http://uebtoo.spoonylife.com SpoonyLife fr-FR http://uebtoo.spoonylife.com/health-ministry-moves-to-stabilise-rising-drug-prices-1321.html Pharmaceutical Materials The Drug Administration of Viet Nam (DAVN), under the Ministry of Health, will put a hold on requests to increase drug prices from 16 representatives of multinational pharmaceutical and import companies until June 30, 2008, as a measure to stabilise drug prices. "A key factor to controlling drug prices is to increase supplies to meet demands," stressed the head of DAVN, Truong Quoc Cuong. Provincial and city level People's Committees nationwide also asked provincial health departments to stop adjusting prices for local drug manufacturing firms, and supervise the implementation of drug price controls in their provincial areas. The DAVN said it would strengthen drug registration activities on imported drugs to increase supplies and try to meet national market demands, with priority given to drugs that could help prevent acute diarrhoea epidemics, said Cuong. "The DAVN may allow parallel drug importing to limit monopolies that increase the price of some treatments. People will be encouraged to use locally-made drugs through the mass media and public awareness," added Cuong. DAVN recently forecast an adjustment of pharmaceutical prices in Viet Nam for May due to inflation, in addition to the recent increase in the price of materials for drug manufacturing. "The price of drugs may increase in May, especially antibiotics, with the increase in material and production cost," Cuong said. The DAVN also said it would strengthen controlling prices on imported drugs and drug supplies for hospitals, making public the winners of drug price bids for hospitals. Pham Thi Phuong, a pharmacist at Khanh Phuong chemist's shop on Van Cao street, said that there was a slight increase in prices, including antibiotics. While the prices of locally-made drugs remained relatively unchanged, the price of imported drugs has increased the most, especially for pain-killers and medications treating high blood pressure. "People have had to deal with price hikes on everything since the beginning of this year. The increase of drug prices and other essential goods like rice and gas are big challenges for people, especially the poor," said, Nguyen Thi Hai a Hanoian housewife. According to statistics by the General Department of Viet Nam Customs, materials for manufacturing antibiotics imported from India have all shot up. Ampicilin compact increased 14.38 per cent, Amoxicillin increased 11.84 per cent and Cephalexin increased 15.54 per cent in April. Thu, 15 May 2008 12:03:00 GMT http://uebtoo.spoonylife.com/news-briefs-green-packaging-initiatives-1318.html Palm Fibre Pepsi reduces plastic in 500ml non-carbonated beverage bottle, Earthcycle expands its fresh produce compostable packaging line and the Reusable Pallet et Container Coalition changes its name to Reusable Packaging Association.Pepsi reduces plastic in 500ml non-carbonated beverage bottle Pepsi has announced that it has reduced the plastic used for a 500ml non-carbonated beverage bottle by 20 per cent, which, the company says "will eliminate approximately 20 million pounds of waste from the environment". There will also be a 10 per cent reduction in the label size and a 5 per cent reduction in the shrink wrap film used to wrap the multi-packs, Pepsi said. Robert Lewis, VP of Worldwide Beverage Packaging and Equipment Development, PepsiCo, said that the challenge had been to develop a lighter bottle that would provide the same shelf life, withstand the manufacturing and distribution process, and yet remain aesthetic. The new lightweight bottles will be used for Lipton Iced Tea, Tropicana juice drinks, Aquafina FlavorSplash and Aquafina Alive; will be available in 12-packs and 24-packs; and will be on retailers' shelves from this month. Reflecting the sentiments of many food and drink companies today Lewis said: "We're constantly striving to make our packaging an even smaller part of the waste stream." Earthcycle expands green packaging line Earthcycle unveiled four new fresh packaging designs at the United Fresh Produce Show in Las Vegas this week. The different sized and shaped trays and containers were developed in response to feedback from customers who said they wanted to pack a wider range of fresh products in Earthcycle's compostable packaging. The company said that each pack had been designed to package a wide range of produce, for instance apples, strawberries, aubergines, courgettes and tomatoes. An oblong soft