UK savoury pastry brand Ginsters has launched a limited-edition Ginsters Beef & Ale Pasty, made with 100% British meat in support for the nation’s farmers. The launch was unveiled as part of the brand’s commitment to supporting the British farming community, with Ginsters having announced a long-term partnership with charity The Farming Community Network in April 2026. The company carried out a campaign aligning with Back British Farming Day on 9 September, weighted toward rural areas and driving awareness of the charity’s work in the heart of local communities. With provenance ranking highly among British shoppers, Samworth Brothers research shows that 80% of British consumers said they would be more likely to choose products made with British meat, which has seen 3.5% growth year-on-year. The new offering from Ginsters combines British beef with Cornish ale, a rich beef gravy and potatoes, onions and carrots grown in Hay Farm in Cornwall, 17.5 miles from Ginsters’ bakery. The company said it sources over 16 tonnes of potatoes and four tonnes of onions every day to produce its product range. Encased in a golden puff pastry, the new pasty is now available at Co-op stores and will expand across the market later this month. Sarah Babb, marketing director at Ginsters, said: “We are proud to continue to raise awareness of The Farming Community Network and the work they do to support British Farming”. “Launching these new initiatives alongside Back British Farming Day this September underline just how important it is to us to keep raising awareness. We know how hard farmers work, and the even tougher challenges they face after a long, hot summer, and we are committed to supporting the British farming industry through our long-term partnership with FCN and our creative awareness raising work like our Co-op partnership.”

Soufflet Malt has partnered with food tech company Eat the Truth in a move aimed at bringing grain-based fermentation further into mainstream food and beverage applications, with cocoa and non-alcoholic beverages identified as the first areas of focus. Announced on 10 September, the strategic partnership brings together Soufflet Malt’s expertise in malting, fermentation and industrial production with Eat the Truth’s work in solid-state fermentation, culinary research and flavour creation. The companies say their objective is to develop food-grade ingredient solutions capable of delivering complex flavour profiles while addressing some of the cost, availability and reformulation challenges facing manufacturers. The partnership comes as food and beverage companies continue to contend with volatility in key raw materials and changing expectations around ingredients. According to figures cited by the companies, cocoa prices tripled over the course of a year between 2024-25, before falling sharply in March 2026. Soufflet Malt and Eat the Truth believe fermentation could provide manufacturers with another tool to respond to these pressures. The partners plan to use malt and solid-state fermentation to create flavour profiles including roasted, cocoa, coffee, umami and kokumi notes. The companies’ approach could have applications beyond cocoa and beverages, including chocolate confectionery, baked goods, sauces and non-alcoholic alternatives. The proposal is particularly focused on using food-grade ingredients rather than conventional artificial flavour solutions, while maintaining the consistency and scalability required by industrial manufacturers. Laurent Debande, chief growth and innovation officer at Soufflet Malt, said: “The partnership aligns with our MALTiply 2030 strategy to accelerate our expansion into adjacent markets and develop new, high-value added solutions for the food and beverage industry.” A key element of the partnership is the combination of Eat the Truth’s culinary and fermentation capabilities with Soufflet Malt’s global manufacturing footprint. Soufflet Malt operates 35 malthouses across 20 countries and has an annual malt production capacity of 3.6 million tonnes. Eat the Truth, meanwhile, specialises in sold-state fermentation and flavour development and works with a network of partners across Europe. The companies intend to provide manufacturers with an end-to-end platform spanning flavour creation, sensory validation, prototyping and industrialisation. The stated aim is to shorten the path from developing a new flavour profile to producing it at commercial scale. Yair Yosefi, co-founder and CEO of Eat the Truth, said: “This partnership sets a new standard for food ingredients: delicious, honest, innovative solutions designed from the outset for industrial-scale production.” He added that the combination of the two companies’ capabilities would allow manufacturers to explore alternatives to conventional flavour solutions while targeting taste, labelling and cost benefits.

