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Solvent Inkjet Printer decorates 3D prod...

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:04:52 +0200

Custom Printed Product The PromoJET Solvent Inkjet Printer isan extremely versatile decorating machine for flat or 3-dimensionalitems up to 5 inches high, with light-colored or white substrate.This machine is a time-saving alternative to pad printing process,especially for four-color process, gradients or multi-colorprinting jobs. With the PromoJET inkjet system, digital files areprinted to the inkjet and transferred to the products, yieldingcrisp graphics, all within minutes. PromoJET features an 8 color ink jet head with specialized solventbased inks that are formulated to adhere to most plastics, coatedmetals, leathers and many more substrates without pre-treatment.More difficult materials can achieve excellent adhesion with theuse of a pre-spray. The system has a DC driven tooling table (11" x18"), onto which parts can be tooled into a multiple-upconfiguration. Specialized RIP software controls the colorreproduction and the overall amount of ink laid on the product. PromoJET solvent inkjet printer page: http:// www.inkcups.com/equipment/inkjet-printers/promojet-solvent-ink-printer/Default.aspx About Inkcups Now Corp: Inkcups Now is a one-stop supplier for the decorators of3-dimensional products. ICN offers a complete line of pad printingmachines & supplies, screen printing equipment and supplies pluscomputer-to-plate laser etching machines & laser plate makers aswell as flatbed inkjet printers. ICN supplies companies in thepromotional product, electronics, medical, automotive, taglessgarment and other industries. In addition to supplies and machines,ICN provides a range of services: training, plate making, laserengraving, color matching and mixing, ink adhesion testing. ThroughJ3 Global Finance, a closely held subsidiary, Inkcups Nowfacilitates leasing of the full line of ICN equipment. Corporateoffices are located in the US (MA, CA, GA, RI, AZ) and Canada (ON).

2008 College World Series Parking

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:03:26 +0200

Hang Tags Parking During the College World Series, the parking lots around thestadium are reserved parking only. Rosenblatt Stadium parking isnot available to the general public during the series. Only thosewith hang-tags parking permits are allowed to park in designatedlots on a "space available" basis. A hang-tag parking permit doesnot guarantee parking. Reserved Parking for Season Ticket Holders If you are a season ticket holder wishing to park in Lot A, Lot 4or Lot 5, make sure you display your hang-tag parking permit togain access to stadium parking lots. A $10 parking fee will becharged for entry to designated lots. Should you leave and returnthe same day, you will be required to pay an additional $10 uponre-entry. The best way to enter Lot 4 is from Bob Gibson Drive. The best way to enter Lots 5 and A is from Bert Murphy Drive to10th Street. Lots open at 8 AM and all vehicles must be cleared by midnight orthey will be towed. General Admission Parking While there is no parking at nearby Henry Doorly Zoo, there is a limited amount ofadditional parking in the other areas surrounding RosenblattStadium. Some homeowners and businesses offer parking for a fee.Street parking (no fee) also is available, but may entail a walk ofseveral blocks. We encourage use of shuttles or carpooling wheneverpossible. Metro Area Transit (MAT) offers a CWS Express Servicethat picks up at many locations around Omaha. MAT buses are allowed to drop off and pick-up CWS Express Serviceriders from the designated bus parking area at the stadium. No busparking (other than NCAA team buses & MAT) is allowed on-site. Handicapped Parking Handicapped parking is available in Lot A to those with validhandicap permit (permits from other states are honored). While morehandicap parking is set aside at the Stadium than required by code,it is on a first-come, first-served basis and this area alwaysfills quickly.The City will NOT CHARGE for handicapped parking and season ticket parking pass IS NOT required. Charter Bus Parking Private charter buses can drop off their parties in Lot A atRosenblatt Stadium. However, due to limited space, buses must parkelsewhere. The Qwest Center has generously agreed to accommodatecharter bus parking for those waiting to pick up their parties fromthe stadium after games have concluded. (No overnight parking.)Please contact the Qwest Center at 402-599-6707 for moreinformation and reservations.

Dolls in the Docket

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:02:04 +0200

Textile Agents Just before he got up to testify in federal court on June 5, IsaacLarian cocked his shoulders back like a boxer about to enter aring. Then he smiled and winked at Angela, his wife of 24 years.The Iranian-born entrepreneur always seems up for a fight. Thesedays, he's got a big one on his hands. Larian, 54, launched one of the most successful new toy lines indecades, the Bratz line of sassy dolls. But now ownership of thoseBratz is in question. Industry giant Mattel ( MAT ) claims Larian stole the Bratz when he acquired them from designerCarter Bryant, a Mattel employee at the time. If Mattel wins itscivil lawsuit in Riverside, Calif., some Wall Street analystsestimate Larian and his privately held company, MGA Entertainment , may owe the world's largest toymaker hundreds of millions ofdollars in back royalties and punitive damages. And in the ultimateknockout punch: Mattel could even end up owning Bratz. The trial in U.S. District Court, Central District of California,which started May 27, provides a fascinating window into the $22billion toy industry. It may seem like fun and games from theoutside, but behind the scenes there's cutthroat competition andbare-knuckle tactics to score the next hot toy. Mattel, allegingtheft of company secrets, persuaded government agents in Mexico andCanada to seize such things as hard drives and calendars fromformer employees who had jumped to MGA. It hired a privateinvestigator to tail one former Mattel employee who went to workfor MGA. Mattel has tried to get this reporter to testify in itscase against Larian, but judges ruled three times in BusinessWeek 's favor. The two sides have even argued in court over who got tostay at Riverside's Mission Inn, the fanciest hotel in town. Building an Empire Losing the trial to Mattel would be devastating for MGA. The Bratzline has been a gold mine. As recently as 1997, MGA was inbankruptcy. According to Mattel filings in the current suit, Larianreported $466,000 as income on his tax return in 1999. By 2002, ayear after Bratz was released, Larian was earning $34 million.Larian now sits atop an empire that Mattel claims in court papersis worth $1.9 billion. Larian's attorney disputes all of thosenumbers. In recent years Larian has used his company's surgingprofits to buy the office park in suburban Los Angeles that servesas MGA's headquarters. In 2006, he bought the popular Little Tikesbrand of preschool toys from Newell Rubbermaid ( NWL ) for an undisclosed price. Larian owns 82% of MGA, and members of his family own the rest."I came to this wonderful country with nothing more than adream," Larian said in a statement to the press on June 1."I will not let Mattel destroy that dream." Larian was born in the Iranian city of Kashan, the rug tradingcapital of the world. Larian's father ran a three-person textilecompany. As a boy, Larian was something of a brat, recalls one ofhis sisters, who was attending the trial but declined to give hername. "He was always annoying," she told BusinessWeek in a brief interview. "He was always throwing tomatoes at therest of us." In 1971, Larian came to the U.S. with $750 in hispocket. He washed dishes in a diner to help pay for classes atCalifornia State University, Los Angeles, where he earned anengineering degree in 1978. He co-founded MGA with his brotherFarhad, originally as an importer of consumer electronics. Bratz dolls were an immediate hit when they hit store shelves in2001, appealing to a new generation of girls who had grown tired ofMattel's comparatively staid Barbie doll. Bratz feature bigflirtatious eyes and skimpy clothes, prompting some parents tojokingly call them "Slutz." Still the brand resonatedwith girls, producing what Mattel claims in court filings isrevenue of $500 million a year. MGA does not release sales figures.

