B&G Foods-owned brand Green Giant has announced a cohort of new products for the freezer aisle, with nine new products entering US retailers this month. The brand has launched new Dino Veggie Tots, dinosaur-shaped nuggets with vegetables as the first ingredient. In three different variations, the Dino Veggie Tots come in Sweet Potato & Cauliflower, Broccoli & Cheese, and Cauliflower varieties. The tots can be cooked in an air fryer or in the oven in ten minutes. Green Giant has also introduced Riced Veggies Rainbow Cauliflower, a frozen rainbow riced cauliflower made with riced purple, orange, green and white cauliflower. It is available in two colourful varieties that microwave in the bag in minutes: Riced Rainbow Cauliflower and Riced Veggie Blends Creamy Alfredo made with Rainbow Cauliflower. The brand has announced the expansion of its Restaurant Style side offerings to include Roasted Root Vegetables with Garlic & Thyme and Asparagus, Roasted Red Potatoes & Onions with Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper. These dishes include “premium” vegetable cuts with savoury, chef-created sauces. They can be sautéed in a skillet or heated in the microwave for a quick side and are said to “provide a restaurant-like experience at home”. Steven DeFrino, marketing director of Frozen & Vegetables at B&G Foods, said: "The latest Green Giant introductions reinforce our commitment to innovation in this category. There is something for everyone – every age and every palate. We can't wait to help Americans put more veggies on their plates, in completely new ways, this fall."

Samworth Brothers has partnered with General Mills to create a new range of Mexican ready meals under the Old El Paso brand. The new range of products consists of both meals and side dishes, including: Chilli beef burrito bowl for one BBQ pulled pork rice bowl for one Chilli chicken rice bowl for one Chilli Beef Burrito for one Spiced Rice side dish Bean Chilli side dish Classic Chicken Fajitas for two Baked Chicken Enchiladas for two Tom Thornley, Old El Paso brand lead at Samworth Brothers, said: “World cuisines continue to enjoy almost universal usage in the UK, with 92% of people eating them at home. Mexican is the third most popular world cuisine but in prepared meals, there wasn’t a compelling offer, and this is where we felt Old El Paso would perfectly fill a gap.” Maeve Judge, customer director at General Mills, commented: “We're delighted to partner with Samworths and Tesco to launch this range of Old El Paso meals. There are 10 million incremental shoppers in the chilled meals aisle so we are excited to serve them with the great taste and quality of Old El Paso in a new way. We believe it will drive growth across categories for the brand.” The new products are launching exclusively into Tesco stores in the UK. Philip Lawler, buying manager for prepared meals at Tesco, added: “We couldn’t be happier to be launching the Old El Paso range into our chilled meals category. We are working hard to offer Tesco customers even more choice when it comes to their dinner options.” The new products will be available to purchase in store and online from 18 September.

Unilever has announced plans to invest PLN 90 million (approx. $20.7 million) in expanding its food facility in Poznan, Poland. The company intends to increase its production of ramen noodles for the Knorr, Good Noodles and Amino brands. The facility is expected to produce 600,000 units per day. The expanded product range will be distributed not only in Poland but also in the Netherlands, Hungary and other European countries. According to Unilever, the investment will follow strict environmental standards to optimise electricity and water use, ensuring a highly efficient production process. In addition, the company will expand cutting-edge technologies at the Poznan site, such as boosting physical and digital automation, implementing sustainable energy and enhancing warehousing capabilities. Hanneke Faber, nutrition president at Unilever, said: “This investment in Poznan will help us to further meet the demands of the Polish and European market. Our Polish nutrition business continues to strengthen its position in Unilever’s portfolio.” Przemysław Fejfer, factory director at Unilever, added: “Our Poznan factory is one of the largest food production plants in Unilever. Today, we are writing another chapter in the history of our factory. Thanks to further investment, we will be able to respond to our customers’ needs more efficiently and continue to grow our business.”