Awake Chocolate is moving further into the functional snacking category with the launch of Awake Caffeinated Trail Mix, combining traditional trail mix ingredients with the brand’s caffeinated chocolate. Available in Classic Crunch and Sweet & Salty varieties, the new product contains 80mg of caffeine per serving, roughly the equivalent to a small cup of coffee, and provides 5-6g of protein per serving. The launch represents Awake’s biggest move outside the chocolate category to date, targeting consumers looking for convenient sources of energy throughout the day. The brand is positioning the product for occasions ranging from afternoon workday slumps and studying to hiking and road trips. Speaking about the launch, the company said: “Trail mix has long been positioned as an energy snack, but Awake is adding a functional element to the category through its caffeinated chocolate.” Awake Caffeinated Trail Mix is now available through Amazon, Kroger, the Fresh Market, Fresh Thyme, Compass Foodservice Dining, Canteen and Englefield Oil, with other launches scheduled for later in the year. Single-serve sleeves start at $2.49, while multipacks start at $9.99, with pricing and availability varying by retailer.

Abbott has agreed to pay $385 million to resolve claims brought by the US Department of Justice, several whistleblowers and state Attorneys General relating to the company’s manufacturing and 2022 recall of powdered infant formula produced at its Sturgis, Michigan facility. The settlement relates to the previously disclosed investigation and lawsuits concerning the facility, which manufactured Abbott infant formula before production was suspended and products were recalled in 2022 following reports of infant illnesses involving Cronobacter sakazakii. Abbott said the agreement does not constitute an admission or finding of fault or liability. The company also confirmed that the US government has closed its criminal investigation into the matter. The Sturgis facility became the focus of regulatory scrutiny after four infant illnesses were reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), alongside a fifth case subsequently considered as part of the investigation. The 2022 recall contributed to significant disruption in the US infant formula market, which was already experiencing supply pressures at the time. According to Abbott, government testing found no Cronobacter sakazakii in unopened Abbott formula from the homes of the infants under investigation. The company also said that retained samples from the relevant production lots tested negative for both Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport. The company said testing of open containers from four of the five homes produced three negative results. One open container tested positive for two strains of Cronobacter sakazakii, neither of which was found at the Sturgis facility, according to Abbott. Abbott also said genetic sequencing of available samples from two of the affected infants did not match strains identified at the Sturgis plant. The company said the clinical samples from those two infants also did not match one another. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) subsequently concluded there was no definitive link between the Sturgis facility and the clinical cases investigated at the time. CDC scientists have also said that the cases did not meet the definition of an outbreak and that investigations into powdered infant formula contamination most often point to contamination occurring in the home. In one of the cases associated with the 2022 investigation, Cronobacter was later recovered from breast pump equipment in the infant's home, according to Abbott. Cronobacter is an environmental bacterium that can be found in a range of locations, including kitchens, feeding equipment and dry foods. The CDC notes that powdered infant formula can become contaminated with the bacteria, as can feeding items such as breast pump equipment. The issue has continued to attract attention across the infant nutrition industry. Abbott said other formula manufacturers have subsequently reported Cronobacter-related findings at manufacturing facilities, while at least one manufacturer has faced a recall involving finished, distributed product. For Abbott, the settlement brings a legal chapter stemming from the Sturgis investigation closer to a conclusion, although the company continues to emphasise the safety controls surrounding its infant formula production. “Nothing matters more than the safety and quality of Abbott's products,” the company said, adding that it remains focused on maintaining the trust of parents and caregivers. The $385m settlement resolves the claims covered by the agreement, while Abbott maintains that it has not been found liable in connection with the matter.