Fiery Reds, Dappled Prints in Fashion Fo...

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:00:46 +0200

Fabric Prints Although the looks shown here won't be available for months, thepre-spring 2009 collections can offer fashion addicts some hints atthe direction fashion will take in the months ahead. With a fewwise choices from what's in stores now, some trends from pre-spring2009 especially in colors and hemlines can be worked into yourcurrent wardrobe. A bright palette of colors is standard fare for pre-spring, and forseveral 2009 collections, varitions on aqua blue and coral red werewell represented. Oscar de la Renta showed a blue strapless gown with a cascade of pleated ruffles onthe skirt. At Dior, a fiesta palette reigned, but an embellishedtwo-piece jacket in a pretty shade of turquoise echoed the poolsidetheme of the show. A luscious shade of red has popped up in severalcollections, too. At Celine, a was used forsleeveless dresses and full skirts, while dresses made from a boldshade called azalea stood out at Max Azria. Charles Nolan used adeep brick red for a belted cotton trench. Even at CostumeNational, known for its devotion to black, suits were shown in aflaming red. Likewise, at Bottega Veneta, where the color palettehas been muted in recent seasons, vibrant shades of coral turned upon color-blocked dresses. Though floral prints have dominated the runways for both spring andfall 2008, the next step of that trend is toward more mottledprints and smudged colors. A tiered sheath dress at Dior was cutfrom a white fabric dotted with faded black-eyed Susans. Severaldresses at Max Azria were made in a print that suggested thedappled sunlight and shadows cast by overhanging trees. Elie Taharibrushed hazy watercolor prints onto a feather-light one-shoulderdress and flowy blouses of mauve, black, and cr

Cotton on to cool fabric

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:59:38 +0200

Poems have been written to express the beauty of roses, theirfragrance and their colours. But if I had some poetic talent (whichI don’t), I would have paid tribute to a flower that gives usthe coolest and the most comfortable of clothing cotton. Theflower may not be beautiful nor fragrant, but when spun and madeinto a cotton fabric, the comfort that cotton offers is unmatched. Cotton, the fabric of choice in these hot, sweaty summer months,absorbs sweat, thereby keeping the wearer comfortable. It alsoconducts heat from the body to the outside very fast, therebykeeping the wearer cool. However, in order to enjoy the comfort and luxury of wearing purecotton, one has to take certain precautions at the time of purchaseand that’s what I would like to write about this week. First and foremost, when you want to buy cotton, you must ensurethat the fabric is indeed pure cotton. I say this because retailersare known to sell fabrics made of synthetic fibres as cotton.Unfortunately, we do not have label laws that mandate that allfabrics and readymades carry that vital information about the fibrecontent and composition. So one needs to be extra careful whilebuying clothes, particularly readymades. Similarly, since cotton fabrics shrink, one needs to check whetherthe fabric is shrink-proof or whether it shrinks and if so, howmuch. This information is vital because the percentage of shrinkagedepends on the type of yarn used, construction of the fabric andthe finishing process. Sometimes, mills are known to deliberatelystretch the fabric artificially under mechanical pressure to gainlength. Such cloth may well shrink abnormally on washing. To eliminate the problem of shrinkage, the fabric is subjected to aprocess of compressive shrinkage. Such pre-shrunk fabric should notshrink more than one or two per cent even after repeated washing.So do find out if the fabric is pre-shrunk. In the last decade or so, wrinkle-resistant finishes have alsobecome quite popular, mostly for ready-to-wear shirts. However, youmust check whether such a finish diminishes the natural quality ofthe fabric to absorb sweat or keep the wearer cool by transportingheat from the body to the outside. One must also remember that such finishes cost money and might notbe needed in a country like ours where getting a shirt ironed isnot a problem. So when you buy a cotton fabric or a ready-to-wear cotton garment,do make sure that you have all the information that you need tomake an informed choice and that you get the quality you are payingfor.