Refilled, a newly established climate tech start-up based in Sydney, Australia, has recently launched an initiative to eliminate single-use plastic bottle waste caused by the vending industry. Earlier this week, the company started working with two Australian institutions: The University of Technology Sydney and The University of Sydney Union. Refilled's strategy involves replacing a significant number of these vending machines with its new BYO-Bottle system. The company plans to capitalise on the trend of reusable bottles by providing consumers with a wide range of flavoured and nutritionally enriched options beyond plain tap water. The business has developed 'Refillers,' a fusion between a fridge and a "giant" SodaStream, offering chilled still and sparkling drinks in various flavours. These beverages can be further customised with optional boosters like caffeine, vitamins and exercise-oriented nootropics. Refilled aims to build and install 100 Refillers machines by 2024. This initiative is said to eliminate over 1 million single-use plastic bottles from polluting our environment or filling up landfills every year. In addition, it aims to eliminate 100 million single-use plastic bottles by 2030. According to the company, a single Refiller has the capacity to stock ten times more beverages than a standard vending machine. Consequently, it can "dramatically reduce waste" and lower emissions produced by frequent deliveries and restocking of traditional beverages. Moreover, Refilled is employing technology to track the number of saved bottles in real time. It has introduced reusable bottles featuring QR codes that can be scanned at the Refiller to pay for drinks, eliminating the need for cards, phones or cash. Refilled founder and CEO Ryan Nelson said: "Refilled is transforming the ordinary, everyday act of drinking water into climate action. Most people have good intentions and want to do good for the planet, but not everyone can afford to buy an electric vehicle or install solar panels." He continued: "Armed with just a reusable bottle and a couple of bucks, our Refillers offer an affordable, achievable way to eliminate plastic pollution. If we can replace even a fraction of drink vending machines, which are an outrageous source of plastic waste, we will stop millions of plastic bottles going to landfills." University of Sydney Union president, Naz Sharifi, added: "As part of our ongoing efforts to expand our sustainable practices and reduce the usage of single-use plastic bottles, we are thrilled to be partnering with Refilled, who share our social, environmental and ecological aspirations. This will allow our members access to filling stations in key locations around campus."

57 featured start-ups trailblazing their way in the field of food-tech will present solutions at Future Food-Tech on 28-29 September, with many more set to attend as delegates. The summit will welcome 800 leaders from food brands, ingredient providers, pioneering entrepreneurs and investors, to address the challenges in creating foods that are nutritious, accessible, climate-smart and accelerate high-profile networking. Callum Alexander-Lindsay, start-up partnerships manager across the Future Food-Tech series, commented: “At a challenging time for investment, it’s great to see so many pioneering companies in one place, ready to showcase their dynamic technologies. With so many investors also set to attend, I can’t wait to see what game-changing deals and partnerships are made at the summit.” Start-up exhibition Powered by ICL Planet Startup Hub, the start-up exhibition is the destination to discover fresh talent and disruptive new technologies from early-stage companies seeking investment and partnerships. Adamo Foods is a new food-tech company developing healthy, sustainable and delicious alternatives to meat whole-cuts. Aelius Biotech specialises in the development of models of the mucosal surfaces of the human body. ÄIO creates future-shaping fats and oils. Arkeon’s carbon utilisation technology turns CO2 into all 20 amino acids – the building blocks of protein – in one continuous fermentation production process. Cocuus develops industrial solutions for the production of mimetic food analogues (mimetic food) of plant or cell-based animal protein using 2D/3D laser printing, bioprinting and robotics. Cryptobiotix investigates the interaction between products and gut microbiome using the validated SIFR technology, with clinical predictivity. Eversyn delivers bioactive sugars at scale for nutrition and human health. FoodSquared has created a patent-pending bioprocess to create next-generation plant-based shellfish products – starting with plant-based shrimp. GitLife Biotech brings fundamental infrastructure to the synthetic biology industry through its two core innovations in version control and biosecurity that jointly establish the first global bill of materials for cell engineering. Libre Foods is a market-leading biotech company developing a platform of core fungi technologies, scalable across a variety of food applications. Lovely Day Foods leverages its proprietary precision fermentation platform to develop and formulate animal-free proteins (non-GMO), starting with highly functional and nutritious egg replacements. Meala develops functional proteins designed to be used as binding and gelling agents, with superior water retention enabling freedom of creativity and improving the texture and juiciness of plant-based products. MyAir is a smart-food data-driven company offering a solution to deal with the number 1 silent