cornered tray was ideal for a stoplight pepper pack, said Earthcycle. One of the trays can also be used for bakery and confectionery products. The company also said the packaging affords useful transport, stacking and display options. Earthcycle makes packaging from palm fibre, which, according to the company, composts in less than 90 days. Earthcycle's sources in West Malaysia have been certified as sustainable by SGS Qualipalm, an auditor for the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). This provides a guarantee that they have not replaced any primary forest or converted any environmentally sensitive areas for the purpose of palm oil production. The company's packaging also includes foodservice trays for sandwiches or burgers, trays for fresh meat and poultry and pots for herbs and seedlings are also being developed. RPCC becomes RPA The Reusable Pallet et Container Coalition (RPCC) has announced that from now on it will be known as the Reusable Packaging Association (RPA) "reflective of the organisation's focus on promoting reusable packaging as the preferred solution for moving, storing and handling product throughout the entire supply chain" in all industries, said the RPA in a statement. "We will also continue to drive positive change and provide strong leadership in the growing reusable packaging industry", the Association added. The RPA said that it is committed to educating the marketplace on the environmental, economic and social value that reusable packaging affords. It will advance the adoption of reusable packaging by demonstrating supply chain efficiencies, environmental benefits, ergonomic improvements, and cost advantages to end users. Thu, 15 May 2008 12:01:00 GMT http://uebtoo.spoonylife.com/greens-worried-about-palm-kernel-imports-1315.html Palm Kernel The Green Party is urging farmers to look at alternatives to palm kernel for feeding stock because of the impact on rainforests. Green co-leader Russel Norman said palm kernel imported as a supplementary feed had gone from 408 tonnes in 1999 to 455,000 tonnes in 2007. Already in the first three months of this year, 185,000 tonnes of palm kernel meal had been imported. A recent Rural News article had some traders estimating 700,000 tonnes would be landed in New Zealand this year, Dr Norman said. "Increases in consumption of palm kernel mixtures or cakes by New Zealand agriculture over the last seven years, excluding this year, would need up to 900,000 hectares of rainforest to be cleared for palm oil to meet the increased demand if new plantation were required," he said. This was the equivalent to clear-felling rainforest four times the size of Te Urewera National Park. Palm kernel was the most important by-product from the production of palm oil. "The palm oil industry is knocking down rainforests and burning peat across Indonesia and Malaysia to expand production to meet increased demand." Dr Norman said the Greens understood the summer drought had made feed scarce in some parts of New Zealand. But it urged farmers and the Government to look at alternatives to palm kernel because of its role in destroying rainforests. Greenpeace said the dairy sector was being environmentally irresponsible in importing huge quantities of palm kernel for cattle feed. Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 GMT http://uebtoo.spoonylife.com/malaysia-sees-soar-in-uae-bahrain-palm-oil-export-1312.html Palm Oil Product Malaysian Palm Oil exports to the UAE and Bahrain have registered a sharp rise last year, according to latest reports from the Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC). The UAE export rose 17 per cent exceeding over 350,000 metric tonnes (MT) in 2007 from the previous year, signifying high growth potential for Malaysian palm oil exports to the country. The UAE's emergence as a re-export hub for oils and fats products has largely contributed to its rising imports, as 80 to 85 per cent of its acquired products has been re-exported to neighbouring GCC states last year, while the remaining percentage was allocated for local consumption. The Malaysian palm oil exports to Bahrain have also risen with 986MT in 2007. The promising growth trends in the market have prompted MPOC and the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to host the first ‘Malaysia-UAE Palm Oil Trade Fair et Seminar (POTS) 2008', next month. The seminar will be held from May 26 to 27 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai. With aims of leveraging the growing demand for edible oil within the country's local