Interiors materials: The room planner

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:58:18 +0200

They will inevitably target your favourite, most expensive, andmost-difficult-to-clean fabrics, and, when it comes to chewing,there's nothing like a good antique for flavour and satisfaction. I was very amused to see that pet bed manufacturers are nowcatering to dogs' preferences for comfy sofas: you can buy themaster or mistress of the house their very own sofa bed. Pet BedsDirect make a nice-looking dog sofa in washable suede in varioussizes (from ￡28.99). They have an extensive range of wellpriced, attractive dog beds (traditional, donut, wicker, etc),including a waterproof bed that can be hosed clean - ideal forthose little accidents. For a walk on the wild side, try PetPlanet's cow print sofa (Barkshire Newbury, ￡124.99), ortheir chaise longue in pink (Barkshire Ascot, ￡99) whichbrings to mind Barbara Cartland and her lap dogs. We have a rule that our dogs aren't allowed on sofas or beds, butwe soon discovered that dog rules came into force the minute weleft the house. Many people have their sofas and chairs nearwindows, obligingly covering a dog's wish list in one: a bird's eyeview of anything that moves and that can be barked at; comfort; anda warm spot to nap between barking sessions. We found thatre-arranging our living room was a waste of time: an antique deskplaced in the window instead of a sofa ended up with scratches asXabbo defended the property from its top. I'm not a believer in sacrificing your own style for the sake ofyour dog. I stick to my guns (including white curtains), make surethat Wool Fabrics and surfaces are easy to clean, and washeverything as needed (which is frequently, I admit).

The New Book `Polyesters and Polyamides'...

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:56:40 +0200

)--Research and Markets ( http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c94085 ) has announced the addition of Polyesters and Polyamides to theiroffering. Edited by B L Deopura, R Alagirusamy, M Joshi and B Gupta, IndianInstitute of Technology, India Polyesters and polyamides remain the most used group of Synthetic Fibres. This authoritative book reviews methods of theirproduction, ways of improving their functionality and their widerange of applications. The first part of the book describes raw materials andmanufacturing processes, including environmental issues. Part twoconsiders ways of improving the functionality of polyester andpolyamide fibres, including blending, weaving, coloration and otherfinishing techniques as well as new techniques such asnanotechnology. The final part of the book reviews the range ofuses of these important fibres, from apparel and sportswear toautomotive, medical and civil engineering applications. With its distinguished editors and international team ofcontributors, Polyesters and polyamides will be a standardreference for all those using this important group of fibres. Content Outline: PART 1 POLYESTER AND POLYAMIDE FUNDAMENTALS Polyester resins P Santhana Gopala Krishnan and S T Kulkarni, Futura Polyesters Ltd,Chennai, India Introduction. Classification. History. Polymerization methods. Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). Poly (trimethylene terephthalate)(PTT). Poly (butylene terephthalate) (PBT). Poly (1,4-cyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate) (PCT). Poly (ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN). Polylactic acid (PLA). World market. Futuretrends. Acknowledgements. Sources of further information andadvice. Polyamide fibres B L Deopura, Indian Institute of Technology, India Introduction. Nylon 66. Nylon 6. Selection of molecular weight forfilament production. Thermal properties of nylon fibres. Physicalstructure of nylon fibre. Mechanical behaviour of nylon fibres.Applications of nylon fibres. References. Manufacture of polyester fibres C A Lin, Feng Chia University, Taiwan Introduction. Raw materials of polyester fibres in industry.Polymerisation process of polyester fibres in industry. Fundamentalprinciples and types of melt spinning process. Heat setting andtextured yarn of filament. High speed spinning and novel spinning.Acknowledgements. References. Manufacture of polyamide fibres A K Agrawal and M Jassal, Indian Institute of Technology, India Introduction. Nylon 66. Nylon 6. Effect of temperature. Effect ofwater concentration. Effect of stabilizer type and amount. Reactordesign. Synthesis of modified polyamides (nylon 6). Modification atpolymerization stage. Dyeability of Nylon 6. Cationic dyeable Nylon6. Antistatic and hydrophilic Nylon 6. Flame retardant Nylon 6.Spinning of Nylon 6. Structure development during melt spinning ofpolyamides. Spinning of nylon 6. Drawing and heat setting.Mechanism of drawing in polyamides. Heat setting. References. Poly (lactic acid) fibres (PLA) D W Farrington, Consultant, UK, J Lunt, S Davies, Nature Works LLC,USA and R S Blackburn, University of Leeds, UK Introduction. Chemistry and manufacture of PLA polymer resin. PLAfibre properties. Applications. Environmental sustainability.Future trends. References. Environmental impact of polyester and polyamide textiles K Slater, University of Guelph, Canada Introduction. Types of environmental impact. Pollution types.Pollution prevention and control. Environmental impact of textileproduction processes and use conditions. Use conditions. Pollutioncontrol strategies. Eco-friendly technology options. Future trends.Sources of further information and advice. References. PART 2 IMPROVING FUNCTIONALITY OF POLYESTERS AND POLYAMIDES Specialty fibres from polyester and polyamides M G Kamath and G S Bhat, The University of Tennessee, USA Introduction. Production, properties and applications of physicallymodified fibres. Production, properties and applications ofchemically modified fibres. Design and process control aspects.Future trends. References. Property enhancement through blending R Alagirusamy and A. Das, Indian Institute of Technology, India Introduction. Staple fibre blending. Evaluation of the blend.Migration. De-blending. Selection of blend constituents. Blendratio. Types of blending operation. Influence of fibre propertiesand blend ratio on yarn properties. Blended yarn structures.Blending for speciality products. Summary. References. Weaving technologies for manufacturing high performance fabrics B K Behera Indian Institute of Technology, India Principles of fabric formation. Fundamentals of woven structure.Basic weaves. Theoretical consideration in woven structure. Highperformance fabric. Yarn preparation for high quality fabric.Weaving systems. Production of some speciality fabrics. Futureoutlook in weaving. References. Advances in coloration of polyester textiles M L Gulrajani, Department of Textile Technology, India Evolution of dyeing of polyester. Disperse dyes. Theory of dyeingwith disperse dyes. Effect of fibre structure on dyeing. Dyeingprocedures. New methods of dyeing. Dyeing of chemically modifiedpolyester fibres. References. Flame retardant polyester and polyamide textiles P Joseph, University of Ulster, UK and J R Ebdon, University ofSheffield, UK Background. Introduction. Testing procedure and hazard assessments- general aspects. Polyesters. Polyamides. Conclusions and futuretrends. Sources for further information and advice. References. Advances in functional finishes for polyester and polyamidetextiles B S Butola, Indian Institute of Technology, India Introduction. Properties and uses of polyester and polyamidefibre/textiles. Imparting functionality throughfinishing/coating/laminating. Recent advances in finishing. Futuretrends. Sources of further information and advice. References. The impact of nanotechnology on polyester and polyamides M Joshi, Indian Institute of Technology, India Introduction. What is nanotechnology? Origin of nanotechnology.Nanotechnology: applications in textiles. Surface modification oftextiles: nanofinishing. Nanocoatings. Nanocomposite coatings.Nanotechnology based fibre modifications. Polymer / Claynanocomposite fibres [ PCNF ] . Carbon Nanotube (CNT) based nanocomposite fibres. Nanoparticlebased nanocomposite fibres. Nanofibres. Future trends. References. PART 3 APPLICATIONS OF FIBROUS POLYESTERS AND POLYAMIDES Polyester fibre-apparel applications V K Kothari, Indian Institute of Technology, India Introduction. Properties of polyester and polyamides and theirsuitability for apparel applications. Different fibre types forapparel purpose. Blends of polyamide and polyester. Apparelapplications of polyamide and polyester fabric. Comparison ofpolyester and polyamides. Pivotal fibre modification. Currentmarket potentials. Future trends. Acknowledgements. References. Medical applications B Gupta, N Grover, S Viju and S Saxena, Indian Institute ofTechnology, India Introduction. Textiles for biomedicine. Textiles for hygieneproducts. Intelligent textiles. Conclusion. References. Sports applications J McCann, University of Wales, UK Introduction. Fibre developments and characteristics. Designconsiderations. Textile selection. Future trends. Sources offurther information and advice. References. Automotive applications T Matsuo, SCI-TEX, Japan Introduction. Polyester and polyamide fibres of automotive use interms of fibre performance requirement. Rubber composites parts.Internal safety systems. Car interiors. Others. Conclusion.References. Applications of polyesters and polyamides in civil engineering R Fangueiro, C Gonilho Pereira and M de Ara ú jo, University of Minho, Portugal Introduction. Polyester and polyamide fibres and structures forcivil construction applications. Synthetic fibre-reinforcedconcrete. Geotechnical and geoenvironmental applications. Textilearchitectural applications. Ocean engineering applications.References. For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c94085

