Abstract: A beverage container for a carbonated beverage includes a floating hollow insert (1) comprising an upper moulding (2) and a lower moulding (3) defining a chamber for containing gas, a first one-way duck-bill type valve (4) integrally formed with the upper moulding (2) at the bottom of a down pipe (6) and arranged to allow gas to enter the chamber and a second duckbill valve (5) integrally formed with the lower moulding (3) and arranged to allow gas to exit the chamber and be jetted into the beverage upon opening the beverage container.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for manufacture of duckbill valves in which the opposed lips of the valve are split by applying a high fluid pressure inside the valve. This pressure causes the valve to balloon and burst. Preferably, the valve is supported over all of its outer surface except the end to be split by a die. The system is particularly suited to duckbill valves made of thermoplastic elastomer.

Abstract: Yeast is transformed so that it is capable of expressing the enzymes phosphogluconate dehydratase and 2-keto-3-deoxygluconate 6-phosphate aldolase; whereby, in fermention, a sugar can be converted to pyruvate via the Entner-Doudoroff pathway. Recombinant DNA encodes the enzymes defined above, and includes one or more sequences which promote transcription and translation of the enzymes in yeast.

Abstract: A carbonated beverage container (10, 35, 40) including a hollow insert (1, 20). The insert (1, 20) has one one-way valve (7, 29, 31, 32) and one orifice (6, 28, 33, 34), one of which is arranged to allow gas from a headspace above beverage (11) to enter the insert (1, 20), and the other is arranged to jet gas from inside the insert (1, 20) into the beverage (11) upon opening the container (10, 35, 40). The 20 gas jetting into the beverage (11) causes nucleation of fine bubbles in the beverage (11) which separate out to form a close-knit creamy head.

Abstract: A method of determining one or both of the colour and bitterness of beer by illuminating the beer with light of a pre-determined wavelength, typically 400.+-.30 nm, to cause iso-.alpha.-acids in the beer to fluoresce. The fluorescence is detected over a range of wavelengths, typically 420 to 673 nm, using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. One or both of the colour and bitterness of the beer is determined by comparing an output signal from the fluorescence spectrophotometer to output signals stored for beers of known colour and bitterness.

Abstract: A carbonated beverage container (10, 35, 40) including a hollow insert (1, 20) which floats in the beverage (11). the insert (1, 20) has two one-way valves (6, 7, 28, 29), one (6, 28) of which allows gas from a headspace above the beverage (11) to enter the insert (1, 20), the other (7, 29) allowing gas from the insert (1, 20) to be jetted into the beverage (11) upon opening the container (10, 35, 40). This jet of gas into the beverage (11) causes shear, and the liberation of gas bubbles which form a close-knit creamy head on the beverage (11) once dispensed.

Abstract: An insert (20) for use in a container (40) such as a bottle. The insert (20) has a deformable portion, so that in its non-deformed state it is too large to pass through an opening of the container (40) such as the neck of a bottle, yet in its deformed state, the insert (20) may pass through the opening of the container (40). This prevents the insert from being accidentally dentally dispensed with the contents of the container (40).

Abstract: When dispensing carbonated beverages, particularly beers and especially draught stout, it is desirable to obtain a close-knit creamy head. To achieve this a container (1) includes a separate closed hollow insert (5) containing substantially no oxidising gas and means (6) responsive to opening of the container (1) to provide communication between the inside of the insert (5) and beverage (7) contained in the body of the container (1) upon opening it to jet gas from the insert (5) into the beverage (7). The means (6) preferably has the form of a pressure responsive valve. The insert (5) may be arranged so that its internal pressure is increased after the container (1) is sealed or the means (6) may have a different relief pressure when initially inserted into the container (1) from that upon opening the container (1).

Abstract: An insert (10, 12) for use in providing a creamy head on a carbonated beverage dispensed from a beverage container (50) comprises a restricted orifice (20) for providing communication between its inside and outside, and a pressurized gas contained inside. The restricted orifice (20) is separated from the pressurized gas by a closure (22) which is arranged to be permanently and irreversibly opened on being subjected to a temperature above a predetermined threshold, or on being subjected to a pressure difference in which the pressure outside the insert (10, 12) exceeds that within. This enables the insert to be pre-pressurized and completely closed and stable during insertion into the container (50) and during filling. Then the closure (22) is permanently and irreversibly opened during a subsequent pasteurization step to ensure that all of the gas is vented from the insert (10, 12) on opening the container (50).

Abstract: When dispensing carbonated beverages, particularly beer and draught stout, it is desirable to obtain a close-knit creamy head. This contributes to a creamy taste and adds considerably to the customer appeal. To obtain this effect when dispensing from a can (1) it includes a lid (2) having a secondary compartment (4) formed on it and a non-resealable closure (3) in communication with the secondary compartment. At least one orifice (5) extends between the secondary compartment (4) and the inside of the container (1), and a liquid (8) is held in the secondary compartment. The container is arranged so that on opening of the closure (3) the pressure in the secondary compartment (4) is reduced to atmospheric with the result that gas or liquid from the main body of the container (1) is jetted through the at least one orifice (5) into the liquid (8) in the secondary compartment (4) to generate a foam in the secondary compartment.

Abstract: A method of packaging a beverage container includes placing an open-topped secondary chamber with an orifice into an open container before or after the container is filled with a beverage, displacing substantially all of the oxygen from the open container and the secondary chamber, and closing the open container, thereby closing the open-top of the secondary chamber, such that the only communication between the secondary chamber and the inside of the container is via the orifice.