The UK has formally suspended trade talks with Canada after it had been pushing the UK to relax its ban on hormone-treated beef. The two nations have been negotiating for the last two years, with trade continuing under the old arrangements brokered when the UK was a member of the EU. The time-limited agreement facilitated the UK to continue to sell cheese – and other items such as cars – without high import taxes. According to the UK Government, total goods trade between the two countries was worth £19.2 billion in 2020, with UK imports from Canada worth £7.3 billion and UK exports to Canada worth £11.8 billion. Talks about extending these as part of a new deal have now broken down, marking the first time the UK has formally suspended talks with a trade partner since formally leaving the EU trading regime in 2021. “Relief” for UK farmers The row erupted over Canada’s pushing for Britain to relax its ban on hormone-treated beef, which Canadian producers say effectively shuts them out of the British market. Meanwhile, the UK has concerns about Canada putting import taxes of up to 245% on British cheese products. According to the BBC, the halt in trade negotiations means that “the UK's trading terms with Canada will now be worse than when it was part of the EU's deal with the country”. Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers' Union of England and Wales, said she was glad the UK government had not "given way" on hormone-treated beef and that the news would be a “relief for farmers”. "We have already damaged our economy and agricultural sector by fully liberalising on trade deals with Australia and New Zealand. We had to take a strong line on this,” she explained. The Canadian Cattle Association said it backed its government's "hard-line approach" on beef rules, stating that “Canada's food safety system is widely recognised as one of the finest in the world". A spokesperson for the UK Government told the BBC that it reserved the right to "pause negotiations with any country if progress is not being made". The statement continued: "We have always said we will only negotiate trade deals that deliver for the British people. We remain open to restarting talks with Canada in the future to build a stronger trading relationship." A spokeswoman for Canada's trade minister said they were "disappointed" at the pause in talks and had communicated this to UK business secretary Kemi Badenoch. "Their decision to continue to maintain market access barriers for our agriculture industry and unwillingness to reach a mutual agreement has only stalled negotiations," the source told the BBC. They continued: "The UK is a long-standing trading partner, and I am confident that we can negotiate an agreement that is win-win for Canada and for the UK. But let me be clear – we will not negotiate an agreement that is not good for Canadians – and not good for our Canadian businesses, farmers and workers". Brexit’s impact Politicians in the UK have been quick to point out Brexit’s impact on the breakdown of trade negotiations between the two nations. Labour's shadow business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, said: "This is very concerning news...rather than strengthening our trading position post-Brexit, these failures have left us in a weaker position." SNP international trade spokesperson, Richard Thomson, commented: "Westminster's Brexit has damaged the UK's potential for global trade and has dragged Scotland's economy down with it." Former environment secretary George Eustice said that the UK was “right to suspend negotiations," and that Canada should "accept the need to comply with British food standards". Eustice said the government had to ensure that "any access granted for hormone-free beef from Canada is matched with access for UK dairy into the Canadian market". In 2020, a similar row arose after the UK Government said it was open to the possibility of allowing imports of US chlorinated chicken, in order to secure a post-Brexit trade deal between the two countries. The Prime Minister at the time, Boris Johnson, announced that the government was willing to consider the import of certain US farm products, including chlorine-dipped chicken and eggs and hormone-treated beef and pork, as part of a planned trade deal with the US. Under the proposed deal, certain US products that were banned from sale would have been able to enter the UK, with possible tariffs in place to protect UK farmers and producers who operate at higher welfare standards. At the time, UK supermarket Waitrose said it would never sell chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef, firing a warning to the UK Government over alleged talks of a post-Brexit trade deal with the US. The retailer's CEO, James Bailey, said that the supermarket would never stock such products, backing calls to prevent the loosening of food standards under the potential trade agreement.

