Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of beverage filling and packaging technology, has purchased a 100 % stake in the Gernep Group, Barbing, Germany. As an international vendor of labellers in the low and medium output ranges, Gernep offers customised solutions. Besides the beverage industry, the company’s principal markets are food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Krones is thus strengthening its activities in these market segments.

Krones, the leading manufacturer of beverage filling and packaging technology, has acquired a 51% stake in Till GmbH, Hofheim, a German company located in the state of Hesse. Established in 2011 the technology company develops systems for direct digital decoration of containers. The remaining 49% of the shares are held by the company’s founders, who will continue to play an active role in the company. Till GmbH machines are modular in design and suited for high-speed applications in the beverage industry and other sectors.

Several hundred aroma substances interact to contribute to forming beer flavour. Manifest off-flavours, also perceivable by consumers, reduce drinking pleasure and, at the same time, diminish acceptance of a beverage and can seriously affect the image of a brand. In BRAUWELT International no. 3, 2014, pp. 157-158, the fundamentals as well as various aroma substances were discussed in some detail. Results are presented in this Part 2.

To meet the growing demand for bottled water in the Saudi Arabian market, Health Water Bottling Company (HWB), a leading bottled water supplier in Saudi Arabia, has recently acquired a complete PET line from Sidel which will boast one of the fastest turnover rates in the world. With the new technologically advanced line, which embraces the last generation of Sidel Matrix™ equipment, HWB will be producing PET water bottles in 330 ml and 600 ml formats at a speed of 134,000 bottles per hour by February 2015.

The brewing process is inherently energy and water intensive. In the second part of this publication, the process parameters that affect environmental performance in the brewhouse and cellar sections are analysed in order to provide brewers with some guidance when they evaluate proposals for energy and water saving projects. The boiler house, cooling equipment and water treatment units are not included in this study because these topics are extensively covered already in other publications.

Beverage packaging has to be economically and ecologically feasible. Sustainability, flavor stability and consistent product quality are key to success in times of increasingly fierce competition. This applies to the entire process chain in brewing – right down to “the last mile” to the customer.

Several hundred aroma substances interact to contribute to forming beer aroma. Manifest off-flavours that can also be perceived by consumers reduce drinking pleasure and, at the same time, diminish acceptance of a beverage. In the worst case, the image of a brand can be seriously affected. It is known that unwanted aroma impressions such as, e.g., an aged flavour, can be masked by positive aromas. An objective was thus to ascertain whether other aromas classified as negative can be influenced by positive aroma substances. Linalool and some esters are regarded as positive aroma contributors. The ongoing investigation aimed at determining the extent to which these aroma substances can suppress or mitigate the perception of DMS, diacetyl or isovaleric acid. Results based on threshold values will be presented in the second part of this contribution. Part 1 provides an overview of the state of the art.

Use of renewable natural resources in industrial applications reduces dependence on oil and diminishes the carbon footprint associated with manufacture and use of consumer products. A particular area of emphasis has been on materials for packaging applications. Approximately 40 percent of all plastics are used in packaging. This puts pressure on the packaging industry to adopt biobased materials solutions [1].

Like the rest of Northern Europe, Ireland was traditionally a country of ale drinkers, along with a little elicit distilling of potcheen (traditional Irish moonshine). Drinking beer is a task that the Irish take seriously, consuming an average of 104 litres per man, woman and child per annum; the country has the fourth highest consumption of beer in the world, admittedly this volume is bolstered by reinforcements flown in at weekends for the ubiquitous stag and hen parties. In this article the author introduces craft brewing in Ireland and talks about the renaissance of traditional beers.

After several years of growth the export of German beers saw a slight stagnation in 2012. Viewed in terms of target countries, exports still showed considerable growth rates in some areas, particularly to distant locations such as China or the Russian Federation, where a growing affluent middle class enjoys drinking German beer.

As an international manufacturer of filling and packaging equipment for the beverage, food, and non-food sectors, KHS pursues its vision of being ’First Choice in Technology and Service’. Anke Fischer, head of Finance, Human Resources, and IT at KHS: "Because highly qualified employees are essential in being and remaining the first choice for our customers around the globe, we pay special attention to developing young talent."