killer in the world: Chronic Stress. Nordic Virtual Pastures creates growth media from agricultural and industry side-streams of biomass to enable sustainable, real meat with no animals harmed. Nosh Biofoods leverages the power of fungi (non-GMO) to create superior functional solutions and one-ingredient-only meat and seafood analogues at price parity. Protein Distillery upcycles brewer’s yeast into clean protein ingredients with properties rivalling those of egg protein. Pink Albatross creates vegan ice creams with a unique creaminess from a mixture of coconut milk and cashew nuts and zero artificial ingredients. Rescued Limited processes surplus bread into rescued bread flour to replace virgin flour in bakery and baked goods. Senara is the first cell-cultivated milk company in Europe. Siranius upcycles agricultural and biorefinery byproducts into high-performance supplement ingredients with the aim to improve gastrointestinal health. The Good Pulse Co creates functional ingredients from pulses for making plant-based cheese and baked goods. Yeasty has unlocked the power of spent brewer’s yeast, turning it into super-ingredients through a unique debittering technology. Innovation partner cohorts Meet leading accelerators and incubators from around the world on booths in the Start-Up Arena, as they introduce their start-up cohorts with fresh solutions and case studies: Fresh Start, a food-tech incubator investing in early-stage Israeli food-tech companies, introduces its cohort: Blue Tree enables the production of natural beverages with reduced sugar content. Bountica develops food-safe and nature-based proteins that prevent the decay and spoilage of perishable foods and beverages, reducing food loss by extending their storage and shelf life. Eggmented Reality uses its bioinformatics and precision-fermentation technology platform to identify and produce improved protein functionality over industry alternatives. Medium Well's medium recycling and optimisation system is set to transform cultivated meat production. Pigmentum has developed a molecular technology platform that enables external gene activation in plants that could be induced at a specific chosen timing in response to an external signal. Sea 2 Cell is developing ground-breaking GF technology and proprietary cell lines for the commercial-scale manufacturing of its cultivated fish products. The RisingFoodStars Association is a network organisation of game-changing early agri-food scale-ups, helping them grow and scale faster. EIT Food brings a cohort of European innovators to the summit to exhibit their solutions: introduces its cohort: Agrainspecialises in upcycling spent grain into holistic and versatile flour ingredients for a wide range of food products. Ani Biome is a platform that provides personalised guidance through the use of non-invasive diagnostics, including daily psychobiosocial questions, tongue and skin scans, and wearables data. Ecobean introduces a circular economy and reduces CO2 emissions in the coffee value chain. Green Spot Technologies has developed a fermentation platform that allows the production of fermented and upcycled flours. Onego Bio produces egg white without chickens, using precision fermentation. uFraction8 develops microfluidics-based filter systems to help bio-manufacturers harvest their products with energy-efficient and scalable bioprocessing systems. On the main stage Look out for these pioneering start-ups and scale-ups joining the main stage discussions and presentations. AI Palette’s platform collects millions of data points from various sources such as social media, searches and user-generated content to provide deep insights into consumer needs. Aleph Farms grows slaughter-free, net-zero steaks using cellular agriculture. Climax Foods creates a new generation of plant-based foods using AI-empowered ingredient discovery directly from plants, starting with gourmet cheese. Cocoon Bioscience specialises in the manufacturing of high-performance growth factors and enzymes using an automated platform leveraging cocooned insects as natural, low-cost bioreactors. EV Biotech optimises fermentation through integrated AI platform and strain development. Ivy Farm Technologies uses novel technology created to grow cultivated mince meat free from antibiotics. Libre Foods is a market-leading biotech company developing a platform of core fungi technologies, scalable across a variety of food applications. Nourish Ingredients creates potent, animalic fats to make plant proteins delicious. Nourish3d uses innovative 3D-printed technology to create personalised nutrient gummy stacks packed full of high-impact ingredients and nutrients. Nulixir develops, manufactures, and licenses encapsulated functional ingredients with its patented Nutrition Precision Technology to other F&B businesses. Nuritas identifies, unlocks, clinically tests and patents peptides; turning them into powerful and precise ingredients that elevate natural efficacy. Planetary is a breakthrough CDMO partner for scaled production and global market access in biomass and precision fermentation. ProFuse Technology develops supplements for cultivated meat media that reduces the cultivated meat cost by 40%, by increasing the produced meat mass and shortening the production time. Protera is building the next generation of functional ingredients, using AI to simulate protein patterns. Qina is a health nutrition technology consultancy and platform that supports companies to create personalised nutrition solutions by providing data, market insights and consultancy