Drink Industry Research Articles

Investigating the performance of Steam Jet Agglomerator as a mean to produce Instanised Cocoa Drink

Popularity of cocoa-based drink has been growing since long time ago in tropical countries. Iced cocoa drink is highly consumed due to the fact that the ambient temperature in the tropical region is relatively high. This condition stimulates cocoa drink industries to continuously improve the quality of their products. This work investigated the performance of small-scale steam jet agglomerator used to produce instanised cocoa powder. This small-scale machine is designed to increase the solubility of cocoa powder, thus cocoa powder will be easily solubilised in cold water. In this study, a small-scale steam jet agglomerator was manufactured. Afterwards, the impact of three drying times, namely 60°C, 80°C, 100°C and three levels of agglomeration process cycle, namely 1,2,3 cycles as well as their interaction on the solubility and colour of the products was investigated. The results showed that the solubility increased as the number of agglomeration process cycle increased. With regard to the colour, the brightness level decreased as the drying temperature and number of agglomeration process cycle increased.

UK reverses an Ecolab deal

In an unusual move, the UK government’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has decided that the US commercial cleaning product giant Ecolab must divest Holchem, a UK cleaning chemical business that it acquired in December 2018. The CMA ruled that the deal would lead to unfair competition and an increase in prices for Holchem’s customers in the food and drink industry. Ecolab bought Holchem, a family-owned firm with annual sales of about $55 million, without informing the CMA. Companies acquiring businesses in the UK are not legally required to refer their deals to the authority, but those that don’t run the risk of a possible reversal, according to the CMA. The CMA said it had looked at ways to limit the acquisition’s impact on the market but had concluded that divestment is the only effective option. “Now, Ecolab must sell off Holchem to a new owner, which must be approved

Impact of Negative News on the U.S. Soft Drinks Industry

The fact that negative news affects the stock returns of a mentioned brand is well known and proven extensively in literature. Nevertheless, little is known about the effect this might have on other brands within the industry in which the focal brand operates. This phenomenon was investigated by looking at the effect of negative news articles on similar and dissimilar competitors in the soft drink industry. Extent literature has theoretically posited that competitors may either benefit or share the harm depending on the presence of competitive or contagion effects. However, such effects have rarely been investigated empirically. Results generated through data from the soft drinks industry indicated that negative news in general lowered the stock returns of the focal brand active in the industry. Second, the effect of negative headlines had a significant effect on competitors but was competitor specific. Negative Coca-Cola headlines resulted in a contagion effect over the entire industry; negative Pepsi headlines resulted in competitive effects for both Coke and Dr Pepper; negative Dr Pepper headlines also resulted in contagion effects over the entire industry. These results hold important consequences for firm managers and stockholders.

Competitive spillover elasticities of electronic word of mouth: an application to the soft drink industry

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM), especially on online platforms such as Twitter, is a topic of interest for many C-suite executives. Yet little is understood about competitive spillover effects in eWOM, especially among mature brands in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) markets. In this article we analyze the entire corpus of tweets of two main FMCG brands (Pepsi and Coke) and use dynamic factorial analysis to classify eWOM into topic categories in an unsupervised manner. We then analyze how these topics influence sales, taking into account traditional marketing mix elements and endogeneity concerns. Our results show that looking at eWOM in an aggregate manner (positive vs. negative valence) can be misleading and mask important effects. We see strong evidence for eWOM competitor spillover, depending on eWOM content diagnosticity (high vs. low). We also show the presence of asymmetric eWOM spillover effects depending on the typicality and directionality of brand associations.

