Palatinose - Soft Drinks International

Soft Drinks International – February 2011
new ventures and
more in China
TOKYO-based Kirin Holdings and China
Resources Enterprise, whose headquarters is
in Hong Kong, have signed an agreement to
set up a soft drinks joint venture in China,
with the Chinese partner holding 60% and
Kirin 40%.
Kirin, already a big player in China, will purchase
40% of China Resources Enterprise’s
holding company, while transferring its stake in
several subsidiaries: Shanghai JinJiang Kirin Beverage
& Food, Kirin Beverage (Shanghai),
Shanghai Kirin Beverage & Food and Beijing
Flying Kirin Beverage.
China Resources is one of China’s major
conglomerates, with extensive interests in
food, retail, pharmaceuticals, real estate,
power, gas and finance in mainland China,
Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia.
Among other recent developments in
China:
● NUTRASTAR International,
which produces the Nutrastar
Golden Grass beverage as well
as other premium-branded traditional
Chinese medicinal lines,
has boosted production capacity
of golden grass at its Heilongjiang
plant from 35 to 72
tonnes annually. Nutrastar aims
to increase this to 100 tonnes
by the end of 2012.
Lianyun Han, the company’s Chief Executive,
said that distribution had also expanded,
with further extension of the network being
undertaken throughout 2011.
● BEIJING ENTERPRISES Group, a large conglomerate
owned by the Beijing Municipal
Government, and AGV Products Corp, the
Taiwanese food and beverage group, have set
up a new company that will sell healthenhancing
drinks, frozen foods and other
products. The joint venture, which will initially
focus on Beijing and Shanghai, will draw on
Beijing Enterprises’ formidable distribution
network which covers all retail channels.
Vitasoy vending
machines
● ZHUHAI Zhongfu Enterprise Holdings’ private
placement of new shares, undertaken to
fund a substantial expansion programme, was
over-subscribed 2.7 times in hotly-contested
competitive bidding. Shares were allocated to
seven investors. The beverage packaging company,
listed on the Shenzhen exchange, said
that this did not make significant changes in
the shareholding structure, although the stake
held by Asia Bottles (HK) Company
decreased from 29% to 26.39%.
“This validates Zhuhai Zhongfu’s remarkable
business prospects in the rapidly growing
PET beverage packaging and soft drinks consumption
market in China,” said Gary
Guernier, the company’s Chairman. Zhuhai
Zhongfu would “strive to capture opportunities
and meet the development pace” of its
major customers, said Guernier. “We will do
this by enhancing our operational scale and
R&D capabilities, as well as strengthening our
competitive edge and profitability in the
industry.”
● CHINA AND HEALTHY FOODS Company
has commenced production of four
beverage products – green tea, black tea,
peach juice and orange juice – at its new
facility in Xioagang. The drinks will be marketed
by the ANOCTM joint venture set up
by CAHFC and stelvia extract supplier GLG
Life Tech Corporation.
“This is the first all-natural and zero calorie
beverage production line in China,” said Song
Xiankun, CAHFC’s Chairman and President.
“It can produce a full range of ANOCTM
beverages, including iced tea, juice, vitamin
water, sports water and dairy drinks. We have
developed over 30 different ANOCTM beverage
formulas.”
● CHINA TIANFU COLA Group hopes to
re-launch Tianfu Cola in its own right, after
regaining the formula from PepsiCo which
had held it under the terms of a now-defunct
joint venture which went sour. The
Chongqing-based beverage company, which
has been in financial difficulty, also plans to
introduce a range of other beverages.
● HERBALIFE is well advanced on the construction
of a state-of-the-art production facility
in Changsha, Hunan Province, which will
SEEKING to maximise sales to the increasing
number of people travelling between
Hong Kong and mainland China, Vitasoy
International has installed beverage vending
machines at border points such as Shenzhen
Bay, China Ferry Terminal and the
Macau Ferry Terminal.
While the Hong Kong SEZ continues to
have its own currency, these vending units
also accept renminbi, the mainland Chinese
currency. Recognising the market potential
in mainland residents as well as locals, Vitasoy
plans to install more of the dual-currency
vending machines. Vitasoy vending machine, Shenzhen Bay.
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supply botanical extracts, powders and pure
compounds for use in both its inner and
outer nutrition products. The Herbalife range
includes protein shakes and snacks, vitamins
and dietary supplements, energy and fitness
drinks, skin and hair care products.
● UNI-PRESIDENT ENTERPRISES is building
a new beverage plant in the Jinxia Economic
Development Zone in Changsha. The Taiwanbased
food and beverage group has also
signed an agreement to build a beverage
plant in Suixi, Guangdong Province.
● YANTAI NORTH ANDRE Juice has transferred
its listing on the Hong Kong stock
exchange from the GEM (growth enterprise
market) bourse to the main board. The company’s
directors believe this will help it attract
larger institutional and retail investors.
Detective Squeaky
THE story of a crime-fighting cat, a bottle of
V energy drink and a mysterious disappearance
captivated New Zealanders. Unfortunately
it was a tale with a sad ending, when
Squeaky the cat was found to have been
killed in a road accident.
Known in his final few weeks to his
Wellington owners and neighbours as
Detective Squeaky, the cat’s disappearance
became a major news story when his
humans turned to the internet to help find
him, as well as plastering the neighbourhood
with posters, calling the council and SPCA,
and searching daily.
Squeaky’s detective work involved drawing
attention to the V bottle stolen in a burglary,
along with a laptop, camera and other electronics.
A forensic check of the bottle delivered
DNA which tracked the thief, who was
subsequently jailed.
The V bottle became something of a
humorous focus of the search, as owners
Richard and Serra Clark publicised Squeaky’s
accomplishments.
In another offbeat New Zealand news
story involving soft drinks, husband and wife
dairy (neighbourhood convenience store)
owners in Rotorua fended off would-be
armed robbers with a 1.5 litre bottle of
sparkling lime and tins of coconut cream.
Squeaky’s missing cat poster.