Philadelphia has today (15 September) announced the launch of three new cream cheese offerings for the US market, including a collaboration with Mike’s Hot Honey. Tapping into the ‘swicy’ food and beverage trend, where products combine both sweet and spicy flavour elements, the collaboration blends the sweet heat of Mike’s Hot Honey into Philadelphia’s whipped cream cheese. It is available exclusively at Walmart stores now, with plans to expand to additional retailers beginning January 2027. The launch comes as hot honey continues to grow in popularity – Datassential research shows that nearly half of consumers have tried hot honey, led by millennials and Gen Z, while sweet and spicy flavours have surged nearly 230% on menus over the past four years. It marks Philadelphia’s first sweet heat cream cheese flavour in the US. Described by the brand as ‘a smooth, subtly indulgent cream cheese finished with just the right kick,’ the product is made with real milk and cream and contains no artificial preservatives, flavours or dyes. Alongside the new hot honey launch, Philadelphia is introducing two new flavours for the fall season in the US: Cranberry Orange, a limited-time seasonal spread, and Salted Caramel, a permanent addition to the portfolio. These new innovations follow data from Innova showing that 85% of consumers said familiar flavours influence what they eat and drink, with both varieties designed to bring ‘comfort and familiarity’ to consumers while bringing something new to the cream cheese aisle. They can be used in baking, spreading and snacking applications, across both sweet foods like cinnamon rolls and salty snacks such as pretzels. Maddy Zingle, vice president of marketing at Philadelphia Cream Cheese, said: “Philadelphia has set the cream cheese standard for over 150 years, and staying at the forefront means continuing to evolve with the way people eat and the flavours they crave”. She added: “Hot Honey, Cranberry Orange and Salted Caramel are proof points in how we’re accelerating flavour innovation, with ten new flavours joining our line-up in the last two years. We’re building on our legacy by bringing fresh energy, bold flavours and new possibilities to the cream cheese category.” Philadelphia Cranberry Orange and Salted Caramel Cream Cheese are available at major retailers nationwide.

As the leader and pioneer of natural gums since 1884, Alland & Robert is focused on creating ingredients for a healthier tomorrow and providing tailor-made support for innovation projects. Harnessing the vast potential of natural gums, Alland & Robert engages in groundbreaking research while collaborating with industrial sectors, an approach that prioritises a virtuous cycle benefitting both the planet and humanity. Central to Alland & Robert's mission is the development of cutting-edge gum acacia products that deliver superior nutritional benefits, including high fibre content, improved gut health, lower glycaemic indexes and enhanced consumer nutrition. The versatility of Alland & Robert's gum acacia ranges allows the company to cater to specific dietary needs. From vegan and vegetarian diets to gluten-free, keto, no-gelatine, and low-FODMAP lifestyles, its products are designed to align with modern nutritional trends. Gum acacia recently earned FODMAP-friendly certification, further cementing its role as a key ingredient for health-conscious consumers. Alland & Robert at the forefront of innovation, meeting new market demands and expectations Beyond Acacia: Gum acacia that goes beyond The Beyond Acacia range stands as a technological and environmental showcase, manufactured using an innovative process to produce high-density granules that are highly soluble, energy-saving and easy to use. The format and characteristics of the granules provide excellent wettability compared to standard gum, and their fast hydration makes the dispersion process more efficient. All functional properties are preserved: once dissolved, the quality is identical to regular and instant grades. Every one of Alland & Robert's acacia gum qualities can be manufactured as part of the Beyond Acacia range to meet different client needs. Alland & Robert works hard to improve energy performance during manufacturing, which generates most of its acacia gum-related emissions. Other emission sources have also been targeted as part of a dedicated action plan. Acacia Fibre Beyond its nutritional value, gum acacia offers practical benefits for food formulations. It boosts fibre content, helps reduce sugar and fat, and supports the development of better-for-you products. For years, Alland & Robert has been a trusted partner for customers formulating products with acacia gum, leveraging its expertise to optimise product performance. Moreover, since 2024, 'Alland & Robert Services' has offered a comprehensive consulting service for food and nutraceutical companies. This initiative guides partners in designing, developing and manufacturing innovative products containing acacia gum. 'Alland & Robert Services' underscores the company's dedication to helping businesses meet evolving consumer demands while maintaining a sustainable, forward-thinking approach. Founded on a commitment to excellence and innovation, Alland & Robert has been at the forefront of natural gum production for decades. By combining sustainability, nutrition and cutting-edge research, the company empowers industries to create products that resonate with modern consumers and support global wellbeing. Alland & Robert will be present at: Food Ingredients Asia: Booth #B1C06 (DKSH booth) Supply Side Global: Booth #2664 (Farbest Brands booth) Food Ingredients Europe: Booth #31M56 Discover more about Alland & Robert at allandetrobert.com For more information, contact: info@allandetrobert.fr Follow Alland & Robert on LinkedIn