Motives to SME internationalisation

PurposeThis study offers a comparative analysis of attitudes to small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) internationalisation in two different cultural settings, Wales and Brittany. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an in-depth investigation of attitudes to internationalisation among food and drink SMEs using mixed methods and focussing on both SMEs that internationalise and those that do not. This leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues influencing attitudes to SME internationalisation, which could facilitate policy development for such companies.Design/methodology/approachMixed methods are used in this study to provide a richness of data in investigating this complex issue. The majority of research in this field has focussed on quantitative research, however, this study heeds calls for more plurality in research on SME internationalisation to achieve a more detailed understanding of the issues affecting SME internationalisation. This is achieved through an online questionnaire of 169 food producing SMEs in Wales and Brittany, informed by International Entrepreneurship theory. A second phase of semi-structured interviews provides more context to the questionnaire findings, with 37 interviews conducted with respondents from the questionnaire. Each phase was conducted independently, with findings triangulated for further investigation.FindingsCompanies of all characteristics have the ability to internationalise; however, cultural differences were observed between Wales and Brittany in both attitudes and the conditions for internationalisation. Breton SMEs displayed more proactivity to internationalisation, stemming from more favourable conditions, a greater reputation for food and more confidence. Conversely, Welsh SMEs were more reactive, relying on government support in encouraging internationalisation. Breton SMEs also benefitted from the strong cultural identity of food products, especially through the Produit en Bretagne brand and its network of producers.Originality/valueThe study makes both a theoretical and methodological contribution to research on SME internationalisation. The comparative study of Wales and Brittany is significant in understanding cultural influences to internationalisation in two regions where the food and drink industry represents an important part of the economy. The focus on a single industry is significant in understanding the particularities of internationalisation within an industrial context, as findings from studies across multiple industries are considered less generalisable. A methodological contribution is sought through using mixed methods to provide a more comprehensive study.

The politics of voluntary self-regulation: insights from the development and promotion of the Australian Beverages Council's Commitment.

To analyse the evolution of the soft drink industry's use of self-regulation as a response to obesity and examine the motivations driving its development and the strategies used to promote it to policy makers. We used a data set of industry documents published by the Australian Beverages Council (ABC) between 1998 and 2016. We analysed how the ABC voiced its political motivations about self-regulation and what internal nutrition policies it developed prior to its public launch of self-regulation. We also analysed two promotional strategies: funding research and writing policy submissions. Australia. Between 1998 and 2006, the ABC shifted from a defensive strategy that denied the role of its products in obesity to more conciliatory strategy that emphasised the role of the soft drink industry in solutions to obesity. The ABC deliberately timed the launch of its self-regulation to coincide with an international public health congress. Following its launch, the ABC funded research demonstrating the efficacy of self-regulation and wrote submissions to government nutrition policies arguing that further regulation was unnecessary. The soft drink industry uses self-regulation to bolster its reputation and influence nutrition policy. Strategic timing plays a key role in the political influence of self-regulation.

The sugar content of children's and lunchbox beverages sold in the UK before and after the soft drink industry levy.

Childhood obesity is associated with an increased intake of sugary soft drinks and juice drinks. The aims of this study were (1) to report the sugar and energy content in commercial fruit juice (FJ), juice drinks (JDs) and smoothies (S) specifically targeted at children in the UK, (2) to identify beverages liable for the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) and (3) to compare the amount of sugar in these beverages before and after the levy. The beverages were retrieved using the online shopping tool, my Supermarket, websites of nine major supermarkets in the UK and manufacturers webpages. Comparisons of sugar content were taken before and after the introduction of the SDIL. 131 FJJDS fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The mean sugar content of all the beverages was 6.3 g ± 4.5/100 mL. There was large variation in the sugar content from 0.1 g/100 mL to 15.2 g/100 mL, with smoothies found to contain the most sugar (11.55 ± 1.62 g/mL). The beverages were reanalysed in September 2018 to determine their eligibility for the SDIL. Of the 131 products only seven JDs were eligible for the levy. Four of these beverages had reformulated their ingredients since the initial analysis resulting in a sugar content of <5 g/100 mL. The majority of the beverages targeted at children and children's lunch boxes were not eligible for the SDIL. This study suggests the necessity to adapt the SDIL to include all FJJDS aimed at children as the total sugar content of these beverages are still above the recommended quantities for this age group.

