Raps, an innovative spice and flavour concepts provider, will present its new ingredient range for the bakery industry and retail chains at the Iba trade fair in Munich, Germany on 22-26 October. The focus will be on both ready-to-use fillings and toppings made from high-quality raw materials and functional, microencapsulated ingredients for optimised dough and product properties. Examples such as “Hot Jalapeno Cheese” or “Oriental Green Pea Mint” and “Ras el hanout” provide an innovative new taste experience, according to Raps. The company also offers herbs and spices in sprinkle or paste format that can be incorporated into dough to give added flavour and an appealing appearance. Raps’ Coatec process provides functional core materials with a protective layer, “shielding them from external influences such as temperature, moisture and oxidation”. The technology enables a controlled release of ingredients such as microencapsulated acids and preservatives, which improve the shelf life and dough properties of tortillas, flatbreads, sandwich and toast bread, bread rolls and buns. The portfolio also includes microencapsulated flavours, sugars and salts. Michael Bosch, technical sales manager for the bakery division of Raps, commented: “We are delighted to be showcasing our portfolio at Iba. The functional ingredients refined with the Coatec process offer solutions to increase product quality and plant efficiency while reducing the reject rate.” He added: “The baking industry is always looking for innovations that allow for the creation of appealing product ranges for all tastes, from light snacks to exciting new on-the-go lunch options”.

Nescafé Dolce Gusto is launching two new additions to its Italian Inspiration range, Espresso Roma and Espresso Milano. The Espresso Roma is described as rich and intense, aiming to bring the “vibrancy of the Italian capital”. It is comprised of a blend of coffees from five different origins for a rounded taste, described as having a velvety body with toasted notes of blackcurrant. Espresso Milano coffee is inspired by Italy’s fashion capital, designed to “add a touch of sophistication” to the range. It has notes of red fruit and dark chocolate combined with a light spicy note for a “delicate” toasting. Nescafé Dolce Gusto brand manager, Maryna Kinchyna, said: “Espresso has several characteristics and degrees of intensity as you travel throughout Italy. From the north downwards, coffee drinkers in the country would find distinct levels of toasting and creaminess.” “The Italian Inspiration Range perfectly interprets these different and authentic souls of espresso coffee as they would be found in Italy.” The new blends are now available through Nescafé’s web shop and will roll out in Sainsbury’s stores across the UK from September.

Germany-based soft drinks brand Holy has raised €10.5 million in a Series A funding round to scale its offering across Europe. The funding round was led by global venture capital firm Left Lane Capital. Existing investors FoodLabs and Simon Capital (formerly known as Bitburger Ventures) joined the round. London-based consumer fund V3 Ventures (part of international consumer investment company Verlinvest) and the venture arm of Hamburg-based media company OMR also participated, alongside food and beverage industry experts such as Just Spices co-founder Bela Seebach and YFood founders Benjamin Kremer and Noel Bollmann. Holy, founded in Berlin in 2020, offers a powder-based soft drink range, designed to provide an eco-friendlier and healthier alternative to traditional soft drinks through its reduced packaging waste format and natural ingredients. Founder and CMO, Philipp Nass, said: “With low sugar, low calories, functional ingredients like vitamins, nootropics, antioxidants and fibre, as well as natural flavours and colours, our drinks really appeal to the next generation of consumers”. The company, currently operating as a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand, has more than 200,000 customers for its Holy Energy and Holy Iced Tea products across Germany, France, Austria and Switzerland. The funding round has been described by investors as one of the most competitive consumer rounds this year, despite a current slump in DTC investment. It brings the total funding raised by Holy to €12.3 million. The funds will support the brand’s mission to become the leading healthier soft drink in Europe, with a strategy including new product launches, expanding into new territories including the UK and moving into retail channels. Mathias Horsch, founder and co-CEO, said: “Holy is currently a team of 25. Now we’re looking for new talent to fuel our product, geographic, and channel expansion as we accelerate our growth across Europe.”

