still, farmers believe these fruits may be accepted for crushing, which may limit volume reductions, based on the smaller production in 2018/19.

Loop Industries, Inc., a leading technology innovator in sustainable plastic announced that they have entered into a multi-year supply framework with the Coca-Cola system’s Cross Enterprise Procurement Group (“CEPG”) to supply 100 % recycled and sustainable LoopT PET plastic (“LoopT PET”) from Loop’s joint venture facility with Indorama Ventures Limited in the United States to authorized Coca-Cola bottlers who enter into supply agreements with Loop. Indorama Ventures is a world-class chemicals company and a global integrated leader in PET and fibers serving major customers in diversified end-use markets.

“We are very proud to become a supplier of LoopT branded PET resin to the members of the Coca-Cola system’s Cross Enterprise Procurement Group,” said Daniel Solomita, Founder and CEO of Loop Industries.  “We are especially pleased to be able to assist Coca-Cola’s authorized bottlers as they work to meet their recycled content ambitions.”

“Like all responsible companies, we need to be selective in choosing our packaging materials so that we continue to eliminate waste and work to reduce the environmental impact,” said Ron Lewis, Chief Supply Chain Officer, Coca-Cola European Partners, a bottler member of CEPG. “Investments like this one with Loop Industries support our goal to ensure that at least 50% of the material we use for our PET bottles comes from recycled plastic, and will help us divert more materials from landfills and build a stronger circular plastic economy.”

This arrangement continues the rapid and exciting progress ?being made by Loop as it commercializes its breakthrough depolymerization technology which will help reduce global plastic waste and enable major global brands to meet their sustainability goals. As the demand for sustainable packaging solutions continues to grow, Loop Industries has emerged with transformational technology that allows no and low value plastics to be diverted, recovered and recycled endlessly into new, virgin-quality LoopT PET plastic.

Changing of the guard in August 2019

Walter Pardatscher will take over from Gerhard Dichgans at the helm of VOG. On Wednesday 28 November, the Consortium’s board of directors settled on the figure entrusted with leading the Terlano-based House of Apples in the coming years, once Dichgans steps down from the role.

The company has known for a year that Gerhard Dichgans, the Consortium’s long-serving CEO, was looking to go into retirement. The board has been hunting for a suitable successor for a number of months, now identified thanks also to the support of a renowned recruitment agency based in Monaco.

The board concurred that Walter Pardatscher is the individual with the right skills to drive forward the consortium’s ambitious plans. 48-year-old Pardatscher has a background in apple growing: he grows them himself and is also chairman of one of the VOG cooperatives.

The future CEO of the Terlano consortium will first serve out his current contract with the Autostrada del Brennero motorway company, in his capacity as CEO. From 1 August 2019 he will bring his valuable experience to VOG.

Mental health is a pressing concern around the world with many consumers turning to health enhancing ingredients to help relieve a range of conditions including stress, anxiety and insomnia.

Whilst the food and beverages industry is awash with products that deliver on health, wellbeing and energy, mental health related new product development (NPD) has lagged behind with demand for these types of products varying amongst regions, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Consumer research from GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Top Trends in Healthcare and OTC Products 2018 – The latest trends in: OTC medication; vitamins, minerals, and supplements; functional food and drink; and sports nutrition’, reveals that 66 % of European consumers say that stress is a pressing mental health concern followed closely by overwork (56 %) and insomnia (55 %).

William Grimwade, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData comments, “There is clearly an opportunity for beverage manufacturers in Europe to develop products with mental health enhancing functionality.

“A high percentage of beverages in the region contain fortified and nutraceutical ingredients and 61 % of consumers say that soft drinks are their preferred method of consuming health enhancing ingredients.”

Health drinks have often been characterised as simply low sugar or energy boosters fortified with caffeine, vitamins or minerals. Mental health is a growing concern, but fortified drinks rarely address this need.

However, ingredients such as Gingko Biloba, Turmeric and Lecithin are increasingly being used in this field with companies like Coca-Cola investing in new emerging ingredients like Cannabidiol or CBD oil.

Grimwade adds, “With stress and overwork being the top mental health concerns in Europe driven by long working hours and the political and economic turmoil in the region creating so much uncertainty, demand for drinks fortified with stress and anxiety relieving ingredients will only increase.”

Mesophilic & Thermoduric – Thermophilic Bacteria: Spore Count

Please note that this method has been revised with a corrected thermal treatment step in sections D- IV and D-V. Thermophilic aerobic and anerobic sporeforming bacteria – spore count.

The revised method can be access via the methods section of the IFU website www.ifu-fruitjuice.com.

The environmental benefits of SIGNATURE PACK from SIG have been confirmed by a critically reviewed ISO-conformant lifecycle assessment (LCA) – the world’s first for a mass balance product.

The SIGNATURE PACK from SIG is the world’s first aseptic carton pack linked to 100 % plant-based renewable materials. The LCA showed significant reductions in environmental impacts across all 10 categories as a result of the substitution of fossil-based polymers with mass balance plant-based polymers made from tall oil (a by-product of paper manufacturing).

The carbon footprint of SIGNATURE PACK is – on average across Europe – 66 % lower than the carbon footprint of a standard SIG 1-litre carton pack of the same format across its lifecycle, based on the Europe-wide LCA.

World’s first ISO-conformant LCA for a mass balance product

The polymers in SIGNATURE PACK are 100 % linked to plant-based material via a mass balance system, whereby plant-based raw materials are mixed in with conventional fossil raw materials to produce the polymers. The amount of plant-based material included in the mix is equivalent to the amount needed for the polymers used in SIGNATURE PACK and the totals are balanced through recognised and audited certification schemes to ensure strict traceability and accountability.

The SIGNATURE PACK LCA is the first ISO-conformant LCA to take into account the inclusion of materials via a mass balance system. LCAs are traditionally based on the physical contents of a product and the environmental impacts associated with each stage of its production.

The independent, critically reviewed LCA of SIGNATURE PACK was conducted in accordance with recognised international standards, ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 by the Institut für Energie und Umweltforschung (IFEU/Institute for Energy and Environmental Research) in Germany.

IFEU agreed to conduct the LCA when it became clear how valuable SIG’s mass balance approach could be in making mainstream polymer production more sustainable.

Driving more sustainable plastics

SIG chose a mass balance approach because it supports a wider transition from fossil to bio-based raw materials within the conventional and highly efficient polymer industry, instead of using niche small scale producers with a limited number of plastic grades.

The polymers are supplied by plastic producers, Sabic and BASF, using plant-based renewable material from European wood sources. Tall oil was selected as the feedstock because, as a by-product of paper production, it is a waste material rather than an agricultural crop that requires land and resources to grow.

The Wageningen University & Research Professor Robert David Hall received the Nils Foss Excellence Prize for his pioneering research in plant metabolomics – defining the chemical fingerprint of plant materials. The award consists of 100.000 euro and an art work.

FOSS, supplier of analytical solutions for the food and agricultural industry, introduced the Nils Foss Excellence Prize back in 2016. The purpose is to honour world-class innovative research leading to remarkable improvements in sustainability, quality and safety in the food supply chain. FOSS sponsors the prize, while the nominees are selected by an independent jury of experts from both academia and industry, including chairman of the Technical University of Denmark, rector of the University of Copenhagen, and leaders from the private food sector.

This is the third year in a row the Nils Foss Excellence Prize is awarded, and this year in particular it carries special meaning, as Nils Foss passed away at the age of 90 in May of 2018.

Cell fingerprints to secure global food quality

This year’s winner of the main prize, Robert David Hall Professor of Plant Metabolomics and Deputy Business Unit Manager Bioscience at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands, is a pioneer within the field of plant metabolomics, which draws on disciplines ranging from analytical chemistry to computer science. Plant metabolomics is a method of analysis studying the metabolic profiles of plant cells – the fingerprint of the plant – with the aim of understanding the biochemical composition of plant and food materials. Ultimately, the goal is to map how genes and the environment influence plants, and thereby understand how the environment affects food quality.

Professor Hall stresses the importance of the research in metabolomics: “I feel very honoured and humbled to receive the Nils Foss Excellence Prize for the advances my team has made in the field of plant and food metabolomics. What is so special about metabolomics is that you can use this method of analysis to test a sample without needing to decide  in advance, what you are looking for. This makes it a powerful discovery tool and facilitates broad and exciting analytical perspectives, which will benefit many scientific disciplines and industries in the future Our particular goal is to support breeders and food producers to deliver plants, and food, of a much higher quality,” says Professor Robert David Hall.

About the winner

Professor Robert David Hall, is a pioneer in developing and establishing metabolomics technologies as a viable approach to study the metabolic profiles of plants, with a particular emphasis on crop species. The aim of his research is to provide us with a better understanding of the biochemical composition of plant and food materials; how this is influenced by genetic and environmental perturbation and especially, how these changes are related to aspects of food quality. For more than 20 years, Robert David Hall and his team has worked on developing and applying analytical technologies, which can help design new strategies for the development of improved food products.

A brand new beverage of tea, honey and botanicals is being pioneered in Wales

Cardiff University is joining forces with Welsh Brew Tea and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board to combine honey with the health promoting properties of tea.

An iconic Welsh brand established for over 30 years, Swansea-based Welsh Brew Tea has created a unique blend of African and Indian teas specifically blended to complement Welsh water, and a range of speciality teas and infusions.

“We are delighted to be teaming up with Professor Les Baillie and his @pharmabees team at Cardiff University to develop an entirely new premium beverage that will enhance our range of high-quality teas,” said the company’s managing director and founder, Alan Wenden.