Sensitive electrochemical sensor for nitrite ions based on rose-like AuNPs/MoS2/graphene composite

Nitrite ions (NO2−) have been widely used in the food and drink industry as preservatives. However, the NO2− discharged into the environment is harmful to the ecosystem and human health. Due to its potential toxicity, selective and sensitive detection of nitrite is important. In this work, a rose-like Au nanoparticles/MoS2 nanoflower/graphene (AuNPs/MoS2/GN) composite was fabricated using a one-pot hydrothermal method without the addition of any extra reductant for use in nitrite detection. Graphene acts as an efficient matrix for the growth of MoS2 nanoflower (NF), and the edges of the MoS2 NF subsequently load AuNPs. The obtained AuNPs/MoS2/GN composite exhibits excellent electrooxidative activity toward nitrite ions, which is attributable to its large specific surface area, good conductivity, and the synergistic catalysis of each component. Accordingly, we propose a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective electrochemical method for nitrite detection, which achieved a linear dynamic range of 5.0 μM to 5.0 mM with a detection limit of 1.0 μM. The present work provides not only a general one-pot synthesis method for a variety of noble–transition metal dichalcogenides nanohybrids, but also an example of the fabrication of an electrochemical nitrite sensor using a nanohybrid as an enhanced material, an approach that can easily be extended to other sensors.

Macroeconomic factors and stock prices in the food and drink industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to estimate and evaluate the impact of macroeconomic fundamentals on stock prices of selected food and drink industry stocks during the period of 2005–2015, which saw the global financial crisis and its aftermath. Design/methodology/approach The paper employed correlation analysis and the Johansen cointegration test with the vector error correction mechanism for EU companies operating in the food and drink industry. The paper tested the effects of GDP, inflation and interest rates (IR) on the stock prices of companies from Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Spain and the UK. Findings Based on the results, the authors can see that GDP has a generally positive effect on stock price development. In contrast, the relationship between stock prices and inflation and IR is negative in most cases. Originality/value Despite the fact that a majority of empirical research on companies in the food and drink sector was performed using the microeconomic approach, this paper used the macroeconomic approach and clearly demonstrated the effects of selected macro-variables on stock prices in selected EU markets. Macroeconomic factors shape the company’s performance and could potentially lead to persistent changes in supply and demand conditions in food and drink markets.

Exploring Information Technology and Total Quality Management Implementation by Food and Drink Manufacturing Enterprises

The purpose of this study was to examine the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) as a business strategy in the Greek food and drink industry, along with the examination of the Information Technology (IT) adoption in the field. A research project was carried out in the sector companies based in Greece, using the questionnaire method. Findings showed a strong relation between IT implementation and impact of IT on TQM. Company size also seemed to affect TQM implementation, and the majority of IT implementation constructs, while company performance was not significant in terms of net profit margin and value added per employee.

Factors Influencing Consumers' Purchase Intentions Towards Made-to-Order Tea Drinks in China

This article aims to identify and assess the factors influencing consumers' purchase intentions towards made-to-order (MTO) tea drinks. The made-to-order milk tea drink industry in China has generated over USD 14bn in revenue in 2018. The size of the market, the nature of the preparation and delivery to consumers, combine to create opportunities for individuals, entrepreneurs, investors, etc. Relatively little is known about the drivers of purchase intentions for MTO milk tea drink consumers. For the purposes of this research, the various options that influence purchasing of tea drinks among Chinese consumers were classified into 10 factors, and data was collected through online surveys. The results indicate the extent to which Chinese consumers' purchase intentions are influenced by consumers' age, price of the drink, pursuit of a pleasant state of mind, quest for social network interaction, search for novel experiences, and concern for health.

Updates on the applications of flow cytometry in microbiology

Flow cytometry (FCM) was first developed for medical and clinical applications such as hematology and oncology. Although these areas still account for the vast majority of publications on this technique, during the past few years it has been also introduced in other areas, such as optimization and monitoring of biotechnological and environmental processes, pharmacology, toxicology, bacteriology and virology. In the food and drinks industries, the time required for conventional microbiology tests can lead to substantial delays in product release to the market. FCM has been used in conjunction with viability markers for rapid counting of yeast, molds and bacterial cells, including foodborne pathogens and microbial contaminants, in food products as well as for monitoring and improving the final products quality. FCM is an excellent tool, still unexplored in clinical microbiology, allowing for detection of cellular and non-cellular components in different clinical specimens, the study of antimicrobial activity, allowing for rapid and direct antimicrobial susceptibility testing and for the investigation of resistance mechanisms. Recent FCM developments important for addressing questions in environmental microbiology include the study of microbial physiology under environmentally relevant conditions, the development of new methods to identify active microbial populations and to isolate previously uncultured microorganisms and of high-throughput autofluorescence bioreporter assays. Moreover, the technological advancements will make possible the miniaturisation and automation of FCM devices, allowing to revolutionize their applications in the near future. The purpose of this minireview is to update the current applications of FCM in different fields of applied microbiology, and to highlight the main advantages and pitfalls for each of them.