Jimmy’s is expanding its limited-edition range with a new Choc Fudge Sundae Iced Coffee, as the brand looks to build on growing consumer interest in indulgent, dessert-inspired drinks. The new flavour combines Jimmy’s Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee with chocolate and fudge notes, offering a more treat-led take on the iced coffee format. Jimmy’s says its limited-edition strategy has generated £1.5m in value for the brand since its launch in September 2024. Its current Cookie Butter limited edition has also continued to perform strongly, with the 250ml format 17% ahead of the previous Caramel Waffle limited edition. The latest launch reflects the continued influence of coffee shop culture on the wider drinks market, with dessert-inspired flavours increasingly being used to add indulgence and novelty to established formats. Russell Goldman, managing director, breakthrough brands, Carlsberg Britvic, said limited editions were allowing Jimmy’s to “have some fun with flavour” while giving shoppers new products to discover. “Shoppers increasingly expect more choice and excitement from their drinks, with the coffee shop trend for indulgent, dessert-inspired serves helping to shape expectations around flavour,” he said. “For retailers, launches like this can help create renewed interest in the category, encourage trial and give shoppers more reasons to pick up iced coffee across different occasions throughout the day.” Choc Fudge Sundae Iced Coffee will roll out from September across Co-op, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons. It will be available in a 250ml SlimCan format with an MRSP of £1.70 and a 380ml BottleCan format priced at £2.75.

DSM-Firmenich is partnering with AI company Boltz PBC to accelerate the discovery and development of new flavour and fragrance molecules, using artificial intelligence to model how molecules interact with taste and odour receptors. The partnership will see Boltz’s biomolecular foundation models integrated into DSM-Firmenich’s ingredient discovery processes. The companies aim to combine AI-driven molecular modelling with DSM-Firmenich’s extensive library of taste and odour receptor data to identify new opportunities for sensory innovation. The collaboration will result in a set of exclusive models designed around DSM-Firmenich’s expertise in sensory science. These will be used to predict and design molecular structures and assess how they interact with specialised proteins that act as receptors for taste and smell. DSM-Firmenich said its teams will have access to the full Boltz platform, including its Boltz Lab interface, API and integration with large language model agents. The latter will allow scientists to use natural-language instructions to orchestrate complex molecular design and prediction workflows. Researchers from Boltz will also work alongside DSM-Firmenich scientists as part of the collaboration. Sarah Reisinger, chief science & research officer at DSM-Firmenich, said: “Being at the very forefront of this technology brings significant value to our businesses. That’s why we’ve chosen to partner with Boltz, a pioneering company with unrivalled AI models, built on scientific expertise from MIT.” The partnership comes as AI is increasingly being applied across the food industry to improve areas including ingredient discovery, formulation, product development and sensory analysis. In flavour development, molecular modelling offers the potential to reduce the time spent identifying viable compounds and help researchers explore combinations that may otherwise be difficult to uncover through conventional experimentation. Gabriele Corso, co-founder and CEO of Boltz, said: “We are excited to work with DSM-Firmenich to tackle odour and taste receptors, some of the most interesting and understudied proteins in the human body, by combining our best-in-class models with their unmatched expertise in this field." The company operates across nutrition, health, beauty, flavours and fragrances, with operations in almost 60 countries and more than 20,000 employees.