Peanut butter brand ManiLife is set to expand its portfolio by unveiling a brand-new range of sustainably sourced, small-batch almond butters. The brand has collaborated with independently owned farms in Portugal for the almond harvest in its latest product range. By opting for Portugal as the source, the brand not only reduces land and sea miles by a third but also benefits from advanced farming methods that result in Portuguese almonds using 23% less water compared to their Californian counterparts, which currently dominate both the global and UK markets. Because of this, ManiLife believes it will also be the most sustainable almond butter in the UK. Mintel reports that shoppers are on the lookout for more sustainable products, with four in five shoppers intentionally choosing products with a sustainability claim. Stu Macdonald, founder of ManiLife, said: “We spent years tasting countless varieties of almonds from all over the world so it was a genuine joy that the tastiest Almonds we could find also happened to be grown by a lovely family right on our doorstep in Portugal. We don’t like to market using sustainability, but the carbon footprint saving you’ll have eating ManiLife vs a typical Californian-origin almond butter will be monumental.” ManiLife Almond Butter, available in both smooth and crunchy, will be available from 5th February at retailers nationwide and via the ManiLife website.

Too Good To Go, a mobile app dedicated to reducing food waste, has launched a modular end-to-end surplus food management solution, enabling grocery retailers – from hypermarkets to convenience stores – to unlock value from excess inventory. The artificial intelligence (AI) solution, which serves grocery retailers of all sizes in Europe and North America, monitors and supports the redistribution of surplus food. The company says it is the sole system of its kind, due to its integration with the "world's largest" consumer marketplace for surplus food, which has over 85 million registered users. Mette Lykke, CEO of Too Good To Go, said: "At Too Good To Go, we partner with some of the world's biggest names in grocery retail, such as Carrefour, Auchan, Spar, Aldi, Coop and many more". She continued: "Every day, we drive many thousands of users into retail stores, helping our partners generate revenue and footfall from surplus food. With the introduction of the Too Good To Go platform, we can now also support their in-store inventory management, helping them make a significant difference to both their bottom line and the reduction of food waste”. The platform incorporates five modules into one interface, providing partners with a customisable modular solution for shaping their surplus food management strategy. These modules encompass expiry date management, recommendations, intelligent discounting, marketplace and donations. Sophie Trueman, managing director for Too Good To Go UK, added: “Processes for expiry date checks and in-store discounting can be laborious, resource-intensive and error-prone; especially at scale. Too Good To Go Platform’s modular approach places in-store operations at the centre, enabling easy customisation and leveraging technology and AI to bring efficiency to daily routines." The platform's algorithms can produce and display a list of near-expiry products on handheld devices used by store staff. This list is organised based on shelf location and can be presented daily or weekly, depending on the product's shelf life. The system also provides recommendations on how to handle each product, using pre-established and customisable rules and preferences determined by the retailer. For instance, it might propose printing a discount sticker at an optimised rate for in-store sale, inclusion in a Surprise Bag for sale on the Too Good To Go marketplace or donation through the app. Rules and recommendations could easily be set at a headquarters or store level, either by category or SKU. Trueman explained: “The platform’s AI processes large sets of data to optimise discount levels and apply granular discount rates, at an SKU level, systematically improving revenue driven by close-to-expiry discounted products”. Store employees can efficiently assign surplus food items to the Too Good To Go Surprise Bags directly from their personal digital assistants (PDAs) and upload them to the marketplace, where local users are prepared to buy and collect. Additionally, store managers have the convenience of downloading readily analysable CSV files containing the list of donated products, or they can set up a connection via an application programming interface to integrate with their third-party donation application or enterprise resource planning system. Available globally, the Too Good To Go Platform supports plug-and-play implementation and also offers integration options, allowing retailers to seamlessly connect it to their systems. The Too Good To Go platform is compatible with multiple PDAs, including Zebra. Tim Stoddard, general manager and SVP EMEA of Zebra Technologies, commented: “Independent software vendor partners, like Too Good To Go, play an important role in how Zebra solves problems for retail and hospitality businesses. Together, we’re enabling customers to optimise their inventory, elevate the customer experience and fight food waste with hardware and software solutions that make a positive difference”. “Too Good To Go platform enables data-driven decision-making on food waste reduction. It is a win-win-win: for the planet, for people and for profit,” Lykke concluded.