“Innovation in tea production, and the search for new ideas and tastes, led us to found the company twenty years ago, and is still its driving force today. The project is a nice example of the university working with Welsh industry to develop a product based on the natural bounty of Wales, supporting the wellbeing of the people of Wales.”

The bees work for Cardiff University’s award-winning @pharmabees project, which aims to develop a Manuka-style honey to treat antibiotic resistant hospital pathogens.

Professor Les Baillie, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, said: “After water, tea is the most commonly consumed beverage in the world. In addition to making us feel good, tea is thought to help reduce the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and diabetes. In laboratory studies, tea has revealed its ability to kill hospital superbugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

“Imagine the further benefits which could be obtained by combining tea with natural honey and medicinal plants. Honey has been used for thousands of years to treat a range of conditions, including the common cold”.

“Our partnership with Welsh Brew Tea is all part of our work to develop honey with similar bug-killing powers to that of New Zealand’s Manuka honey and its antibacterial properties, which are due to natural compounds donated by the plants on which the bees fed to make the honey.”

Robyn Davies, Head of Innovation at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “We are delighted to add this project to our portfolio of innovations that support both the health and wealth of Wales.”

The Welsh Brew project is supported by the South East Wales Academic Health Science Partnership and a Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship (KESS 2), funded by European Social Funds (ESF) through Welsh Government with the aim of linking companies with academic expertise to develop new products.

It follows the successful launch of honey beer in 2017 when Cardiff teamed up with Bridgend’s BangOn Brewery.

Students and alumni of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) have designed and produced a biodegradable plastic packaging that reveals the quality of the food. The product, called Plasticor, changes its color when the content is not suitable for consumption. Developed about a year ago, in the Xerém campus labs, the student-developed bioplastic is a sustainable option to avoid food waste.

Every year, of all food produced on the planet, 30 % (or 1.3 billion tons) goes to trash, according to the United Nations. The color change would be a way of better managing food consumption, by giving preference to those whose expiration is closer, plus ensuring the reliability of expired foods that can still be consumed safely.

“The environmental impact is also reduced since the use of plastic materials has been abundant in the food industry in the last decades. Our packaging is ecofriendly because it doesn’t use chemical additives and doesn’t take years to degrade”, explains João Vítor Balbino, a Biophysics student and one of the seven members of the startup. Whilecommon plastics can take up to five centuries to degrade, students estimate that Plasticor degrades in six months.

The team is multidisciplinary and involves undergraduate students from Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Biophysics and Marketing courses, a doctoral student of Polymer Science and Technology, and a designer, all from UFRJ. The project is funded by its own creators, who are seeking possible investors. Those interested in helping can participate in the collective financing created by the team, contributing with any amount above R$ 10.

To do this, go to https://www.kickante.com.br/campanhas/bioplastico-que-muda-cor-alunxs-ufrjdc.

Having made the strategic decision to secure resources and due to the resulting backward integration, Chimaco SA, the Nicaraguan sister of the Swiss company Frutco AG, has succeeded in successfully cultivating 60 ha of organic passion fruit of the genetically protected „Chiamco Variety“ on its 200-ha farm „Gemasteppe“.

In addition, Chimaco SA agronomists manage the company’s own demo plantation, on which contract farmers are trained in the proper and sustainable cultivation and care of the plants in conventional passion fruit cultivation. They support the growers with technical know-how and agricultural expertise throughout the entire duration of the cooperation. Currently, 200 ha of sustainably cultivated fruit (60 ha of which are organic) are available for processing. In the medium term, this will be expanded to approx. 1,000 ha, with the Swiss group guaranteeing to purchase 100 % of the growers’ produce. The area under cultivation will always be a mix of the group’s own farmland and third-party, medium-sized growers. This, together with the company’s own processing of the fruit by Frutco de las Americas SA in Chinandega fully ensures the maintenance of a fully sustainable supply chain and guarantees stable prices over several years.

Frutco de las Americas SA’s new factory building — a 100 % subsidiary of our holding CT Finance AG — has been completed and is located in a duty-free zone directly in the centre of the cultivation area, near the Pacific port of Puerto Corinto. The work on the interior is in full swing. The fully-automated Rossi&Catelli production plant by CFT in Parma will be shipped to Nicaragua in early 2019. Frutco de las Americas SA is set to start production in Q2 2019.

Tetra Pak has joined forces with global resource management company Veolia in a game-changing partnership that will enable all components of used beverage cartons collected within the European Union to be recycled by 2025.

The average beverage carton comprises around 75 % paperboard, 20 % plastic and 5 % aluminium foil. But while the fibres recovered during recycling have a healthy market when converted into high-quality paper pulp for use in both industrial and consumer products, the same is not true for the recovered polymer and aluminium (PolyAl) mix.

Within the scope of the new partnership, the extracted PolyAl will be processed at dedicated facilities and converted into raw materials for applications within the plastic industry. In this way, the overall value of used beverage cartons is expected to double, making the value chain for collection and recycling more efficient and viable.

The Tetra Pak and Veolia partnership will start in the EU and expand to more markets around the world.

After three successful days, BrauBeviale is closing its doors on a record high note. Over 40,000 trade visitors (2016: 37,923) – over 18,000 of them international – travelled to Nuremberg to attend this year’s most important capital goods exhibition for the beverage industry from 13 to 15 November 2018. While there, 1,094 exhibitors – 53 percent of them international – presented their products and solutions related to the entire beverage production process chain, with offerings ranging from raw materials to technologies and components all the way to packaging, as well as accessories and marketing ideas. A varied supporting programme rounded out the three days.

“This BrauBeviale has exceeded our expectations,” beamed Andrea Kalrait, Show Director BrauBeviale, as she heard the numbers. “We’ve been told that several contracts were signed right at the exhibition. It seems the beverage industry couldn’t wait to get back to Nuremberg. We’ve very proud of that.” The exhibition team is also happy about the positive feedback from the exhibitors’ advisory board: “BrauBeviale has become a cool exhibition.” – “The exhibition has succeeded in becoming the place where different mindsets and cultures meet.” – “We were overwhelmed on the very first day; that’s never happened.” – “The quality of the discussions was outstanding.” – “The truly important decision-makers were there.”

Highly-qualified trade visitors from Germany and abroad

Those statements confirm the results of a survey by an independent institute: some 90 percent of visitors are involved in their companies’ investment decisions. The trade visitors came from many different parts of the beverage industry: breweries; malthouses; the areas of mineral springs, soft drinks, juice, and wine; and mechanical engineering and plant construction, as well as the trade and catering. Attendees travelled in from Germany and other countries, primarily Italy, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, the UK, Russia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and France. Some 98 percent of the surveyed trade visitors were satisfied with what they found at the exhibition. And 95 percent said they would also like to return to BrauBeviale next year.

Save the dates!

• BrauBeviale 2019: 12-14 November 2019
• BrauBeviale 2020: 10-12 November 2020

Fermented drinks continue to gain traction in the beverages market driven by growing disposable incomes, rapidly evolving lifestyles and health conscience millennial consumers looking for less sugary and low alcoholic beverages, says leading data and analytics company.

According to GlobalData’s ‘Consumer Beverages Influencer Analytics Platform’, beer, wines, sugary drinks and fermented drinks emerged as the most popular trending topics over the last ^*90 days.

Vaibhav Mathur, Influencer Research Head at GlobalData, says “As calorific soft drinks lose their appeal with health-committed millennials, functional ingredients such as probiotics, vitamins and protein provide opportunities for fermented drinks new product development. Kombucha a fermented tea is rich in beneficial probiotics and is sold as a healthy alternative to carbonated sweetened soft drinks.’’

^*last 90 days refers to a timeline from 1st Aug-31st Oct

Judges selected the most promising start-ups – Winners will be announced on 27 November at Hi Europe & Ni

For the third time, trade show organiser UBM is providing a platform for forward-looking industry startups. During Hi Europe & Ni, the Startup Innovation Challenge enables newcomers to present their solutions to a professional audience. If they win, they will receive comprehensive expert coaching and marketing support. This year’s 13 shortlisted companies have now been announced.

The companies will pitch live between 15.45 and 17.30 on Tuesday 27 November 2018, the first day of the show, at the Industry Insights Theatre. The winners of the three categories will receive their awards following the live pitches.

Shortlisted for the category “Most Innovative Healthy Food or Beverage Ingredient”:

• FunGeneX/The Netherlands has developed a technology to produce egg white proteins based on sugar from sugar beet. These products fulfill the need for binding proteins that are neutral in colour, taste and smell for vegan applications, while contributing to reduced global warming and animal suffering.
• GNUBiotics/Switzerland is a biotech startup active in R&D to reproduce the diversity and complexity of unique structures found in mothers’ milk. It is developing a novel platform for selective microbiota modulation via next generation Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) using up to 130 Microbiota Accessible Carbohydrates (MACs) structures.
• Magellan Life Sciences/UK is a synthetic biology company creating novel platforms to produce plant-inspired molecules, such as a natural non-caloric protein sweetener called Brazzein that is inspired by the West African fruit Oubli.
• Renewal Mill/USA is upcycling by-products from food manufacturing into high-quality ingredients and finished products. The pilot project is using okara, the soybean pulp generated during soymilk production to create an organic, non-GMO, low-carb flour.
• Planetarians/USA makes high protein ingredients from upcycled by-products using patent-pending technology. They add value to overlooked ingredients such as defatted seeds by converting them into a high-protein, high-fibre ingredient, allowing manufacturers to fortify foods. The company’s first product is sunflower chips with more protein and fibre, and less fat than typical potato chips.