Irish dairy cooperative Ornua has announced that John Jordan, its chief executive, will be stepping down from his current role. Jordan is set to embark on a new endeavour as he assumes the role of chief operating officer within a US-based private equity firm. While his departure from Ornua is anticipated in the near future, he will remain engaged with the board to ensure an effective transition process. The process of selecting a new chief executive for Ornua is poised to commence immediately. The organisation's board has designated Donal Buggy, current chief financial officer, as the interim chief executive. In this capacity, Buggy will guide Ornua through the transitional phase. Ornua cooperative chair Aidan O’Driscoll said: “John Jordan has been an excellent Chief Executive for Ornua over the past five years, and prior to that he held several other key management roles. John has given a huge part of his professional life to Ornua, as he joined us approximately 30 years ago. It has been a privilege to work with him, and on behalf of the Board, the Executive and the rest of the Ornua team, I want to thank John for all his efforts and wish him the very best for the future". He continued: "I am very pleased that we are in a position to appoint someone of the quality of Donal Buggy as interim CEO. Donal has been CFO at Ornua since 2013 and is widely known and highly respected by Ornua staff, customers and industry peers. The Board and I are very confident in his ability to lead Ornua ably during the coming period. John Jordan will work with the Board and Donal to ensure a smooth and efficient transition.” Jordan added: “It has been a huge honour for me to be the Chief Executive of Ornua, and to have spent three decades working in this business. I am so proud of the positive impact that Ornua creates for its coop shareholders and in turn for the 14,000 Irish dairy farming families that supply them and enable Ornua to create world-class premium products for our customers globally. I am confident that Ornua will go from strength to strength. We have great brands and a brilliant team.”

UK-based premium milkshake brand Shaken Udder is expanding its ambient range of milkshakes with the introduction of a new strawberry flavour. Shaken Udder’s ambient range, which launched in 2022, was created to provide a premium milkshake offering for the convenience channel. Shakes in the range have a longer shelf-life without compromising on taste and with no need for chilled storage. The brand says it created the newest flavour, Strawberry Dream, as strawberry continues to be popular in convenience and “represents the second largest flavour in the category”. Strawberry Dream is made with real strawberries and dairy cream, and like all Shaken Udder milkshakes, contains no artificial colours, flavours or preservatives. Other flavours in the ambient range include Chocolush and Vanillalicious – all flavours are HFSS compliant. The new flavour will initially launch into convenience stores, before further rollout later in the year.

UK packaging company Xact has launched two new packaging solutions to help retailers reduce the amount of plastic packaging used for fresh produce. The Rev Elephant is designed for carton board punnets with wings, while the Rev Condor has been developed for taping bunches of loose produce. The products are expected to enable grocery retailers to remove millions of pieces of single-use plastic from their supply chains every year. Xact’s carton board punnets are currently being rolled out across UK stores and are fully recyclable with household paper waste collection. The Rev Elephant delivers speeds of up to 250 packs per minute, compared to other carton board-based solutions typically deliver speeds of 80 packs per minute, according to Xact. The containers are closed by applying food grade and hot melt glue. The variable information is then printed directly onto the punnet. It is said to be suitable for a range of fresh produce and non-food packaging lines, both automated and manual loading. The compact packing “ensures no damage to delicate produce”, with the container fully optimised to avoid any empty spaces inside the package. Rachel Bastow, marketing manager at Xact, explained: “Our Rev Elephant machine is a game-changer for the grocery industry. Up to approximately three times faster than other solutions on the market, the machine enables retailers to meet demand both in terms of pack quantity and quality. We have a proud track record in helping food producers and retailers tackle complex problems and is it hugely rewarding to have helped one of the country’s leading grocers deliver on its plastic reduction promise.” The Rev Condor is an automatic taping machine, ideal for securing bunches of loose fresh produce and reducing the need for more unsustainable packaging. For produce such as bananas, the taping method also helps to maintain product quality, allowing them to ripen in their natural state. The machine can automatically tape 40-45 loose products per minute and the tape itself can be manufactured from either PP, paper or compostable materials and customised according to a retailer’s specific branding.

