Saturday, January 29, 2005

Danone takes a hit from US water business

It is very obvious that from commercial research. Water is business is going to be huge in US & the world.

With giant corporation's like Nestle, Danone, even GE are into the business of Water.

On the issue of Cooler, according to the "I-Medicine Sutra", "Chilled Water" is considered as Cool or Cold effect for the body, our internal body temperature is at boilding point. with the cold water into the body, that would cause conflict of "Chi".

Therefore, for your great Health avoid drink Cold or Chilled Water.

Danone takes a hit from US water business
27/01/2005 - Danone’s rapid expansion into the home and office delivery (HOD) bottled water market has given it a global market share to match that of rival NestlĂ© in recent years, but the growth has not come without a price, writes Chris Jones.

The French group this week announced that it was taking a charge of around €600 million relating to its US and EU partnership with Japan’s Suntory group, a result of increasing competition and an inevitable slow-down in growth.

The company, which also produces a wide range of dairy products and biscuits, said that it would take a one-off charge of €450 million in its 2004 consolidated accounts relating to its holding in DS Waters, the US joint venture that it formed with Suntory in late 2003.

This one-time charge relates to the writing–off of the goodwill of Danone’s holding in DS Waters, as well as a provision for its commitment to buy out Suntory’s share of the business by 2008 should the Japanese firm decide to sell – a move considered likely by the French group.

Danone, which has owned the Evian and Volvic bottled water brands (among others) for many years, is a relative newcomer to the HOD sector, making its first US acquisition (McKesson Water Products, the leading HOD player on the West Coast), in early 2000.

Since then, the French company has added a number of other HOD operators in both the US and Europe, and merged its US business with the Suntory Water Group in 2003, creating the US HOD market leader with leading positions in many of the top 25 cities in the United States.

But there are signs that the glory days for HOD operators - driven by the aggressive acquisitions of both Danone and NestlĂ© on the back of growing awareness of the health benefits of water consumption - may finally be nearing an end. Danone cited “slower volume growth patterns for the HOD industry, an increasingly aggressive pricing environment on HOD formats and faster-than-expected erosion of cooler rental revenues” as the principal reasons for the charge.

“These negative factors have thus far more than offset the cost synergies generated by the combination of Danone and Suntory's HOD businesses,” the French firm said.

DS Water Danone has sales of around $800 million, but a book value of less than $400 million following the write down.

Danone has set itself the deadline of “the end of the first half of 2005” to find a solution for the problems facing DS Waters, but restructuring has been underway there for some time, with a significant reduction in the number of production plants already underway.

Danone’s problems are not limited to the US. West European HOD volumes increased 18 per cent in 2003 according to analysts Zenith International, but Danone continues to struggle there as well, taking a charge of €150 million relating to Danone Springs of Eden, its joint venture with Britain’s Eden Springs.

The problem in both the US and Europe is that increasing numbers of users are buying their water coolers outright, a much more cost-effective strategy for them but one which means that DS Waters and Danone Springs of Eden are losing out on significant rental revenues.

The market is also being impacted by growing sales of point-of-use coolers, which purify and then chill or heat simple tap water. Growth in this market has been more than 30 per cent a year since 1999 in Europe alone, according to Zenith, and now accounts for over 10 per cent of total cooler placements in Europe.

Tellingly, most of this growth has come at the expense of traditional coolers. “In 2003, some 52 per cent of new POU installations were converted from bottled cooler contracts,” said Zenith research director Gary Roethenbaugh, underling the cost-effectiveness of this system.

Danone takes a hit from US water business

Friday, January 28, 2005

Specialized News and How To Tips - Ozone

I had read many report about the Chlorine have cause miss-carriage & other issue like skin cancer or cancer... Therefore, the industry now have shifted to ward using Ozon as a dis-infectants of Water & other products.

Here is the writing I attache for the awareness purpose.

Traditional methods revolve around the use of chemicals such as chlorine in the sanitizing of produce, specifically in rinsing and washing. Chlorine is widely used in these processes but it has a limited effect in killing bacteria on fruit and vegetables surfaces. There is also wide concern with regards to the by-products of chlorine and its effects on health and the environment.

Ozone is becoming a popular alternative solution to traditional sanitizing agents and providing additional benefits. Ozone is an oxidizing agent, 1.5 times more powerful than chlorine and effective over a much wider spectrum of microorganisms. Ozone kills viruses and bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria much faster than chlorine and other chemical agents and is free of chemical residues as it decomposes into simple oxygen.

