Molson Coors Beverage Company has agreed to acquire bourbon and rye whiskey producer, Blue Run Spirits. This acquisition, which represents a further advancement in Molson Coors' transformation as a total beverage company, provides Blue Run with the necessary means to continue its growth. Blue Run is currently available in 31 US states and can be found at retail and on-premise accounts in the US and online. Based in Georgetown, Kentucky, Blue Run is one of the newest additions to the whiskey sector, having been introduced to the market in October 2020. The deal marks Molson Coors’ first spirits acquisition. According to Molson Coors, the acquisition of Blue Run boosts the company's footprint in the spirits sector, "as it continues to evolve from its storied history as a beer company and premiumise its portfolio". Simultaneously, Molson Coors has established Coors Spirits Co, an expansion of its existing spirits business, which will house Blue Run, Five Trail Blended American Whiskey, Barmen 1873 Bourbon, and upcoming innovations. The deal is expected to "more than double" the size of Molson Coors' spirits division, further supporting the company's premiumisation strategy. Molson Coors’ chief commercial officer, Michelle St. Jacques, said: “Molson Coors has been on a journey to broaden beyond our beer roots and build powerful brands in growing categories, and Blue Run joining us is an exciting next step as we establish Coors Spirits Co. Blue Run has accomplished in three years what many brands hope to do in a generation and has done it at the luxury end of the whiskey category. Importantly, we are committed to maintaining Blue Run’s well-known quality, design and innovation as we continue to grow our spirits portfolio.” Blue Run’s founders – Mike Montgomery, Tim Sparapani, Jesse McKnight and Andy Brown – will all remain with the brand. In March of 2023, Blue Run unveiled its intentions to build a distillery in Kentucky, US. Those plans will continue as part of the Molson Coors family. Additionally, Blue Run has scheduled the launch of three new whiskies for the late summer/autumn period. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Dow and Mengniu have partnered to introduce a yogurt pouch made entirely from polyethylene (PE) in China. Mengniu developed its first all-PE yogurt pouch with Dow's Innate TF-Bope resins "to help ensure that packaging maintains its superior appearance and productiveness," said Dow. The new packaging solution, which is designed for recyclability, allows previously "hard-to-recycle" packaging to be integrated into closed-loop recycling systems. This is achieved through responsible recycling and mechanical recycling technology, providing consumers with more options for sustainable packaging. Bambang Candra, Asia Pacific commercial vice president of Dow packaging and speciality plastics, said: “This partnership with Mengniu is a milestone for both brands to pioneer all-PE dairy packaging designed for recyclability in China. The country’s ambition to work towards zero-waste cities has changed how it tackles plastic waste." "This collaboration is a significant step in facilitating recyclability and empowering the possibilities for recycled packaging to be transformed into high-value applications through responsible disposal and appropriate recycling process, reducing our industry’s reliance on unrenewable resources. Through our advanced research and development capabilities, we strive to help brand owners like Mengniu to take action and deliver on their sustainability commitments.” Mengniu aims to achieve 100% technically recyclable packaging by 2025, seeking to adopt low-carbon packaging in all of its product lines. Mengniu introduced its yogurt pouches with PE packaging for the first time during the 2023 International Dairy Forum, held from 4-7 August in Hohhot, China. These pouches will soon be accessible at supermarkets throughout the city.

Under its Ambrosia brand, Premier Foods is introducing three new SKUs to its Deluxe range with the launch of Deluxe Rice. The latest addition comes in three varieties, Deluxe Rice cans in West Country Cream and Deluxe Rice pots in Madagascan Vanilla and Salted Caramel flavours, all providing a more indulgent version of the popular rice pudding dessert. The new Deluxe Rice range follows the successful launch of Ambrosia Deluxe Custard in 2021, which was introduced to meet consumer demand for premium and indulgent ambient desserts. Ambrosia Deluxe Rice is made with fresh cream and blended with fine ingredients to make a creamy, thick and indulgent rice pudding. It is available as a 400g can in West Country Cream flavour or 110g pot twin-packs in Madagascan Vanilla and Salted Caramel flavours. The range was designed for dessert and snacking occasions – and as they are ambient, they can easily be enjoyed at home or on-the-go. Premier Foods says that ambient desserts are performing especially well due to their “good value” and “affordability” as adults spend less on non-essentials due to cost-of-living increases in the UK. According to the company, “ambient desserts have a lower average selling price of £0.95 compared to chilled at £1.47”. Daniel Jalalpour, marketing director of desserts at Premier Foods, said: “With the spending squeeze affecting households, consumers have been moving towards more affordable ambient options. Recognising the huge opportunity to provide consumers with more premium offerings that meet demand for indulgence and affordability, we have launched the three new rice desserts to give shoppers more choice.” Ambrosia Deluxe Rice is available to purchase in Asda stores now with further retail rollout in the following months.