Valio has announced that it will start change negotiations affecting its Finnish headquarters’ functions, technical services, maintenance and factory services. The changes are due to commence on 30 January. The negotiations include potential dismissals of employment and material changes to the terms and conditions of employment, such as changes in job descriptions or in the content of job duties. The dairy giant said that around 130 employees could lose their jobs, with the planned material changes to the terms and conditions of employment affecting up to 135 people. Valio employs about 4,300 people, 3,700 of them work in Finland. The company cited “production and economic factors,” including the “general economic situation” as its reasons for the change negotiations. Marianne Tammela, executive VP of people, strategy and innovations function at Valio, said: “The operating environment has been very challenging for us for a long time. There are several factors behind the change negotiations: the increase in Valio’s own operating expenses, weakening demand for consumer products and fall in global prices of industrial products. All of these factors have challenged our profitability. Unfortunately, for these reasons, we are forced to initiate change negotiations." She added: “Through profitable business operations, we ensure the vitality of our owners, i.e. the dairy farms, and we secure the continuity of Finnish food production. That enable us in the long run to also create jobs and livelihoods around Finland." The change negotiations are expected to take six weeks.

Infant nutrition company Once Upon a Farm has entered the dairy category with the launch of a range of organic A2 milk offerings. Once Upon a Farm's A2/A2 whole milk shakes are available in three flavours: strawberry crème, triple berry and banana crème. The range is made with farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, A2/A2 organic whole milk and is free from added sugar. The shakes use organic A2/A2 grass-based whole milk from Alexandre Family Farm, which is claimed to be the first regenerative organic certified dairy farm in the US. Alexandre Family Farm’s farmer-owner, Stephanie Alexandre, said: “We are so honoured to partner with Once Upon a Farm on their A2/A2 Whole Milk Shakes featuring our A2/A2 organic whole milk known for its easily digestible protein". "Our shared passion for delivering the best organic food, especially through nutritious whole milk products for growing children, drove us to partner from the very beginning. As the first certified regenerative, organic and humane dairy in the US, we admire the commitment and leadership of Once Upon a Farm in shaping a healthier future for children through its innovative dairy products.” Once Upon a Farm's co-founder and chief innovation officer, Cassandra Curtis, added: "When we decided to go into dairy, it was imperative that we partnered with farms that are making a positive impact on our planet and in the dairy industry specifically". "For us, it was a no-brainer to partner with Alexandre Family Farm for our A2/A2 whole milk shakes. They are America’s first regenerative organic certified dairy farm and 5th generation farmers.” Once Upon a Farm’s A2/A2 whole milk shakes are available to purchase online and at Whole Foods Market. Moreover, Once Upon a Farm will launch the company's second product line in its dairy portfolio – whole milk smoothies, available next month at retailers nationwide. These smoothies complement the existing dairy-free smoothie line, providing additional fresh snacking options for kids. The whole milk smoothies will feature real fruits and vegetables, no added sugar and organic grass-fed whole milk in flavours like banana berry blast, mango pear-adise and orange squeeze.

US ingredients company Elo Life Systems has secured $20.5 million in an oversubscribed Series A2 financing round. The round was jointly led by DCVC Bio and Novo Holdings. It included participation from Hanwha Next Generation Opportunity Fund, AccelR8 and Alexandria Venture Investments. The funding will be used to scale and commercialise the company's sweetener product, increase its molecular-farming pipeline for healthy and sustainable ingredients and expand its crop protection and productivity efforts, including work to save the banana from extinction. Elo explained that through its molecular farming platform, the business produces sought-after ingredients "that are difficult to harvest from natural sources and cannot be synthesized through artificial or other techniques". The company, therefore, uses easy-to-grow crops as biofactories for these ingredients, reducing costs and environmental footprint. Elo is introducing its first molecular-farming product, a natural sweetener derived from monk fruit that is 300 times sweeter than sugar and calorie-free. Scheduled for launch in 2026, this sweetener can be used in numerous food and beverage products to reduce sugar and artificial sweeteners while improving nutrition. Additionally, the company is exploring the production of various ingredients, such as innovative proteins, natural preservatives and high-value flavours and bio-actives. Elo CEO Todd Rands said: "At Elo, we're on a mission to unlock nature's abilities to make consumers' favourite foods more delicious, healthy and planet friendly. With strong support from our investors, we're well positioned to scale up our production and stay on track to launch our first product in 2026." Stephen Van Helden, principal in the Bioindustrial Investments group at Novo Holdings US, commented: "Molecular farming will allow our food system to meet the needs of the world's growing population while reducing the resources needed to produce nutritious food. Elo's approach – together with cutting-edge science and an experienced management team – is aligned with Novo Holdings' purpose to deliver scaled solutions for better societal and planetary outcomes." Kiersten Stead, managing partner at DCVC Bio, added: "Elo's sweetener will be a major catalyst in the effort to lower sugar in our diets, improving human health and reducing the societal burden associated with chronic diseases. Meanwhile, their efforts to protect and improve the productivity of staple crops like the banana will have a meaningful impact on the food billions of people rely upon every day." Last year, Elo secured $24.5 million, bringing its total funding to $45 million.