Disinfection of Process Water

Raw water can contain traces of pesticides and toxic organic compounds which when combined with chlorine can produce harmful chlorinated compounds. Process water may also become contaminated by bacteria in storage tanks or piping. In both cases, poor water quality may have an effect on the overall quality and safety of the final product. Ozone as been proven to be an effective treatment for these contaminants without the formation of by-products. Ozone has also been shown to be effective against chlorine-resistant microorganisms such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia, which have caused several deaths in recent years.

Produce Washing and Rinsing

Spray and fume washing systems using ozonated water can be used to greatly reduce microbial counts on the surface of the produce. Contamination of produce arises in the field as a result of pesticides as well as during storage, transport and packaging. Ozone is particularly effective against E. Coli, the food pathogen of most concern in the food industry.

Process Water Recycling

It is estimated that more than 50 billion gallons of fresh water are used by the produce industry each year in the US. With the increasing difficulty in sourcing large quantities of water as well as wastewater treatment costs, a need exists to decrease the amount of water used. Ozone is very effective in the treatment of water for recycling as it can be used to remove color, odor, and organic load.
Specialized News and How To Tips

Thursday, January 27, 2005

Oil Spill Contained To Kentucky River

The issue of cleaning is appeared to be in control. But one thing need to be thorough not only on the surface of the River.

Test must carry out on the ground & the surround area along the river banks & also the inner sufface of the water pipe.

My friend David Gosegood was working a cleaning robot in the 80's. I wonder, whether his cleaning robot is commercially available.

At the meantime, for prevention, the Drinking water filter must be use ...for your Great Health.


Oil Spill Contained To Kentucky River
Cleanup Could Take About A Week

POSTED: 3:07 pm EST January 26, 2005
UPDATED: 12:30 am EST January 27, 2005

WORTHVILLE, Ky. -- A race to keep 63,000 gallons of crude oil from moving into the Ohio River after a major oil spill in the Kentucky River appears to have been successful, officials said late Wednesday.

The spill occurred in the area near where Henry, Carroll and Owen counties meet. An early-morning pipeline rupture created the spill, said Art Smith, a spokesman for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The spill traveled about 12 miles from its origin, and five miles from the Ohio River.

The break appeared to have occurred about 50 feet from the river bank, said Jim Gipson, a spokesman for Sunoco Logistics, the pipeline operator.

Four containment booms are now in the river, three from Sunoco and one from the EPA, officials said.

The pipeline and the river are usually farther apart, but recent rain and snow swelled the waterway. The pipeline runs 1,072 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to refineries in northwest Ohio. It carries about 180,000 barrels of crude oil daily.

It took cleanup crews about 12 hours to get boats on the river to battle the spill. Recent flooding left boat docks and ramps covered in mud, which had to be cleaned away before the boats could launch. Bulldozers had to be brought in to clear the mess away.

Water quality experts at the site are evaluating the spill's effects. As of late Wednesday, drinking water does not appear to be affected, they said. If the spill reaches the Ohio River, a treatment plan is in place. Booms are being set up, mainly at Lock One on the Kentucky River, a few miles from the Ohio.

The Louisville Water Co. said Wednesday that its customers should not be affected by the spill.

The impact on wildlife should be minimal, because of the time of year and by the thickness of the oil, which means it will probably float, said Mark Marraccini, a spokesman with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Savannah Hall, who lives near the Kentucky River, said, "I'm just hoping they get it fixed (and) get the oil out and get the smell away."
News

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

Water Physical Properties & Weight Control

The following article is provide good general knowledge about water.

You see "Water has a very high surface tension. In other words, water is sticky and elastic, and tends to clump together in drops rather than spread out in a thin film. Surface tension is responsible for capillary action, which allows water (and its dissolved substances) to move through the roots of plants and through the tiny blood vessels in our bodies."


That is the reason you can understand, why those weight loss institute.. or supplement, used the diet pills to discharge water out of the body is wrong. No wonder, there are report that, people died after taking slimming pills. They could have die of dehydration. Also not enough water to discharge the waste out of the body.

So for your great health, drink 8 big glass of Water & must be filtered water a day.

Water's Physical Properties

* Water is unique in that it is the only natural substance that is found in all three states -- liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam) -- at the temperatures normally found on Earth. Earth's water is constantly interacting, changing, and in movement.

* Water freezes at 32o Fahrenheit (F) and boils at 212o F (at sea level, but 186.4� at 14,000 feet). In fact, water's freezing and boiling points are the baseline with which temperature is measured: 0o on the Celsius scale is water's freezing point, and 100o is water's boiling point. Water is unusual in that the solid form, ice, is less dense than the liquid form, which is why ice floats.

