The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

A free-trade agreement (FTA) signed this week by the EU and New Zealand will protect masses of products with EU geographical indications.

AB InBev has revealed it is investing €31m into upgrading technology at its breweries in Belgium’s Flemish-Brabant region.

Richardson, through its subsidiary Richardson Malting, has entered the malt business with the acquisition of Ragleth, the parent company of Anglia Maltings.

Stock Spirits Group has agreed to acquire German spirits producer Borco, which owns Sierra Tequila, for an undisclosed sum.

Non-alcoholic spirits brand, Lyre’s, has announced the closure of its latest strategic funding round, successfully raising over £17m.

A south London brewery, Gipsy Hill, has created an offset-free carbon negative beer using barley grown through regenerative farming.

Treasury Wine Estates has decided to close its Victorian commercial winery, Karadoc, after 50 years in operation, due to a decline in consumption.

Finished in stout casks, the smoky single malt delivers an “unexpected and unusual” taste with silky-sweet smoothness and is available worldwide.

Spirit giant Diageo has expanded its rum offering under the Captain Morgan brand with its latest launch, Captain Morgan Black Spiced.

Voodoo Scientific and Ginkgo Bioworks are partering to optimise an enzymatic solution to enable distillers to produce smooth spirit products.

Diageo plans to invest in a new facility in Dublin, Ireland, that will increase the production of Guinness 0.0 by almost 300%.

Dutch spirits producer Lucas Bols has acquired Nuvo Sparkling Liqueur from the US-based London Group for $5.7m as it looks to premiumise its portfolio.