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Bisphenol-A declared safe by food safety authority
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July 23: Bisphenol-A, the chemical used in can coatings at the centre of controversy in North America, has been given a clean bill of health by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The EFSA’s latest research shows that previous results were flawed as tests had been undertaken on rats. It has now been revealed that humans metabolise the chemical at a rate much faster than previously assumed.
Indeed, new results suggest that newborn infants could tolerate a dose of Bisphenol-A (BPA) up to 20 times higher than the current tolerable daily intake (TDI) of 0.05 milligrams per kilogram of body weight a day.
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US soft drinks can shipments in sharp decline
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July 22: Beverage can shipments in the US from April to June were down 2.9 percent on the same period last year.
In what is usually the strongest quarter of the year, shipments slipped to 27.2 billion, according to the Washington-based Can Makers Institute.
This was mostly due to a slump in cans for soft drinks, which fell 4.4 percent to 18.4 billion.
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Canmaking association leads China quake relief work
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July 22: China’s canmaking industry association is campaigning to continue relief work for its members in the region hit by the massive earthquake in May.
With the slogan ‘Let’s go all the way to support members’, and led by director Zhou Yunjie and secretary general Zhang Hong, the campaign is dedicated to restoring canmaking production and supporting staff in Sichuan province.
About 65 member companies of the Metal Containers Association (MCA) of the China Packaging Federation (CPF) have raised more than US$115,000, as well as donating materials and blood, said the MCA.
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Conway pleased at Crown 2Q results
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July 17: Rising sales of food and beverage cans in Europe and Asia along with the pass through of higher raw material costs helped to boost the second-quarter results for world-leading canmaker Crown Holdings.
Although currency translations onto the weakening US dollar lifted its global sales by 10.4 percent to almost $2.2 billion and profit after tax by 9 percent to $99m compared to the same quarter in 2007, Crown was pleased that gross profit as a percentage of sales had increased from 14.4 percent to 16.0 percent.
"The results were above expectations," said analyst Bank of America Securities.
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Canstock conversion costs to rise
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July 16: Conversion costs for aluminium sheet used by canmaking plants are being increased by 10 percent by the European division of world-leading supplier Novelis.
The move is in response to what Novelis says is a dramatic rise in input costs of electricity, gas, oil and related materials, as well as alloying elements. The increase is effective for new orders with delivery after August 31 if not covered by an existing contractual agreement.
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Funding for environmental initiatives
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July 14: British canmakers could benefit from funding to support projects that improve reductions in packaging and improve supply chain best practice.
The funding is part of the latest initiative from the UK’s Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), that wants to deliver more resource-efficient systems for products through reductions in packaging, product or food waste.
Where similar initiatives were earlier aimed at suppliers to retailers, it now includes areas that deliver change in full or in part of the chain from the factory gate, through manufacture, distribution, back of store, in store and to the end consumer. Funding for as much as half of the project costs will be made available to the successful partners.
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Anheuser-Busch accepts $52bn offer from InBev
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July 14: Anheuser-Busch agreed last night to be taken over by InBev to form the world’s largest brewer. InBev's successful $52 billion bid – up from $46.5bn – was unanimously accepted by A-B’s board.
The new company will be called Anheuser-Busch InBev and with its headquarters in St Louis, Missouri, have annual sales of $36.4bn, equivalent to 460 million hectolitres of beer, based on the two companies' respective performances last year. Combined pre-tax profits last year were $10.7bn.
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Aluminium price hits record high
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July 14: Aluminium canstock costs could rise faster than expected following a record jump in the price on the London Metal Exchange.
Although the LME price had been holding above $3,000 per tonne since February, it jumped by 4 percent to reach $3,350 per tonne on Thursday after some 70 percent of Chinese smelting capacity agreed to reduce output to save energy.
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Impress and Inesa join forces in Peru
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July 10: Peru’s canned food market is being targeted by a newly-formed joint venture canmaking company created by Europe-based Impress and Inesa, one of South America’s leading canmakers.
The two canmakers have reached agreement with the aim of capturing a significant part of the Peruvian market for steel and aluminium cans within the next three years.
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Earthquake zone’s beverage can plant opened
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July 4: China’s latest beverage can plant was officially opened in Sichuan Province this week after delays following the recent earthquake.
The factory in Chengdu represents an investment of more than RMB300 million (US$44m) by steelmaker Bao Steel and was commissioned by UK-based project management specialist CCH Engineering in January.
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| Friday, July 04 | | · | Coke’s aluminium bottle scoops advertising award |
| Wednesday, July 02 | | · | Sun powers canmaking tooling manufacturer |
| · | Can tooling manufacturer plans to grow after takeover |
| Tuesday, July 01 | | · | Easier food ends for the US market |
| Monday, June 30 | | · | Canmaking veteran ‘Bill’ Smith dies at 81 |
| Friday, June 27 | | · | Calm down dear – it’s canned relaxation |
| Thursday, June 26 | | · | Russia’s Severstal to take over Wheeling Pittsburgh |
| Wednesday, June 25 | | · | Management buy out for Guala Closures |
| Tuesday, June 24 | | · | Continued growth for UK drinks can industry |
| Friday, June 20 | | · | Modelo chief resigns from Anheuser-Busch board |
| Thursday, June 19 | | · | Indonesia to limit tin production |
| Wednesday, June 18 | | · | One week delivery for aerosol cans |
| · | Russia’s Severstal still keen to buy Esmark |
| Sunday, June 15 | | · | Canmakers warned of tinplate supply cuts |
| Friday, June 13 | | · | First beverage can plant for Morocco |
| · | Bisphenol-A debate reaches US Congress |
| Thursday, June 12 | | · | Resealable aluminium bottle adds Venom to launch |
| · | Inbev’s $46bn bid for Anheuser-Busch: it’s official |
| Wednesday, June 11 | | · | Art pushes the boundaries of condom tins |
| · | Specialist packaging coatings business renamed |
| · | Aerosol can fillings grow in the UK |
| Monday, June 09 | | · | Bisphenol-A in the Washington spotlight |
| · | Carbon dioxide shortage dents Nampak profits |
| · | Cans prove popular at packaging industry awards |
| · | Unbearable sculpture wins Canstruction award |
| Friday, June 06 | | · | Dimpled 'golf ball' can drives sales of cider |
| · | India’s Tata starts up second tinplate line |
| Thursday, June 05 | | · | Energy saving for promotional can plant |
| Tuesday, June 03 | | · | Decorator operator recognised at IMDA convention |
| · | Woodcare brand branches out into recycling |
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