A new study from the UK suggests that children consumption of soft drinks between age five and seven is not linked to obesity later in childhood, challenging previous studies that have targeted soft drinks as a major driver in the obesity epidemic.

The research used data from a sub-sample of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, and found that consumption of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) during childhood was not associated with fatness at age nine.

Writing in the journal Nutrition, researchers from MRC...

Company executives-turned-internauts at Danone and Wholefoods are accused of blackening the reputation of their rivals online, according to the Financial Times today.

The alleged cases could demonstate the intense rivalry between companies in a tough competitive environment is leading to claims and counter claims about underhanded marketing strategies.

In the first court case of its kind according to the FT, Coca-Cola is taking Danone to court in Argentina over an alleged smear campaign against its Dasani brand.

Beverage groups will turn more production over to high margin, functional products over the next three years, to meet the growing demand for sports and energy drinks, according to a forecast report.

The market demand is being driven by the growing consumer awareness of the need for healthier lifestyles.

The market segment is expected to reach $39.2bn in value by 2010, currently led by the US where sales are expected to reach $17bn this year alone, according to the findings by Global Industry Analysts.

Thought BLT was a sandwich made with bacon, lettuce and tomato? Think again.

In LycoRed's book it's a beverage fortification concept that showcases its expertise in antoxidants. Beta carotene, lutein, and tomato lycopene, of course.

The company, which combines knowhow in premix solutions and in natural antioxidant carotenoids, is demonstrating BLT at next week's IFT show in Chicago as an embodiment of its mantra 'creating innovative nutrition'.

New packaging for wine encases up to six wine bottles in a carton that uses advantages from bag-in-box packaging, its manufacturers claim.

Amcor''s new carry pack, officially launched 29 July, targets wine drinkers who appreciate the convenience of bag-in-box packaging, but who don't want to give up the traditional and more socially-acceptable bottle format.

The carry case was designed in response to industry demand for an easy-to-use, six-bottle wine carrier, Amcor said.

PepsiCo and several other soft drink manufacturers have agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit brought against the companies alleging their products contained cancer-causing benzene.

The companies said they have agreed to reformulate - or have already reformulated - the drinks to make sure the ingredients they contain will not form benzene.

The companies also agreed to give consumers a replacement for any products that were made before the reformulation date.

InBev will sell a majority stake in its pub and bar division to Belgian real estate group Cofinimmo in a bid to cut costs and focus on its core beer operations.

The company announced Friday that it will sell a 90 per cent share in Immobrew, though it will continue to operate the outlets through a lease agreement with Cofinimmo.

Immobrew operates about 1,000 pubs and bars in Belgium and the Netherlands. The move continues Inbev's emphasis on cost savings, in a bid to achieve its goal of becoming the most profitable company in the beer business.

As part of a plan to sell its drinks business, Cadbury Schweppes today said it has acquired the Southeast-Atlantic Beverage Corp. (Seabev), the second largest independent bottler in the US.

The purchase was made through the company's Americas Beverages' unit from private shareholders.

Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Seabev distributes much of Americas Beverages' portfolio, as well as licensed brands, throughout most of Florida and Northern Georgia.

Alland & Robert is launching a new gum Arabic ingredient that it says has exceptional emulsifying properties, allowing less to be used and reducing the need for OSA starch in beverage formulations.

The family-run company, which has been involved in gum Arabic since 1884, has build up supply networks in Chad and Senegal.

Beverage formulators often use octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) starch to flavor encapsulation stabilization - a process that may involve adding lipophilic groups.

In 2006, the price of beverages was on average two and a half times cheaper in the most expensive EU country than in the cheapest, according to a Eurostat report.

The report demonstrates that prices across the Europe still vary widely, despite a common currency, and that the EU has a long way to go before prices stabilise.

The price of an alcoholic drink varies a massive 112 per cent depending on which country it is purchased in, according to the report.