services. RESPECTfarms is creating the world’s first farm that produces meat out of cells and not from animals. Start-up showcase Hear from the hottest innovators in the future food-tech space, pitching their solutions to a panel of judges – followed by a Q&A to delve deeper into their products, strategies, and visions for the future. AQABELA develops food intellectual property supporting metabolic health and beyond. Ani Biome is a platform that provides personalised guidance through the use of non-invasive diagnostics, including daily psychobiosocial questions, tongue and skin scans, and wearables data. Exosomm’s technology is a proprietary method for extracting milk exosomes and creating a bioactive nutritional ingredient that can be used to transform foods into treatments for inflammatory conditions. Mello’s mission is to elevate the stability and effectiveness of sensitive probiotics and bioactives through the innovation of a cutting-edge encapsulation delivery platform. On the summit menu Fuel up for an action-packed two days of in-depth discussions and networking with treats from the star vendors on our summit menu. Agrain specialises in upcycling spent grain into holistic and versatile flour ingredients for a wide range of food products. Kern Tec develops innovative, sustainable ingredients and ready-to-use solutions for the food industry from unused fruit pips. Matr Foods utilises fungi fermentation of whole plant ingredients to create healthy, climate-friendly food with great taste, texture and nutrition. More Foods is a clean-label version of your everyday plant-based meal, containing recrafted healthy seed solids cast away by the oil industry. One Planet Pizza‘s wood-fired sourdough pizzas are loaded with top-secret sauce, melty plant-based cheese and have a 47% lower carbon footprint than meat and dairy pizzas of the same flavours. Rescued Limited processes surplus bread into rescued bread flour to replace virgin flour in bakery and baked goods. Willicroft creates planet-proof, plant-based cheese and fats. The full programme with start-up profiles and delegate registration is available here.

This week, FoodBev had the privilege of attending the opening of BioBetter’s first food-grade pilot facility located near the city of Qiryat Shemona in northern Israel. This marked our first time in Israel – a nation distinguished for its dynamic start-up ecosystem. Renowned as an epicentre for food-tech innovation, many Israeli companies are at the forefront of creating innovative solutions across every facet of the food-tech industry. Fuelled by its strong technological expertise, well-established research institutions, proactive regulatory environment and substantial investments, the country is home to a plethora of pioneering companies in the food-tech space, including Aleph Farms, Steakholder Foods and Believer Meats. But nothing could have prepared us for the groundbreaking technology and processes unveiled by BioBetter. Started in 2015, BioBetter has pioneered a unique protein manufacturing platform for producing growth factors (GFs) that uses tobacco plants as self-sustained, animal-free bioreactors. By turning tobacco plants into “natural bioreactors,” the start-up says it could bring the cost of GFs for cell-based meat down from the normal range of $50,000-$1 million per gram to just $1 per gram. The company was founded by Oded Shoseyov, entrepreneur, researcher and professor of protein engineering and nano-biotechnology at Hebrew University, Jerusalem; Dana Yarden, a bio-tech business expert; and Avi Tzur, an industrialist with an avid vision to put the tobacco plant to positive use. Shoseyov's entrepreneurial spirit has led him to start more than 20 companies, from Collplant – a regenerative medicine company focused on the 3D bioprinting of tissues and organs, to SavorEat – a start-up harnessing 3D printing technology to create realistic plant-based meat alternatives, to nanotechnology company SP Nano, which commercialises the use of nanoparticles in products made from composite materials. On the drive home from the facility back to Tel Aviv, Shoseyov's passion and confidence in BioBetter and northern Israel's innovation culture shone through, he said: "What you have seen here today is one of the most remarkable things in Israel. Science may start in the middle of the country, in one or two of the universities, but at the end of the day, it is my experience that the best place to perform, and the best place to execute, is here in the Upper Galilee." Why growth factors? As all cell-based meat requires GFs to stimulate cell development and differentiation and supplement cell culture media, GFs take up anywhere between 55-95% of the marginal cost of manufacturing cell-based foods, according to The Good Food Institute (GFI). GFs are usually gathered from livestock or made through fermentation – both of which are costly and complex. Fetal bovine serum (FBS) – which provides a mix of the most important factors required for cell attachment, growth and proliferation – has conventionally been used in cell-based meat production due to its richness in nutrients and GFs. However, FBS has been flagged as unsustainable, unethical and not scalable, due to its process of being harvested from the blood of fetuses taken from pregnant cows. BioBetter’s process that turns tobacco plants into bioreactors – using only water, CO2 and sunlight – for the expression of proteins, can produce various bovine GFs, including FGF2, transferrin and insulin. The company’s newly established plant has the capacity to process 