Ferrero has opened a new $75 million Nutella Peanut production line in Franklin Park, Illinois, creating 50 new jobs and marking the first new flavour extension for the Nutella brand. The launch also represents the first Nutella product to be manufactured in the US, according to the company. Michael Lindsey, president and chief business officer of Ferrero North America, said: “Nutella Peanut and this new facility showcase Ferrero's dedicated and talented teams, commitment to growth in North America, and the company's ability to thoughtfully and effectively evolve brands that have been loved for generations. We're thrilled to see Nutella Peanut roll off the line right here in the US.” Ferrero North America celebrated the opening with local officials including Don Harmon, Norma Hernandez and Franklin Park mayor Barrett Pedersen, alongside representatives from Walmart. The Franklin Park site expands Ferrero’s existing manufacturing operations in Illinois, where the company also operates a manufacturing campus in Bloomington, an innovation centre and R&D labs in Chicago, and a facility producing Keebler products. Ferrero said Nutella Peanut is made using hazelnuts sourced from Oregon and peanuts from Georgia and other southeastern states. The company added that the Franklin Park site already produces Butterfinger and Baby Ruth products, with manufacturing facilities also located across Georgia, Kentucky, Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Nutella Peanut, which was launched earlier this month, is available at Walmart and other retailers nationwide.

Celsius has unveiled Electric Vibe, a limited-edition Sparkling Tropical Freeze flavour inspired by football culture and fan communities. Electric Vibe combines notes of pineapple, orange, cherry and grape, with Celsius adapting its Live. Fit. Go. tagline to Live. Fit. Goal. for the launch. To support the launch, Celsius has introduced “The Surge,” a football-themed campaign featuring Weston McKennie, Declan Rice, Hirving Lozano, creator Marlon Garcia and Diplo. Kyle Watson, chief brand officer at Celsius, said the launch was designed to celebrate the energy, passion and connection surrounding football culture. Electric Vibe is available at major US retailers, including Target.

German life-science start-up Evanium has raised €2.2 million in seed funding to address one of the nutraceutical sector’s most persistent and costly challenges: poor bioavailability of active ingredients. The round was led by FoodLabs and Feast Ventures, with additional backing from existing angel investors. The capital injection will support scaling of Evanium’s proprietary Optisolv platform, expansion of its ingredient portfolio and further clinical validation as the company targets growth across nutraceuticals, functional foods and nutricosmetics. According to Evanium, despite commanding premium price points, many supplements deliver limited efficacy due to low absorption rates. Evanium’s Optisolv technology is designed to overcome this barrier through a dual coating system that enhances solubility and uptake. The platform combines a cyclodextrin-based inner core with a phospholipid outer shell, stabilising ingredients in a highly dispersible, crystal-free form. This approach is said to significantly improve solubility and digestive release, particularly for challenging compounds. Felix Rolka, co founder and CEO of Evanium, said: “The future of nutraceuticals lies not in higher dosages, but in smarter formulations. Optisolv turns promising bioactives into high performance ingredients, enabling truly effective products. With this funding, we are able to accelerate the scale of our impact.” Evanium has already begun translating this technology into market-ready applications. In 2025, the company launched an Optisolv Curcumin product in partnership with Hevert-Arzneimittel, marking its first commercial deployment and validating the platform in a real-world setting. The company has since expanded its pipeline to include four functional ingredients, Curcumin, Berberine, Boswellia and Passiflora, while continuing to build out its intellectual property portfolio, with four patents filed to date. Benedikt Stöckert, Partner at Feast Ventures, said: “With a proven technology, early commercial traction, and a dedicated platform strategy, EVANIUM is well-positioned to become a key technology partner for next generation ingredients in applications across food, supplements, nutricosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.” This latest funding round underscores growing investor confidence in technologies that improve ingredient performance, especially as consumer demand rises for effective, clean-label solutions. Following this funding round Evanium is increasing its visibility, with planned appearances at Vitafoods Europe and Food Ingredients Europe this year.