snack food and catering industries, leading manufacturers from Bahrain are set to attend the seminar. Within the last five years, the GCC has become a very important destination for Malaysian palm oil, with total exports of the product to the region averaging at around 500,000 MT annually. The UAE is one among the largest consumers of Malaysian palm oil in the region, recording imports of 264,631 MT in 2003 and 318,871 MT in 2004. However, the market saw a dip in 2005, when the country reduced its imports to 264,004 MT. The trend has taken an upturn the following year recording 302,738 MT in Malaysian palm oil imports, which preceded the current figures of 354,009 MT. "The UAE and Bahrain have become leading targets for Malaysian palm oil imports due to increasing local demand for the product in the domestic and industrial sectors and the country's growing palm product export market," said Ahmad Zafri Zawawi, regional director - Middle East, MPOC. "In addition, its strategic geographical location and the existence of other business-encouraging factors within the countries have significantly expanded the business for a majority of local companies, who will be participating at the first ‘Malaysia-UAE Palm Oil Trade Fair et Seminar (POTS) 2008' to leverage the growing demands in the local and regional market." Besides the UAE and Bahrain, Oman and Saudi Arabia too have topped the list of major Malaysian palm oil importers in the Gulf due to their efforts to become leading centres for refining and subsequent distribution of the product to the Middle East. Import statistics for 2007 revealed Oman has imported a total of 96,359 MT of Malaysian palm oil, while 33,736 MT of the product has been shipped to KSA; 13,527 MT were delivered to Kuwait and 108 MT to Qatar. Responsible for the bulk of oils and fats imports to the region are edible refineries and manufacturers including Abu Dhabi Vegetable Oil Company (ADVOC), International Foodstuffs Company (IFFCO), Areej Vegetable Oils, United Foods Co., Afia International and Al-Ghurair Foods. He pointed out that favourable trade agreements between the GCC countries was also driving the growth of the Malaysian palm oil within leading regional markets, with encouraging tax impositions, such as a minimal 5 per cent custom duty for all imported oils and fats raw materials from outside the GCC, working to the advantage of regional players. 'Trading of edible oil products among the Gulf states is also encouraged through a tax exemption for regionally-manufactured and packed goods with 40 per cent value addition, as opposed to the 25 per cent custom duty ad valorem imposed on products imported from non-GCC countries," Zawawi noted. Under the theme ‘Exceeding Expectations, Enriching Partnerships', the event will bring together oils and fats marketers, traders, economists, government officials and industry professionals from the private sector. In addition, seminars have been designed to encourage discussions on the prospects in the Gulf and to provide networking opportunities for the attendees, with visitors gaining first hand exposure to the latest palm oil products and services from Malaysia via the trade exhibition booths. Thu, 15 May 2008 11:59:00 GMT http://uebtoo.spoonylife.com/asia-pacific-leads-world-market-in-nutraceutical-sales-1309.html Agaricus Blazei Murill The Asia Pacific market for nutraceutical products by far exceeds that of North America and Europe, according to data pooled from different market research firms.The region accounted for 44 percent of global nutraceutical sales in 2006, compared to 32 percent for North America and 14 percent for Western Europe. Latin America and Eastern Europe lagged behind at around 3 percent each, while the African, Middle Eastern and Australasian markets jointly accounted for 3 percent of global sales, according to figures drawn together by Capsugel's global business development manager for dietary supplements Peter Zambetti. "Asia Pacific is quite surprisingly the largest global market. There's a lot of change going on right now, and a lot of opportunities for dietary supplements," he said. Zambetti, who is also in the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Association's (IADSA) global market affairs department, was addressing attendees at the recent Supply Side East trade show in Secaucus, New Jersey, where he presented an overview of the global nutraceuticals market. Included in Zambetti's definition of 'nutraceuticals' were vitamins, dietary supplements, botanicals, tonics and homeopathic remedies. According