Shortlisted for “Most Innovative Plant-Based Finished Product”:

• Green Banana Food/The Netherlands produces foodstuffs and ingredients from the native cooking green banana, such as a flour that can be used to create high nutrient, low carb, gluten free & high dietary fibre food solutions such as Gabanna pasta.
• Jet-Eat Printed Food/Israel is currently developing an animal-free meat with the same appearance, texture, flavour and cooking properties of animal meat, from natural, sustainable and healthy ingredients. Based on 3D printing technology, the company creates meat products with 95 % less environmental impact compared to beef, with zero cholesterol and a lower cost.
• Shileo/Germany is an online food start-up that sells konjac rice and pasta meals. These low-cal and low-carb alternatives to normal pasta and rice are suitable for vegans, high in soluble fibre and can help with weight loss.

Shortlisted for “Most Innovative Technology or Service Supporting F&B”:

• Ambrosus/Switzerland is a blockchain-powered Internet of Things network for food and pharmaceutical enterprises, enabling secure and frictionless dialogue between sensors, ledgers and databases to optimise supply-chain visibility and quality assurance.
• Aryballe/France develops and manufactures bio-inspired odour sensors which detect and identify odours in less than 15 seconds, allowing the food industry to quickly assess the olfactive qualities of materials.
• Better Juice/Israel has created a solution for reducing natural sugars in fruit juices. The patent-pending technology harnesses the activity of non-GMO microorganisms to bio-convert sugars to dietary fibres and non-digestible natural molecules.
• Embion/Switzerland produces new prebiotic solutions for human, animal and soil microbiome nutrition from agricultural and food processing side-streams. A novel processing technology targets and extracts natural prebiotic ingredients from biomass with lower production costs, higher yield and processing speed than usual.
• Nucaps/Spain developed a new nanoencapsulation technology for nutraceutical, cosmetic and pharmaceutical uses. This encapsulation process, designed for oral delivery and controlled release of bioactives and microorganisms, is based on the use of food proteins such as casein, zein or soya.

Rahul Shinde, Director of Global Open Innovation at Naturex Ingenium, sponsor of the competition, is on the advisory board at the Startup Innovation Challenge. He says: “Through our partnerships we are hoping to provide additional support, guidance, access and resources that can enable these start-ups to succeed. But, ultimately, it’s their product and their vision that will prevail. We really value their time, commitment and desire to bring innovative solutions to the marketplace, and especially innovations focused on plant-based solutions.“

The three winners will get individual advice from one of the judges. In addition, the successful nominees can choose from various special prizes – from a fully equipped stand at Hi Europe or Fi Europe; a marketing campaign within the Ingredients Network; access to the “Conciergerie” innovation platform from Presans; or intensive consultation with Wageningen University & Research. In addition, one startup will be selected by Naturex Ingenium as their special prize winner. This startup will win €10,000 plus a three month business mentorship with the Naturex Ingenium Open Innovation team.

The success of the most important event for India’s beverage industry remains unchecked: The trade fair alliance consisting of drink technology India (dti), organized by Messe Muenchen, and indiapack pacprocess and food pex India, organized by Messe Duesseldorf, recorded higher numbers of exhibitors and occupied more exhibition space. The number of visitors remained at a very high level as well. The fair’s further growth reflects the dynamic development of the Indian beverage and liquid food market, in which high growth rates are again forecast to climb.

“The figures speak for themselves: 201 exhibitors from 17 countries presented their products and solutions at dti. They occupied around 23 percent more net exhibition area than at the last event in Mumbai,” Georg Moller, head of the business division at Messe Muenchen, said in describing the fair’s success. Bhupinder Singh, the CEO of Messe Muenchen India, was also pleased by the continued growth: “It underscores the huge meaning of dti for the Indian market.”

Together with indiapack pacprocess and food pex India, 343 exhibitors presented themselves on an area of around 16,500 square meters from October 24 through 26. Moller pointed in particular to the very professional cooperation with the partner Messe Duesseldorf: “Joint staging of the fairs is not only a big gain for us. As a result, visitors obtain a comprehensive overview of all areas of the beverage and packaging industry.” This offer was widely used by visitors, as for example Partho Ghosh, Executive Vice President bei KHS Filling & Packaging Worldwide says: “We had many talks with visitors and have received new leads this year. The Indian beverage industry is looking for innovations which will bring the development of the industry a big step forward.”

Together with indiapack pacprocess and food pex India, 343 exhibitors presented themselves on an area of around 16,500 square meters from October 24 through 26. Moller pointed in particular to the very professional cooperation with the partner Messe Du?sseldorf: “Joint staging of the fairs is not only a big gain for us. As a result, visitors obtain a comprehensive overview of all areas of the beverage and packaging industry.” This offer was widely used by visitors, as for example Partho Ghosh, Executive Vice President bei KHS Filling & Packaging Worldwide says: “We had many talks with visitors and have received new leads this year. The Indian beverage industry is looking for innovations which will bring the development of the industry a big step forward.”

Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, also described dti as an important driving force for the industry: “For companies that produce machines to make, process and package beverages and liquid-food products, India is one of the major sales markets in Asia.” The outlook for the market is consistently positive. In the process, the important role played by dti will continue to grow.

Further training and networking: Supporting program of unprecedented breadth

dti’s supporting program was highly popular among visitors and very well attended on all three days. Day two of the Round Table Talks revolved around beer, wine and spirits. According to the VDMA, India ranks ninth among the top ten sales countries for alcoholic drinks. Beer is the top-selling alcoholic beverage in India. The experts generally agree that demand for high-quality beers and for wine and spirits will grow as the population’s income rises.

Visitors were able to try Indian beer variations at the new place2beer. The focus at the platform was not only on beer tastings, but above all on networking and sharing knowledge among representatives from microbreweries, medium-sized and industrial breweries, and brewing suppliers. In the Craft Beer Seminars, experts from the scene demonstrated what impact microbreweries are having on beer brewing and what trends are influencing the craft beer sector. Bruno Bonacchelli, brew master at Castle Malting Belgium and one of the speakers at the seminar, was enthusiastic: “I’m impressed by the high technical standards in the Indian craft beer market and about how quickly the latest methods and technologies are adapted.” Further talks were given by representatives from Brewbot Mumbai, Gateway Brewing Mumbai and White Owl.

The focus of the buyer-seller meetings was networking and initiation of new business relationships. About 430 discussions between exhibitors and potential customers were held, a clear indication of the concept’s popularity. The customers who made a special point of attending the trade fair to create new business relationships with exhibitors included Bohemian Beer, Good Drop Wine Cellars, Hindustan Coca Cola, Jyanti Beverages and Parle Agro.

Two new additions to the supporting program of dti in Mumbai were the seminar of the Oil Technologists’ Association of India (OTAI) and the seminar of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The OTAI Seminar addressed the growing importance of oils and fats in the Indian market and in particular challenges in packaging edible oils. The FSSAI Seminar provided insights into the regulations on and regulatory framework for beverages in India.

All items on the supporting program went down very well with visitors. The seats at the forum were always full. With the supporting program, dti once again proves that it gives key boosts and stimuli to the beverage and liquid food industry in India.

dti, indiapack pacprocess and food pex India

drink technology India is staged in conjunction with indiapack pacprocess and food pex India of Messe Du?sseldorf. This combination of four trade fairs covers the topics of drink technology, dairy and liquid food together with those of the related packaging industry (drink technology India), packaging and related processes (pacprocess India), packaging materials and aids as well as machines and technology for the production of packaging materials and aids (indiapack) and also food and confectionery processing and packaging (food pex India) all under one roof and is unrivaled in the region.

The next dti in Mumbai will be held from December 9 to 11, 2020. In 2019, dti will be held in Bengaluru for the first time. It is scheduled for February 28 to March 2. As part of the trade fair alliance, the event will also be held next year once again – from December 5 to 7 in New Delhi.

All Oranges 77.0 Million Boxes

The 2018-2019 Florida all orange forecast released today by the USDA Agricultural Statistics Board is lowered to 77.0 million boxes, down 2.00 million boxes from the October forecast. If realized, this forecast will be 71 percent more than last season’s final production. The forecast consists of 32.0 million boxes of the non-Valencia oranges (early, midseason, and Navel varieties) and 45.0 million boxes of the Valencia oranges. Regression data used are from the 2008-2009 through 2016-2017 seasons. All references to “average”, “minimum”, and “maximum” refer to those 9 seasons unless noted. The hurricane affected 2017-2018 season is excluded from the regressions.

Please download the full citrus crop production forecast: www.nass.usda.gov

Together with its affiliate Stern Ingredients México, the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe based in Hamburg celebrated the enlargement of its production plant in Mexico City and is intensifying product development at the adjoining Technology Centre. The research facility will in future focus on dairy products, beverages and deli foods, too. The plant has two new production lines for food ingredients, and with 4,000 tonnes additional production capacity it will contribute to the group’s success in Latin America. After the facility in Malaysia, this is the second plant to be opened by the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe this year.