Premier Foods’ brand Batchelors is expanding its instant noodle portfolio with the launch of its Cook With Noodles range, as well as a new Super Noodles product. The UK brand said its new range will look to drive growth in the instant noodle category and promote noodles as the foundation of a main meal. Batchelors Cook With Noodles, lauching in Chicken and Beef flavours, aim to help consumers to create quick, easy and cost-efficient meals. The noodles have been designed to provide “the perfect portion size” and can be mixed with protein and vegetables for a nutritionally balanced meal offering. The brand’s Super Noodles range is also rolling out a new American Buffalo sauce flavour. Cook With Noodles is rolling out across the grocery channel this month and Super Noodles in American Buffalo sauce flavour is now available in Sainsbury’s. Cook With Noodles are sold in packs of four 60g packets for a MSRP of £2.25, while Super Noodles American Buffalo flavour are sold in individual 90g packets for £1.45. Basak Melik, brand director for quick meals, soups and snacks at Premier Foods, said: “Noodles are often cooked with other ingredients such as protein and vegetables and we wanted to provide a product designed precisely for this purpose, with flavours that can be adapted to suit a range of different dishes”. “By adding Cook With Noodles to our portfolio, we are making Batchelors a destination for main meals, alongside snacking, helping to unlock new shoppers and mealtime opportunities. Batchelors has been helping families with quick and easy meals for many years, and we are always looking for ways to support our customers further, as well as expand opportunities within the QMS category.”

Farmer-owned dairy cooperative Omsco has announced it will now be known as, and trade under, Organic Herd. The rebranding is set to support Organic Herd’s vision to be recognised as a sustainable organic dairy farmers cooperative. The cooperative hopes to build its reputation as a producer of high-quality organic dairy products, while bringing awareness to the intrinsic benefits of organic dairy. The new name and identity coincides with the launch of a new Organic Herd range of premium branded organic products – the cooperative says that the value-added range will showcase the very best of organic dairy and set it apart from conventional dairy offerings. Martyn Anthony, Organic Herd’s CEO said: “The transition from being the Organic Milk Suppliers Cooperative (Omsco) to Organic Herd demonstrates the ongoing evolution of the business. From being simply a transactional supplier of organic milk to third-party processors, our new name reflects that we are now a more confident and more progressive business with a range of valuable customers, supply partnerships, products offerings and routes to market.” He continued: “We believe our new, more relevant and relatable name will enable us to redefine and reinforce all that is great about organic dairy. It will enable us to engage more effectively with customers and consumers on the issues that they care about and make a compelling case for why they should choose organic dairy, which by its very nature is the original and only fully accredited regenerative dairy farming system.” Organic Herd says its new name is an “integral part of an ambitious long-term growth and development strategy, based upon continuing to build a more balanced business profile”. It plans to do this through enhancing its long-term sustainable supply partnerships with dedicated dairy processors, food producers and food ingredients businesses, continuing to grow its established international presence, and launching a range of innovative, added value consumer products into the UK market. The new Organic Herd range will include cheddars, butters and flavoured butters including a truffle butter, ‘Port Salut style’ soft cheeses featuring two bold flavoured variants, chocolate and two milk drinking chocolates. The range will debut at London’s Speciality Fine Food Fair in September and will be sold at specialist retailers, delis and farm shops across the UK. Martyn Anthony added: “Our new name, identity, and premium product range, we believe, reflect and reinforce our core brand values of being collaborative, innovative, authentic and, above all, our preparedness to be bold to make a positive difference. We know we have much more to do but believe our new identity will be a catalyst to enhance and accelerate our mission of providing a sustainable future for our dairy farmers and the natural environment in which they farm.”