to the data he pooled from Euromonitor, Datamonitor, Mintel and Nutrition Business Journal, the global market for these products was worth over $52bn in 2006 - the latest comprehensive figures available - with estimates suggesting that the market has since grown an additional 4-6 percent. The US remained the largest single nation market, with 2006 sales placed at $15.6bn. Japan was the second single largest market, worth $11.4bn despite a significant decline in sales from prior years brought on by regulatory changes that have placed pressure on the industry. China came third, with sales of $5.9bn in 2006, while South Korea was next, with a market valued at $1.9bn. Together with the $1.3bn Taiwanese market, which was the seventh in line in terms of size, these markets in the Asia Pacific region made up around $20.5bn of nutraceutical sales. Sales in Australia reached around $785m, while Australasia recorded sales of around $891m. Thu, 15 May 2008 11:58:00 GMT http://uebtoo.spoonylife.com/new-syngenta-spray-nozzle-to-minimise-cereal-losses-1307.html Air Pressure Sprayer A novel spray nozzle which offers a much-needed solution to help growers get around this season's larger cereal areas faster, to protect them against diseases on time, is being made available from Syngenta, to help make the most of better grain prices by minimising yield losses from delayed spraying. Developed specifically for applying the systemic strobilurin-containing fungicides Amistar and Amistar Opti, when used at appropriate doses, the new ‘Go Faster' Amistar Nozzle builds on the advantages of the existing Amistar Nozzle, says Syngenta application specialist Tom Robinson including reduced drift, plus suitability for 100 l/ha or 125 l/ha spray volumes for improved work rates versus traditional 200 l/ha spraying. More importantly, however, it also allows spraying at a faster forward speed of up to 17 kilometres per hour in suitable conditions, compared with the optimum 12 km/h for the existing 025 Amistar Nozzle. That increase could be enough to treat 40% more hectares of wheat per day than a conventional nozzle spraying at 200 l/ha and 12 km/h, he calculates. For 100 ha of wheat at ￡150/t, if it prevents the yield loss associated with a week's delay in flag leaf spraying, it could mean almost an extra ￡7,500 profit for the grower, he adds. "We know T2 is the most important fungicide timing in wheat," explains Mr Robinson, "because the flag leaf which it's designed to protect can contribute over 40% to yield. Indeed, just one day's delay can result in a 70 kg/ha yield loss equivalent to nearly half a tonne per week."Against this, however, growers face around 12% more wheat to protect at T2 this year compared with last season, due to increased plantings. So the ability to get around quickly is even more crucial especially since spray days at the May T2 timing are often limited. "These challenges are in addition to the usual ones of multiple disease threats, such as Septoria tritici and rust on susceptible varieties, and the need for persistent protection all of which make a strobilurin + Bravo + triazole mixture an ideal fungicide combination. "Amistar and Amistar Opti not only provide extended protection against a range of diseases, but they're also versatile when it comes to application with trial plots showing Amistar maintained better control of brown rust when water volume was reduced below 200 l/ha compared with a less mobile strobilurin. "The existing Amistar Nozzle has already proven itself for 100 l/ha spraying, which is a useful first step for efficient spraying. "Now, the new ‘Go Faster' Amistar Nozzle allows the 12 km/h forward speed of the existing version to be increased up to 17 km/h in suitable conditions to help protect even more hectares on time. "The combination of Amistar or Amistar Opti plus triazole and the new ‘Go Faster' Nozzle is an ideal option for protecting larger wheat and barley areas this season. Indeed, in trial plots last season, adding Amistar Opti to triazole at T2 boosted yield by 0.8 t/ha. "Also, if growers use Amistar Opti they could save time in another way, because it contains the Bravo element against Septoria tritici and the Amistar element already formulated together. So it cuts down on the number of packs for mixing and rinsing while filling the sprayer. Looking at the mechanics of the new nozzle in more detail, Mr Robinson says central to its ability to operate at faster speeds is a larger spray orifice coupled with a specially-developed, novel spray angle Thu, 15 May 2008 11:57:00 GMT