100kg of tobacco plant-derived GFs daily with several thousand square metres of bovine-insulin and FGF2-expressing tobacco plants already thriving in northern Israel. Speaking to those who attended the opening of the new facility, BioBetter’s CEO Amit Yaari detailed just how disruptive this new technology could be: “To illustrate, if cultivated meat were to take just 10% of the global meat market, this would require 17,000 tons of insulin. Today, the entire global capacity of insulin is only 30 tons...Just a year ago, we made the commitment to complete a food-grade pilot facility, we are now setting a goal to build a factory capable of producing up to five tons of growth factors per day by the end of 2025”. BioBetter’s chief research and development officer, Yonatan Eran, gave us a tour of the facility while explaining how the plants are modified to express the proteins. “We take tobacco seeds, sterilise them and grow them in sterile conditions to create plantlets. Once we have the plantlets, we cut them and use small discs of leaf as our starting material. Then, we introduce DNA – for example, DNA that encodes an insulin gene from a cow, or green fluorescent protein from a jellyfish, whatever DNA you can imagine –into the genome of cells inside these leaf discs.” Together with the target gene, BioBetter introduces an antibiotic resistance gene, so transformed cells in the leaf discs have the foreign DNA and also resistance to an antibiotic drug. Then, the scientists incubate the leaf discs in a sterile plate that contains nutrients and also an antibiotic agent, meaning that only transformed leaf cells that contain the new DNA will survive and grow in the plate. And this is when the magic happens: The transformed leaf tissue begins regenerating itself into a new plantlet: it develops new roots and leaves. The young plantlet develops within few weeks into a mature and fertile plant containing DNA from a foreign source within its genome. Fluorescent jellyfish Back in the 1970s, scientists have isolated a specific gene encoding a green fluorescent protein (GFP) from a jellyfish in the Pacific Ocean. Since then, GFP has become a versatile biological marker for visualizing protein and detecting transgenic expression in vivo. “To demonstrate the power of our technology, we introduced this GFP gene into tobacco leaf discs and regenerated a transgenic plant, So, if you emit UV light, you will see the plant glowing, and it will show the abundance of protein expressed in the leaf.” Eran said that the plants contain somewhere between milligrams to grams of protein per kilogram of fresh leaves. “The proteins that are being produced right now for the cultivated meat industry, are super, super expensive. For example, FGF2 can cost up to $1 million per gram. And here we’re talking about one plant that produces one kilo of leaves and could potentially produce one gram of FGF2.” Side streams and sustainability Throughout our time at the facility, BioBetter’s ingenuity shined through every facet of its operations. For starters, the plants can be irrigated with recycled, low-quality or even salt water. “Tobacco grows on every continent besides Antarctica,” said Eran “Furthermore, tobacco plants can reach 2.5 metres tall in less than three months.” Co-founder Dana Yarden, who drove us on the two-hour journey from Tel Aviv to Qiryat Shemona, added: “We can grow tobacco four times per year, with a high yield, and when you cultivate the crop, it grows back”. “Nothing goes to waste,” she added. “We remove the nicotine, which can be used as a natural pesticide, and the remaining material can be used as animal feed or even used within construction”. Yarden said that while tobacco plants are grown on most continents, they do require warm weather to thrive. She mentioned that in areas with colder climates, the plants could be grown in quantity in vertical farming facilities, and that the plants can flourish even in extreme weather, having withstood temperatures of 50°C this spring. Furthermore, Yarden pointed out that as the world begins to understand the detrimental impact that smoking tobacco has on our health, the new technology has the potential to repurpose the tobacco crop, securing tobacco farmers’ jobs that could potentially be at risk. Current tobacco agriculture methods are very advanced due to the lucrative smoking market, which means that farmers have sophisticated machinery to optimise tobacco growth. Eran says that this is another advantage of using tobacco plants as all of the infrastructure already exists. For BioBetter, the new facility is the latest in a string of developments. In the last year, the start-up has achieved commercial-scale cultivation of its insulin- and FGF-expressing tobacco plants, reached GF expression levels that enable a significant reduction of production costs, enabled significant regulatory progress and advances with the Israel Ministry of Health, collaborated with leading cell-based meat companies and has secured a $10 million Series A investment led by Jerusalem Venture Partners. Following an exclusive tour of the company's facilities, BioBetter's founders and key leaders gave heartfelt speeches – showcasing their pride in the team's accomplishments and their enthusiasm for the future. BioBetter truly knows how to celebrate; the food was incredible and the wine was flowing, with smiles all round. A huge thank you to the BioBetter team for inviting us to the opening of the new pilot plant in Israel, and for the insight into how the start-up is shaking up the cell-based meat industry.

