Ingredients listing is CAMRA's new target .sx IT IS a 'nonsense' ingredients are not listed on alcoholic drinks packaging the Campaign for Real Ale is claiming .sx The pressure group is urging the government's food advisory committee to include the issue in its current review of food labelling law and has contacted the European Commission suggesting it should bring forward a directive on ingredients listing for alcoholic drinks .sx .sx The Brewers' Society agrees in principal to the idea but said any labelling scheme would have to be carefully thought out to ensure it is workable .sx CAMRA's campaign manager , Stephen Cox , said :sx " Customers have a right to know what is in their pint , but most brewers keep the ingredients of their beer shrouded in secrecy .sx Other foods , and low alcohol drinks , have to list their ingredients , alcoholic drinks do not , that is a nonsense .sx .sx " More health conscious consumers want to know what they are drinking .sx The brewers should have nothing to fear from openness .sx " .sx The organisation also said the place where the beer is brewed should be listed to show that beers are brewed at more than one site for compulsory listing on whether beers or ciders are processed or 'real' , CAMRA said racking and bottling dates should be shown because they would be more relevant that 'best before' dates for beer .sx Mike Ripley of the Brewers' Society said ingredients listing is being considered by the European Commission because it now deals with all matters of labelling and packaging .sx He pointed out a number of changes had already been made by the EC including the change from fluid ounces to millilitres , the introduction of 'best before' dates and the change to alcohol by volume ( abv ) levels instead of original gravity ( OG) .sx " If CAMRA is suggesting we do something in advance of the EC I think that is foolish .sx " If there can be an agreed way of listing ingredients practically and sensibly then we would implement it .sx One of the reasons beer is exempt is because what is in the final product was not necessarily an initial ingredient , alcohol is formed as part of the brewing process .sx Hops are an ingredient , but if they were found in the finished product consumers would not be pleased .sx " We have to get the laws right and the terminology correct .sx Consumers may be concerned to see ascorbic acid as an ingredient , if it was called vitamin C it would be more acceptable .sx " .sx Quirky Scrumpy .sx SCRUMPY Jack cider has launched its first national consumer advertising campaign .sx Part of a 1pound million marketing support package for the premium brand , the campaign , in a wide range of magazines , conveys the message 'when you know whats what and whats not' .sx Said Andrew Riley , marketing manager :sx " Scrumpy Jack's first advertising campaign breaks the mould of traditional cider advertising .sx .sx " The advertisements are rather quirky but clearly define the quality and exclusiveness of Scrumpy Jack .sx " .sx In just 12 months the brand has become the number one premium draught cider , accounting for more than half the volume sold in this special sector , a staggering 200% on-trade growth , while in the off-trade it has tripled its share of the premium sector .sx Dessert addition .sx CAXTON Tower Wines has added an Eiswein to its range of top-quality Austrian dessert wines .sx The 1990 vintage Eiswein originates from the small village of Apetlon , on the east shore on Lake Neusiedl .sx The wine is produced by Weinkellerei Burgenland and is now being sold into the trade .sx Situated close to the Hungarian border , Burgenland is renowned for its dessert wines and Eiswein is a speciality of the region .sx Gerry Amdor , managing director , said :sx " To produce an Eiswein , grapes are left on the vines after the normal time of vintage .sx In early December , when the first frosts arrive , the frozen grapes are picked by hand and pressed to produce a delicate dessert wine .sx " .sx Eiswein Neusiedlersee 1990 comes in a clear half-bottle , is 11% alcohol and is being listed by Oddbins at pounds6 .sx 49 from the start of October .sx Amdor said Austrian wine sales in the UK are experiencing a period of sustained growth with distribution gains achieved through leading grocery multiples and specialist wine merchants .sx " The new listings reflect trade and consumer interest and confidence in the excellent quality of Austria's dry white wines and superb dessert wines .sx Austrian wines have achieved a major breakthrough this year and the future looks exciting .sx " .sx Guinness takes on its own distribution .sx GUINNESS is assuming responsibility for the selling and distribution of all one-trip Guinness Original pack types in the take-home trade from October 1 .sx The distribution of its returnable bottles will not be affected .sx Guinness Original , the third - largest take-home brand , is the most widely distributed beer in the market place with 97% sterling distribution .sx Up until now , several national and regional brewers have sold and distributed it in the off-trade .sx This latest move is intended to give a more focused and better co-ordinated approach to sales and promotional activity .sx .sx Peter Philpot , director of take-home trade said :sx " We believe that the time is now right for us to distribute the product directly .sx Guinness Original is an important component of our stout strategy throughout the 1990s .sx This change , and the pounds4 million marketing spend invested in the brand this year , is evidence of our continued commitment to the brand , " he added .sx The brewer's take home division has been expanded over the past few years to reflect the changing face of the off-trade .sx It now features canned draught Guinness , Harp lager , Harp Premier , Kaliber , alcohol - free lager and Guinness draught Bitter .sx The company's commitment to its portfolio of leading brands can be measured by the fact that it plans to support them this year with an advertising and marketing support package costing pounds30 million .sx National Trust gets cash help from Alcan .sx THE producer of Alcan Bacofoil , the household aluminium foil and the Alcan Snappies range of plastic food wraps , has raised , with the help of its customers , another pounds13,000 to assist with conservation and restoration projects mounted by the National Trust .sx This brings the total raised since