German confectionery manufacturer Boettger Gruppe has acquired Jahnke Süßwaren from Ragolds Invest. The owner of the Cavendish & Harvey brand is expanding its brand and product range to include liquorice specialities, while also acquiring a second production facility in close proximity to its company location in Kaltenkirchen, Germany. The two sites in Kaltenkirchen will be closely linked, fostering collaboration, utilising resources more effectively and promoting innovation. Alexander Mock, managing partner of Boettger Gruppe, said: "Having already worked successfully with Jahnke, this acquisition is a logical next step in expanding our production capacities and making us more flexible". Frank Gemmrig, managing director of Cavendish & Harvey, added: "The acquisition of Jahnke is strategically important for us in two ways. On the one hand, the liquorice specialities of the Jahnke brand are a sensible addition to our existing range. On the other hand, finding a production facility close to our own site is a stroke of luck." "This will increase our flexibility and give us additional capacity. In this way, we are preserving existing jobs, creating new ones and contributing to the future economic development of the region.” Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Tyson Foods has officially opened its new $355 million food production facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, US. The site – which was first reported by FoodBev in 2021 – was built to support Tyson’s expansion of its bacon production capabilities. It will create nearly 450 new jobs in southcentral Kentucky. Tyson expects the 400,000-square-foot plant to produce 2 million pounds of “premium quality” Jimmy Dean andbacon retail products and bacon used in foodservice, per week. The meat giant says that the new facility represents a significant opportunity for it to innovate with new bacon flavours, cuts and products, such as fully cooked bacon. Donnie King, president and CEO of Tyson Foods, said: “Our innovative new plant in Bowling Green reflects a major investment that we are proud to make in southcentral Kentucky. This enables us to focus on the health and safety of our team members while also delivering best in class service for our customers.” Melanie Boulden, group president of prepared foods and chief growth officer at Tyson, commented: “Bacon is a growing category based on consumer demand, both at home and at restaurants, and our expanded production will enable us to lead this growth and drive innovation". Tyson Foods selected Bowling Green as the plant’s location due to its proximity to raw materials in its pork supply chain, as well as it being close to inbound and outbound transportation lanes. In a statement, the company said that the site’s location “also enables end-to-end profitability by utilising pork bellies provided primarily by Tyson Foods’ pork segment”. The plant was designed for efficiency, it combines high-tech robots that help eliminate tasks such as transporting large pork bellies along multiple production lines, packing and stacking boxes, and safely moving product through production zones, with driverless forklifts and autonomous guide vehicles. Tyson has partnered with Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College to offer technical training, including a robotics lab, to help its employees improve their skills.

Snack brand Cheetos, part of PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay North America division, has launched a new ‘Crunchy Buffalo’ crisp product in the US. Aiming to combine the flavour of Buffalo wings with Cheetos’ classic crisp format, the product has been introduced to coincide with the Super Bowl event in February, during which Buffalo wings are often consumed as a popular game-day snack. The product is being launched as a permanent addition to the Cheetos line-up, now available in 8.5oz bags nationwide. Tina Mahal, senior VP of marketing at Frito-Lay, said: “As a culture disruptor, Cheetos has a history of embracing bold flavors and hacking into new snack categories, such as the newest launch of Cheetos Pretzels or fan-favourite Mac 'N Cheese”. She added: “While we know there's no beating out Buffalo wings as a favourite gameday staple, Cheetos Crunchy Buffalo proves that being second-best can taste just as good”. The brand has launched several new innovations within the last year, including an expansion into the pretzels snacking category in October.