Business Face of the Social Networking

uebkula — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:53:05 +0200

You’ve got a Web site, a blog , and maybe even an RSS feed. Think you’re done with Web 2.0? Think again. Socialnetworking sites—community-driven Web sites that aim toconnect friends and colleagues into an Interwoven Fabrics of anetwork—should be next up on your business agenda. The sitescan help you find referrals, vet ideas, get advice andmore—usually for free. When it comes to social networking for business, we’re notreferring to MySpace, FaceBook and other online popularity contestswhere teens and 20-somethings (plus 30-somethings who wish theywere still 20-somethings) post embellished or embarrassing tidbitsabout themselves in the name of “connecting” with friendsand strangers. (Though it doesn’t hurt to have a presencethere, if that demographic is your target market). Instead, there’s a universe of sites built by business peoplefor business people, with the goal of establishing a communitywhere business owners can connect with one another, get questionsanswered, get referrals for employees and foster new businessrelationships. If you already have a presence on the Internet, why do you needbranch out even more? “Having a Web site for your company isdefinitely helpful, but truth be told, no one thing alone willbring you and your company enough business,” said KristaCanfield, PR Manager for LinkedIn , the 800-pound gorilla of business social networking sites.“It’s best to take a multi-pronged approach in order toensure that your business is getting as much exposure aspossible.” And while a Web site tends to be a passive business-developmentvehicle, letting you capture contacts that come to you, socialnetworking sites let you be proactive in reaching out. “Socialnetworking sites let you use your existing network of customers,partners and suppliers to develop new partnerships,” saidRobin Carey, CEO of MyVenturePad , a business-focused social networking startup. She also noted thatthose networks are a great way to glean advice on almost anysubject related to running a business. “You would be surprisedhow much information you can get for nothing.”

Freezer Aisles Try To Match Ice Cream Tr...

uebkula — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:34:36 +0200

Rice Protein Concentrate The variety was dizzying. Just looking at all the stickers, signsand placards plastered to the side of your average independent icecream purveyor could give you a heck of a headache. These days, ice cream trucks are still around, although they're abit harder to find. With the price of gas what it is, it's a safebet prices will be blowing up faster than the waistlines offrequent customers. Of course, if the prices get too high, you canalways just go to the grocery store. Unless you have kids, you probably haven't looked lately at thesection of the frozen desserts case where the Hard Ice Cream Machine noveltiesare sold. Almost everything you used to get from that rovingpurveyor of quiescently frozen confections is now available inconvenient multi-packs. Best of all, a six-pack will cost you aboutthe same as two from the ice cream man. Even Good Humor has made it to the freezer case, but more on thatlater. In this test, five adults tested each ice cream treat, awardingeach one 1 to 20 points. Each entry was judged on flavor,appearance and overall impression. Don't think of the ratings ascompetitive, as we weren't rating them in comparison to each other.Where two similar novelties were tasted, such as with the Drumstickand the Blue Bunny Champ cone, they were not tested in sequence. Breyer's Mrs. Field's Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich : 190 calories, 8 grams fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 125 mg sodium, 29grams carbs. Mrs. Field's cookies are great when you get them warm from a mallshop, but they don't quite make the transition to the freezersuccessfully. They were very hard to bite through, causing the icecream to squeeze out everywhere. The ice cream itself was verynondescript, with good creaminess but not much vanilla flavor.Final score: 76. Snickers Ice Cream Bar : 160 calories, 8 grams fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 21grams total carbs. There have been numerous attempts over the years to translate candybars into ice cream form, with varying degrees of success. TheSnickers bar does the best job of mimicking its non-frozenoriginal, with good caramel and roasted peanuts. The only down notewas that some of the testers found the bar too heavily sweetoverall. Final score: 83. The Original Drumstick : 340 calories, 21 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 33grams carbs. This is the treat that's expanded American waistlines for years,and it's still the real deal. As ever, most of the nuts embedded inthe chocolate coating come off in the wrapper, and as ever the bestbite is the last one, when you get the chocolate glob at the bottomof the cone. The chocolate flavor wasn't quite as top-notch as someof the other treats, but this one still notched a final score of93. Eskimo Pie Dark Chocolate Bar : 160 calories, 11 grams fat, 15 mg cholesterol, 35 mg sodium, 14grams carbs. Eskimo Pie is one of the iconic names in the frozen treat business,which makes this treat a bit puzzling. The "dark" chocolate waswaxy, with very little actual chocolate flavor. The ice cream hadgreat texture, but not much in the way of any identifying taste ofits own. Final score: 65. Original Klondike Bar : 250 calories, 17 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 22grams carbs. As the old commercial goes, "What would you do for a Klondike bar?"Well, in this case, the testers would pass up several of the otherofferings in the test for this simple-but-good confection. The icecream is excellent, and the chocolate coating is very tasty. Theonly real problem is mechanical: It's almost impossible to finishone without the last few bites dribbling all over your hands. Finalscore: 91. Molli-Cool Chocolate Fusion : 130 calories, 7 grams fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 60 mg sodium, 12grams carbs.