Laird Superfood has completed the acquisition of Terrasoul Superfoods for $48 million in cash. The deal includes an additional earnout of up to $5 million tied to performance milestones and brings into Laird’s portfolio a vertically integrated superfoods platform with strong positioning in e-commerce and retail channels. Terrasoul generated approximately $65.8 million in net sales in 2025, highlighting its scale within the category. Terrasoul’s business spans a wide range of high-growth product segments, including nuts, seeds, dried fruits, powders, baking ingredients and functional beverage mix-ins. Its vertically integrated model, covering global sourcing, in-house processing and packaging, and fulfilment from its Texas facility, was a key factor in the acquisition. Laird Superfood CEO Jason Vieth described the transaction as a “significant step forward” in building a leading platform in superfoods and functional nutrition. He noted that Terrasoul’s supply chain infrastructure and strong online marketplace presence align closely with Laird’s long-term growth strategy. The acquisition is expected to enhance Laird’s ability to scale across channels, particularly as demand for clean-label, nutrient-dense products continues to rise among health-conscious consumers. For Laird Superfood, the acquisition represents a continuation of its strategy to broaden its portfolio beyond core plant-based creamers and beverage enhancers into a more comprehensive superfoods offering. The addition of Terrasoul strengthens its position across both everyday pantry staples and functional ingredients. Dennis Botts, co-founder and chief executive officer of Terrasoul, said: “Terrasoul was built with a commitment to delivering high-quality superfoods through a transparent and vertically integrated model. Our partnership with Laird Superfood marks an exciting next chapter for the brand, and we look forward to continuing to grow and scale the Terrasoul platform.” The transaction was funded through a $60 million private placement of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock to affiliates of Nexus Capital Management LP. Following the investment, Nexus will hold approximately 71.7% of Laird Superfood on a fully diluted basis, reinforcing its role as a key strategic backer.

UK plant-based food brand Gosh! has unveiled a new range of vegetable croquettes, responding to demand for at-home premium sharing occasions. Gosh! said the new range is the ‘first of its kind’ for the brand, made with ‘high-end’ ingredients while retaining Gosh!’s veg-led, clean label focus. Each pack is paired with a dip designed to complement the flavours of the croquettes, which tap into the growing global-inspired trend, and simplify hosting for consumers. The Bengali-inspired Beetroot Croquettes with a Mango and Nigella Seeds Chutney create a ‘soft warmth’ boosted by the sweet chutney, while the Italian-inspired Cannellini Bean & Mozzarella Croquettes with a Balsamic and Tomato Dip contain a dairy-free, mozzarella-style cheese. Caroline Hughes, marketing director at Gosh!, said: “With more people choosing to entertain at home amid ongoing cost-of-living pressures, we saw a clear opportunity to offer something special with our premium, all-natural and plant-based croquettes”. She added: “They deliver on every front: a chef-inspired fusion of elevated flavours from India and Italy, designed for a standout at-home sharing occasion. They feel indulgent, yet remain veg-powered and thoughtfully made, so people can enjoy a treat without compromise.” The new croquettes will be available first in Morrisons stores nationwide from 24 May, priced at an RRP of £3.50.