By placing greater emphasis on the development of applications in the field of dairy products, deli foods and soft drinks such as juices, nectars and concentrates, Stern Ingredients México, an affiliate of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, is now consolidating its position as an ingredients expert for the food industries of the Americas. The new focus of the long-established facility in Mexico will complement the already successful development of enzyme systems under the trade name SternEnzym, stabilizing systems (Hydrosol), vitamin and mineral complexes (SternVitamin) and flour and bakery applications under the brands Mühlenchemie and DeutscheBack – the latter specializing in typical regional products based on maize and wheat. Following the “custom fit” approach of the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe, leading food technologists develop the above functional systems for dairy products and beverages at this state-of-the-art applications laboratory. Furthermore, the owner-managed family business from Hamburg regards the generation of new information on applications at the research centre in Mexico as an opportunity to extend its technical services to North, Central and South America. It has also invested in the plant’s QM laboratory in order to conduct microbiological analyses, heavy-metal detection and a wide range of trial applications according to the latest scientific standards.

With around 100 employees and a total annual production capacity of 10,000 tonnes of food ingredients, Stern Ingredients México is the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe’s biggest plant outside Germany. On the one hand, the additional production capacity of 4,000 tonnes will help to meet Mexico’s increasing home demand, and on the other it will open up new export markets.

Hi Europe & Ni 2018 achieves new exhibitor record for manufacturers of natural and organic ingredients

High consumer demand for organic products and foods with natural ingredients is reflected in the wide range of offerings from Health ingredients Europe & Natural ingredients this year. Under the claim “Natural & Organic”, more than 100 exhibitors will present their new developments – from superfoods and natural flavours and extracts to plant-based finished products. From 27 to 29 November in Frankfurt, trade visitors will be given a comprehensive overview of these categories across 4,000 sqm, and will benefit from a wide range of further educational and networking opportunities.

Nowadays, consumers expect much more from functional foods than a few years ago: Besides a health benefit, a natural origin or even organic cultivation, sustainability and ethical qualities are also much in demand. With a wide range of exhibitors offering such ingredients – including Agrana, KSM66-Ashwaganda and Plantex – and an extensive educational programme, Hi Europe & Ni is a valuable source of inspiration for trade visitors from the health and nutrition industry.

Natural ingredients in demand

According to a survey conducted by Mintel last year, around 70 per cent of people interviewed prefer foods with natural ingredients. Manufacturers have recognised this request by offering a constantly growing variety of new and innovative products. Compared to Hi Europe & Ni 2016, the number of exhibitors within the “Natural Ingredients Pavilion” has consequently doubled this year.

Numerous expert lectures will provide insights to challenges and solutions relating to natural alternatives: Leonhard Thunn-Hohenstein, Key Account Manager at AstaReal, for example, speaks in the Supplier Solutions Theatre’s free-to-attend programme about natural astaxanthin from algae to improve eye health. During the two-day Hi Conference, Grégory Dubourg, CEO of Nutrikéo, will explore some of the naturally functional ingredients that are hitting the spotlight like turmeric, ashwagandha and spirulina in his session: “Developing products with naturally functional ingredients”.
At the Plant-based Experience visitors will be able to inform themselves about current trends and experience the growing variety of plant-based products in association with ProVeg International, who will also be organising a Plant-based Innovation Tour featuring exhibitors with new plant-based solutions. In addition, exhibitors with natural solutions will be part of the Innovation Tour on Clean label, trust and transparency by Nutrimarketing.

Organic quality: What do consumers want, what do manufacturers need?

This year, show organiser UBM had to enlarge the “Organic Pavilion” by more than 60 per cent due to the enormous number of enquiries from exhibitors. For Amishi Takalkar, CEO of Nailbiter, an organic certificate has now become a quality feature of many companies’ products “We are starting to see that organic is going mainstream, just like natural. More large CPG companies are launching their organic brands or labels. Organic, in my opinion, is almost turning into table stakes for brands that want to be taken seriously, and perceived as being healthy or ‘better for you’.”

Within the free-to-attend “Organic Spotlight“ at the Industry Insights Theatre, Takalkar will present the organic trend from the consumer’s point of view. Marlene Milan, Research Associate at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), will also be providing information on the standards that companies have to meet if they want to offer ingredients of organic quality in the EU, and especially on the German market. She is convinced that consumers do not turn to organic products on a temporary basis: “Once a mainstream shopper goes organic, it’s very hard to bring them back to mainstream. A lot of shoppers go in and buy the brands they know they like, but if I am in that store and see something that looks better or healthier and then I try it and like it, chances are I may not go back.”

Determination of Sulphur Dioxide

IFU Method 7a – The determination of total sulphur dioxide has been revised and is available in the catalogue of methods which can be accessed via the IFU website www.ifu-fruitjuice.com.

The revision includes an addendum for the determination of SO₂ is via ion chromatography. This is useful when a confirmation of very low concentrations is needed or when false positive results must be ruled out. This can be the case for example in vegetable juices from Brassica (cabbage) which contains high levels of endogenous sulfur compounds. An analysis on sulfate from the solution of the first receiver flask can be performed using this procedure.

Lightweight Containers, the Dutch company that produces the revolutionary kegs for beverages, is currently investigating the possibilities for their sixth production facility that will be located in Italy.

Anita Veenendaal, Chief Executive Officer of Lightweight Containers, says: “In our philosophy, offering customers the best possible service and support means that we have to be present in the local market. At this moment we are already present in Italy with warehouses and a sales team and soon with a brand new production plant. This plant will be our sixth; as we already produce in The Netherlands, United States, Germany, United Kingdom and Spain (2019).”

The company focusses on the environment in addition to the production of a quality product, a new production line in Italy will contribute to lowering environmental footprints even further. Together with One Circle, an initiative of Lightweight Containers, aimed at the collection and recycling of one-way kegs in general, the company is really making a big difference in leaving the world a better place.

Beatson Clark’s flexible service and centuries of experience proved to be the winning formula for premium soft drinks company Eager Drinks.

The glass manufacturer based in South Yorkshire has just finished its production run for over 200,000 new and unique glass bottles for Eager Drinks’ new mixer range – Cold Brew Tonics.

Eager, founded in 2007, approached Beatson Clark last year to help them package their first glass bottle drinks range. All of Eager’s other soft drinks, including its signature cloudy apple juice, are packaged using cardboard.

To ensure the success of the new range in a competitive market, founder of Eager Drinks Ed Rigg knew the look and feel of the bottle was imperative to its longevity in the soft drinks market.

“Owing to the fact that Cold Brew Tonics is our first range packaged using glass, we had strict criteria for its look, feel and quality to ensure it was in keeping with our brand and commitment on sustainability,” said Ed.

“We wanted a bottle which used recycled glass in some way and wanted it to look contemporary and modern yet traditional to the touch. We didn’t want an off-the-shelf design. We wanted a bottle which was going to make an impression in a competitive market.

“Beaton Clark’s approach matched our vision. In terms of flexibility, service and quality, they win every time compared to competitors in the UK and abroad.”

Working closely with Eager Drinks, Beatson Clark designed and produced a unique 200ml white flint glass bottle. The brief was to produce a container which looked modern and contemporary but had a traditional and vintage feel to it.

The container is heavier than a standard bottle to give a high-quality, premium feel in line with its intended consumer market. The bottle is embossed around the shoulder with the words ’EAGER’ and around the base with the words ‘PRODUCED IN SMALL BATCHES’.

Jonathan Clark, Account Manager at Beatson Clark, commented: “It’s been a pleasure to work with the Eager team from concept right through to production. As Ed has found out, what we offer in terms of service is only matched by the quality of the product we make.

“For an established drinks company entering the competitive mixer market for the first time, the packaging is just as important as the quality of what’s inside. The drinks are different to anything else on the market owing to the unique production process, and the packaging reflects that.”

Each flavour in the range – Tonic, Light Tonic, Smoked Tonic, Lemonade, Ginger Beer, Artisan Lemonade and Club Soda – is produced by packing bunches of dried fruit peel into hessian bags and placing the oil-rich rinds in cold water for 24 hours before the product is carbonated.

“Each mixer has a purer and deeper flavour than any other mixer drink on the market, so we wanted to make sure the taste is preserved for as long as possible. That’s why we chose glass, because it does that better than any other form of packaging and it’s 100 per cent recyclable,” said Ed.

The premium, high-end range was launched last month and is already on sale in bars, hotels and restaurants across the country.

As the economic outlook for Asia-Pacific (APAC) remains strong and consumers in the region continue to put in a high level of performance, stress and overwork will be the important concerns related to mental health among them. Against this backdrop, beverage makers which offer fortified drinks with health-enhancing ingredients will have an edge over others in the region, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

According to the company’s Q1 2017 consumer survey, stress, overwork and memory loss are the major concerns for APAC consumers. Among the three, stress was the leading mental health concern with 84 %.

The company’s report, ‘Top Trends in Healthcare and OTC Products 2018’ reveals that the majority (61 %) of consumers in APAC are looking for drinks with health-enhancing ingredients but very few drinks feature them.

Will Grimwade, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, says: “Health drinks have often been pigeon holed into being either low sugar variants or energy boosters fortified with caffeine, vitamins or minerals. Mental health is a growing concern, but fortified drinks rarely address this need.

“Sales of fortified drinks and demand for drinks with health enhancing ingredients in APAC are both currently at a medium level. There is little focus on mental health within this sector and the large size of the total soft drinks market makes this a good opportunity.”

GlobalData expects a growing number of new launches to the market that include ingredients such as Gingko Biloba, Turmeric and Lecithin. Companies such as Coca-Cola are investing in emerging ingredients such as Cannabidiol (CBD) oil in North America due to its pain and anxiety easing effects, with use of the ingredient likely to spread to Asia within the next few years. This shows that companies are looking to target a more diverse range of health needs.

