Materials technology plays a crucial role in food and beverage packaging. Oxygen scavenging, coating and barrier technologies are critical for the introduction of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) in packaging of oxygen sensitive beverages There have been several exciting developments in the polymers area, paving the way, finally for plastic bottles for products such as beer. In this newsletter, Baverstam provides an insight into this exciting and important new area and reports important developments in materials and processes relating to packaging technology.