Fox’s Burton’s Companies has exteneded its ‘Fabulous Chocolatey’ range with the launch of two new Indulgent Creams biscuits. The new Fox’s Fabulous Chocolatey Indulgent Creams biscuits are available in honeycomb and hazelnut flavours. They feature a crunchy shortcake biscuit base, a honeycomb or hazelnut flavoured cream filling and are coated in a layer of Fox’s signature milk chocolate, with a “drizzle of velvety chocolate”. Colin Taylor, trade marketing director at FBC UK, said: “Fox’s Chocolatey has long been seen as a premium offering within the ‘Sweet Biscuit’ category. We are taking that one step further with our Fox’s Fabulous Chocolatey Indulgent Creams, offering consumers adventurous new flavours and textural layers, stretching the premium offering”. The new launch is available in Tesco stores now with a wider distribution to follow. They are available for an RRP of £1.75. You may also like to read: Fox’s launches new range of cookies in two flavours Jammie Dodgers unveils apple and blackcurrant flavour Fox’s Burton’s Companies unveils non-HFSS cookies

Mars has released 'The Mars Net Zero Roadmap', an action plan for achieving net zero GHG emissions across its full value chain by 2050. The roadmap includes a new target to cut emissions by 50% by 2030, from a 2015 baseline, with a pathway to net zero by 2050. The company – which peaked emissions in 2018 – has reduced GHGs by 8% (or 2.6 million metric tons) against its 2015 baseline, while growing the business by 60% during that time. As part of the action plan, Mars says it will invest over $1 billion in the next three years, while continuing to commit financial resources as needed until it achieves net zero. It comes as a new Ipsos survey, commissioned by Mars, found that despite current difficult economic circumstances, on average, 69% of adults across the world's seven largest economies think businesses should focus the same amount or more on tackling climate change rather than economic challenges. The research involved 14,468 people in the USA, UK, China, Japan, Germany, France and India. The survey also reported that nearly half of people in the world's seven largest economies place "a great deal" of responsibility on multinational businesses and governments to make changes to address climate change. Poul Weihrauch, Mars CEO said: "We cannot wait for the economy to improve; we must push forward with investments that protect our business today and in the future...Investment in climate is not a trade-off between planet and productivity, or between environment and employment. Consumers and our associates clearly want both – and so do we. Investing in emissions reductions is sound business policy, it is achievable, affordable, and it is absolutely necessary." To achieve net zero, Mars plans to accelerate its focus on transitioning to 100% renewable energy, redesigning its supply chains to stop deforestation, scaling up initiatives in climate-smart agriculture, optimising recipes, improving and optimising logistics and embedding climate action in the business. Weihrauch added that companies should be judged on the actual results they deliver against their climate plans, not just the scale of the commitment they make, “just as we are judged by our boards and investors on the delivery of financial results, not the quality of our financial forecasts”.