Pork prices remain in a reasonable range

uebkula — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:33:27 +0200

Frozen Pork Meat COA officials said that pork prices have risen to reflect theincreasing costs of feed grains imported from abroad. The cost for raising hogs have now reached NT$6,500 per 100kilograms. The market price of hogs stood at NT$7,594 per 100 kg on Saturday,the day of the traditional Dragon Boat Festival. The price normally goes up during the festival season due togreater demand from consumers, but the price tags have stayedwithin a reasonable range, the COA officials explained. Most vegetable prices from central and southern Taiwan also showedincreases due to the damaging heavy rains last week. But they said the COA does not yet plan to release frozen productsfrom government storage, as consumers still have choices forproducts supplied from other areas. Since the government has been providing financial subsidies tofarmers harmed by rains and floods, new crops should be able toreach the market soon, they said. The auction price for pork averaged between NT$75 and NT$90 atlocal markets, although the it hit a new high mark of NT$100 per kgfor the first time at the Hsinchu market in northern Taiwan. Some pork dealers said that it is highly unusual for pork prices toreach NT$100 per kg. They questioned if more sensible consumers are willing to pay sucha high price. Most consumers said that they have adopted price slashes as a wayto cope with rising prices. The various vegetarian and environmental conservation organizationsin Taiwan suggested that consumers use the opportunity to develop anew habit of consuming less meat to help reduce carbon monoxideemissions. They said that the Cabinet led by Premier Liu Chao-shiuan had justadopted a new set of policy guidelines last week to promotesustainable development, environmental protection, low-carbonconsumption, and social justice. The government should launch a publicity campaign on Frozen Pork Meat when promoting its new energy policy, they suggested. Leaders of the groups said that research have shown evidence thatlivestock consume much more natural resources while releasingseveral times more carbon emissions. They were glad that some senior officials have signed up to jointheir campaign to consume more vegetables and reduce meatconsumption. But more of the financially pinched consumers should also join thecommon cause as a way to cope with high inflation, they stressed.

Ronaldo at Flamengo Nears Reality as Rea...

