In Europe, heterogeneous spring barley is growing up. Depending on the time of sowing and the falls of rain during the process of growing, different yields are expected. But to all intents and purposes the branch is expecting an average yield in quality and quantity. Diseases are kept in reasonable limits because of the lasting dryness.

DSM Food Specialties has received the Ringier Technology Innovation Award, a prestigious award within the Food & Beverage industry in China. DSM Food Specialties receives this award for its product Brewers ClarexTM, a breakthrough solution for brewers globally with many clear benefits, among others substantial cost- and environmental savings which are on every brewer’s agenda.

Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, today announces the acquisition of the business and substantially all of the assets of Valley Research Inc. of South Bend Indiana, United States. Through this acquisition, DSM further reinforces its leading global position in food enzymes. The acquisition has been finalized. Terms of the acquisition will not be disclosed now, as agreed between the parties.

The 2009 InnoBev Global Soft Drinks Congress will be held alongside the Anuga FoodTec international trade fair for food and beverage technology, from 9-11 March in Cologne, Germany. The Congress will include a visit to one of Coca-Cola’s local plants, followed by a two day conference at Koelnmesse. There will also be a gala dinner at the Grandhotel Schloss Bensberg in nearby Bergisch Gladbach.

We are pleased to announce that the EBC will hold an environmental sustainability symposium in cooperation with BRI and the BBPA. The conference will be held from 27th - 28th October 2008 at Stratford-upon-Avon, Great Britain and also at CCFRA in the nearby Cotswolds. We are seeking presentations in the following areas:

Good beer, great story, but shame about the past. With a new team at the top Einbecker Brewery, one of Germany´s oldest breweries, is hoping to reverse its fortunes and imbue its beer brands with that aura of aspiration that made Einbecker Europe´s most popular beer brand 600 years ago.

SABMiller has agreed to acquire the country´s number four brewer CJSC Sarmat for an undisclosed sum. Sarmat which is controlled by one of eastern Ukraine´s Russia-leaning oligarchs is said to be worth some USD 130 million. Before the sale the Sarmat group of breweries operated in five regions of the Ukraine. However, SABMiller will buy only the Donetsk brewery.

After years of declining sales, Berentzen´s owners have decided to explore all options, including the sale of Germany´s oldest distillery.

With the launch of its clear beer mix “Beck´s Ice”, accompanied by a large-scale marketing offensive, Beck´s Brewery hopes to defend its leadership position in the beer mix segment – and make everybody forget its less than glamorous performance last year.

Some way to finance the takeover of Scottish & Newcastle. At the end of June Danish brewer Carlsberg said that it had sold two mineral water brands in Denmark to Coca-Cola as part of a broader deal with a total sale price of USD 225 million.