A pair of young entrepreneurs Maciek Kacprzyk, and Karina Sudenyte based in Cardiff in Wales, have set up a natural juice business in order to tackle what they see as the growing problem of waste and inefficiency in food and drink production. Get Wonky produce a variety of juices made from hand-picked fruit, regardless of its shape or size and the juices are predominantly available as catering options for events. The pair also plan to branch out into the major UK retail outlets. Flavours include Strawberry & Apple, Blackcurrant & Apple and Carrot & Apple among others. Maciek said: “Get Wonky was born out of a desire to combat the massive problem of food waste in Europe. Recycling waste is one of the biggest challenges of our time, and we want to change that reality.”

First quarter (October to December 2016) revenue was £351.0m, an increase of 4.3% on the prior year. The strong start to the year was underpinned by volume growth of 3.9%.

Britvic GB (Great Britain) Stills revenue declined by 3.8%. Whilst both Robinsons and Fruit Shoot continued to decline, both brands showed signs of an improving trend. J20 grew with a strong Christmas performance led by the Spritz and Glitter Berry variants. Britvic France revenue increased 6.3% led by strong growth from Fruit Shoot and Pressade. The International division reported a 19.8% increase in revenue, compared to a 13.8% decline in Q1 2015 and was largely as a result of a 14.1% increase in volume. The majority of the growth came from Fruit Shoot in the US.

Stanić Beverages Hrvatska, owners of the Croatian fruit juice brand Juicy presented their  products at the recent Gulfood fair held at the Dubai Trade Centre. The company’s products – Juicy 100% juice (orange, apple and pineapple ) and Juicy Nectar Cranberry – have been available on the market in the United Arab Emirates since 2015. Juicy’s drinks are available at a number of well known spots in Dubai, including Cipriani, Blue Marlin Ibiza, The Act, Roberto’s and Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club. In an interview with agrobiz.hr, Svjetlan Stanić, CEO of Stanić Beverages Hrvatska said:  “Our aim is to cover the entire MENA region (Middle East & Africa) and achieve our mid-term plan of exporting 10,000,000 litres a year.”

Source: Croatia Week

Researchers are hoping that the “blue belly” of the Asian citrus psyllid, the carrier of citrus greening disease could provide a link to how they can fight this dangerous disease that threatens the global citrus market. Researchers at the Boyce Thompson Institute, New York, have been looking at a protein that makes the bellies of citrus psyllids blue and studying the possible connection it may have with the natural process of spreading the devastating bacterium in the first place. By blocking bacterial transmission by the psyllid rather than killing it the approach may provide a longer lasting solution because the insect isn’t under pressure to evolve to survive the treatment, which commonly occurs with pesticide usage.

Source: South West Farm Press