uebkula — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:32:17 +0200

June 9 (Bloomberg) -- Brazilian soccer player Jose Carlos Garcia Leal said he was shocked when Rio de Janeiro's Botafogo soccer club made him an offer late last year that topped the$60,000 a month he was making in Japan. Garcia, known to his fans as Ze Carlos , had left Brazil three years earlier because salaries in the localleague were a fraction of those overseas. Now, a five-year rally inthe real is giving Brazilian teams the purchasing power to lureback record numbers of players from abroad. ``It's a dream come true,'' Garcia, a 27-year-old midfielder, saidafter a rain-soaked practice in Rio. ``My salary is great. And thepeople here are priceless. In Japan, they don't have the same joy.They won't even let you hug them'' after scoring a goal, he said. Garcia's situation and the real's appreciation highlight Brazil'stransformation from the edge of default to a global financial powerfunded by record commodity prices. The currency has gained 117percent against the dollar, 44 percent versus the euro and 91percent versus the yen since 2003, when President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took office. The world's biggest exporter of beef,Brazilian Coffee, orange juice and sugar became a net creditor forthe first time in January, earned an investment-grade rating fromStandard & Poor's in April and holds so many dollars that itplans to create a sovereign-wealth fund to invest in companies andassets outside Brazil. The country owns $149.1 billion of U.S.government debt, up from $10.7 billion at the start ofA little more than a decade after Brazil sold Brady bonds - - namedafter former U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas Brady , who orchestrated a restructuring plan for emerging-market nations-- cash-flush consumers in Latin America's biggest economy arebuying up everything from Louis Vuitton bags to Norwegian codfish as the real's rise makes foreign goodsmore affordable. Imports reached a record $141 billion in the 12 months ended May31, a 40 percent increase from $101 billion a year earlier andtriple the $47 billion from two years ago. Trade Deficit The downside to the surge in imports is that Brazil's current account , the broadest measure of trade, fell into deficit this year forthe first time since 2003. The shortfall reached $14.7 billion inthe 12 months through April, reversing a $13.9 billion surplus inthe year-earlier period. ``The deterioration of the current account inspires caution,'' said Marcelo Carvalho , an economist at Morgan Stanley in Sao Paulo. ``It happened veryquickly.'' Carvalho predicts the deficit will swell to $25 billion byyear-end, draining dollars from the country and ending the real'srally. He forecasts the currency, now trading near a nine-year highat 1.6310 per dollar, will weaken to 1.7 by year- end. The medianforecast in a Bloomberg survey of 19 economists is for the real toslide to 1.75 by December. Tide Turns Currency devaluations and hyperinflation in the past two decadeshad made Brazilian soccer talent cheap for international teams.Powerhouses such as Manchester United in the U.K. and Spain's RealMadrid combed soccer youth leagues in Brazil, a record five-timeWorld Cup winner whose flash and style is known across the world as``o jogo bonito,'' or ``the beautiful game.'' More than 500 Brazilian players a year on average signed contractswith foreign teams since 1989, according to the Brazilian SoccerConfederation. Brazil's four best-known stars - - Kaka, the 2007FIFA player of the year; Ronaldinho, a two-time FIFA player of theyear; Robinho; and Ronaldo -- are under contract with Europeanteams. Now, the tide is turning. Brazilian teams signed 403 players fromoverseas in the first five months of 2008, a 33 percent increasefrom the same period last year, according to the Brazilian SoccerConfederation. Garcia's $60,000-a-month paycheck in Japan was worth 162,000 reaiswhen he arrived in Osaka in early 2005. Today that salary would beworth 97,584 reais. Contracts are typically denominated in dollars. Flamengo Lures Ronaldo Ronaldo , a three-time FIFA player of the year who was born Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima , told Brazil's TV Globo in May that he plans on signing with Botafogo's rival team,Flamengo, after his contract with AC Milan expires this month. ACMilan paid him $21 million a year, according to Forbes magazine.Forbes estimates the 31-year-old striker, who is recovering fromknee surgery, has a net worth of $250 million. ``I'm choosing a new path for my life,'' Ronaldo, the all- timeleading goal scorer in World Cup history, said in the interviewwith TV Globo. ``I know that the doors at Flamengo will be openwhen I'm well and playing again.'' Spokesmen for Ronaldo, Flamengo and AC Milan declined to commentwhen contacted by Bloomberg News. Cafu , a 38-year-old defender who played on Brazil's last four World Cupteams, may return from Italy, where he spent six seasons with ACMilan and Roma. Cafu is in talks with Santos , the team in Sao Paulo state that signed 15-year-old Pele in 1956,according to Luis Antonio Capella, the team's soccer director. `Spontaneous' The import boom is evident outside Botafogo's practice facility inRio. On a recent afternoon, the parking lot was lined with theplayers' foreign-made cars, such as a BMW X3, Jeep Grand Cherokeeand Toyota Land Cruiser. Garcia says his salary goes further in Brazil than it did in Japan,where he longed for Brazilian barbecue and cheese bread. One of hisfirst lessons in Japan was that physical contact is kept to aminimum. When he tried to hug teammates during a game, aninterpreter told him that kind of contact was frowned upon. ``I thought that was strange,'' Garcia says, laughing. ``Theyaren't spontaneous at all. I missed that about Brazilians.'' To contact the reporters on this story: Adriana Brasileiro in Rio de Janeiro at abrasileiro@bloomberg.net Last Updated: June 9, 2008 08:20 EDT

Burger recall followed riskier procedure...