Cargill has officially opened a new canola processing facility in Regina, marking a significant investment in Canada’s agri-food infrastructure as demand rises for both edible oils and low-carbon fuel inputs. The site, located within Saskatchewan’s Global Transportation Hub, has the capacity to process up to 1 million metric tonnes of canola annually. It is designed to increase domestic processing of the crop, enabling the production of higher-value outputs such as food-grade oil, renewable fuel feedstocks and high-protein meal for animal feed. The new facility is expected to play a key role in shifting more value-added production into Canada, reducing reliance on raw seed exports while improving supply chain efficiency. By expanding local processing capacity, Cargill aims to better connect Western Canadian farmers with global demand across food and energy markets. Jeff Vassart, president of Cargill Canada, said: “This facility strengthens our ability to connect Canadian farmers to growing global demand for food and renewable fuels. By expanding processing capacity in Saskatchewan, we’re creating more opportunities for farmers while helping ensure Canada remains competitive in rapidly evolving global markets.” The facility will serve farmers across Saskatchewan and Western Manitoba, increasing local demand for canola and supporting more stable market access for producers. The launch comes amid growing demand for lower-carbon energy solutions, with canola increasingly used as a renewable feedstock in biofuel production. By processing more crops domestically, the Regina site is positioned to support both the food industry and the expanding renewable fuels sector. This dual-use demand reflects broader shifts in agricultural markets, where crops like canola are becoming strategically important across multiple value chains, from packaged foods to sustainable aviation fuel and biodiesel. Cargill has incorporated several operational features aimed at improving efficiency for growers, including dual receiving lanes, appointment scheduling and streamlined logistics systems. These enhancements are designed to reduce wait times and provide more predictable delivery processes. The site is also supported by strong rail connectivity, enabling efficient distribution to both domestic and export markets. Beyond its supply chain role, the facility is expected to contribute to the regional economy, supporting more than 100 jobs across full-time roles and contracted services. The investment is also likely to generate additional activity in transportation, logistics and related sectors in Regina and surrounding areas. The Regina plant adds to Cargill’s existing canola processing network, which includes facilities in Camrose, Alberta and Clavet, Saskatchewan. The company continues to invest in Canadian agriculture as part of a broader strategy to strengthen supply chains and help farmers maximise crop value.

The Coffee Canopy Partnership, initiated by JDE Peet's, has launched with the aim of improving the identification and remediation of coffee-related deforestation. Developed alongside major coffee sector players including Louis Dreyfus Company, Sucden, Neumann Kaffee Gruppe, Touton, Sucafina and Tchibo, the initiative aims to create what it describes as the world’s first comprehensive, openly accessible map of global coffee production. The project will use satellite technology from Airbus to map coffee farms, identify areas of forest loss and support restoration efforts, while helping to protect the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. The first phase is an East Africa pilot covering Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda, spanning 1.2 million square kilometres of coffee-growing landscapes. The partnership plans to expand to all coffee-growing regions globally in 2027 through wider industry and institutional investment. Laurent Sagarra, VP of engagement at JDE Peet’s, said the initiative was designed to move beyond fragmented company-led deforestation programmes by supporting landscape-scale collaboration. He added: “This is not another certification scheme; it is a sector-led initiative aimed at strengthening collective action to help keep forests vibrant and reduce the risk of coffee-driven deforestation over time". The pilot phase is backed by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and endorsed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. The programme also addresses mapping issues linked to the European Union Deforestation Regulation, under which coffee grown on land classified as forest after December 2020 cannot enter EU markets. The Partnership said inaccurate land classification has risked excluding smallholder farmers, particularly those operating shade-grown and agroforestry systems, from key export markets. To address this, the project plans to develop two datasets: a 2020-2021 baseline map showing the extent of coffee cultivation, and a 2024-2025 updated map highlighting potential new production land and areas where forest change has occurred since 2020. These maps are expected to feed into an open geospatial platform intended to support farmers, governments and the wider coffee sector with sustainability planning and forest protection.