Grimwade concludes: “Economic growth is unlikely to stagnate and stress levels for APAC consumers are unlikely to drop, meaning the appeal of stress relieving drinks is likely to remain strong.”

Less sugar, more minerals and still: 100 percent juice!

From 16 to 18 October 2018, the largest and most important European summit of the fruit juice industry – the Juice Summit in Antwerp – took place. Stefan Reiß, CEO of Green Coco Europe GmbH and co-founder of premium brand Dr. Antonio Martins was invited as a speaker emphasizing the potential and relevance of coconut water / coconut juice to the juice industry in front of about 600 decision-makers. The CEO of the Nuremberg company presents an interesting approach to reducing sugar in fruit juices. Coconut juice is very popular among athletes, vegans and nutritionally-conscious consumers due to its high potassium and low calorie content – making it an ideal blend for juices whose high sugar content no longer seems to hit the nerve of the times.

For some time now, the juice industry has faced immense challenges in terms of sugar discussions. The high sugar content of orange juice & co is increasingly being pilloried. For example, orange juice with about 8 grams of sugar per 100 ml of juice contains as much sugar as cola. For this reason, the 100 % fruit juice loses its healthy reputation not only with relevant nutritionists, but more and more with nutritionally conscious consumers.

“Coconut juice can be a solution here and take out the wind of the issue´s sails. Why not add coconut juice to orange juice and drastically reduce sugar content and calories? The fruit juice content remains in this way at 100 percent. The light and neutral properties of the coconut juice do not mask the taste of the orange juice. According to the latest figures from the market research study by Arizton, I see a potential of 297 million liters for juice with coconut juice by 2023, “says Green-Coco CEO Stefan Reiß, summing up his solution. Coconut juice adds valuable minerals such as potassium, calcium and magnesium to the juice and these can also be declared as such. The juice of the coconut is 11-19 kcal per 100 ml – the lowest calorie fruit juice ever.

A mixing ratio of 40 % coconut juice and 60 % orange juice gives 29 calories per 100 ml, instead of 42 kcal as before. In this way you achieve a reduction of more than 10 calories per 100ml to less than 30 kcal compared to the pure variant – in times of steadily rising numbers of diabetes diseases a step in the right direction. Even in multivitamin juices, adding coconut juice would mean a significant calorie and sugar reduction.

Other facts should encourage the industry to take this path: According to a market study by Arizton, the coconut water market is expected to grow by 25 % per year across Europe by 2023. Coconut juice is no longer a niche product, has established itself as an independent category and can be found in almost every discount. Supermarkets, such as REWE, already have a firm place on the shelves for their own coconut juice brands.

Berlin startup share is the first beverage producer in Germany to sell its water in PET bottles made of 100 % recyclate. With its expertise from the Bottles & Shapes™ consultancy program the KHS group supported the company by helping to design and develop the bottle in a very short time indeed.

The plans are ambitious: in 2019 share wants to fill water into about a million bottles a month made entirely of recycled PET and thus save over 200 metric tons of plastic waste a year, according to the company. For several weeks now the product has been on sale at Germany’s supermarket chain REWE and drug store dm and has caused quite a stir in the media. “It took a long time for the original idea to be implemented,” says Iris Braun, head of Product and Social Projects at share. “Finalizing the technology and obtaining certification are both lengthy processes. Your partners are thus crucial.” Besides the two aforementioned retailers share’s other partners are bottler Mineralbrunnen Allgäuer Alpenwasser and preform manufacturer Plastipack, which is also the world’s biggest converter. KHS Corpoplast was also largely instrumental in the implementation of the project.

Experience from over 4,000 realized bottle designs

The German engineering company supported the startup in several ways, including in the development of the recyclate bottle design, states Marc Eysel, who is responsible for sales in Northern Europe at KHS Corpoplast. “We implemented the development very quickly and worked on a suitable design together,” he says. Thanks to its holistic Bottles & Shapes™ consultancy program the systems supplier was able to contribute to the share project experience drawn from over 4,000 designed bottles. “KHS developed the bottle very quickly for us which was enormously helpful,” says Braun. Eysel states that there were no unusual hurdles or challenges to be overcome through the use of 100 % recyclate. “Manufacture is actually simpler as the material’s darker color makes the preforms easier to heat than PET bottles made of virgin material.” Besides providing advice on the bottle design KHS also helps with production. share’s still and carbonated water is bottled at the Allgäuer Alpenwasser bottling plant in Oberstaufen using KHS technology. The bottles are blown on an InnoPET Blomax stretch blow molder, with no special adaptations to the system necessary, according to Eysel.

Following the market launch of the recyclate bottle, interest is now also growing among other beverage producers, emphasize Braun and Eysel. “A number of bottlers wishing to increase the amount of recycled PET they use have now contacted us,” claims Eysel. “The protection of the environment also plays an important role at KHS. We support this by providing resource-saving plant engineering and also by developing sustainable PET bottles.” share hopes that it has provided the right incentives for more sustainability, states Braun. “In the end it’s the consumer who decides.”

The Coca-Cola Company reported continued momentum in its business for 2018, with strong financial results for the third quarter. While reported net revenues for the quarter declined due to refranchising, the company delivered broad-based organic revenue (non-GAAP) and volume growth across all operating groups, while gaining value share globally.

Strong organic revenue (non-GAAP) growth in the quarter was driven by continued innovation and revenue growth management initiatives within sparkling soft drinks, as evidenced by double-digit volume growth of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar across all groups. In addition to sparkling soft drinks, the company saw strong performance for brands like Fuze Tea and smartwater. Coca-Cola also announced several strategic actions, including a number of acquisitions and investments, and continued to lift, shift and scale brands around the world. The company’s disciplined growth strategies and an ongoing focus on productivity led to double-digit profit growth for the quarter.

“We continue to be encouraged by our performance year-to-date as we accelerate our evolution as an even more consumer-centric, total beverage company,” said James Quincey, President and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. “The recent leadership appointments are intended to help accelerate the transformation of our company.”

Highlights

Quarterly Performance

• Revenues: Net revenues declined 9 % to $8.2 billion, impacted by a 13-point headwind from the refranchising of company-owned bottling operations. Organic revenues (non-GAAP) grew 6 %, driven by concentrate sales growth of 4 %, which benefited from the timing of shipments, and price/mix growth of 2 %.
• Volume: Unit case volume grew 2 %, led by Trademark Coca-Cola.
• Margin: Operating margin, which included items impacting comparability, expanded approximately 600 basis points. Comparable operating margin (non-GAAP) improved 575 basis points, driven by divestitures of lower-margin bottling operations and the company’s ongoing productivity efforts. These drivers were partially offset by an approximate 130 basis point headwind from the adoption of the new revenue recognition accounting standard and the impact of currency.
• Market share: The company continued to gain value share in total nonalcoholic ready-to-drink (NARTD) beverages.
• Cash flow: Year-to-date cash from operations was $5.5 billion, down 7 %. The decline was largely due to the impact of refranchising North American bottling territories and increased tax payments, partially offset by solid cash generation in the underlying business. Year-to-date free cash flow (non-GAAP) was $4.6 billion, down 2 %.
• Share repurchases: Year-to-date purchases of stock for treasury were $1.6 billion. Year-to-date net share repurchases (non-GAAP) totaled $707 million.

Download the full earnings release (PDF)

With “taste” being such a trending focal point at SIAL Paris 2018 many visitors were keen to discover our passion fruit exotic juice and food preps

Passina’s new branding and natural passion fruit-based food products attracted the attention of crowds of international food stakeholders at SIAL Paris 2018. Almost 160,000 visitors attended the international food trade fair.

“Our clients and partners understood our new concept and approach towards branding in the face of the intense competition the sector faces today. We know that collaboration is key to developing new products”, said Dr Pablo Hafner, Passina Group CEO.

Exploiting the innovation of passion fruit-products

“We have our own R&D department and are also partnering with various research organisations, mainly in the US and Europe. We are now in the research phase and want to launch nutritional supplements based on passion fruit in 2019”, added the CEO.

International experts in the food industry can discover the new applications through recipes prepared by the R&D team for the show:

• Tastings of passion fruit juice, smoothies and dips.
• Concept cards adapted to different sectors: juice & food preps, confectionery and cosmetics.
• Besides adding an exotic and savoury touch to dishes, passion fruit and its ingredients offer a range of health benefits, such as:
• Adding low-calorie, enriching fibres to dietetic snacks (from seeds).
• Reducing sleep disorders and restlessness through herbal teas (from leaves and extracts).
• Anti-inflammatory effects.

Digital presentations displayed at the Passina stand presented the company and its new brand identity. Passina attracted potential collaborators from various sectors and new business partnerships emerged during the busy fair. “We have seen positive outcomes from sales, R&D, and project managers within the food and nutritional supplement sectors”, said Hafner.

This all forms part of the ongoing development of Passi AG, including the sale of the non-passion fruit business to Döhler Group. The sale is currently being evaluated by the antitrust authorities and is conditional on their approval, with the outcome expected to be announced by the first half of November 2018.

One of the major trends in Asia’s beverage and liquid food market is: “quality, not quantity.” As incomes rise, people prefer to consume better products instead of more products. At the same time, demand for production systems and machines remains high. As the leading trade fair for the industry, CHINA BREW CHINA BEVERAGE (CBB) provided a far- reaching overview of the market with the exhibitors’ presentations and its comprehensive supporting program. The CBB showed what is driving the industry today and will drive it tomorrow. In the process, it underscored its position in Asia.

Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy CEO of Messe München, is extremely satisfied with the results of CBB: “We are following up on the successes of the last event: We had a total of 869 exhibitors, an increase of nine percent. The trade fair used eight halls, including two that were used by 256 international exhibitors. That represents a growth rate of six percent. CBB is thus enhancing its importance as the leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry in the Asia-Pacific region.” The chief executives of international market leaders praised the large number of visitors from such Asian countries as Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam who visited their stands.

Hong Shen, General Manager at Zhongqing Heli International Exhibition Co., Ltd., organizer of CBB, highlights the event’s added value: “CBB is the only trade fair in Asia that showcases the entire process chain for all areas of the beverage and liquid food industry and presents new generations of machines. This was also acknowledged by the approximately 56,000 participants in the eight fully booked halls.”

Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, believes CBB is crucial for international companies to successfully gain a foothold in the Chinese market. “Closeness to customers is vital for developing and implementing tailored solutions, as well as for providing ideal after-sales service. CHINA BREW CHINA BEVERAGE is the most important trade fair – not only in China, but for Southeast Asia as a whole,” is Clemens’ assessment.

CBB Forum with the key issues of sustainability and digitalization

The beverage industry is undergoing a shake-up in the wake of digitalization. The CBB Forum’s program included a presentation by Professor Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University, Halifax, on how blockchain technologies “can help many companies protect their brand equity.” Use of the technology in the beverage industry is still at the beginning, but he recommends “companies should see that as an opportunity and address the issue early on.” In the view of the VDMA, Chinese consumers in particular are very open to digital solutions.

That also harbors potential for companies from the beverage industry. That is because “customized premium products that can be configured and ordered online have far greater growth potential than in Europe,” says Clemens.

The industry also discussed the issue of sustainability intensively. For example, Professor William Chen, from the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Director of the NTU Food Science & Technology Program at Nanyang Technological University, believes that sustainable beer brewing offers advantages for companies and consumers alike: “Sustainable brewing processes and upcycling of waste and by-products, such as to make biodegradable packaging, deliver enormous benefit for the industry. At the end of the day, that might also be reflected in lower product prices for consumers,” states the scientist.

Visitors and exhibitors were inspired by the CBB Forum and the wealth of information. CBB plays a major role in helping information be shared within the industry and enables an extensive overview of the beverage and liquid food market.

Successful premiere for the Round Table Talks

Apart from sustainability and digitalization, the future of the PET segment was also a hotly debated topic. The newly introduced Round Table Talks gave visitors the chance to learn more about this and other issues in the beer and beverage market. What are key concerns in the industry now and in the future? Industry experts from companies such as AB InBev, Snow, Suntyech Process Engineering, Tsingtao and Voss (Hubei) Water & Beverage provided insights. The other items on the agenda, such as the International Beer Smart Factory & Brewing Technology Forum or the Exhibitor Technology Seminar, were also very popular among visitors.

Patented natural process converts sugar to fibers in just one-step

Better Juice Ltd. has developed innovative technology to reduce the load of simple sugars in orange juice. The patent-pending enzymatic technology uses all-natural ingredients to convert monosaccharides and disaccharides (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) into prebiotic and other non-digestible fibers and sugars, while keeping the juicy flavor of the beverage.

Popular juices, such as orange juice and apple juice, have nearly 1 oz. (25 g) of sugar per 1-cup serving (250 ml). Although juice contains the vitamins and minerals you’d find in fresh produce, it’s devoid of most of the natural dietary fiber as an outcome of traditional methods of juicing. In addition to its intrinsic health benefits, fiber also adds to the feeling of fullness.

Better Juice’s process harnesses a natural enzymatic activity in non-GMO microorganisms to convert a portion of the simple fructose, glucose, and sucrose sugars into fibers and other non-digestible natural sugars. The process works on all types of sugars. Yet the process preserves the great flavor and the full complement of vitamins and other nutrients inherent in the fruits. The technology was developed in collaboration with Hebrew University in Rehovot, Israel.

“This natural a non fermentative process occurs without adding or removing ingredients,” says Eran Blachinsky, PhD, Founder and CEO of Better Juice. “It also will not alter the flavor or aroma of the juice.” Better Juice uses an advanced solution that involves just one short and simple pass-through step in the juice-making process, allowing the product to be marketed at a price point comparable to other premium juice products.

”While the process does slightly reduce the sweetness of the juice,” explains Blachinsky, “It actually brings out more of the fruit flavor, making for a better-tasting juice product overall.”

Better Juice conducted several trials with different beverage companies and succeeded in reducing sugars in orange juice from 30 %, up to 80 %. The start-up can now provide proof of concept for orange juice.

Mono-and disaccharides – often called “simple sugars” – are easy for the body to digest and thus quickly metabolized. If the energy they provide can’t be used, it is converted to fat and stored. But when these individual sugar molecules link up, they become prebiotic fibers that are non-digestible. The shorter of these fibers, called oliggosaccharides, are still sweet yet have been shown to bestow a number of health benefits, from protecting against disease to helping manage weight. There are other natural monosaccharides that are not easily digested. These sugars have no glycemic index and low caloric values.

“Consumers, especially children, enjoy drinking natural juices but are not always aware of the less nutritious aspects of juice,” notes Blachinsky. “They want the whole package — great flavor, health, and natural ingredients, including the fibers that are essential part of fruits.”

The company will market an advanced device with the unique technology to fruit juice producers and, eventually, to cafés and restaurants.

Applications for the 2019 International Brewing Awards and International Cider Awards are now open.

The oldest awards of their kind in the world, the International Brewing Awards were established in 1886, while the International Cider Awards began in 1901. Today the awards are often described as the most prestigious competitions of their kind in the world.

Held every two years, both awards are open to breweries and cider makers from around the globe and entries are uniquely peer reviewed by a carefully selected panel of commercially practising brewers and cider makers. Recognising the best beers and ciders in the industry, over 100 medals and trophies are awarded to winners from over 50 countries.

Consistently maintaining the highest standards throughout their collective 132 year history, great lengths are taken to ensure the ideal judging conditions and processes are in place to ensure complete anonymity. The awards encourage innovation and diversity and as such, this year sees the inclusion of new classes in The International Cider Awards, including barrel influenced cider. Believed to be the only international awards to do so, judging classes within styles are also differentiated by alcoholic strength.

Ruth Evans MBE, Director of Brewing Technology Services, said:

“Presiding over one of the world’s most prestigious and longest running international beer and cider awards, is a great privilege.

“We pride ourselves on the high standards and the integrity of the judging, by only working with cider making professionals. We will shortly be announcing an impressive line-up of judges for both awards, which will once again be headed up by industry stalwart, Bill Taylor, formerly of LION.”

Commenting on both awards, Chairman of Judging, Bill Taylor, said:

“These awards continue to evolve with industry changes and it is my role to ensure the tradition of high professional standards continues.

“My advice to the judging panel is always to “only award those entries on which they would be prepared to stake their future success”. We are now looking forward to announcing the judging line up in the coming weeks.”

Both award entries close on 1st February 2019 with the medal winners being announced on March 8th 2019.

About International Cider Awards

The International Ciders Awards were reintroduced, as an international recognition of excellence in cider production in 2013.

An award is a recognition by fellow professional cider makers that a cider is an outstanding commercial example of its style. The competition was first established in 1901 and since then has evolved to reflect the changing global market for cider.

The superb technical installation including cider in bottle, can, bag in box, cask and keg ensures integrity of product, dispensed to the judges at the cider maker’s recommended temperature.

Stewards are trained to ensure integrity of pour and dispense to the judges and all judges are currently practising cider makers from around the world. With seven categories, leading to a Supreme Cider Champion, linked to the consumer experience, there is a place for every cider, with every cider having a chance of winning – even those new or innovative variations on styles.

Further award for Nature MultiPack^™: at this year’s FachPack trade show in Nuremberg, Germany, the KHS Group was presented with the Green Star Packaging Award for its innovative packaging system. Nature MultiPack^™, which holds cans together with dots of adhesive, won in the Product category. The Green Star Packaging Award honors environmentally-friendly packaging and recycling and improvements in operational packaging-related processes. Winners of the prize are entitled to participate in the WorldStar Award.

Sustainability and innovation as goals

The pioneering style of packaging combines innovation and sustainability. The Nature MultiPack^™ marketed by NMP Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of KHS GmbH, groups beverage containers into a stable, easily ‘openable’ or separable pack using dots of adhesive rather than shrink film. In addition to the recent award-winning version for cans, which can be formed into multipacks of 1 x 3, 1 x 4, 2 x 2, 2 x 3 and 2 x 4, PET bottles can also be grouped in this way into packs of 2 x 2 and 2 x 3. A convenient carrying handle, which helps to keep the pack stable, and the individual alignment of the respective containers communicate effective marketing messages. The new packaging has also been designed to withstand transportation and marketing logistics while allowing the consumer to easily remove the individual containers from the multipack.

Materials and energy saved by the Nature MultiPack™

Compared to containers classically packed in film the Nature MultiPack^™ not only saves on packaging materials but also on energy; the KHS packaging system requires up to 85 % less material than the conventional multipack and reduces energy consumption during production by a maximum of 67 %.

Stern-Wywiol Gruppe from Hamburg is adding to its production and sales network in south-east Asia by establishing a new production facility for its subsidiary, SternMaid Asia Pacific Sdn Bhd, in the Iskandar economic zone, Malaysia. After the plants in Suzhou (China) and Mumbai, this is the third food industry facility that the family enterprise has opened in Asia and its sixth outside Germany. Clients in the ASEAN region will in future benefit from more rapid deliveries, secure supply chains and applications advice from a consultant nearby.