Biohydrogen production from soft drink industry wastewater in an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor

Abstract The wastewater from carbonated soft drinks production was used as substrate in an anaerobic fluidized bed reactor (AFBR) to evaluate the production of biohydrogen as a renewable energy. The hydraulic retention time (HRT) ranged from 8 to 0.5 hours (7.92 to 137.09 kg COD m−3 day−1) throughout the experiment and expanded clay was used as support material for biomass adhesion. The average composition of hydrogen in the biogas under the conditions of this experiment was 34%. The maximum hydrogen yield (HY) and the maximum hydrogen production rate (HPR) was 5.87 mol H2/mol substrate and 2.74 L H2 h−1 L−1, respectively, obtained in the HRT of 0.5 hour. Acetic acid was the predominant soluble metabolite detected (88%). Propionic, butyric and caproic acids were quantified with low production (7%, 4% and 1% of soluble metabolites production (SMP)). The anaerobic fluidized bed reactor optimized the average of hydrogen yield by 17% in relation to packed-bed reactors, in a HRT of 0.5 h. The natural fermentation process and operating conditions were favorable to the inhibition of hydrogen-consuming organisms, such as methanogenic archaeas.

Cross-European initial survey on the use of mathematical models in food industry

Mathematical modelling plays an important role in food engineering having various mathematical models tailored for different food topics. However, mathematical models are followed by limited information on their application in food companies. This paper aims to discuss the extent and the conditions surrounding the usage of mathematical models in the context of European food and drinks industry. It investigates the knowledge, nature and current use of modelling approaches in relation to the industry main characteristics. A total of 203 food companies from 12 European countries were included in this research.Results reveal that the country where the company operates, and size of the company, are more important predictors on the usage of mathematical models followed by the type of food sector. The more developed countries are positioned at the higher level of knowledge and use of available models. Similar pattern was observed at the micro level showing that small or medium sized companies exhibit lack of knowledge, resources and limiting usage of models.

Potential consumer exposures to low/no calorie sweeteners: a refined assessment based upon market intelligence on use frequency, and consideration of niche applications

ABSTRACT Data on current use levels of E950 acesulfame K, E952 cyclamic acid and its Na and Ca salts, E954 saccharin and its Na, K and Ca salts, E955 sucralose and E957 thaumatin, have been collected by the European food and drink industry in response to an EFSA call for data in support of its upcoming review of low/no calorie sweeteners (LNCSs). Careful evaluation of these data is necessary to allow for reasonably realistic estimations of consumer intake. Consumer patterns of product use and in particular of “niche” products, which are not likely to represent general LNCS exposure, are important to consider. Market survey data can identify food categories where the frequency of use of a given LNCS is so low as to represent a niche use of the product. The subsequent incorporation of information about these niche products can provide a relevant improvement in obtaining realistic exposure calculations. Using this approach, estimates of exposure are found to be comparable with previously published papers on intake and show levels generally below current ADIs, for most population groups.

At the heart of the food and drink industry

At the heart of the food and drink industry

Biogas Production of Co-digestion from Beverage Industry Waste and Organic Fertilizer Raw Material

This research aims to study efficiency of bio co-digestion from beverage industry waste (xW) and organic fertilizer raw material (OFM). The researcher was studied suitable mixing ratio between beverage industry wastes were taken from dairy (DW), beer (BW), coffee (CW) and energy drink (EW) industry mixing with OFM. For this study, mixing ratio are 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100 (ratio by mass of OFM:xW) considered by dry basis and using batch reactor on shaker machine. The experiment result showed the fermented ratio of 75:25 of all industrial wastes seemed to have higher accumulated biogas production compared to other fermented ratios, especially it was found in dairy industry waste, higher more than 2.1 times. The heating values show (at OFM:xW equal 75:25) of OFW with CW equal 2530.92 J > CW equal 1,141.13 J > BW equal 840.48 J > EW 515.79 J, respectively. The proportion OFM:xW at 75:25 show highest gas production and the heating value. The dairy industry waste was suitable for mixing with Organic Fertilizer Raw Material.