uebkula — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:31:00 +0200

Beef Meat

While the Topps Meat Co. churned outmillions of frozen hamburgers a month, beef ground one day wasoften stored and "reworked" with meat from another productioncycle, government documents show. A conveyor belt that moved raw patties to packaging was marred by"gouges, cracks and tears," inspectors said. They found residue onsurfaces that fresh meat came into contact with. But the plant kept operating, until an outbreak of E. coli lastsummer and fall sickened at least 40 people in eight states and ledto one of the nation's largest Beef Meats. Documents obtained by The Associated Press and interviews show thatthe now-defunct company cut back on testing for the dangerouspathogen and disregarded sanitary issues, but also that federalfood inspectors overlooked crucial evidence that Topps used riskyprocessing procedures and operated under a flawed food safety plan. "Clearly, something was missed at Topps" when the company became"complacent," Kenneth Petersen, head of the national Office ofField Operations for the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service,conceded in an interview. The documents present the most detailed picture yet of what washappening at Topps, which sold its products to Wal-Mart Stores Inc.and supermarkets and institutions such as schools, hospitals,restaurants and hotels around the country under the Topps brand aswell as several private labels. Topps had been in business for over six decades and claimed to bethe leading U.S. maker of frozen hamburgers before it closed itsplant in northern New Jersey and went out of business last yearwithin two weeks of initiating the recalls. The Centers for DiseaseControl said at least 40 people in eight states were sickened aftereating Topps beef. The recall ultimately comprised nearly 22 million pounds of beef— a year's worth of production. Former Topps executives declined or did not respond to requests forcomment on the U.S. Department of Agriculture documents, which wereobtained by The Associated Press through Freedom of Informationrequests. According to the USDA reports, regulators examining the plant inElizabeth, N.J., last fall found the company failed to test someraw meat for the potentially fatal bacteria, botched dailycleansings and ignored parts of its own operating framework. Topps did not require that every batch of meat received fromslaughterhouses be certified to be free of E. coli, inspectiondocuments show. Suppliers don't always test certain cuts, such as steaks androasts, where any bacteria would usually be on the exterior andcould be readily killed by cooking. But when Topps ground such"intact" cuts, any bacteria present was mixed into patties, whereinterior temperatures of 160 degrees during cooking would be neededto kill it. "They were doing that trimming and putting it into their groundmixture, but not doing any testing on it themselves to determine ifit had E. coli," said Petersen. "That was another avenue forpotential contamination." In a separate interview, Petersen said Topps had decreasedend-of-line testing for E. coli from monthly to three times a year."Somewhere, I don't know if lazy is the right word, but they gotcomplacent," he said. Topps recalled 332,000 pounds of hamburger on Sept. 25 afterauthorities in several states reported people becoming ill. TheUSDA inspection service suspended production the next day, citingdeficiencies in sanitation and an inadequate plan that is supposedto outline where contamination might occur and what will be done toprevent it. The plant was barred from reopening without revisingits procedures. Inspectors also questioned Topps' practice of "re-work," in whichmeat ground on one day could be added to meat during anotherproduction cycle. No law prohibits mixing different lots of beef,but food safety experts generally agree it expands the risk ofcontamination. "That is a very bad process, and hardly anyone in the industry doesthat," Petersen said. "If you want to manage E. coli in your plant,it's just not a good idea to go back in time." He said his agencyis compiling figures on how many processors nationwide use re-work. Federal inspectors also criticized sanitary measures at the plant,citing "product residues observed on product contact surfaces" and"recurring deficiencies of unsanitary equipment," including"gouges, cracks and tears" on a conveyor belt. The deadly bacteria strain, E. coli O157:H7, does not originate ingrinding plants. It is harbored mainly in the intestines of cattle,but can get into meat through improper butchering and processing.Grinding operations such as Topps are the last chance to halt thespread of E. coli before the meat is available to the public. Confronted with those findings, Topps expanded the recall on Sept.29 to 21.7 million pounds, the second-largest U.S. beef recall atthe time — although much of the meat had already been eaten. Amid an idled production line and the financial fallout from therecall, Topps closed its 67-year-old business on Oct. 5, putting 87employees out of work. In late October, the USDA inspection service identified anow-defunct Canadian slaughterhouse, Rancher's Beef Ltd. of Balzac,Alberta, as a likely source of the multistate E. coli outbreaklinked to Topps. Topps filed on Nov. 21 to liquidate in bankruptcy court, citingthousands of creditors and liabilities that far outstripped itsassets. At least three families have sued Topps, claiming relatives becameill from its hamburgers. With the company out of business, they areseeking shares of insurance payouts that could total $22 million. "The problem with Topps is it seems they had really low, lowfrequency of testing their finished hamburger product," which savedmoney, said William D. Marler of Seattle, a lawyer for two of thefamilies. "Their testing protocol really was designed never to findE. coli; never to slow the process down." Marler examined the inspection documentation at the request of theAP and said many deficiencies should have been caught. "This report clearly shows that their safety procedures and testingprocedures were definitely below par and led to this outbreak andultimately to their bankruptcy," he said. "My point is, thesethings are so obvious, where was the inspector in July and August2007?" While acknowledging that inspections could have been better, theUSDA's Petersen said that after the Topps recalls, "we put in placesome changes to make sure that doesn't happen again." The agency determined that its inspectors were properly trained,but has augmented training and data analysis as a result of theTopps case, Petersen said. For example, if a meat plant's safetyplan includes accepting only meat that has been tested, theinspectors have now been told to look for certificates for each lotthat enters the plant, he said. Petersen said he could not disclose if any discipline was takenagainst government inspectors who monitored Topps. Typically, oneinspector would be at the plant for 60 to 90 minutes during eacheight-hour production cycle, he said. The scope of the recall also prompted the USDA — which hadbeen criticized for dragging its feet — to move faster inencouraging recalls. The agency cannot issue recalls, althoughseveral lawmakers are proposing legislation in Congress that wouldgive it that authority. Marler said Petersen and others at the inspection service wereworking hard, but are hampered by an outdated meat safety system. "It really shows how the inspection is relatively antiquated,because what these inspectors are looking for is a bacteria youcan't see, taste or smell," Marler said. The nation needs to do a better job of butchering animals andtesting for E. coli at slaughterhouses, agreed Felicia Nestor,senior policy analyst at Food & Water Watch, a nonprofit consumergroup in Washington. Meat producers, meanwhile, maintain that the public interest isbest served by a broad array of measures, and that last year's risein E. coli incidents was of great concern following a steadydecline since 2001. Topps is now winding down its bankruptcy. Its assets were sold Jan.8 for more than $1.25 million, with all but $107,500 going to RBSCitizens Bank of Philadelphia, which had a secured claim because ithad loaned Topps $14.5 million. More than 5,000 other creditors, which include supermarkets andindividuals who bought burgers, have unsecured claims of about $1million. They could get a share of the $107,500, and eventually seemore money through litigation by the court-appointed trustee forTopps. Topps' president, David Cohen, declined to speak about the company. Its executive vice president, Anthony L. D'Urso, declined tocomment when presented with the USDA inspection documents at hisNew Jersey home. He is a member of the family that ran Topps forabout 60 years until Buffalo, N.Y.-based private equity firmStrategic Investments & Holdings bought a controlling interest in2003. Gary M. Brost, the president of Strategic Investments, said in ane-mail: "Counsel has advised us not to comment or discuss the ToppsMeat Co. LLC meat recall since it has resulted in litigation." Meanwhile, the former Topps plant reopened in March as OnegreatBurger Co. after an affiliate of Hawthorne-based Premio Foods, asausage maker, acquired the remainder of the Topps lease and itsflash-freezing equipment for $250,000 during the bankruptcyproceedings. "We've made it an entirely new state-of the art operation, focusedon food safety and quality products," Premio and Onegreat BurgerPresident Marc Cinque said. While D'Urso is a sales consultant, and a company associated withthe D'Urso family is the landlord, Cinque said the plant has beenrefurbished with new manufacturing equipment and the 30 employeesinclude no members of Topps management or ownership.

