JBS has resumed operations at its Friboi facility in Diamantino, Mato Grosso, Brazil, following a fire in June this year. The factory, which has a processing capacity of 3,600 heads of cattle per day, will stand as the largest beef facility in Latin America, employing 3,000 workers across two shifts. The plant currently processes 600 heads of cattle per day, with plans to increase to 1,800 in the coming weeks. During the initial reopening, Diamantino will receive support for "complementary activities" from two other Friboi units, which are located in Barra do Garças, Mato Grosso, and Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, plants. The "initial stage" will see a BRL 300 million (approx. $61 million) investment in the factory. The unit, equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, resumes operations with the capability to process 2.4 times more cattle than its previous capacity. Additionally, it is prepared to meet the primary criteria of international markets, including halal processing. Renato Costa, president of Friboi, highlighted: "The Diamantino factory is equipped with the most modern automation and the highest technology in beef processing and freezing, with a focus on value-added products and portioned products". Upon the completion of the plant expansion in 2024, Friboi's Diamantino unit will have "unprecedented structures," such as a freezing tunnel, an expanded area for vacuum product packaging, and a dedicated space for future production lines specialising in portioned beef cuts. The facilities aim to support Friboi's long-term goal of expanding the production of value-added products from the unit. According to Costa, "the Diamantino unit plays a fundamental role in the company's growth strategy, as it supplies products to the main markets served by the company, including the most demanding lines in Friboi's portfolio".

Golden West Food Group has announced the launch of Hershey’s Frozen Fruit in a licensing partnership with The Hershey Company. The new line combines real fruit with chocolate, designed to tap into the increasing demand for permissible indulgence within F&B. The new snacks are available in four varieties. Reese's frozen fruit banana slices feature frozen bananas coated in chocolate and peanut butter. Hershey’s Cookies ‘N’ Creme frozen fruit strawberries offer sliced strawberries dipped in a layer of white creme chocolate and then coated in chocolate cookie bits. Hershey’s White Creme & Milk Chocolate frozen fruit blueberries are enrobed in white creme, followed by milk chocolate. Hershey's White Creme & Milk Chocolate frozen fruit raspberries are also covered in white crème and then coated in milk chocolate. Ernie Savo, president of The Hershey Licensing Company, said: “At Hershey, we’re committed to creating moments of goodness. We are doing just that with the launch of our new Hershey’s Frozen Fruit line and look forward to sharing the joy of this delightful treat with consumers across the country.” The new snacks are exclusively available to purchase in Walmart stores nationwide.

SKF has developed the first spherical roller bearings for the food and beverage industry. By adhering to food safety standards, the bearing contributes to reduced risk of food contamination, increased machine reliability and longer maintenance intervals. The bearing, equipped with food-grade grease and seals, is said to prolong the service life on average three times compared to SKF's open bearing. Benjamin Geiser, application specific offer manager at SKF, said: “This new spherical roller bearing with food-grade grease and integral seal from SKF helps increase both machine performance and hygiene standards". According to the company, using the bearing contributes to enhanced sustainability "in several ways". Its low-friction seal reduces energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Additionally, the extended lifespan reduces the frequency of replacements, thereby decreasing the demand for raw materials, manufacturing and transport. Furthermore, the "virtually non-existent grease leakage" eliminates the need for repurchasing, relubrication and final disposal. The bearing comes pre-filled with NSF category H1 grease, which is optimised for food industry use. It features a high-performance nitrile butadiene rubber contact seal that is both FDA- and EC-approved, protecting against water, detergent and contaminants. This minimises the risk of grease leakage from the bearing, resulting in reduced relubrication needs and improved bearing performance and service life. It is made of "high-fatigue-resistant" steel, enhancing dynamic load-carrying capacity while decreasing vibration and heat generation. The spherical roller bearings extend service life by up to three times compared to open bearings. In addition, SKF said that the blue colour of the seal makes it easier to detect fragments in case they enter the food.