the promotion was launched in January to pounds35,000 - over halfway towards the pounds50,000 target .sx The funds have assisted in the restoration of historic houses and gardens such as Ightham Mote in Kent and Calke Abbey Kitchen gardens in Derbshire .sx The fund raising promotion is backed by an on-pack message featured on all Alcan's product ranges .sx .sx The company has also assisted in garden maintenance and in coastline acquisition .sx Media praise .sx A SERIES of features on Tyne Tees Television's 'Northern Life' programme to be shown this month commends Safeway for leading the way with environmental issues for food retailing .sx The multiple has been featured in the series for its work with recycling , packaging and product labelling , and the company is praised for taking the lead with the sale of organic products and introducing Britain's first plastic bottle recycling machine earlier this year .sx .sx Plastic turned into pennies by Sainsbury .sx SAINSBURY'S customers have been taking advantage of the multiple's scheme to minimise the use of plastic carrier bags .sx In February the Penny Back environmental initiative was launched to encourage customers to provide their own carrier bags , in return for which the store refunds them one penny .sx The response has been such that the multiple reckons in the first 12 months the scheme will save 59 million new plastic carrier bags .sx The reduction in new bags will save some 1,000 tonnes of plastic per year and the energy saved in production and distribution costs is the equivalent of a million gallons of oil .sx So far this year , Sainsbury has given away some 41 million pennies to customers and the figure is averaging 200,000 pennies per day .sx Approximately half of all the pennies given to customers are being deposited in charity collection boxes which are posted at the exists of each Sainsbury branch .sx Each branch has a designated charity to which the collected money is donated .sx .sx " The programme manages to achieve two objectives of prime importance to Sainsbury and its customers ; energy conservation and donation to charity , " said Mike Samuel , Sainsbury's environment affairs manager .sx The company has pledged to continue the programme indefinitely in all of its stores .sx Circle C Store is a top franchisee .sx THE owners of a Circle C store in Herne Bay came joint third in the 'Franchisee of the Year' awards .sx The competition , organised by the British Franchise Association and sponsored by Midland Bank , aims to encourage commitment to service and excellence in franchising .sx The Herne Bay contestants Chris and Lorraine Green have been running their business since 1988 following a 14 year career in retailing .sx They decided that their best route was to use the franchise deal to establish their business because of the support which the system allows them .sx Fastest food .sx SCOTTISH bakers recently pulled out all the stops to beat the record time for turning wheat growing in the field into a batch of loaves .sx The time taken from the wheat being harvested at Balgonie Estate , transported 6.9 miles to Hutchisons flour mill , Kirkcaldy for processing , taken a further 6.6 miles to Stuart's bakery , Buckhaven , where 13 loaves were baked , was two hours 43 minutes 26 seconds .sx The operation was scrutinised by two independent timekeepers .sx Norman Stuart , president of the Scottish Association of Master Bakers said :sx " The setting of this record has been a first class exercise done at great speed , using entirely conventional methods .sx Furthermore it was set under the rules laid down by the publishers of the Guinness Book of Records , with whom we are in communication to determine whether or not our record qualifies for inclusion , in their book .sx We are very hopeful of a positive outcome .sx " There is no doubt that it is a Scottish record on which we hope others will make an attempt .sx Perhaps the districts will take up the challenge .sx " .sx New Cuban citrus deal broadens UK market .sx THE MAJORITY of Cuban citrus will be sold under a new European marketing agreement this season .sx It is being organised by Liverpool-based consultant .sx Ken Nieto and Oceanica Chilena , Santiago , on behalf of Pole Lida .sx Pole is a new company based in Cuba , formed by Agricola Las Araucarias , Santiago and Unecit , of Havana .sx The companies began to put the package together over a year ago and this culminated in Nieto returning from the island with a group of prospective customers last week .sx " Everyone was impressed with what has been done by the citrus industry , and the fruit looked excellent , " he told The Grocer .sx The scale is impressive .sx Trade sources indicate that there is a potential of 2.5 million tonnes of oranges , red and white grapefruit , lemons and limes , which makes it one of the largest producers in the world .sx Nieto says the expects to be handling in excess of one million cartons of Marsh Seedless and Ruby Red Grapefruit up to the end of February .sx The first vessel is due to arrive at Sheerness next week .sx " New technology has been introduced by the Chilean companies ensuring that all fruit is packed to EC standards , " said Nieto .sx He also revealed that this had resulted in packhouses being modernised , with new grading machinery .sx In addition workers had been trained in picking and packing .sx All fruit is packed in high quality cartons , and palletised in 56's , with full height corner guards and horizontal and vertical strapping .sx .sx To maximise sales opportunities there will be two brands .sx Best Fruits , which is Class I , and aimed at wholesale markets and supermarkets , and Tropical Island , Class II , also for markets , and particularly the expanding fresh juice sector .sx Northern Fruit Brokers of Preston and Allan and Anderson ( Fruit Importers ) of Liverpool have been appointed selling agents in the UK .sx Nieto said he expected this to be the first of many such projects which he was expecting to develop with Pole .sx " There are other fruits available , apart from the wide range citrus which includes tropicals like pineapples , " he says .sx Banana safeguards urged .sx THE importance of safeguarding the preferential UK market access for bananas grown by British Caribbean producers was stressed to Agricultural Minister John Gummer , when he opened Fyffes' new ripening centre at Crossways , Dartford .sx