PepsiCo's Lay's is introducing Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed flavoured potato chips, which feature a mix of ketchup, barbecue sauce, sour cream and onion, and salt and vinegar. The Ruffles All Dressed potato chip flavour first launched in the US in 2015 before leaving shelves in 2021. This summer, Lay's is launching a fusion between its Kettle Cooked and Ruffles in a chip that offers a tangy, savoury and sweet flavour experience. "Lay's is the authority in flavour innovation, with groundbreaking flavours found in the Lay's Flavour Swap program among those leading the charge in bringing joy to our fans," said Tina Mahal, senior vice president of marketing, Frito-Lay North America. "With Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed flavoured potato chips, we found a new way to connect with consumers by listening to what they wanted to see from us – bringing back Ruffles All Dressed – while adding a fresh spin with Lay's Kettle Cooked." Along with the new flavour, Lay's is reprising some favourites from Flavor Swap's past to bring joy to the ultimate snackers, including Lay’s Cheetos Cheese, Lay’s Doritos Cool Ranch, Lay’s Wavy Funyuns Onion. Starting this month, the four Flavor Swap flavours will be available at retailers in the US. Lay's Lay's Kettle Cooked Ruffles All Dressed will be available in 8 oz and 2.5 oz bags.

US cereal brand Catalina Crunch has launched its latest innovation, Catalina Crunch Pairings, a low-sugar cereal line with fruit inclusions. With the new product line, the brand combines its traditional cereal base with flavourful inclusions like nuts and berries. The launch was developed following the company’s research showing that one in three consumers add toppings to their cereal to improve taste and texture. Two new flavours are launching: Blueberry Muffin Cereal with Whole Blueberries, and Honey Nut Cereal with Roasted Almonds. Both flavours are 100% plant-based, contain no added sugar and 10g of protein per serving. They are available in 8oz pouches, launching direct-to-consumer (DTC) first and rolling out to retailers across the US in early 2024. Krishna Kaliannan, founder and CEO of Catalina Crunch, said: “Given the quick success of Catalina Crunch's low sugar, high protein cereals over the past few years, we saw a clear opportunity to expand on that”. “We're thrilled to unveil our newest, crunchiest addition to the family of products. At Catalina Crunch, our mission is to provide cleaner snacking options, and as consumers prioritise health, we're proud to offer new, innovative, and nutritious choices for everyday snacking or breakfast routines.” Catalina Crunch launched as a DTC exclusive brand in 2019 and is now sold in over 22,000 stores throughout the US.

UK bio-tech business Clean Food Group has announced an investment and strategic collaboration with Alianza Team, a Latin American food production and lipid-based technology specialist. The long-term collaboration agreement aims to accelerate Clean Food Group’s pathway to commercialisation, combining Clean Food Group’s expertise in producing microbial oils with Alianza’s 75 years’ experience in developing functional, value-add oil and fat products for food manufacturers. Together, the two companies plan to develop and bring to market products that meet the industry’s need for sustainable, functional and cost-competitive oils and fats to replace commonly used, agriculturally intensive food ingredients. As part of the collaboration, Alianza is investing in Clean Food Group’s current Pre Series A funding round. Supported by new and existing investors, the round is expected to close this month. Capital raised from the funding will accelerate scale-up of Clean Food Group’s technology platform while advancing critical regulatory and commercial pathways. Clean Food Group aims to complete a Series A funding round in 2024, by which time it expects to have validated its technology at a commercial scale and have clear line of sight to near-term revenue generation. Funds raised in the Series A round will support the build of a commercial scale manufacturing facility. Its technology platform was developed through eight years of research led by the company’s technical lead, Chris Chuck. It uses proven, scalable yeast strains and fermentation technology, using food waste as its food source to deliver sustainable oil and fat alternatives. Clean Food Group’s co-founder and CEO, Alex Neves, said: “We are delighted to be sharing the news of this investment and collaboration with Alianza Team today”. “The strategic collaboration with Alianza Team will drive forward our commercialisation strategy and support our objective to bring sustainable oils and fats on to the market, at commercial scale, within the next three years.” Luis Botero, president and CEO at Alianza Team, added: “Alianza Team is committed to creating a new future of healthy and sustainable food choices for our customers”. “We are excited to be investing in and collaborating with Clean Food Group, an organisation where we believe our shared core values of innovation and sustainability will deliver healthier, more nutritional foods to improve our food systems for future generations.”