Crosta Mollica is accelerating its innovation strategy with a major range expansion across UK retail, introducing a new white pizza base, garlic pinsa bread and four additional pizzas as it looks to capitalise on growing demand for premium at-home Italian dining. The rollout, secured across major retailers including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Ocado, comes amid strong brand momentum, with Crosta Mollica reporting 48% growth in 2025, significantly outperforming the wider pizza category, which grew by just 1%. At the centre of the launch is the new Pizza Base Bianca, reflecting increasing consumer interest in “white” pizzas, those made without a traditional tomato sauce. The base is crafted using the brand’s signature Lievito Madre sourdough and topped with a creamy mozzarella sauce and cracked black pepper, offering a ready-to-top format aimed at consumers seeking more customisable, premium meal solutions. White pizza styles have gained traction in UK foodservice and retail, driven by demand for richer, cheese-led flavour profiles and more diverse at-home cooking experiences. Crosta Mollica’s move positions it to capitalise on this emerging subcategory. The Pizza Base Bianca launches in the chilled aisle at Tesco and Sainsbury’s from 13 April 2026, with an RRP of £3.25. The brand is also entering the growing pinsa category with its Garlic & Rosemary Pinsa Bread, inspired by the Roman-style dough known for its light, airy texture. Made with a blend of wheat and rice flours and slow-proved for 24 hours, the product is hand-stretched and topped with rosemary, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. A garlic-infused oil dosette is included to enhance flavour post-baking, reinforcing the product’s premium positioning and versatility as both a standalone item and a side dish. The pinsa bread launches alongside the Bianca base in Tesco and Sainsbury’s, with an RRP of £3.95. Crosta Mollica is also introducing four new pizzas designed to cater to a range of consumer preferences: Primavera – a vegetable-led pizza featuring Taggiasca olives, balsamic-infused red onions, grilled vegetables and a lemongrass mascarpone sauce, launching in Sainsbury’s (chilled) and Ocado (frozen). Siciliana – a vegan, cheese-free pizza inspired by puttanesca flavours, exclusive to Tesco’s frozen aisle. Quattro Formaggi – a four-cheese offering combining Gorgonzola, provola, mozzarella and Parmigiano Reggiano, now available on Ocado. Salami Napoli Pizzette – a two-pack frozen mini pizza format building on the success of the brand’s existing Salami Napoli SKU. RRPs range from £5.50 to £5.75 across the range. David Milner, chairman at Crosta Mollica, said: “The growth we are seeing across our pizza portfolio, both in the UK and across Europe, is absolutely phenomenal. We are thrilled with how popular our ready-to-top pizza base is, and by developing the Pizza Base Bianca, we aim to give our customers even more choice and freedom to be creative at home – as long as there isn’t a pineapple in sight, of course!” The expansion reflects a broader premiumisation trend in the UK pizza category, where consumers are increasingly seeking restaurant-quality products for at-home consumption. Crosta Mollica’s focus on authentic Italian techniques, high-quality ingredients and regional inspiration aligns with this shift.

Häagen-Dazs is expanding its premium ice cream portfolio with the launch of Dubai-Style Chocolate Mini Bars, a globally inspired innovation debuting exclusively at select Costco locations across the US. The new product builds on the strong consumer response to Häagen-Dazs’ pistachio offerings, tapping into growing demand for indulgent, internationally influenced dessert flavours. The mini bars feature pistachio ice cream encased in a rich milk chocolate coating, with the addition of kataifi, a shredded filo pastry, bringing a distinctive crispy texture that differentiates the product within the handheld ice cream segment. The “Dubai-style” positioning reflects a broader trend toward Middle Eastern-inspired desserts gaining traction in Western markets, particularly those combining pistachio, chocolate and textural elements. By incorporating kataifi, Häagen-Dazs is leaning into this trend while reinforcing its premium credentials through layered textures and flavour complexity. The product is designed to deliver a multi-sensory experience, blending creamy, crunchy and chocolate-rich elements, an approach increasingly seen in premium dessert innovation as brands seek to elevate at-home indulgence. The mini bars will begin appearing in select Costco stores from the week of April 27, with pricing set between $15.49 and $15.99, depending on the market. The initial rollout will exclude Texas and the Southeast region, with broader distribution expected to follow.