US-headquartered Hain Celestial has entered into an agreement to sell its international business to global private equity firm Aurelius, aiming to streamline its portfolio and create a more ‘focused’ North American business. The deal will see Aurelius take over Hain Celestial’s international business operations, and a wide-ranging portfolio of its international brands, for an estimated $323 million in cash. Net proceeds from the transaction are expected to be in the range of $305 million to $310 million, and will be used to reduce Hain Celestial’s debt once the deal closes. Brands sold to Aurelius under the agreement include the Ella’s Kitchen baby and children’s food brand, plant-based beverage brands Joya and Natumi, plant-based food brand Linda McCartney, and the Hartley’s jelly and New Covent Garden soup brands among others. Hain Celestial’s remaining portfolio of North American brands will include Celestial Seasonings, The Greek Gods, and Earth's Best Organic across its flagship categories of tea, yogurt and children’s foods respectively. The company said the agreement reflects its board’s continued work to advance its strategic review and pursue paths designed to maximise value for all stakeholders. It will continue focusing on simplifying its organisation and executive a plan to align its cost structure with the scale of the future North American business. In a media release, Hain Celestial said it has developed ‘detailed cost reduction plans’ and is ‘moving with urgency’ to deliver these actions. Last year, the company revealed plans to ‘aggressively’ streamline its portfolio as part of an ongoing turnaround plan after the company reported a net loss of $531 million in its fiscal year 2025 financial results. The sale of its North American snacks business – including Garden Veggie Snacks, Terra chips and Garden of Eatin snacks – to Canadian manufacturer Snackruptors followed in February 2026. Hain Celestial said the deal enabled it to focus on its more core North American categories and markets, with stronger margin and cash flow profiles to drive growth. This latest sale to Aurelius comes as Hain Celestial reports its fiscal year 2026 results, published yesterday (14 September 2026). The company reported net sales of $1.35 billion, down 13% year-over-year, but narrowed its losses to $305 million. Hain Celestial acknowledged that it remains in discussions with lenders regarding an amendment to its credit agreement to extend the maturity date beyond 22 December 2026, with the sale to Aurelius conditional upon the company securing this within 30 days of signing. Alison Lewis, CEO and president of Hain Celestial, said: “Completing the transaction announced today would advance our strategy to simplify our portfolio and enable us to focus our resources on further reducing the company’s debt”. “The resulting North American business would feature leading brands in attractive categories with a more streamlined operating model and greater focus on core growth opportunities.” Commenting on the financial results, Lewis described fiscal 2026 as a “pivotal year” fo the company, adding: “We simplified our portfolio, reduced debt, significantly improved free cash flow and exited the year with improving momentum across the business.” “Assuming we successfully complete the transaction announced today to sell our international business and that we reach an agreement with our lenders to extend of our December debt maturity, we would expect to become a more focused North American company with leading brands in attractive categories and a streamlined operating model.”