Hailia, a Finnish food company, is transforming overlooked by-products of the fish industry into popular seafood products suitable for both household cooking and commercial use. Through smarter utilisation of the edible parts of fish, Hailia empowers fish processors to enhance the value of their available raw materials. The innovation by Hailia facilitates a greater utilisation of fish by-products in food production, redirecting them from lower-value applications. The company has effectively expanded the application of their production method from underutilised small pelagic fishes to a broader range of by-products within the fishing industry. Currently, over 30% of the annual European fish production, surpassing five billion kilograms is underutilised in low-value applications. This inefficient use of fish resources is a key concern to Hailia, especially in the face of global risks to fish stocks due to overfishing and the growing environmental impact of fish farming. Additionally, the demand for seafood is expected to double by 2050. Hailia's approach addresses these challenges by maximising the use of fish resources and contributing to a more sustainable and efficient fishing industry. Michaela Lindström, managing director of Hailia, said:  "More food that is healthy for people and the planet can be produced with what we already have. Considering the planetary limitations, a lot could already be achieved if we primarily adopted resource-conscious practices. Fortunately, this opens immense opportunities in profitability too... With our innovative process, we can efficiently capture all that is suitable for food production." Enhancing the value of side streams into valuable food products, such as chunks, bites, strips and patties is certainly a financial incentive for fish processors and seafood producers, but beyond that Hailia's innovation not only enhances efficiency and adds value the product also has excellent structural qualities. The resulting texture is reminiscent of a cooked fish fillet and delivers a mouthfeel that authentically captures the essence of fish. Otto Kaukonen, CTO of Hailia, explained: “The core of our innovation is in turning overlooked raw materials into products with a desirable mouthfeel, using just a simple recipe with a few ingredients.” The product's structure enables seamless processing and integration into a variety of recipes, spanning from soups and sandwich fillings to pastas and sauces.

UK food and drink manufacturer Aimia Foods has entered the sports nutrition market with the introduction of a range of clear whey protein powders, called Isovibe. Isovibe is available in four flavours: peach & raspberry, cherry & apple, lemon & lime and mango & passionfruit. The products are made with fast-absorbing, hydrolysed whey protein isolate and developed using real fruit powders. The powders are sugar-free and contain 22g of protein and 93 calories per serving. Ethan Duffey, assistant brand manager at Aimia Foods, commented: “We are seeing very little innovation in the category currently, and we were keen to bring to market a fun, exciting, and accessible option to plug that gap for consumers. The feedback has been highly positive in initial consumer trials, which is hugely encouraging.” He continued: “Offering a refreshing alternative with packaging just as vibrant as the taste, the four Isovibe shakes provide an effortless solution whether at home or on the go”. Isovibe clear whey protein is available in B&M stores for £12.99.

Accredo Packaging, a sustainable packaging solutions firm, has completed its fourth expansion at its Sugar Land headquarters, representing a $10 million investment. The expansion has added a further 83,000 square feet of office space to the company's 100% wind-powered 650,000-square-foot LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified campus. Through the project the company created 30 new jobs, and has committed to maintaining a workforce of at least 525 employees in Sugar Land through the year 2031. Previous expansions took place in 2013 and 2021, and now, in 2024, Accredo has more than tripled in size. Rex Varn, executive vice president of Accredo Packaging, said: "More than a decade ago, we planted our roots here, and we are continuously proud to call Sugar Land our home. We are growing rapidly, and the Sugar Land market has provided us with the workforce and space we need to continue that upward trajectory." Accredo specialises in producing recyclable, compostable and sustainably crafted packaging for various grocery products. This includes snacks, confectionery, baked and frozen foods, pet food, treats and film for bottled water. The company's advanced printing technology allows the company to reduce ink and solvent usage by more than a third compared to standard presses. Sugar Land Economic Development (SLOED) has helped facilitate the company's several expansions, working with its leadership and the City of Sugar Land on various tax abatement agreements, including a LEED tax abatement incentive to encourage green development. Elizabeth Huff, director of economic development and tourism for SLOED, said: "Accredo Packaging is one of Sugar Land's largest employers and a critical partner to our city. The company's decision to continue expanding here aligns with our commitment to development and business growth and serves as a testament to our thriving business ecosystem and talent pool."