Drink technology India finds fertile soil

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. It has a prosperous middle class, numbering around 300 million, who are oriented towards western consumer habits. The beverages market is profiting from this, and for many years it has been experiencing a unique boom.

Already beverages consumption in India is the third highest in the world, after the US and China – and there seems to be no end in sight to this rise. Across all categories of beverages, further increases – some in double-digit figures – are predicted for the coming years.

Packaging industry gets going again

From Nurnberg Messe the innovative packaging solutions (FachPack), the creative approaches to packaging processing (PrintPack) and the cost-saving ideas for packaging logistics (LogIntern).

Beverage, news for and from all over the world

By Brau Beviale

People will always drink – a fact that has a calming effect on the beverage industry particularly when times are difficult. According to the German Association for Nutrition (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung), the recommended daily consumption of fluids is 1.5 l, which may be as much as three litres or more in summer and in southern countries. Unfortunately, however, a large demand for body fluids does not as such mean smooth business in the European beverage industry. It is a matter of producers convincing consumers to consume a certain category of drinks and ultimately their own brand. In saturated markets like Western Europe, North America and Australia, 66 % of the required body fluids are covered by packaged drinks. On the other hand, packaged drinks account for just 22 % in maturing markets like Eastern Europe and Latin America, and only around 10 % in markets still to be developed, like Asia, the Middle East and Africa (Euromonitor International).

Functional Additives and Barrier Coatings for Plastic Packaging to be Worth $752 million in 2014

The global market for functional additives and barrier coatings for plastic packaging is to grow by 4.3% in the period 2009-2014 according to a new study by Pira International. In 2014 the sector will be worth $752 million compared to $609 million in 2009. The largest users of functional additives and barrier coatings for plastic packaging are electronics, electricals and the snack foods market.

Australia announces BPA baby bottle phase out

In Autralia and New Zeland Parliamentary Secretary for Health Mark Butler announced the phase out by major retailers of baby bottles containing Bisphenol A (BPA).

The voluntary phase out by the Wesfarmers group (Coles, K Mart and Target), and retailers Woolworths, Big W and Aldi is the result of months of constructive discussions between the Australian Government and retailers. The phase out will begin on July 1.

“Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has evaluated the safety of BPA and plasticisers in baby bottles and concluded that levels of intake of BPA or plasticisers are very low and do not pose a risk to babies health,” Mr Butler said.

”However, the US Food and Drug Administration announced earlier this year that it is carrying out further research into the risks for babies and infants associated with BPA.”

A number of countries have responded to consumer concern and the FDA’s announcement about BPA by introducing voluntary withdrawals of BPA baby bottles from the market. Such a decision has been taken in the United States, Canada and a number of European countries.

“The Australian Government appreciates there has been a level of public concern relating to BPA in baby bottles and, as such, has worked extensively with retailers to introduce the phase out.

Mr Butler congratulated the major retailers on their decision to come on board and called on other retailers to do the same as soon as possible.

He said it would ease the concerns of Australian parents.

“The Government has listened to families on the issue of BPA and we have taken appropriate action,” he said.

German packaging machinery still leads the world

FachPack 2010, Nürnberg – the entries in the diaries of many packaging experts for the last three days of September, particularly in Germany and the neighbouring European countries, are almost the same. A good 1,300 exhibitors in the segments of packaging materials, packaging supplies, packaging ancillaries, packaging technologies, labelling and marking equipment, monitoring and test equipment, products for packaging recycling, and in the exhibition segments PrintPack (packaging processing) and LogIntern (packaging logistics) are excellently prepared for the good 33,000 visitors expected. The German packaging machinery sector closed 2009 with a better result than expected in a year marked by the worldwide financial and economic crisis. The around 300 companies in this sector with their some 28,000 employees maintained their leading role in the world market. The decisive factors for this are traditionally the large investment in research and development, the systematic orientation to customer profiles and the use of the latest production technologies. These factors will be shown again at FachPack 2010.

FINAT celebrates 30th Label Awards Competition at its Annual Congress

FINAT, the world-wide association representing the interest of the self-adhesive labelling industry, announced the winners of its annual label awards competition.  In this 30^th edition, containing a great number of highly commended contributions, both ‘Best in Show’ and ‘Printing Processes Group Winner’ award went to Pilot Italia, Italy for its Barceló Rum labels.