Wells Enterprises has announced plans to expand its Dunkirk, New York, US manufacturing facility, which would bring more than 200 new jobs to the area. The facility is responsible for manufacturing the likes of its Blue Bunny, Halo Top, Bomb Pop and Blue Ribbon Classics brands. The expansion is anticipated to more than double the facility's production output and help support the company as it looks to grow in novelty and packaged ice cream. Liam Killeen, CEO of Wells Enterprises, said: “We are extremely excited to build on the strength of our team in Dunkirk and continue to work with the community to grow and expand our operations here. The investment in Dunkirk illustrates our passion to provide high-quality premium ice cream products that bring joy to consumers around the world. The planned expansion also reinforces our dedication to our team, consumers and the community as a critical part of the long-term future of our company.” Construction is expected to commence in the autumn of 2023, with official groundbreaking in early 2024. Mark Meyer, COO of Wells Enterprises, said: "The planned expansion of the Dunkirk facility follows our team’s continued strong performance over the last several months. That, coupled with the continued growth plan for our brands and the category overall makes expanding our Dunkirk facility the right choice for Wells.” He added: "We are extremely grateful for the partnerships with Empire State Development, Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency, and the City of Dunkirk as their support remains critical to take us over the finish line on this incredibly exciting project”. Wells Enterprises expects the project, with the necessary approvals and in collaboration with local and state officials, to be operational by late 2025. Financial details of the expansion were not disclosed.

Fast food chain Subway has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Roark Capital, a private equity firm boasting $37 billion in managed assets. Some sources have revealed that the deal amounted to a substantial $9.55 billion in total value. This transaction signifies a huge milestone in Subway's progression and evolution. It brings together the global footprint and brand strength of the chain, with Roark's proficiency in restaurant operations and franchise frameworks. Roark's primary focus is on investments within consumer and business service sectors, particularly in franchises and franchise-like models. "This transaction reflects Subway's long-term growth potential, and the substantial value of our brand and our franchisees around the world," said John Chidsey, CEO of Subway. "Subway has a bright future with Roark, and we are committed to continuing to focus on a win-win-win approach for our franchisees, our guests and our employees." This acquisition follows Subway's recent declaration of achieving its tenth consecutive quarter of favourable same-store sales. The chain says it will continue to implement its strategy, prioritising sales expansion, improving menu offerings, modernising its eateries, enhancing the overall guest experience and furthering its global reach. Subway has enlisted J.P. Morgan as its financial advisor, while Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is providing legal counsel. Timing is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

PepsiCo Beverages North America (PBNA) is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the opening of its new distribution facility in Boise, Idaho, US. The new 109,000-square-foot facility has been designed with sustainability in mind – the beverage giant says it will be equipped with industry-leading technologies and sustainable business solutions to further achieve PBNA’s larger sustainability goals of “bringing positive environmental advances to Idaho and beyond”. Key features include fully electrified warehouse equipment, a modernised employee-focused office space, a “state-of-the-art” fleet shop and an optimised warehouse space. The new building is also the first facility in the world to feature external signage of PepsiCo’s new logo – its first update of the classic Pepsi globe in 14 years. The Boise facility is also bringing new jobs to the community and is hiring across merchandising, delivery, warehouse and sales operations.

Oishi Group will be delisted from Thailand’s stock exchange after Thai Beverage (ThaiBev) announced that it had acquired another 70,662,764 shares in the company. The additional shares purchased represent 18.84% of Oishi, bringing ThaiBev’s ownership up to 98.5%. ThaiBev bought a 43.9% stake in Oishi from Yodkit Thurakij for THB 3.045 billion (approx. $94 million) in 2008. The tender offer in line with the delisting of Oishi Group in Thailand closed on 21 August. The Oishi delisting is expected to occur in due course. Thailand-based Oishi operates Japanese restaurants in the country and produces ready-to-drink tea beverages, mainly under the brand Oishi Green Tea, which are exported to several international markets. In 2012, ThaiBev purchased Fraser and Neave, a conglomerate with a portfolio of food and beverage brands such as Carnation and Sunkist. Fraser and Neave announced it had entered into the upstream fresh milk business following the groundbreaking ceremony of the group’s integrated dairy farm in Gemas, Negri Sembilan in July of this year. The company invested at least MYR 1 billion (approx. $216.48m) for the development of phase one of the farm. Financial details of ThaiBev’s Oishi shares acquisition were not disclosed.