This drink is no turkey

Is there no end to the courage of beverage makers? On the wires this morning came the news that a special carbonated soft drink made for the US Thanksgiving season is selling out.

Seattle-based Jones Soda’s Turkey & Gravy flavoured beverage, went on sale today on the World Wide Web from www.jonessodastore.com. The company is donating profits to Toys for Tots, a national charity for children.

President and chief executive Peter van Stolk said "We were completely caught off guard by the overwhelming response to the Turkey & Gravy soda. The company has been inundated with phone calls and emails since the launch," says, "Considering the limited production, we have decided that the right thing to do is to give all the proceeds from the Turkey & Gravy soda to Toys for Tots."

Jones Soda is better known for its premium Soda, Naturals, Energy and Whoopass brands, which it sells in select markets across North America. Jones is also known for its innovative labels. These incorporate photos sent in by consumers and change often.

Canary to sing with Innovative Biosensors
Convenience drives US food containers

Innovation

Canary to sing with Innovative Biosensors

A fast, accurate biosensor technology developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may change food testing procedures forever.

That’s the hope of Innovative Biosensors, a private developer of rapid diagnostic technologies, which has bought an exclusive licence for MIT’s Canary biosensor technology. The system uses cells of the immune system that are designed to express recombinant antibodies specific to the antigen of interest, as well as a protein-based emitter molecule in the cell's cytosol.

When the antigen binds to the engineered antibody on the cell's surface there is a tiny flash of light. A small sensitive optical sensor quickly detects this, allowing for extremely rapid testing of materials with previously unseen levels of sensitivity and specificity.

The licence gives Innovative Biosensors exclusive rights to use this technology for food testing, human and animal clinical diagnostics, and sales to the life science research market. Innovative Biosensors is also the only company allowed to develop, manufacture and sell instruments and kits using Canary technology in these fields, in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan and other countries.

Packaging

Convenience drives US food containers

Food container demand in the US will increase nearly 3%/y to $18.7 billion in 2007, says market researcher Freedonia.

A growing population, consumer demand for convenient prepared foods, and more use value-added packaging with high impact graphics and greater barrier properties will drive growth. Performance and line speed improvements mean the best opportunities lie in pouches and rigid plastic containers. Grain mill products and sauces/condiments will provide the best growth potential because of rapid inroads made by pouches in pet food applications. Similarly plastic bottles are making inroads in pasta sauce and other areas.

Pouch demand will increase 6.3%/y to $3.5bn in 2007. Pouches are replacing metal cans, paperboard boxes and bags as producers opt for convenience and visual attractiveness. The pouch’s new ability to offer retort, resealable, shaped and other types gives producers more choice.

Bag demand will grow less than 1%/y to $3.8 billion in 2007 due to competition from pouches and needs for enhanced marketing appeal. Rigid plastic food container demand will grow 5.7%/y percent to 2007, creating a market for 2.8bn pounds of resin. Stimulating factors include plastics’ clarity, light weight and shatter-resistance in bottles and jars. But there will be slower growth in tubs and cups. Hot-fill applications such as jams, jellies and condiments are growing due to improvements in heat resistance and barrier properties, as well as consumer convenience. Plastic is making inroads into baby food markets, where glass jars are entrenched.

Paperboard will remain the largest rigid food container material. Its position is based on the material’s strength, stiffness, competitive pricing structure and favourable environmental profile. Folding cartons will provide the best opportunities, but aseptic cartons should grow faster.

Metal containers may advance only slowly, due to saturated fruit and vegetable can markets, and competition from pouches in tuna fish and other packaging uses. Glass containers will drop because of plastic’ s weight, design and performance advantages.

Source: Freedonia