Omnia Technologies, an automation, bottling and packaging technologies platform created by Investindustrial for the beverage and pharmaceutical sectors, has announced two new acquisitions with an approximate combined turnover of €400 million. The acquisitions include F&B technology company, TMCI Padovan, and Omega, a sales engineering company with a focus on technical support and service and a long-standing partner of Omnia Technologies in the Americas. TMCI Padovan has four production plants, 230 employees, and a turnover of approximately €65 million, achieved across 90 countries through its four divisions: Easybräu-Velo, specialising in industrial and craft beer production plants; Chemtech, active in manufacturing plants for gelatin, margarine and food products; Padovan, focused on designing solutions for the wine sector; SAP-Blendtech, a division dedicated to designing machinery and plants for fruit juice and soft drink production; and IFBTECH, dedicated to the dairy segment and the production of plant-based drinks. The acquisition of TMCI Padovan will support Omnia Technologies position in the F&B industry and expand its overall presence in international markets. Following the acquisitions, the company is expected to have a consolidated turnover of approximately €400 million, with 17 production sites and 1,400 employees. Andrea Stolfa, CEO of Omnia Technologies, said: "These acquisitions are a fundamental step in our growth path. TMCI Padovan is a company with over 100 years’ history and a unique portfolio of knowledge and clients, while Omega synergically complements our offering and improves our service. As a result, we will be able to strengthen Omnia Technologies' presence in the machinery for the food and beverage industry and to further expand our offering in the processing and bottling segments." Omnia Technologies was advised on the TMCI Padovan acquisition by Banca Finint, BonelliErede, PwC, WSP Italia and Willis Towers Watson.

The Glenlivet Speyside single malt Scotch whisky – part of the Chivas Brothers portfolio – has introduced Twist & Mix Cocktails, a new line of premium, ready-to-serve cocktails. Using “first-to-market technology,” the new cocktails feature patented Vessl closure and mixing caps. "Simply twist the cap and the cleverly designed mechanism will burst cocktail flavours into The Glenlivet single malt giving a freshly mixed cocktail, in an instant”. Walter Apodaca, founder and CEO of Vessl, commented: “We are impressed with how The Glenlivet has adopted our technology to create high quality, freshly mixed ultra-premium craft cocktails at home. This is exactly the kind of forward-thinking use of the Vessl technology we envisioned, and it tastes even better than we imagined.” The brand says that the new offering provides a premium, crafted experience without leftover ingredients, complex recipes or bar equipment. The collection is beginning with the launch of the Old Fashioned and New Manhattan cocktails. The Old Fashioned beverage provides tasting notes of orange, nutmeg and cinnamon, while the New Manhattan drink features notes of cherry and ginger. Jayne Murphy, global marketing director of Malts at Chivas Brothers, said: “For nearly 200 years The Glenlivet has broken tradition, so it’s in our pioneering spirit to, together with Vessl, develop a new way to enjoy RTD cocktails – unleashing a fresh, elevated at-home experience that meets global consumer demand”. Yogesh Gandhi, global head of innovation at Chivas Brothers, added: “This project provided us with the challenge of reinventing the ready-to-serve experience within a highly competitive market segment. What has been achieved puts the consumer at the heart – no mess, fuss or skill required to create a bartender-level, freshly mixed cocktail in seconds.” The Glenlivet Twist & Mix Cocktails are available in 375ml bottle size which each contain eight servings. They are launching exclusively in the US for an RRP of $21.99, with further markets to be announced.

Campbell Soup Company has entered into an agreement to acquire Sovos Brands for $23 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $2.7 billion. Sovos Brands’s portfolio includes products such as pasta sauces, dry pasta, soups, frozen entrées, frozen pizza and yogurts under the brand names Rao’s, Michael Angelo’s and Noosa. The acquisition will add a “high-growth, market-leading premium portfolio” of brands to Campbell’s meals and beverages division. Campbell’s president and CEO, Mark Clouse, said: “We’re thrilled to add the most compelling growth story in the food industry and welcome the talented employees who have built a nearly $1 billion portfolio”. He added: “This acquisition fits perfectly with and accelerates our strategy of focusing on one geography, two divisions and select key categories that we know well. Our focused strategy has enabled us to deliver strong results over the last five years, enhance our brands and capabilities, and generate strong cash flow to lower debt. “With all this progress, I am confident in our readiness to execute and integrate this important acquisition. The Sovos Brands portfolio strengthens and diversifies our meals and beverages division and paired with our faster-growing and differentiated snacks division, makes Campbell one of the most dependable, growth-oriented names in food.” Todd Lachman, founder, president and chief executive officer of Sovos Brands, commented: “We have built a one-of-a-kind, high growth food company focused on taste-led products across a portfolio of premium brands, anchored by the Rao’s brand. As one of the most trusted and respected food companies in North America, I’m confident in Campbell’s ability to continue bringing our products to more households and further building on our track record of growth and success for years to come.” Campbell plans to finance the acquisition price through the issuance of new debt. The closing of the transaction is subject to Sovos Brands stockholder approval and customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Closing is expected by the end of December 2023.