The state-of-the-art facility is dedicated to the development and production of food ingredient systems to improve the functional qualities of food. The facility has three completely separate production lines; initially work will focus on enzyme-based ingredients systems for bakers and millers plus micronutrient mixes to fortify a wide variety of foods and beverages.

SIG offers manufactures a new remote services solution to maximise filling line uptime

As part of its expanding Digital Service portfolio for customers, SIG has launched Remote Services, offering food and beverage manufacturers a smarter way to service their filling machines and to generate more filling line uptime.

Remote Services from SIG is a new digital service that can instantly connect a customer or service engineer to an SIG service expert from anywhere in the world. By using video-enabled smart glasses, SIG can provide a secure live-feed to an SIG expert who can guide users through solving any fault or issue.

SIG developed Remote Services in response to new customer challenges and demands. With the food and beverage industry facing higher competitive pressures, operational complexity and shorter production cycles, manufacturers can no longer afford long waiting times for support and the risk of downtime.

Remote Services ensures SIG’s customers receive fast response times, an improved first-time fix rate, more data insights and analysis, and ultimately more filling line uptime. In addition, Remote Services can help reduce costly travel times, expenses and CO₂ emissions.

Remote Services is part of SIG’s value-adding Smart Factory platform – a commitment to deliver smarter filling line solutions and technical services that help transform customer filling plants into intelligent and connected factories.

As part of the Remote Services solution, SIG smart glasses provide a live-feed from the customer plant to an SIG Remote Services expert. This remote service creates a secure data connection and enables the SIG expert to see exactly what the onsite customer or service engineer sees. The Remote Services expert can then send detailed instructions or technical drawings and guide them through resolving the issue. At the same time, the Remote Services expert can identify any parts that need replacing and order them for fast delivery and repair.

As a global leader in the nutrition industry, Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ADM) is continually working on optimizing its performance and aligning it to future market requirements. This year, for example, this has included investing in state-of-the art technologies and establishing modern, interdisciplinary organizational units and additional routes to ensure greater customer proximity. Here are a few new developments:

ADM Strengthens Presence in Africa

In addition to its existing office in Nairobi, Kenya, ADM opened another location in Africa at the beginning of 2018. The new office in Lagos, Nigeria, is a key contact point for customers on the North/West African market, and provides them with fast, direct access to the consulting and other services of ADM experts. A qualified team with extensive knowledge of the industry, operational expertise and regional experience is available to current and potential customers. The team provides advice for all issues relating to production – from new plants or processes through to ingredients. Their broad knowledge makes the ADM team in Lagos reliable partners who can support manufacturers with a view of the whole picture.

New Production Plant for Colors in Berlin

As a result of further increasing demand for foods and beverages with natural ingredients, ADM has increased its production capacity for WILD coloring foodstuffs and WILD Colors from Nature^® at the company’s Berlin site. One of the two new production lines is designed for water-soluble products, the other for emulsions. The colors are used in flavor systems and fruit preparations, and also sold as single ingredients. Moreover, in the summer of 2018, the company started up a sampling plant for color samples. The same technology enables a scale-up process for the production plants. Sample units are available in quantities of 1 to 20 kilograms.

Chocolate Center: Efficient and Customer-Oriented

Almost no category hold as much potential for new creative product developments as food containing chocolate. This is reason enough for ADM to establish a new Chocolate Center in Berlin. Since September, several teams of experts from relevant specialist fields have been working here together with customers to develop innovative products. The customers benefit from this in two ways: they can outsource large parts of the time-consuming and production-intensive product development, and they remain actively involved in decisive creative steps.

The trading pace in the market of in natura orange was slow in Brazil in the first fortnight of October. Besides the lack of high quality fruits, rains in São Paulo State limited harvesting activities and lowered the available supply even more. Demand, in turn, was low too, mainly due to the Brazilian holiday on October 12, when liquidity usually decreases.

Purchasers reduced pear orange acquisitions, opting for lower priced varieties, such as valencia. From October 1 to 15, pear orange quotes averaged 32.90 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, on tree, 6.8 % up compared to that in the same period of September. Valencia oranges, however, were traded at 28.89 BRL per box, 8.9 % up in the same comparison.

Regarding tahiti lime, rainy weather hampered fieldwork and prices rose in the first fortnight of October. From Sept. 30 to Oct. 15, tahiti lime quotes averaged 81.98 BRL per 27-kilo box, harvested, 21.6 % up in the same comparison. Precipitation, on the other hand, should favor fruit growth on tree, based on the estimates for a slight supply increase this month.

2019/20 SEASON – The first purchase offers for the oranges from the 2019/20 crop have started to be reported in the market of São Paulo State. On an ad hoc basis, large-sized processors have bid prices around 22 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, harvested and delivered at processors, with the possibility of a bonus in the sales price of orange juice in the international market. Processors bidding prices have been lower than in the spot market this season (at 24 BRL per box for prompt-delivery).

In general, according to agents from processors, farmers are cautious regarding closing trades in advance, since the next season output is still uncertain. Although blossoming was considered positive in most orchards, the weather will be crucial for a good flower settlement – in the same period last year, many fruitlets were lost, reducing production in the 2018/19 season.

Besides, the result of the Presidential Election in Brazil may influence both the exchange rate and, consequently, the price received by processors for orange juice sales in the international market. The farmers consulted by Cepea that have already been contacted by processors, mainly for renegotiation, say they will wait for a better definition in the coming months to decide whether to sell or not their fruits.

Brazilian citrus farmers believe the next orange crop in São Paulo will have positive results, mainly in the orchards located in southern state, where the weather is more favorable (with rains interleaved with sunny days). Farmers are focused on the central area of the state, where intense heat and smaller rain volumes have already caused fruitlets to drop.

Doehler Group and Nutrafood S.r.l. have reached an agreement on a strategic partnership.

This transaction further complements Doehler’s range in the area of plant-based food and beverages, where the company currently provides its customers with solutions from smoothies to spoonables to beverages which enable the development of natural nutrition concepts that provide Multi-Sensory Experiences^®. The portfolio of pulses, cereal bases and low-calorie bases, such as veggie NFCs, coconut water etc., is now supplemented by nut products. Nutrafood’s extensive expertise and ability to provide plant-based ingredients for food and beverages, combined with the broad product portfolio and the comprehensive industry knowledge of the Doehler Group, will create unique synergy effects. Customers will be able to benefit from a more complete product range and improved efficiency of the two businesses in a global market with regard to customised all-in-one solutions.

Doehler Group and Nutrafood are convinced that this step is a milestone on the path towards a leading position in the plant-based nutrition segment, while simultaneously strengthening their respective positions.

Nutrafood will continue and enhance its core business of plant-based foods and beverages. Both companies will join forces to drive innovative products and solutions that are in line with current consumer trends.

Despite the firm sales prices, lower orange production in the 2018/19 crop from the citrus belt (São Paulo and Triângulo Mineiro) should constrain the revenue of farmers who trade with processors, since the lower number of boxes produced per hectare tends to push up the unit price. Only in southwestern SP, where production has not changed much, revenue may remain at high levels.

According to data released by Fundecitrus (Citrus Defense Fund) on September 10, this crop should be 31.4 % smaller than the previous (2017/18), totaling only 273.3 million boxes (40.8 kilos) of oranges. This volume is 5.2 % lower than that first forecast by Fundecitrus in May.

Lower production estimates confirm the initial expectations of the agents consulted by Cepea, who believe that the performance of the current crop may have been compromised by both the high rate of flower loss from the first blossoming (between August and October/17) and the lack of rains in the first semester of 2018. Fundecitrus has reported that the average weight of all varieties is lower than that forecast in May, because of the severe drought (May – July).

Lower domestic supply, in turn, has boosted orange prices to processors this year. Besides, inventories from the 2018/19 crop should again decrease to critical levels by June 2019, according to forecasts from CitrusBR (Brazilian Association of Citrus Exporters), totaling only 146.7 thousand tons of juice, the second lowest in the CitrusBR series, which started in 1988/89, and only enough for two months of exportations.

After the new estimates were released, prices have been stable in the spot market, at 24 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, harvested and delivered at the processor. However, quotes had already increased last month, when CitrusBR anticipated that estimates from Fundecitrus could be revised down. Despite the smaller amount available for crushing, the average yield is forecast to be higher than in the previous crop, due to the dry period in the citrus belt from May to July (CitrusBR).

Most farmers have already closed deals with the industry – since November/17, processors’ bidding prices have been up to 22 BRL per box. Thus, if quotes increase at processors from now onward, the few farmers with fruits available will still be favored.

SHORTER HARVEST – The new report from Fundecitrus has highlighted that the 2018/19 crop harvesting may end earlier, which, in turn, may push up orange quotes in early 2019, when supply is usually low. So far, 36 % of the oranges from that crop have been harvested, 2 percentage points above the same period last season.

IN NATURA MARKET – The low supply of fruits with the quality demanded by the in natura segment underpinned orange prices in the first fortnight of September. Thus, from September 3 to 14, pear orange quotes averaged 30.81 BRL per 40.8-kilo box, on tree, 10.6 % up compared to that in the first fortnight of August.

In the market of tahiti lime, supply is low, which increased quotes in the first fortnight of September – in the first week of the month, prices surpassed 90 BRL per 27-kilo box. Between September 3 and 14, tahiti lime quotes averaged 67.42 BRL per 27-kilo box, harvested, a staggering 83 % up compared to that in the same period last month.

