The energy drink market has become increasingly competitive, as beverage companies seek to capitalise on the desire for consumers to find an energy boost during their day. The global energy drink industry, which has been one of the top performing beverage sectors over the past decade, is still dominated by Red Bull despite several attempts by beverage giants PepsiCo and Coca-Cola to take a chunk out of their market share. In Australia and New Zealand ‘V’, owned by Frucor Beverages,... Read more »
Givaudan, a leading flavour developer, believes it has raised the bar for vanilla and citrus flavour creation after a significant investment and global research into “what’s next” for two of the world’s favourite flavours. Building upon a strong heritage in vanilla flavours and taste, Givaudan’s consumer-driven TasteEssentialsTM Vanilla programme reportedly optimizes and pushes the boundaries of traditional vanilla flavour toward new and distinctive consumer-winning... Read more »
Food manufacturers are to gain access to a new analyzer, which can efficiently determine moisture and fat levels in meat products. CEM Corporation, a leading global provider of laboratory instrumentation, has announced that AOAC International, a non-profit scientific association, has approved Official Method 2008.06, which utilizes microwave energy for direct moisture analysis and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectrometry (NMR) to determine fat content in raw and processed meat and meat products. The... Read more »
A new milk container is being sold in the US, which reportedly does not require crates or racks for shipping and storage, and reduces costs. Sam’s Club, the second largest wholesaler in the US, have already shifted to the new milk containers. The new containers are a square shaped gallon, which represent a packaging change consistent with the transformation of milk from pitchers to glass bottles in the late 1800’s and then cardboard cartons to plastic gallons in the early 1950’s. According... Read more »
Engineered nanoscale materials (ENMs), which contain novel properties that might offer benefits for use in food packaging, raise new safety evaluation challenges for regulators and industry, according to a report released today by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN) and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).The food-packaging industry, food companies and consumers all share an interest in ensuring that any possible safety questions are identified and are carefully evaluated and resolved... Read more »
US company Ikan is threatening to revolutionise the way consumers shop for groceries with the launch of a new product scanning device. The product, which costs $400, allows consumers to scan the barcodes of products they have just finished or are about to finish so that it can be added to their shopping list automatically. The Ikan device has a colour screen, laser scanner and a Wi-Fi antenna to enable connection to the consumer’s home network. Once a product is scanned the device will... Read more »
p.i.n.k vodka, the first 80-proof ultra-premium vodka infused with caffeine and guarana, is to be made available in Australia from July. Made from the handcrafted vodka from Holland, p.i.n.k. vodka contains a flavorless caffeine and guarana formula that does not disrupt the vodka’s exceptional quality, according to the company. The product launched in 2006 in the US with great success and it has since won a number of awards. The company has recently released a new line of infused... Read more »
The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, yesterday released the new National Employment Standards (NES).The NES are a key element of the Rudd Government’s new workplace relations system and will come into effect on 1 January 2010, with the Government indicating that the new system should ensure that all employees are protected by a strong safety net of fair minimum conditions. The NES will apply to all employees in the Federal... Read more »
Cadbury, the world’s largest confectionery company, has announced plans to sell chocolate flavoured chewing gum. The product, described by Cadbury as “indulgence without the guilt”, is set to hit UK shelves next month as the company seeks to eat into the market share of Wrigley. Known as Trident Sweet Kicks, the gum has a mint shell with a liquid chocolate centre, which reportedly provides an initial chocolate taste before providing a longer lasting mint flavour. The product... Read more »
Australia is slowly developing a love affair for bottled water, with sales figures indicating it is Australia’s fastest growing beverage. Over the past six years consumption has increased, on average, by 10% per annum and, despite recent negative press, the current 12L consumed by each Australian consumer is set to escalate. The opportunity for growth of Australia’s bottled water industry is staggering if you consider that Italians, the world’s leading consumers of bottled... Read more »