Bioethanol demand forces Brazil sugar ca...

uebkula — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:29:39 +0200

Brazilian Sugar Brazil has been producing ethanol since the oil crisis of the 1970sand it is economically competitive with petrol when the oil priceis higher than $40 per barrel. Brazil expects to produce a record24 billion litres of bioethanol this year but is planning almost todouble this to 47 billion litres by 2015. Much of the growth will come from exports to the US and Europe,which have imposed legal requirements to include blended biofuelsin petrol. The EU, for example, has proposed that by 2020, 10 percent of all EU transport fuel will come from biofuels. To prepare for this, a huge network of pipelines is being plannedto transport bioethanol from cane mills in Brazil’s interiorto shipping terminals on the coast, Mr Jank said. The industry, traditionally dominated by family-owned concerns, isconsolidating rapidly and being invigorated by a new kind offoreign investment, including funds linked to Dreyfus and GeorgeSoros. In April BP, the oil giant, announced an investment worth upto $1 billion in Tropical Energia, a joint venture between theBrazilian groups Santelisa Vale and Maeda. Mr Jank claims the industry welcomes both consolidation andoverseas investment but the rapid pace of expansion has promptedconcerns about knock-on impact on deforestation of the Amazon andon the exploitation of vulnerable workers. Nearly eight million hectares of sugar cane are under cultivationbut Unica expects this to increase to 14 million by 2020. Mr Janksays that there is no major area of sugar cane production closerthan 1,000km to the Amazon region. He denies that there could be adisplacement effect that forces agricultural production into theregion. The introduction of cutting machines will happen more quickly inthe south of Brazil than in the north. The hilly landscape of themajor growing area in the northeast, around Pernambuco, inunsuitable for cane-cutting technology, which means that handcutting is likely to persist there until the technology advances.

Microbubbles to extend shelf-life on foo...

uebkula — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:28:36 +0200

Bee Product A collaboration between Harvard University and Unilever researchers found a way to create gas-liquid systems with tinybubbles that remain stable for up to a year. This may help to significantly extend the life of foam-based foodproducts, such as whipped cream, ice cream , sorbets, and mousses, according to Howard Stone from the Schoolof Engineering and Applied Science at Harvard. The team was able to produce the stable bubbles by using a sucrosesurfactant which forms a coating around the air bubbles. In addition, they noted that each bubble had tiny hexagonalpatterns on its surface which, they explained, is caused by theamphiphilic nature of the surfactant used. Amphiphilic means themolecules have both hydrophilic (water-loving) and hydrophobic(water-hating) properties. The hydrophilic heads of the sucrose molecules in the surfactantsit on the outside of the bubble in contact with the water, whereasthe hydrophobic chains of the molecule lie on the inside of thebubble. As the heads occupy more surface area than the tails thiscauses the surface of the bubble to bulge, resulting in thehexagonal patterns that can be observed. Dr. Rodney Bee, a retired Unilever physical chemist, initiallyproduced the unusual bubble formation in the course of his researchinto finding ways to extend the life of foams and other gas-infusedmixtures like ice cream. "We were interested in two things: Firstly, understanding how thesize of the gas cells can influence the organoleptic and visualproperties, and secondly, how to maintain their stability overtime," Dr. Bee told FoodNavigator.com. Dr. Bee confirmed that Unilever maintain an interest in applyingthe technology but couldn't predict when a commercial product wouldhit the shelves. "We've established we can put this into the products that we wantto put them in," he added. The paper reports the use of a sucrose surfactant which forms acoating around the air bubbles, but Bee added that others are beinginvestigated. "The surfactant has to be able to form a crystalline layer thatadsorbs to the surface," he said. "The interface between air and liquid is covered with surfactantmolecules, both mono- and diesters, which are irreversibly pinnedbecause of their low solubility in glucose syrup," wrote the researchers in Science . "The hydrophobic headgroups of the sucrose stearate sit in theaqueous phase, whereas the hydrophobic carbonyl chains lie insidethe microbubbles. The observed bulging domains suggest that thesurfactant molecules pack on the interface, with headgroupsoccupying substantially more surface area than the hydrophobicchains," they added.

Some dishes are lost in translation

uebkula — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:27:07 +0200

Chicken Bouillon Cube Fifth Floor is one of the highest-profile restaurants in the city.Four-star cuisine by George Morrone put it on the map, along with aclever name that proclaimed its hard-to-find location on the fifthfloor of the Palomar Hotel. After Morrone moved on, the restaurantcontinued to garner favorable publicity because of the Frenchtwists from another high-profile chef, Laurent Gras, followed bythe fresh American approach of Melissa Perello. However, these changes muddled the restaurant's focus. The KimptonGroup is attempting to regain the edge by reinventing therestaurant. The interior has been dramatically remodeled, and the menu has beencompletely changed under chef Laurent Manrique, who, ironically,took over Aqua after Morrone (and then Michael Mina) gave itfour-star status. Gone is the distinctive zebra-striped carpeting, heavy drapes andFrette linen. A dark wood floor replaces the carpet, linens havebeen banished in favor of dark wood tables softened with beigestriped runners, and the windows have been opened to reveal anatrium. There's also the scent of a British men's club from the brownleather banquettes and beige barrel-shaped chairs that replaced theupholstered seats. With the expansive glassed-in wine rack alongone wall, the interior looks sleeker, but it has lost some of itsintimacy. The stylish chairs are so deep that by the end of themeal your back is likely to be aching. The opening menu page gives an explanation: "Like a culinaryambassador, Fifth Floor brings together and showcases theremarkable similarities between the Bay Area and chef LaurentManrique's native Gascony in Southwest France." The chef was in the dining room on two of my visits, but he alsooversees the kitchens at Aqua and the more casual Cafe de laPresse, so he's turned over day-to-day cooking duties to JennieLorenzo, who was the opening executive sous chef at Ame. The a la carte menu features 10 appetizers and the same number ofmain courses. There's a six-course chef's tasting menu for $95,distinctive because each course is matched with two wines or otherbeverages for $85. I first ate Manrique's food when he was the chef at Campton Placenearly 10 years ago, and I still fondly remember his Gascon poachedchicken. He's reinterpreted that and other regional dishes at FifthFloor, giving them a nouvelle turn. The attempt is laudable, but I don't feel a soulful connectionbetween the man and the food. After the first visit, I probablywouldn't have returned if I weren't reviewing the place. Thecombinations seemed to be trying too hard to be different at theexpense of the diner's satisfaction.