Nigerian Breweries has announced plans to acquire an 80% stake in Distell Wines and Spirits Nigeria (Distell Nigeria). This acquisition is aimed at seizing substantial growth opportunities within the wines and spirits segment of the brewing industry. A member of the Heineken Group, Nigerian Breweries is the foremost and largest brewing entity in Nigeria. Established in 1946 under the name 'Nigerian Brewery Limited,' the company carved its place in history in June 1949 with the inaugural release of Star lager beer from its Lagos brewery bottling line. In May, the company notified the Nigerian Exchange Group of its intent to acquire Distell Nigeria. In the announcement, Uaboi Agbebaku, company secretary for Nigerian Breweries, said: “The board resolved to consider the offer in detail with support from external legal and financial advisers and after that make a decision thereon in the coming weeks. The outcome of the decision will be communicated in due course.” On 16 November, the board for Nigerian Breweries met and resolved to recommend to shareholders in a general meeting for their consideration and approval of the acquisition of an 80% stake in Distell Wines & Spirits Nigeria Limited. They also agreed to convene an extraordinary general meeting of the company to enable shareholders to consider and approve the acquisition, which will take place on 20th December 2023. Distell Nigeria is involved in the local production of wines and ciders and the importation of wines, spirits and flavoured alcoholic beverages from Distell Group in South Africa. It's portfolio includes brands such as Amarula, JC Leroux, Nederburg, Drostdy Haf, 4th Street, Bain’s, Knights, Chamdor, Hunters and Savanna.

Bacardi-owned vodka brand Eristoff has introduced two new RTD cocktails in the UK. Created to meet growing consumer demand in berry and tropical flavours, Eristoff Pink It Up! and Eristoff Passion Star! are described as "on-trend cocktails in an on-trend format". Eristoff Pink It Up! combines the brand's vodka with lemonade and strawberry for a sweet and fruity flavour. Meanwhile, Eristoff Passion Star! features the brand's vodka mixed with soda and passion fruit, offering a refreshing twist. Sharon Kearney, impulse controller for Bacardi, said: “RTD consumers love to experiment and try new flavours, and that’s exactly what we had in mind when we created these fantastic new RTDs from ERISTOFF vodka". She added: “Staying in will be as popular as going out this festive season. Shoppers looking for a cocktail experience at home without the hassle of making it themselves are buying RTDs.” Eristoff Pink It Up! and Passion Star! come in 250ml cans with a 5% ABV.

US food tech company Yali Bio has debuted its precision-fermented dairy fat alternative during the Mista Growth Hack event in San Francisco, California. The company presented its new solid hard fat in the form of dairy-free ice cream at the event, developed in collaboration with Mista supporters, including AAK, Ingredion and Givaudan. The newly developed fat has a pale, buttery colour and neutral flavour by default. In addition, Yali Bio's precision fermentation technology enables the customisation of the fat's attributes, such as melting point, to be tailored to specific applications. Beyond ice cream, Yali Bio says that the fat can also be used to improve the taste, texture, cooking performance, nutrition and eco-credentials across various food categories, including non-dairy butter and cheese, as well as baked goods and confectionery. According to the company, the fat's nutritional profile positions it as "an attractive alternative to dairy fat and plant-based fat," such as coconut oil. The product contains half the saturated "bad fat" and five times the monounsaturated fat "good fat" found in coconut. The fat is considered more environmentally friendly than fat derived from dairy or coconut. Using methods and equipment similar to those used to brew beer, the fat can be made "extremely efficiently," with minimal greenhouse gas emissions and high supply chain transparency.

Chr. Hansen has launched two new yeast strains for non-alcoholic brewing, designed to provide manufacturers with more flavour variety. Sofie Saerens, senior commercial development manager at Chr. Hansen, said: "With new strains in our portfolio, brewers can now offer an even greater variety of flavours to consumers who are seeking non-alcoholic options. Our SmartBev Neer technology provides the full beer experience, creating a well-integrated body and mouthfeel that rivals traditional alcoholic beers. Plus, our yeast technology streamlines the brewing process, enabling cost savings and sustainability benefits." The new strains, Neer Poly and Neer Punch, join Chr. Hansen’s original strain in its portfolio – all three are distinct Pichia kluyveri yeast strains. The portfolio is designed to provide brewers with an expanded palette of flavours to customise beers according to taste preferences. Neer Poly provides a more neutral impact of the yeast, allowing malt and hops to be more prominent in the beer's flavour profile, and is a good choice for pilsner, stout and ale beers. Neer Punch is suited for fruit-forward beers, with full ester characters that add depth and complexity to the flavour, it is a good choice for IPAs, wheat and fruit beers. The most common method of making alcohol-free beer is to brew full-strength beer and then remove the alcohol and add flavouring. Brewing with SmartBev Neer is said to transform wort flavours directly into beer flavours without producing alcohol. The technology also provides several business benefits as direct fermentation reduces malt needs up to 65%, leading to energy savings and a decreased carbon footprint, as well as less water consumption due to reduced malt usage. Additionally, Neer facilitates “swift market entry” as the time from initial contact to final product can be shortened to six months, enabling a rapid response to flavour trends.