UK plant-based brand Symplicity has debuted its new Cranberry & Sage Roast at Waitrose stores, described as an indulgent centrepiece with ‘deep umami flavour’ built through slow fermentation. The product is made with cranberries, fragrant sage and crunchy seeds, developed by chef Niel Rankin, who built his name running ‘meat-focused’ restaurants in London. Rankin said years of ‘live-fire, whole-animal cooking’ left him convinced of our need to consume less meat, focusing on fermentation as ‘the flavour unlock needed to convince people to change their diets’. Like all of Symplicity’s products, the new roast centrepiece starts with slow fermentation to build ‘deep flavour complexity,’ lacto-fermenting vegetables using the same, centuries-old, traditional technique used to make kimchi. Mushrooms, onion and beetroot are slowly fermented then combined with butter beans, sweet cranberries and sage in the development of the product, finished with sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds to add texture and bite. The finished product is described by the brand as ‘rich, deeply savouring and satisfying,’ with sweetness from the cranberries and a golden finish perfectly suited to seasonal Sunday lunch occasions and Christmas celebrations. Rankin commented: “Roasts are already predominantly vegetables, but the protein or centrepiece has always been a blind spot for professional cooks and home cooks. I’m not excited by dry nut roasts – and heavily processed mimics always feel to me like a bad imitation that, while clever, never quite hits the mark.” He added: “I believe in simple cooking, great ingredients and in fermentation, which gives vegetables the depth and richness you actually crave.” Each 150g serving of the ‘non-UPF’ roast contains 29g of protein, rivalling traditional meat roasts, alongside 9g of fibre. The roast also contains 11 ‘plant points’ – different varieties of plant-based ingredients – with plant diversity and minimal processed foods now widely recognised as supportive of a healthy gut microbiome. Symplicity Cranberry & Sage Roast is available in all Waitrose stores from 10 September 2026, priced at an RRP of £7.95 and launching with £6 as an introductory price per 300g pack.

St Pierre is expanding its UK bakery portfolio with the launch of Chocolate & Hazelnut Filled Croissants, securing listings across four of the country’s major supermarket and convenience retailers. The new six-pack product will reach more than 2,200 stores nationwide this autumn, giving the continental bakery brand a significant retail footprint as it targets demand for convenient premium bakery products. The 45g croissants combine laminated pastry with a chocolate and hazelnut filling and are individually wrapped to support freshness and on-the-go consumption. Each six-pack carries an RRP of £2.50. St Pierre is positioning the new croissants around two key bakery consumption occasions: breakfast and snacking. According to the brand's consumer research, the product achieved an 86% appeal score and an overall preference score of 78%. The research also points to potential demand beyond the traditional breakfast occasion. Sixty per cent of consumers surveyed said they would eat the croissants for breakfast, while more than half said they would choose them as an on-the-go snack. The individually wrapped format is intended to support this versatility, allowing the product to be merchandised for both at-home consumption and portable snacking. Gill Riley, global VP marketing at St Pierre Groupe, said the launch had been developed around the continued opportunities presented by breakfast and snacking. She added that the combination of chocolate and hazelnut with the brand's premium positioning was designed to give retailers a proposition capable of driving consumption across multiple occasions. The latest launch forms part of a wider innovation programme for St Pierre, which has been increasing its presence in the UK bakery market through new formats and expanded distribution. Earlier this year, the brand introduced its Croissant Loaf and All Butter Croissant Rolls, extending its offering across breakfast and brunch occasions.

David Protein has entered the ready-to-drink (RTD) category with the launch of its first Protein Milkshakes. The new milkshakes are made with ultrafiltered milk and contain 30g of protein per 12oz bottle, alongside 140-150 calories and less than 1g of sugar. The range launches with two flavours: Vanilla and Chocolate. The Vanilla variant contains 140 calories, while Chocolate contains 150 calories, with both delivering 30g of protein and less than 1g of sugar per bottle. David is positioning the products as a protein-focused alternative to conventional milkshakes, with a thick and creamy texture designed to replicate the indulgence of a traditional milkshake while delivering a significantly higher protein content. The launch gives David a presence in a fast-growing area of the functional beverage market, where brands are increasingly developing convenient formats that combine nutritional benefits with familiar food and drink experiences. RTD protein beverages have expanded beyond traditional sports nutrition into mainstream consumption occasions, including breakfast, post-exercise recovery and everyday snacking. The milkshakes launched on 8 September through David's website and selected stores in New York City. The RTD launch represents the latest step in David's expansion beyond its original protein bar proposition. The company introduced David Frozen Dessert in June, with each pint providing 30g of protein and between 210 and 260 calories, depending on flavour. The desserts contain between 1g and 2g of sugar per pint. Its existing bar portfolio includes David Gold bars, which provide 28g of protein for 150 calories, and David Bronze bars, which contain 20g of protein for the same calorie count.