Free Soul has partnered with PerfectTed to launch two new functional beverage products: Matcha Protein and Matcha Collagen Latte. The new range combines PerfectTed’s matcha with Free Soul’s nutritional formulations, offering consumers a natural caffeine source alongside added protein or collagen. Matcha Protein contains 18g of complete protein, while Matcha Collagen Latte provides 2,500mg of collagen peptides. The launch comes amid growing demand for coffee alternatives and functional products containing ingredients such as protein and collagen. Both drinks are made with whole-leaf ceremonial grade matcha, which is naturally rich in antioxidants and L-theanine. Lucy Murray, brand director at Free Soul, said: “Matcha is one of the biggest trends in drinks right now, and our community had been asking us for a matcha moment for a long time – particularly one that delivered the nutritional benefits of protein and collagen". "Partnering with PerfectTed allowed us to combine our expertise in women’s nutrition with their leadership in matcha to create something genuinely new – a functional latte that feels indulgent but works hard nutritionally.” Marisa Poster, co-founder of PerfectTed, added: “This partnership with Free Soul is all about our communities. We kept seeing the same thing from both sides: people turning to matcha for a natural source of caffeine and already adding collagen and protein into their daily routines. So, we teamed up to create something that simply did not exist yet." "A genuinely great-tasting matcha that delivers on function, without compromising on ingredients, and brings two female-founded brands together in a way that feels real, not forced.” The new products are available via Free Soul’s website, Amazon and TikTok Shop, as well as in-store at Holland & Barrett. A roll-out to Tesco is scheduled for 1 June.

GNT has opened a new sales and application centre in Shanghai, aiming to help manufacturers in China meet growing demand for foods made with plant-based colours. The new application laboratory will enable GNT to offer Chinese customers faster, tailored application support. It will host customer training sessions and workshops, alongside services including concept innovation, formulation support and stability testing. GNT offers a wide range of colour concentrates under its plant-based Exberry brand in China. These solutions are made from non-GMO fruits, vegetables and other plant ingredients, using physical processing methods and water. Available in hundreds of shades, they are designed to help food and beverage manufacturers achieve vibrant, stable shades across 'almost any' application. Under China’s new official industry standard, these concentrates are classified as ‘Colouring Foods’ and qualify for clean-label declarations such as ‘carrot colouring ingredient’. Andreas Thiede, general manager APAC at GNT Group, said: “Together, this office and application lab demonstrate our commitment and long-term strategic growth ambition in China”. He added: “China is a dynamic market, with strong momentum behind natural and clean-label food and beverage products. Customers here move fast – and they expect partners to be able to move with them. Now, with a local team in place, we can support this growth with faster decisions, closer collaboration and tailored solutions.”

Bakery brand New York Bakery is expanding its portfolio with the launch of a Sourdough Bagel, targeting growing consumer demand for artisanal bakery products and flavour-led innovation within the category. Positioned within its Favourites range, the new product combines the rising popularity of sourdough with the convenience of a bagel format. Developed using a 40-hour slow-fermented sourdough starter and topped with kibbled wheat, the bagel is designed to deliver a tangy flavour profile alongside the brand’s signature New York-style chew. The launch comes as sourdough continues to gain traction in the UK, with 68% of consumers now purchasing it. This reflects a broader shift towards premiumisation in the bakery aisle, as shoppers increasingly seek out speciality loaves and products that elevate everyday meals at home. New York Bakery’s latest innovation aims to bridge this trend with everyday convenience. The Sourdough Bagel offers versatility across meal occasions, from breakfast to lunch and snacking, while also aligning with demand for healthier bakery options. The product is low in fat and a source of fibre, an important consideration given that the vast majority of UK consumers fall short of the recommended daily fibre intake. Maintaining the brand’s established credentials, the bagel is produced using its traditional boil-and-bake method, ensuring the soft interior and chewy texture associated with authentic New York-style bagels. Claire Kong, marketing director at New York Bakery, said: “This launch taps into the growing demand for sourdough and speciality bakery, further strengthening our offering in the bagel aisle. We’ve combined the bold, tangy flavour of sourdough with the soft, chewy texture people expect from a true New York-style bagel, delivering both quality and versatility.” The Sourdough Bagel launched in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Ocado in April, with further roll-out planned in Asda in May, followed by Tesco in June. The product has an RRP of £2.10 per five-pack.