Impact Recycling is opening a plastic recycling plant in Durham with a significant investment from Nestlé UK and Ireland. To get the facility operational, Impact Recycling has received funding from both a £7 million loan from Nestlé and a grant from Innovate UK. The site is set to open in late summer 2024. The new facility will process flexible plastics typically used in food packaging. These ‘hard-to-recycle' plastics will be converted into pellets which can be used to make new flexible products such as postbags and refuse bags. The innovative process, known as ‘Baffled Oscillation Separation System’ or ‘BOSS,' sorts the waste plastics by spinning them in water. Depending on their density the different materials will either sink or float, making it easier to take the correct materials to be recycled. The site will have the capacity to take 25,000 tonnes of this plastic, a figure which surpasses the amount of flexible plastic packaging Nestlé UK and Ireland produces. The pellets can be used to replace virgin plastic films in construction and agriculture as well as to make bin bags. Packaging from Nestlé-owned brands, such as KitKat wrappers, Purina pet food pouches, Rowntree confectionery sharing bags and Nestlé Cereal bags, will be collected from major supermarket collection points so they can be recycled. David Walsh, CEO of Impact Recycling, said: “We are delighted to partner with Nestle on this initiative to develop a 25,000-tonne commercial recycling plant for post-consumer flexible plastic. Without the funding from Nestlé, this development would not have been possible.” Sokhna Gueye, head of packaging at Nestlé UK & Ireland, said: “At Nestlé, we are dedicated to ensuring our packaging can have multiple lives and doesn't end up as waste in landfills. Supporting innovative technologies like this is just one of the many steps we are taking towards achieving this goal." "In the UK and Ireland, our efforts continue at pace to ensure as close to 100% of our packaging is designed for recycling by 2025, and we continue to work towards all of our packaging being recyclable or reusable. It is fantastic to see our packaging given a second life, and we are looking at many partnerships to help encourage the collection and recycling infrastructure in the UK.”

Labatt Breweries of Canada – part of AB InBev – has announced plans to expand its production capability by investing CAD 26.6 million (approx. $19.4 million) into its brewery in London, Ontario. The funding will enable the addition of a new four-tank fermenting cellar and two new packers. It is part of Labatt’s commitment to invest in sustainable solutions, evolve consumer demand and prepare its facilities for future growth. To enable Labatt to meet growing consumer demand, CAD 13.5 million (approx. $9.8 million) of the investment will fund the addition of four new tanks for the brewery's fermenting cellar, increasing the capacity at the London brewhouse by 597,000 hectolitres per year. CAD 13.09 million (approx. $9.5 million) will fund two new packaging lines in the brewhouse, expanding the brewery's operational capabilities. This packaging technology uses sustainable paperboard, which enables products to be packaged with “significantly less” glue compared to previous models. The lines also improve inspection capabilities in operations to ensure packaging is robust and meets the demands of Canadian consumers. Jeff Ryan, VP of legal and corporate affairs at Labatt, said: "Our London brewery is the largest in Labatt's network, brewing over 40% of the beer we brew for Canadians, and this significant investment boosts the facility's production capacity and sustainability performance. With this increased production capacity, Labatt can meet current Canadian consumer demand while also setting us up for future growth." Alex Martel, brewery manager at Labatt’s London facility, added: "The new packaging line at our London brewery will improve the way we package our products from both an environmental and quality assurance standpoint. We are constantly doing what's needed to ensure the brewery is prepared for future growth through production and environmental efficiencies, and this injection of capital will go a long way to optimise our brewery." The London facility manufactures beverages under various brands, including household names such as Guinness, Bud Light, Budweiser, Stella Artois and Corona. The latest funding builds on the brewery's CAD 52.6 million (approx. $38.3 million) investment in line upgrades, enhancements and sustainable innovations in 2021.

