Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

Functional straw deal targets probiotic juice boost

17-Sep-2008 - A leading packager is spying a global roll-out for a new development in straws that it claims can grant an additional probiotic boost to juices and dairy beverages.

New study links BPA to heart disease and diabetes

17-Sep-2008 - A new study on Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical compound used in plastic packaging for food and drinks, has found that higher concentrations of the chemical in urine were linked with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and liver enzyme abnormalities.

Pack and functional innovation to drive candy growth

04-Sep-2008 - Innovation in the use of functional ingredients and packaging is expected to dominate worldwide growth in the confectionery market, according to a new report.

Far East plastics still a problem for formaldehyde: FSA

29-Aug-2008 - The migration of formaldehyde into foods from food contact materials manufactured in the Far East may still be a problem, according to a new FSA survey.

Industry claims festive focus vital to annual pack reduction

21-Aug-2008 - Confectionery groups are playing up their efforts to strike a balance between Christmas spirit and green packaging, claiming the focus reflects an all year round environment drive not just consigned to the festive period.

Tetra Pak focuses on dairy solutions with acquisition

11-Jul-2008 - Swedish packaging firm Tetra Pak has acquired the assets of two Australian food processing companies, strengthening its portfolio of solutions for cheese and dairy powder.

Weekly comment

The GSK weight loss wake-up call

26-May-2008 - GlaxoSmithKline's petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban dietary supplements from making weight loss claims, has opened a cupboard and only the deluded would deny the presence of one or two skeletons rattling around in there.

China takes big step forward in nutrition labelling

13-May-2008 - China has introduced new guidelines for nutrition labelling on packaged foods which, although not mandatory, will standardise presentation of information on products that already state nutrient levels.

News briefs: Green packaging initiatives

07-May-2008 - Pepsi reduces plastic in 500ml non-carbonated beverage bottle, Earthcycle expands its fresh produce compostable packaging line and the Reusable Pallet & Container Coalition changes its name to Reusable Packaging Association.

Chalk-based dairy packaging enters home market

15-Apr-2008 - A new packaging product produced from chalk by Swedish firm Ecolean has been launched in its home market after several successful years in China and Russia.

Americhem targets cross-industry pack innovation

14-Apr-2008 - Americhem, a manufacturer of encapsulated additives for the packaging industry, has opened a new research centre it claims will allow food and beverage processors to adapt technologies from other industries into their own products.

Sustainable labels planned for global beverage brands

10-Apr-2008 - Plans for a new global system to measure and record the carbon footprint of beverages on their packaging labels is being launched at the InnoBev Global Soft Drinks Congress in Moscow today.

International probiotic group establishes quality seal standards

28-Mar-2008 - The International Probiotics Association (IPA) has set criteria for a mooted labeling scheme that will allow probiotics products to bear a quality seal.

Weekly comment

Allergen-free: time for clarity

17-Mar-2008 - Claiming 'free from' is not a light statement to make. Lives depend on it. As scientific progress questions the validity of such claims, it is time to establish exact guidelines and communicate these to people for whom ingredients are a matter of life and death.

Weekly comment

Warning signs: reconsidering shock tactics

10-Mar-2008 - Here's a possible new marketing angle for food and beverage manufacturers: "Food can kill".

New technology launched for delicate product packaging

26-Feb-2008 - Packaging firm Bosch has designed a new range of packaging and processing solutions designed specifically for handling delicate products such as tray baked goods, biscuits and chocolate confectionery.

Cyrovac maker sees volume growth in emerging markets

31-Jan-2008 - Sealed Air, the producer of Cryovac food packaging, yesterday reported strong growth in sales to food customers over 2007, boosted by emerging markets as well as a favourable currency rate.

Bosch opens India packaging plant to boost sales, sourcing

22-Jan-2008 - Bosch Packaging has opened a new manufacturing facility in Goa, India, to cater to its growing customer base in the booming emerging market and increase sourcing for its European headquarters.

Cryovac launches printable top web for vacuum packaging

18-Jan-2008 - Global packaging brand Cryovac has introduced a co-extruded barrier top web for its Darfresh vacuum skin packaging range that allows manufacturers to use high quality printing to differentiate their products.

Weekly comment

Back to tap: bottled water's enviro-woes

07-Jan-2008 - It looks set to be a vintage year ahead for Chateau Eau De Source Public - or as it is more humbly known, tap water - as consumers find themselves encouraged to shun the mineral variety of the product to reduce packaging waste.

Choices makes progress as global healthy foods mark

28-Nov-2007 - A food industry initiative launched this year is promoting one standard, easily recognisable symbol to aid identification of healthy foods across the world and encourage manufacturers to reformulate products along healthier lines.

RFID project launched to test electronic product code

24-Oct-2007 - UK processors and others are being asked to participate in a pilot project to test the use of the international electronic product code standard in conjunction with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology.

Chinese dairy demand drives Tetra Pak expansion

11-Oct-2007 - Tetra Pak has expanded its total packaging output in China to 40bn containers following completion of a €100m plant in a bid to meet the huge increases in demand for dairy products.

Biodegradable film cuts material use, manufacturer claims

28-Sep-2007 - A biodegradable packaging film uses 25 per cent less material than most food wraps currently being used for meat and poultry, according to the manufacturer.