Since the smaller breweries and beverage producers also need a high degree of dependability in their bottling operations, Krones AG, Neutraubling, Germany, has come up with a new empty-bottle inspector designed specifically for mid-tier applications. With a machine rating of max. 18,000 containers an hour, the Smartronic K 714 is a particularly affordable inspector. It features the latest, high-resolution DART camera technology and is operated from a 15” touch-screen. Its space-saving dimensions, moreover, enable it to be easily integrated into existing lines as well.

This year Germany’s brewers face a deficit of one million tons of malt. Prices for malt have already more than doubled. An angry Bitburger brewer apparently challenged maltsters by saying: “we have other ways ….” When his threat was leaked to the press, Bitburger was forced to reaffirm its commitment to the German Reinheitsgebot.

It may just be an indication as to how fierce the battle for market share has become in Western Europe’s saturated beer markets that Heineken had taken InBev to court claiming they had violated Heineken’s patent on its home draught beer system. In January the case was settled.

In a tough market which has seen consumption decline 20 percent between 1991 and 2005, InBev has attempted to revitalise its business through the sale of breweries and the rationalisation of remaining operations. Dinkelacker-Schwabenbräu is the third brewery InBev has sold within one year.

Calculated simplicity, high flexibility, maximum future-proof investment – these are the features offered by the new KHS inline robot grouping. The particularly gentle handling of finished packaging is another. At the same time, it compensates for the ever lighter and thinner walls of the bottle and can packages or cartons and pouches used.

The European Brewery Convention (EBC) invites interested parties from the ancillary industry as well as from research institutes, universities and brewing schools to present themselves and their work during the upcoming EBC congress at Venice.

The Barth Haas Group, the leading vertically-integrated player in the hop industry, announces the introduction of the Barth Haas Grant. With these grants the Group wants to support research activities that focus on the use of hops and hop products in all kinds of brewing applications.

The European Brewery Convention (EBC) is pleased to announce its report “EBC – two years variety summary for 2004 and 2005; Spring Barley”.

The market development in the region initiated SABMiller to replace a 1.3 million hl brewing plant of Cervecería del Valle, at the Yumbo site in Columbia, with a completely new plant achieving a much higher efficiency. The turnkey plant is being erected as a greenfield project and will meet all the requirements of world class manufacturing. This means: constant high quality standards and maximum efficiency with lowest expenditure of energy, virtually no impact on the environment thanks to a consistent reduction in waste material and featuring a lean operator structure.

With Fruit Up®, Wild offers the optimum sweetener for beverages with natural ingredients.