Novo Holdings portfolio company Bactolife – known for its gut microbiome-strengthening proteins, Binding Proteins – has raised over €30 million in funding. The financing round is led by Athos and includes participation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and existing investors, including Novo Holdings. The capital will be used to accelerate Bactolife's "most advanced projects" towards commercial launch and strengthen both its technology platform and upscaling capabilities. In doing so, the company strives to maintain its "first-mover advantage to transform human and animal health with target-specific Binding Proteins," said Bactolife. Binding Proteins are milk-homologous proteins designed to attach to the toxins produced by gastrointestinal pathogens. The company explained that the Binding Proteins "represent a new paradigm within precision gut microbiome by bringing together state-of-the-art protein science with an affordable, broadly applicable, food and feed product registration". Sebastian Søderberg, CEO of Bactolife, said: "We are very pleased and humbled by the continued confidence that investors have shown us, especially in times of geopolitical uncertainty and market turmoil. The funding allows us to increase our investments in our project pipeline, technology platform, organisation and upscaling capabilities. Further, it will enable Bactolife to accelerate our partnering efforts with world-leading companies and commercialise our first product concepts for humans and animals." Julian Zachmann, investment manager at Athos, stated: "Infectious diseases and increasing antimicrobial resistance are amongst the biggest threats to global health and development. We are committed to addressing this challenge and believe in Bactolife's targeted solutions." Aleks Engel, partner, Novo Holdings, added: "The successful Series A is another validation of Bactolife's impressive achievements and opportunity for the future. Bactolife is a great example of the strong Danish biotech ecosystem, as its technology platform originates from a Danish University, and was then further enabled by pioneering Danish biotech companies and talents. This bodes well for the future of not only Bactolife, but the Danish biotech sector as a whole. Further, I am very pleased that the international investors share our enthusiasm for finding solutions to the global AMR crisis. Combatting antimicrobial resistance requires all hands on deck."

Tyson Foods has announced plans to close four chicken processing facilities, located in Corydon, Indiana, Dexter, Missouri, Noel, Missouri and North Little Rock, Arkansas in the US. Through the closures, the meat giant aims to "optimise network asset utilisation,” as it adjusts to a decline and slowing demand for certain products. Donnie King, president and CEO of Tyson Foods, said: “The difficult decision to close four chicken facilities in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Corydon, Indiana, Dexter, Missouri and Noel, Missouri, demonstrates our commitment to bold action and operational excellence as we drive performance, including lower costs and improving capacity utilisation, and build on our strategy of making Tyson Foods stronger in the long-term.” The company expects to shift production to other facilities, with operations at the four plants slated to cease in late 2023 or by the first half of 2024. Chief financial officer John Tyson told analysts that the four facilities account for about 10% of Tyson's chicken-slaughter capacity. The Mayor of Noel, Terry Lance, said that Tyson employs around 1,500 workers at the Noel facility, with the city’s total population reaching 2,100 people. "It's going to impact the city pretty hard," Lance said. Local officials have reported that the closures could affect more than 680 people who work at the facility in Dexter, around 300 employees in North Little Rock and more than 500 jobs in Corydon, Indiana. Tyson has not confirmed how many plant employees will be affected by the closures. The company said it will help relocate workers and encouraged them to apply for other positions at Tyson. The news follows Tyson’s announcement in April that it was to cut approximately 15% of senior leadership roles and 10% of corporate roles as it looks to “prioritise work that drives value” for its customers and consumers. The month prior, Tyson reported it was shutting two US chicken processing plants, affecting almost 1,700 Tyson employees.

Schneider Electric, an energy management and automation company, has launched a new collaborative machine, Lexium Cobot. The new machine features next-generation automation and advanced industrial robotics technology, designed to work closely alongside humans to perform “gentle and diligent movements”. The Lexium Cobot helps to minimise downtime caused by labour shortages, which is said to currently cost factories as much as 20% in productive capacity. The Lexium Cobot’s technological capabilities enable it to engage in various applications that would not be possible using conventional industrial robots, according to Schneider. The machine can also be quickly integrated into industrial plants without spending large amounts of time and money. Lexium Cobots can work in standalone configurations, making the machine a suitable choice for production environments by collaborating with their human counterparts to ease heavier, more repetitive or complex tasks. Mike Teller, global OEM strategy and sustainability leader, Schneider Electric said: “The release of the Lexium Cobot to the market marks a crucial step in next-generation robotic systems. Traditional industrial robotic systems must be designed into processes from day one. Although they can be very effective at accurately and consistently performing operations which are repetitive and arduous for workers, their speed and power make them unsuitable to work alongside people.” He added: “The Lexium Cobot, on the other hand, is intentionally designed to work with people, and offers a fast return on investment, easy integration without the capital costs of major process rework, and helps make plant more agile, productive and safe environments”.