(BNS) - Saku Õlletehas plans to invest 70 million kroons (EUR 4.5 mln) in brewing equipment and technologies this year. The company believes the investment to be the biggest placement of funds in the Estonian domestic food and beverage industry in 2009.

Saku Õlletehas said at a news conference on April 27 that the 70 million kroons covers investments to be made during the summer in technology, products and packaging.
The brewer launched today the production of high-quality crystal-filtered beer in a new type of bottle.

Head brewer Enn Kärblane said the company is reducing the impact of thermal processing and the filtered beer produced under the new technology has a longer life and tastes like fresh draught beer. The recipes of Saku beers will not change, he added.

Saku believes the new filter to be the first of this type in Estonia. The same technology is already used for draught beers. The company hopes the new technology will bolster its position on the beer market and halt the general contraction of the market. Saku expects to sell more than four million liters of filtered beer in a new type of bottle this year.

The brewery estimates its share of the domestic beer market at 44.5% in terms of sales turnover and 42.1% of market volume.

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