Vertical Contracts That Reference Rivals

We study two types of vertical contracts that reference rivals: the “vertical price constraint” (VPC) requires retail prices for a manufacturer’s product to be no higher than for its competitors’ products. The “vertical margin constraint” (VMC) requires retail margins for a manufacturer’s product to be no higher than for its competitors’ products. These agreements are found in the soft drink and cigarette industries, and in travel platforms. With two asymmetric manufacturers, we find that only the larger adopts a VPC in a subgame perfect equilibrium. We also analyze incentive compatibility issues with optional VPC agreements. Apart from leading to increased prices, the VPC leads to lower profits for the smaller manufacturer. In contrast, the VMC leads to lower prices. Under certain conditions, by adopting the VMC, a larger manufacturer will gain enough to compensate the retailer and still be better off, while making its competitor worse off. These two vertical contracts work because they alter the price elasticities of demand that face upstream manufacturers.

Enhanced Z-isomerization of tomato lycopene through the optimal combination of food ingredients

In tomatoes, most lycopene is present in the all-E-configuration and shows very low bioavailability, whereas the Z-isomers show higher bioavailability. Hence, for health reasons, it is expected that the ingestion of lycopene Z-isomers is preferable. Very recently, it was reported that onion and possibly garlic promoted thermal Z-isomerization of (all-E)-lycopene but there are no reports for other food ingredients. Here we show new food ingredients that enhance thermal Z-isomerization of lycopene in tomatoes and from the results, we guessed some causative components having the Z-isomerization promoting effect. A comprehensive investigation of food ingredients revealed that some vegetables (Allium sp., Brassica sp., and Raphanus sp.), shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes), and some edible seaweeds (Saccharina sp. and Ecklonia sp.) markedly promoted Z-isomerization of (all-E)-lycopene in tomato puree with heating at 80 °C for 1 h. Moreover, it was revealed that polysulfides, isothiocyanates, carbon disulfide, and iodine, which were commonly contained in the above food ingredients in considerable quantity, enhanced thermal Z-isomerization of (all-E)-lycopene. Our findings on the food ingredients and the food-derived catalysts having a carotenoid Z-isomerization promoting effect are important, not only for the food, drink, and dietary supplement manufacturing industries, but also for daily home cooking.

Following in the footsteps of tobacco and alcohol? Stakeholder discourse in UK newspaper coverage of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.

In politically contested health debates, stakeholders on both sides present arguments and evidence to influence public opinion and the political agenda. The present study aimed to examine whether stakeholders in the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) debate sought to establish or undermine the acceptability of this policy through the news media and how this compared with similar policy debates in relation to tobacco and alcohol industries. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of newspaper articles discussing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation published in eleven UK newspapers between 1 April 2015 and 30 November 2016, identified through the Nexis database. Direct stakeholder citations were entered in NVivo to allow inductive thematic analysis and comparison with an established typology of industry stakeholder arguments used by the alcohol and tobacco industries. UK newspapers. Proponents and opponents of SSB tax/SDIL cited in UK newspapers. Four hundred and ninety-one newspaper articles cited stakeholders' (n 287) arguments in relation to SSB taxation (n 1761: 65 % supportive and 35 % opposing). Stakeholders' positions broadly reflected their vested interests. Inconsistencies arose from: changes in ideological position; insufficient clarity on the nature of the problem to be solved; policy priorities; and consistency with academic rigour. Both opposing and supportive themes were comparable with the alcohol and tobacco industry typology. Public health advocates were particularly prominent in the UK newspaper debate surrounding the SDIL. Advocates in future policy debates might benefit from seeking a similar level of prominence and avoiding inconsistencies by being clearer about the policy objective and mechanisms.