* Water has a high specific heat index. This means that water can absorb a lot of heat before it begins to get hot. This is why water is valuable to industries and in your car's radiator as a coolant. The high specific heat index of water also helps regulate the rate at which air changes temperature, which is why the temperature change between seasons is gradual rather than sudden, especially near the oceans.

* Water has a very high surface tension. In other words, water is sticky and elastic, and tends to clump together in drops rather than spread out in a thin film. Surface tension is responsible for capillary action, which allows water (and its dissolved substances) to move through the roots of plants and through the tiny blood vessels in our bodies.

* Here's a quick rundown of some of water's properties:
o Weight: 62.416 pounds per cubic foot at 32�F
o Weight: 61.998 pounds per cubic foot at 100�F
o Weight: 8.33 pounds/gallon, 0.036 pounds/cubic inch
o Density: 1 gram per cubic centimeter (cc) at 39.2�F, 0.95865 gram per cc at 212�F

By the way:
1 gallon = 4 quarts = 8 pints = 128 ounces = 231 cubic inches
1 liter = 0.2642 gallons = 1.0568 quart = 61.02 cubic inches
1 million gallons = 3.069 acre-feet = 133,685.64 cubic feet

Water properties

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Day of MY Remembrance -- My Belove Dad

The Luna Day of Remembrance


Today is The Luna Day of Remembrance for my late Dad

His merits of Upbringing & shares…Love….is always in MY heart.

Just Praying for his Rebirth at the Higher Plane!!!!!


Peace Peace Peace!!!!!!!!!

Monday, January 24, 2005

Water properties - Chemical Properties

I am appending the acticle on Water, so that every one can refresh on the knowledge of Water.

Basically Water H2O is consist of 2 Hydrogen Atom & 1 Oxygen Atom.

That suppose to be the basic elements of the pure water.

Looking at today market place, marketiers' attempted to claim their water is pure water. But with the pollutions on the Air & in the ground, how could our water that we have today are pure??


Water's Chemical Properties

You probably know water's chemical description is H2O. That is one atom of oxygen bound to two atoms of hydrogen. The hydrogen atoms are "attached" to one side of the oxygen atom, resulting in a water molecule having a positive charge on the side where the hydrogen atoms are and a negative charge on the other side, where the oxygen atom is. Since opposite electrical charges attract, water molecules tend to attract each other, making water kind of "sticky." As the right-side diagram shows, the side with the hydrogen atoms (positive charge) attracts the oxygen side (negative charge) of a different water molecule. (If the water molecule here looks familiar, remember that everyone's favorite mouse is mostly water, too).

All these water molecules attracting each other mean they tend to clump together. This is why water drops are, in fact, drops! If it wasn't for some of Earth's forces, such as gravity, a drop of water would be ball shaped -- a perfect sphere. Even if it doesn't form a perfect sphere on Earth, we should be happy water is sticky.

Water is called the "universal solvent" because it dissolves more substances than any other liquid. This means that wherever water goes, either through the ground or through our bodies, it takes along valuable chemicals, minerals, and nutrients.

Pure water has a neutral pH of 7, which is neither acidic nor basic.

Water properties

Sunday, January 23, 2005

The Consumer Perspective - Water & Sanitation

The Great Health condition can only be happen. Only all people understand about the "Clean Water" be it for

Cleaning
Washing
Showering
Drinking


These would be more stringent for the HIV/AIDS homes based patients & care assistant's.

I am appending the following report from IRC for Consumer awareness

The Consumer Perspective

Good access to safe water and sanitation is indispensable for people living with HIV/AIDS and for the provision of home-based care to AIDS patients. Water is needed for bathing patients and washing soiled clothing and linen. Safe drinking water is necessary for taking medicines. Nearby latrines are necessary for weak patients. Finally, water is needed to keep the house environment and latrine clean in order to reduce the risk of opportunistic infections. Water and sanitation provision increases the sense of dignity of both patients and caregivers.

Public health systems in many high prevalence countries can no longer cope with the increased demand for health services. This reality, together with cultural preferences, contributes to the majority of AIDS patients being cared for within their local communities. The following powerful speech by the director of the South African National Association of People living with AIDS (NAPWA), Nkululeko Nxesi, is an advocacy for better water and sanitation services. It was presented at a national sanitation workshop convened by the South African NGO, Mvula Trust, in August 2002 and has been slightly shortened.
The consumer perspective - IRC International Water and Sanitation Centre



CharlieBrown8989 aka Charlie Tan © 2006 - 2007 • all rights reserved