On the other hand, higher quotes have constrained exportations, due to the competition with the fruits from Mexico. According to Fresh Plaza website, tahiti lime shipments to Europe usually step up starting June, both from Brazil and Mexico.

In general, the exportation season for tahiti lime was positive in the first semester, but shipments decreased in both July and August, according to Secex, by 21.5 % and 8.2 %, respectively, compared to the same months of 2017. From January to August this year, exports totaled 76 thousand tons, a slight 0.4 % down compared to the same period last year.

In line with the guiding principle “Turning the best out of nature into Multi-Sensory & Nutritional Excellence”, Doehler will present pioneering ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions which reflect the core topics of naturalness, plant-based nutrition, Nutritional Excellence and Multi-Sensory Experiences^® to visitors at the SIAL trade show, held from 21 to 25 October.

Unique taste explosions in beverages

Doehler will present inspiring product ideas for beverages based on the best and natural ingredients for unmistakable taste experiences. Smoothies have been innovation drivers in the beverage aisle for many years. But they are no longer only about puréed fruit. The new generation of smoothies offers a lot more than just pure nutrients, with their sensory properties also part of the impressive package! Tropical fruits, such as goldenberry and guava, add a fresh and fruity taste, chia and flax seeds create an extra-crunchy mouthfeel, while turmeric provides a highly natural shiny colour. That makes the “superfood smoothies” a real highlight in the beverage aisle and a unique indulgence for all the senses!

Through years of experience, comprehensive industry expertise and global networking, Doehler develops customised concepts for the different consumer target groups. At SIAL, Doehler presents its extensive portfolio of Adult Soft Drinks which are specifically tailored to the consumer requirements of the 25+ age group. The innovative Brewed Sodas or Kombucha impress thanks to their reduced sweetness and extraordinary flavours.

Healthy nutritional value through the power of nature

Less sugar – same full taste. Foods and beverages with optimised nutritional value that are exactly in line with a modern, healthy lifestyle are what many consumers want. Doehler will present new beverage concepts at SIAL featuring healthy added value and fewer calories and ranging from innovative energy drinks to premium reduced-sugar lemonades and reduced-calorie fruit and vegetable juices. The company will also introduce its new range of MultiSense® Flavours in addition to numerous sweetening solutions that enable the reduction of sugar content by up to 100%. The MultiSense® Flavours range can be used to achieve significant sugar reduction without having to use sweeteners or to significantly improve the taste and mouthfeel of reduced-sugar products. MultiSense® Flavours create a balanced overall impression for soft drinks and dairy-based beverages and are therefore perfect for a broad range of innovative products.

Botanical diversity – Doehler offers its customers a comprehensive portfolio of high-quality botanical plant extracts and full spectrum powders which provide health-promoting additional benefits, unlock unique taste experiences and are 100% natural. The portfolio includes, among other things, African extracts from baobab, moringa leaves and honeybush. The high-quality extracts impress thanks to a naturally fresh taste, and also provide inspiration for healthy and trendy product positionings. Thanks to state-of-the art processing technology, it is possible to use botanic ingredients in a wide range of applications, from clear, near-water beverages, such as Aqua Plus, up to full-bodied yoghurts or food products, such as cereal bars.

Doehler also offers plant-based proteins, such as pea and rice protein blends, that supply the body with all the essential amino acids it needs, and taste good, too. Thanks to the use of proteins from high-quality raw materials, supported by natural flavour compositions, the end products – from cereal bars to snack drinks – are characterised by outstanding multi-sensory properties.

Plant-Based Nutrition

Be it on health grounds or due to particular beliefs, more and more people are cutting out animal products and choosing a purely plant-based diet. Whereas just a few years ago, plant-based alternatives were the preserve of select specialist shops, they are now a staple found in almost any supermarket.

Based on Doehler’s broad portfolio on plant-based ingredients such as protein, fruit and vegetable ingredients, or dairy-free ingredients from oats, almonds, rice or coconut, the company creates numerous inspiring product concepts that reflect current lifestyles and the spirit of the times. Delicious plant-based desserts with fresh fruit preparations and flavours ranging from apple, pineapple, blueberry or mango that provide a delicious plant-based alternative to traditional yoghurts or creamy plant-based ice cream based on coconut with the subtle taste of turmeric. The new generation of plant-based drinks also create new and exciting taste experiences based on dairy-free ingredients, such as delicious cold brew coffee drinks with plant-based proteins, or fruity rice drinks with exotic tastes.

Hall 5a, Stand H218

Closure Systems International (CSI) and Talkin’ Things^®, the leading innovator in product communication platforms, have collaborated to integrate smart packaging technology into CSI’s global platform of closures. CSI and Talkin’ Things have developed a new packaging solution named Talkin’ Cap, which uses embedded Near Field Communication (NFC) tags, for application on the inside of closures. This technology introduces a powerful platform to support a brand owner’s mobile marketing activities right from the package itself…with just a simple tap.

Brand trustworthiness and product reliability are paramount for consumer loyalty. Talkin’ Caps ensure product safety and reduce brand owners’ liability by protecting against counterfeiting and “gray market” activities throughout the distribution stream.

CSI’s Talkin’ Caps allow for real-time consumer interconnectivity at the point of consumption, giving brand owners the unique ability to have dynamic interaction and gather actionable insights based on consumer location and usage history.

With 90 % of consumers using their smartphone to help make purchase decisions in a brick and mortar setting¹, Talkin’ Caps are an app-less way to drive marketing content, brand and product information, gamification, loyalty programs, awards and coupons to connected consumers.

¹https://www.fastcompany.com/3007362/customers-dont-want-ads-they-want-conversation

Mintel, the world’s leading market intelligence agency, has announced the launch of Indian Consumer, a new consumer intelligence platform featuring in-depth research reports and analyst expertise on India’s consumer markets. Designed specifically for companies, brands, and manufacturers serving the Indian market, Mintel Indian Consumer intuitively combines new consumer research with the latest market data and analyst insight, and is delivered in a highly engaging and interactive platform.

Thoroughly researched, analysed and interpreted by Mintel’s team of local expert analysts, each interactive report is easy to comprehend and, more importantly, act upon. With overarching themes across the food and drink, beauty and personal care, and lifestyles categories, Mintel Indian Consumer presents solutions to gaps identified in the marketplace, with the consumer insight needed to facilitate the product development, brand and marketing, as well as business decision-making processes.

Matthew Nelson, General Manager of Mintel Asia Pacific, says: “From first setting up shop in India nearly a decade ago to doubling our revenue and tripling our headcount in just the last three years, the launch of Mintel Indian Consumer marks an expanded footprint for Mintel in India—a challenging, dynamic and highly innovative marketplace. Mintel’s continued investment in the region builds upon our already established analyst expertise into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies. This is a key milestone for the company’s long-term growth strategy and further expansion across the Asia Pacific region and the world, giving our clients research and analysis of the highest quality to help them grow their business.

“As consumer markets become more competitive, Mintel has proven to be an unparalleled asset to our clients as they develop their business strategies amidst evolving social, economic and political landscapes. Mintel Indian Consumer represents a first-of-its-kind, truly unique approach to helping companies and brands understand and validate local consumer trends and assess the market applicability of global trends locally.”

Nidhi Sinha, Head of Content, India Consumer, at Mintel, adds: “Mintel research identifies the major trends impacting the marketplace, covering consumers in metros and tier one-to-three cities across India’s four main regions. Companies and brands can drill into our consumer data to discover the regional and socioeconomic differences. In fact, the data can be viewed by household composition, demographic, gender and age, to name a few. Mintel’s expert analysts provide their unique perspective and expertise on India’s key consumer markets by examining the trending shifts in consumer behaviour and product innovation on the global and local scale.”

“Mintel Indian Consumer is augmented with interactive data books for an immersive, hands-on research experience, offering the opportunity for deeper data manipulation. Each report addresses category white space, backed by consumer data, and is presented and interpreted in a way that makes sense to our clients. Mintel’s primary research, consumer data and expert analysis give our clients actionable and unique consumer insights and opportunities to help them make informed business decisions for a successful future.”

Organically based synthetic material with sunflower seed shells protects fossil resources

In cooperation with Golden Compound, the internationally active packaging manufacturer ALPLA is bringing a world first onto the market: a biodegradable coffee capsule that consumers can dispose of in their home compost.

Together with materials manufacturer Golden Compound, ALPLA has developed a market-ready coffee capsule that environmentally aware consumers can use with a clear conscience. The capsule is made from the material Golden Compound green. This comprises an organically based material and ground natural fibres from sunflower seed shells. The capsule and filter fleece are completely biodegradable in the garden compost within a maximum of six months, and are free from aluminium and genetically modified organisms. ALPLA provides its customers with the capsule and the garden-compostable lid.

By-product of sunflower processing

Golden Compound uses sunflower seed shells as a reinforcing material. They are a by-product of the food industry and not in competition with food production. In this way, Golden Compound green protects fossil resources and reduces the carbon footprint. Composting the capsule generates humus, and the coffee grounds contain valuable plant nutrients such as potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen.

Excellent characteristics

The material also has excellent characteristics, as confirmed by numerous certificates: the oxygen barrier is very much comparable with conventional plastics such as PP-EVOH-PP. The monolayer coffee capsule is thus aroma-proof without outer packaging. Furthermore, Golden Compound green is certified in line with the standards ‘OK compost HOME’ and ‘OK biodegradable SOIL’ from TÜV.