The Artisanal Spirits Company (ASC) has agreed on a new financing facility of £15 million through its new partner, Ferovinum. ASC is the owner of The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), a provider of premium single-cask Scotch malt whisky and other spirits. SMWS primarily sells its products online to a global audience. The investment will provide ASC with increased financial flexibility for business development "via recognition of the significant appreciating cask spirit asset base," the company said in a statement. Under the initial agreement, Ferovinum has provided £2.6 million in cash to ASC based on a cask spirit parcel valuation of £3.8 million at a 70% loan-to-value ratio. The deal is valid for a maximum period of two years, with the same headline interest margin as ASC's current RBS banking facility. According to a statement, the Ferovinum platform enables ASC "to convert its maturing stock into a just-in-time asset at a truer market valuation". The casks in the initial transaction show a net book value (NBV) on the balance sheet of £0.8 million, a current bank valuation of £1.3 million, and Ferovinum's valuation – using market, external and internally generated intelligence – as £3.8 million, representing a 380% and 191% incremental valuation on the NBV and bank value, respectively. The financing enables ASC to access funds from "a larger financial pool" without increasing its overall debt. The company's debt position, therefore, "remains as previously guided," said ASC. Andrew Dane, CEO of ASC, commented: "This is an exciting development giving the group further financial flexibility without increasing gross debt whilst demonstrating the value of the group's assets". "ASC has two value streams: the core trading business and its inventory, where the value of our spirit casks has been proven by Ferovinum extending capital at retail valuations underpinning the worth of our inventory, providing financial flexibility and giving us further confidence in the company's investment strategy and asset base."

The Cumulus Coffee Company has received $20.3 million in funding and is introducing the “world’s first solution for making premium cold brew at home in a matter of seconds". The seed funding round was led by Valor Siren Ventures (VSV) and Valor Equity Partners (VEP) with participation from various investors. Cumulus' cold brew machine uses recyclable aluminium capsules to deliver a 10-ounce cold brew, a nitro cold brew and a “first-of-its-kind" cold-pressed espresso in under 45 seconds. The company claims that the technology in the cold brew machine will make cold beverages without any ice, and the nitro cold brew will not require a large nitrogen gas tank. Mesh Gelman, founder and CEO of The Cumulus Coffee Company, said: "Our team of experts across coffee, technology and design has worked tirelessly to bring the sacred ritual of enjoying delicious, hand-crafted cold coffee into the home in a way that has never been done before. The cold coffee market is enormous, with 75% of American café drinkers now preferring cold over hot beverages." Jon Shulkin, co-president of VEP and fund manager for VSV, commented: "The nitro cold brew coffee market is one of the fastest growing in the coffee space. We believe that the Cumulus team, through many years of research, has created an exciting new product for nitro cold brew coffee drinkers. We are grateful to partner with Mesh and the Cumulus team as they achieve their vision of creating an at-home high-quality nitro cold brew coffee experience that is as easy as making hot coffee.”

Ancho Reyes – producer of poblano chile liqueurs – introduces Ancho Reyes Barrica, the newest addition to its portfolio. Barrica is the company’s first-ever barrel-aged chile liqueur and the first new addition to the Ancho Reyes range since the release of Ancho Reyes Verde in 2017. Ancho Reyes Barrica contains poblano chillies which are grown in Puebla, Mexico. These chillies are harvested and sun-dried to become ancho chillies, then are soaked and softened in neutral cane spirit from Veracruz, Mexico. The resulting mixture is then aged for two years in ex-bourbon American White Oak casks. Ancho Reyes Barrica is inspired by a 1920s menjurje recipe and provides a blend of heat, sweetness, smoke, and spice, offering flavours of dulce de leche, spiced vanilla, cinnamon and orange zest layers atop the warm chilli heat that Ancho Reyes is known for. Raul Gonzalez, global managing director for spirits, Campari Group said. "Ancho Reyes Barrica is a completely new type of barrel-aged liqueur that has the depth and complexity of Ancho Reyes Original but now as an elevated sipping spirit. In Mexico, we often finish a dinner or a great meal with a drink shared amongst family and friends, and Barrica is the perfect sipping spirit to toast to that moment." Ancho Reyes Barrica is available online in the US