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

Asahi has revealed that it has put forward a proposal for its Dark Star brewery in Sussex to cease trading as of 31 December due to economic challenges.

English whisky producer The Oxford Artisan Distillery has announced a minority investment from Diageo, made through Distill Ventures.

Soft Robotics has raised $26m in an initial Series C funding round to expand the deployment of its mGripAI robotic picking solutions.

Smurfit Kappa has signed an agreement to acquire Spanish bag-in-box packaging facility, Pusa Pack, for an undisclosed amount.

Dairy company Vinamilk has announced it will expand its production capacity over the next few years with two construction projects.

Pernod Ricard has invested $22m in its first-ever ready-to-drink canning line, located at its Fort Smith plant in Arkansas.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has completed its first pre-market consultation with Upside Foods to examine human food made from cultured cells.

Refresco has opened a new high-bay warehouse at its production site in Calvörde, Germany, following an investment of more than €20m.

Kodiak, a breakfast and snacking products company, has appointed Valerie Oswalt as its new chief executive officer, succeeding Joel Clark.

Acquion Food Tech, a new collagen and gelatin production venture led by André Albuquerque, is beginning operations this month.

Container farms manufacturer, Freight Farms, has raised $17.5m in Series B3 funding to support its vertical hydroponic farms.

Alkaline water company Flow Beverage has sold its Verona, Virginia, production facility to BioSteel Sports Nutrition for $19.5m.