Archive

Keith Nuthall
What now for the “Havana Club” rum brand name after this month’s

ruling by a panel of the World Trade Organisation in the dispute between

the European Union and the US ? Both sides have claimed a victory of

sorts out of the split ruling, though both agree the struggle is far from

over.…

BY MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal, Canada
COCA-COLA Ltd. is trying to tap into the fashionable and potentially lucrative Canadian coffee market by launching its Planet Java drink in the country, aiming it at 18 to 36 year olds.

It is similar to a mochaccino and contains milk, sugar and coffee; it is being marketed as a low fat drink, with 180 calories and 3 grams of fat per serving.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched a detailed investigation into the planned merger between Germany’s Südzucker AG and France’s Saint Louis Sucre S.A., because of concerns that the deal will harm competition in the sugar sector. A preliminary inquiry concluded there were serious concerns linked to Südzucker’s strong position in Belgium and southern Germany, where it commands a sugar market share of 70-90 per cent.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD food standards body, Codex Alimentarius, has revised its guidelines for sugars, cocoa and dairy products, sitting in its 24th session in Geneva, Switzerland.

Attended by 365 delegates, alternates and advisors from 87 Member countries, this meeting of Codex commission adopted 41 new or revised standards, guidelines and related texts, all of which are voluntary, although having influence by the fact they have been agreed internationally and that they promote trade.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH Sugar, Napier Brown and Tate & Lyle have failed to persuade the European Court of Justice to lift heavy fines imposed by the European Commission in 1998 over allegations of illegal concerted practice and agreements over sugar prices.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has rejected a bid by Irish Sugar to overturn a fine ordered by the European Commission, reduced on appeal to Euro 7.8 million, because of alleged anti-competitive practices committed by it and its distributor, Sugar Distributors Limited.…

BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE, in Columbo, Sri Lanka
UNILEVER Ceylon Ltd is to close its Walls Ice Cream unit outside Colombo, Sri Lanka, due to worker unrest blamed on unions controlled by the Marxist JVP group, (Jathika Vimukthi Peramuna). The company said it will source ice cream for Sri Lanka elsewhere.…

BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE AND KEITH NUTHALL
THE TRADITIONAL Japanese passion for cherry blossom has yielded the invention of a brewing yeast, which is supposed to impart a heavenly aroma to beers, whilst enabling brewers to maintain their operational efficiency.

Experts from the Akita Research Institute of Food and Brewing visited sightseeing spots famed for the colourful blossom in late April and early May last year, collecting blossom and sap, from which natural yeasts were extracted in the laboratory.…

BY MONICA DOBIE
A NEW beer brand has been launched by the Ball Brewing Company, an independent brewer, based in Toronto; its flagship is called Ball Premium Light, the only stand-alone light beer in the country, it claims, competing with Canada’s leading brewers Labatt and Molson that sell the more traditional light beers, derived from full strength beers already on sale.…

BY MONICA DOBIE
MOOSEHEAD Breweries, based in New Brunswick, Atlantic Canada, has legally challenged several US and Canadian brewers, alleging that their branding on brands, such as ‘Moose Drool’ and ‘Moose Juice,’ infringe the company’s trademark rights.

Joel Levesque, spokesperson for Moosehead told Off Licence News that brewers could not resist the popularity of the beast.…