Palatinose - Soft Drinks International

14 INDUSTRY NEWS
Soft Drinks International – February 2011
Asia Pacific
Leadership changes
in Australasia
BEVERAGE companies in Australasia are
undergoing a significant change in executive
command. Among the moves, Frucor Beverages’
long-serving Managing Director, Mark
Cowsill, is to retire at the end of May. And
Peter Kean, Managing Director of Lion
Nathan New Zealand, is crossing the Tasman
to take control of the Australian juice and
dairy giant, National Foods, from the beginning
of April.
Cowsill has been with Frucor for more
than 18 years. During that time he has
played a key role in taking Frucor from a relatively
small subsidiary of the New Zealand
Apple and Pear Marketing Board to a major
international beverage business with growing
global sales.
Under Cowsill’s management, Frucor has
diversified into new categories and products,
such as the V energy drink range and
Mizone waters and sports drinks.
Frucor also made several strategic acquisitions,
including Pepsi bottling rights in New
Zealand, the fresh juice business Simply
Squeezed and the sales and distribution arm
of the Australian juice business, Spring Valley.
Cowsill also took Frucor through a series of
ownership changes; it is now owned by Suntory.
Kean has been with Lion Nathan for
nearly 25 years, moving steadily up the corporate
ladder to take over as Chief Executive
of the New Zealand operation of the
Indonesia starch
purchase
THE Cargill group has acquired a majority
stake of just over 85% in PT Sorini Agro
Asia Corporindo, one of the world’s leading
producers of Sorbitol, as well as other starch
and starch sweeter products. As required by
Indonesian law, Cargill is making a mandatory
tender offer for the remaining shares.
Sorini supplies to customers in more than
70 countries, as well as steadily gaining sales
share within Indonesia itself. It operates two
starch sweetener and five starch plants in
East Java and Lampung provinces.
“We are excited to be a part of Cargill
and by the opportunities accorded to our
customers and employees by this transaction,”
said K.L. Chopra, President-Director of
Sorini. “The combined capabilities and talents
of Cargill and Sorini will enable us to better
serve customers in Indonesia, Southeast Asia
and other markets.”
Peter Kean and, right, Mark Cowsill.
Australasian giant some six years ago.
Lion Nathan is primarily a beer and wine
producer, in addition to distributing an
extensive portfolio which also includes
world-leading spirits brands, notably through
a partnership with Diageo. Earlier involved in
soft drinks – it owned the Pepsi franchise
prior to its sale to Frucor – it has in recent
years developed a small but very successful
range of craft soft drinks aligned to a craft
beer brand. It also distributes and bottles
other soft drinks.
National Foods is one of Australasia’s
Proposed code
changes
FOOD Standards Australia New Zealand
has sought input from interested individuals
and organisations on proposed changes to
the two-country Food Standards Code,
including permitted levels of steviol glycosides
and the use of calcium lignosulphonate
as a food additive.
Cargill is seeking approval to increase the
maximum permitted level of steviol glycosides
in water-based beverages, brewed soft
drinks, formulated beverages, flavoured soy
beverages and ice cream. The group claims
ASEAn Tourism
Forum 2011
largest FMCG companies, with an annual
turnover of around A$3.5 billion. It owns a
wealth of dairy, juice, soy and related brands.
In his new role, Kean will take over from
Andrew Reeves who is moving to another
food group as Chief Executive.
Both Frucor and Lion Nathan NZ are
expected to announce new managing directors
shortly.
the increased levels are required to provide
a more acceptable taste profile for consumers.
DSM Nutritional Products Australia has
sought FSANZ permission for the use of
calcium lignosulphonate as a carrier for fatsoluble
vitamins (A, D, E, K) and carotenoids
in preparations of food additives and nutrients
to facilitate their introduction into
water-based foods and beverages.
FSANZ has also called for submissions
on a general update of the code to maintain
its currency and clarity. The amendments
address inconsistencies, misspellings,
grammatical and typographical errors, omissions
and items that require updating or
clarification.
larly effective way through specially packaged
bottles of Vital premium water.
These featured both the tourism logo –
which includes the famous ruins of Angkor
Wat – and the ATF symbol.
CAMBODIA’s tourism marketing presents
the destination appropriately as the Kingdom
of Wonder, as delegates to the recent
ASEAN Tourism Forum in Phnom Penh discovered.
Meeting in the Diamond Island convention
and exhibition centre at the confluence
of the Mekong River and two other
waterways, delegates were reminded of the
Kingdom of Wonder message in a particu- Kingdom of Wonder water.