Danone has announced plans to invest €50 million to expand its facility in Opole, Poland, to create a new medical nutrition production line. According to the French company, the expansion coincides with macro trends that indicate "a growing demand for the category as populations continue to age and the rate of chronic diseases increases". The new production line will cover 7,000 square meters of additional space. The Opole production plant is said to be one of the largest Danone factories in Europe, covering a total area of almost 13 hectares and employing 700 people. It currently manufactures baby formula and baby food products, such as Bebilon, Bebiko and Bobovita. Specialised nutrition – which includes medical nutrition – comprises 30% of Danone's overall revenue. This investment signifies another step forward against the Renew Danone strategy, aimed at fostering growth across its product lines. Notably, Danone is committed to expanding its medical nutrition offerings, with the goal of reaching an increasing number of patients. The production line will cater to patients who rely on feeding tubes due to their inability to swallow or consume liquids normally. Opole will become Danone's second European facility to manufacture the company's enteral nutrition range, Nutrison. Antoine de Saint-Affrique, Danone CEO, said: “Our long-standing patient-centric approach is at the heart of our specialised nutrition strategy. The line expansion we’re making into the Opole plant will accelerate our innovation within adult medical nutrition, expanding on our 100 years of expertise in the medical nutrition field. The investment will result in more agility in our supply chain, via our existing factories, meaning we can serve more patients, better, locally, while also delivering on our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible. This expansion is the latest example of our Renew Danone strategy in action, as we invest to get ahead of evolving health needs and develop our adult nutrition activities.”

Kentucky Coffee, a coffee-flavoured whiskey brand, has entered the ready-to-drink (RTD) category with the launch of its new Hard Cold Brew range. The range, which is made with premium whiskey and cold brew, is available in three flavours: black, vanilla and mocha. Don Deubler, CEO of Kentucky Coffee's parent company, Atomic Brands, said: "Coffee and whiskey are beloved in their own rights and come together naturally when blended. It's a timeless pair that's been largely overlooked within the RTD space – we're excited to fill that gap for consumers." He added: "Lemonades, teas and sparkling water have made their way from the non-alcoholic RTD category, but we've been missing coffee. Kentucky Coffee Hard Cold Brews answer that." The mixed cocktails will roll out nationwide in 12oz cans at 5.9% ABV this autumn.

US-based organic fruit juice brand Uncle Matt’s Organic is adding a new functional fruit-based beverage, Superfruit Punch, to its portfolio. The product, introduced as a ‘better-for-you, antioxidant-boosted’ beverage, features a blend of ‘superfruits’ including dark sweet cherries, blueberries and black elderberry. It contains 45 kcal per 8oz and contains no cane sugar, preservatives or added flavours. The product is also vegan-friendly and Kosher, as well as certified organic by the USDA and certified glyphosate residue free by The Detox Project. The Superfruit Punch is now available in a 52oz bottle as well as a shelf-stable 8-pack of 6.75oz juice boxes at select retailers across the US, including Whole Foods and Sprouts. Susan McLean, VP of marketing and innovation at Uncle Matt’s Organic, said: “With 100% Vitamin C from the acerola cherry plus polyphenols and flavonoids from the cherries, blueberries and elderberries, this antioxidant-rich beverage is a great way to increase your intake of essential nutrients and quench your thirst at the same time”.

Nestlé UK and Ireland, Cargill and CCm Technologies are collaborating on an initiative to assess whether cocoa shells could be used to create a low-carbon fertiliser. If successful, the two-year trial could result in the production of up to 7,000 tonnes of low-carbon fertiliser, offered to farmers in Nestlé’s UK wheat supply chain. This amount equates to around 25% of Nestlé UK’s total fertiliser use for wheat. The cocoa shells are supplied by Cargill, which processes the cocoa at its confectionery facility in York to become key ingredients in Nestlé chocolate products such as KitKat and Aero. A trial volume of cocoa shell has been processed and pelletised by Swindon-based CCm Technologies. The trials are designed and overseen by York-based Fera Science. They are currently taking place on arable farms in Suffolk and Northamptonshire, designed to investigate the fertiliser’s performance in terms of wheat yield and quality, as well as soil biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The project forms part of Nestlé’s wider sustainability ambitions, in line with commitments to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and sourcing 50% of its key ingredients from regenerative agricultural methods by 2030. Matt Ryan, regeneration lead at Nestlé UK and Ireland, said: ““Farmers often find themselves to be among the first groups to be exposed to global issues, and these risks are then borne by the food system we all depend upon. We have to find ways to build more resilience into the system and optimising our use of natural resources is a critical part of this.” Richard Ling, farm manager at Rookery Farm in Norfolk – a supplier of wheat to Nestlé Purina – said that the farm has successfully grown a winter wheat crop using the new fertiliser and has seen no significant difference in the yield compared with conventional fertiliser. “We are really reassured with the results and are looking at running further trials. It’s a step change to be able to use a fertiliser made from a waste stream and see the same results as using a conventional product,” Ling said.