Beneo has launched its first barley beta-glucans ingredient, Orafti β-Fit. The ingredient offers various health benefits, such as positive impacts on heart health and blood sugar management. Beta-glucans are viscous and soluble dietary fibres that make the food thicker and delay its passage through the large and small intestines as a result. Orafti β-Fit is a natural and clean label wholegrain barley flour with 20% beta-glucans. It joins Beneo’s functional fibre product range and is available worldwide. Functional food ingredients such as barley beta-glucans are said to offer food manufacturers an easy way to create appealing products with convincing front-of-pack communication and a convenient way for consumers to choose nutritional products that positively impact heart health. Eric Neven, commercial managing director of functional fibres at Beneo, said: “The exciting launch of our new wholegrain and clean label barley flour, Oraft β-Fit, further demonstrates our expertise and position as a leading provider of functional fibres”. He added: “With its convincing health benefits and approved health claims while being also an economically attractive solution, Orafti β-Fit supports our company’s ambition of connecting nutrition and health. We help food manufacturers develop great tasting products that deliver added value in times of tighter consumer budgets.” Beneo’s Orafti β-Fit can be used in a range of applications including baked goods, pasta, cereals and meal replacements.

Campbell's has unveiled two new gluten-free cooking soups – cream of mushroom and cream of chicken – under its condensed cooking line. According to the company, the condensed gluten-free soups will help serve nearly one out of five Americans who are currently avoiding gluten. The cream of chicken soup is made with chicken meat that has no antibiotics and farm fresh cream. Meanwhile, the cream of mushroom flavour is made with mushrooms, garlic, farm fresh cream and has no preservatives. "Answering the question of 'what's for dinner' can be challenging for those trying to avoid gluten," said Gary Mazur, VP of marketing, soup & broth at Campbell Soup Company. "Through these new offerings, we're excited to have our iconic soups help address dietary needs and create even more mealtime moments." Campbell's condensed gluten-free soups are available at retailers nationwide throughout the summer for an SRP of $1.99.

British instant snack brand Pot Noodle will trial switching to a new 90% paper pot design, to be launched with an initial 500,000 pots in Tesco exclusively. The new pot, made with FSC certified paper, will be trialled for the brand’s Chicken and Mushroom flavour. Parent company Unilever said its packaging and manufacturing teams have been developing and refining the paper pot for over three years, significantly reducing plastic usage while ensuring the packaging still holds its shape and delivers the same quality eating experience. Shopper feedback and insights from the trial will be used to support the scale-up of the innovation at the Pot Noodle factory, where Unilever has introduced new capabilities to switch from plastic to paper-based production. Innovating with alternative materials is part of Unilever’s sustainable packaging strategy. The company said it will play an important role in delivering its commitment to halving its use of virgin plastic, alongside increasing use of recycled plastic, moving to ultra-concentrated formulas which use smaller bottles and looking at other packaging innovations such as refillable bottles. If the trial is successful, Pot Noodle’s ambition is to move its full range to paper pots. Once complete, Unilever estimated that the move could remove 4,000 tonnes of virgin plastic each year. Andre Burger, general foods manager (nutrition) at Unilever UK and Ireland said: “From material development and testing through to new manufacturing processes and capabilities, big packaging innovations require the investment of time and expertise across many teams and partners”. Burger added: “There have been plenty of challenges along the way, but we are committed to reducing the plastic in our packaging and to a paper-based future for our pots, without compromising on the Pot Noodle experience our shoppers know and love”. The new pots can be recycled at home with other cardboard and paper packaging and include OPRL’s recycling labels to provide guidance to shoppers on how to dispose of their Pot Noodle packaging. A single layer of ultra-thin plastic film is used to provide barrier protection, but this does not inhibit recyclability of the pot, Unilever confirmed. Pot Noodle sauce sachets can be taken in-store to soft plastic collection points in selected retailers.

Sustainability is no longer a badge of honour worn to flaunt one's credentials; it is a prerequisite, a necessity for safeguarding the earth's natural resources, maintaining ecological balance, and ensuring economic health and vitality. As such, food and beverage companies are taking their role as sustainability guardians very seriously. Cue: the introduction of the 'chief sustainability officer' (CSO) – a strategic position that goes beyond traditional corporate social responsibility, focusing on long-term sustainability initiatives that align with ESG goals. In this roundtable, FoodBev's Rafaela Sousa asked some of the industry's most reputable players the following questions: How has the CSO role evolved over the past two decades? How important is this role to the food and beverage sector, and what new areas should manufacturers be focusing on here? Archana Jagannathan CSO at PepsiCo Europe Over the past two decades, the job of CSO has come into the foreground as we become increasingly aware of the role companies need to play in finding and implementing solutions that are more sustainable for the planet and its people. Sustainability, and with it, the role of the CSO, is no longer a "nice to have" for companies. It’s now integral for future business success. Sustainability is a powerful value creator that will create new revenue streams and better product portfolios that help consumers to make better choices. At PepsiCo, this is reflected in PepsiCo Positive, our strategic end-to-end transformation that puts sustainability at the heart of everything we do. It’s my job as CSO to make sure that this plan is put into action, and that we remain on track to meet – or even exceed – our goals across our end-to-end value chain – right from the farm to the fork. For our suppliers and manufacturers, the answer is collaboration. We need to foster a culture and the right framework for cross-industry alliances – only in doing so will we be able to transform into a circular economy at the rate we need to. Janelle Meyers CSO at Kellogg Company The role of the CSO has evolved from a compliance/do less harm focus to growth-enabling and step-change in impact and ambition. This evolution was spurred by many forces and trends, including consumers and customers, as well as the need for companies to deliver on their vision and purpose in an ever more sustainable and responsible way. My role as Kellogg’s CSO is to lead the development and implementation of our global sustainability strategies. I work closely with other internal functions and external partners to help drive the company’s Better Days Promise global purpose platform and to fulfil our company’s environmental and social sustainability commitments. In the food sector, the role of CSO is to ensure that companies are meeting the growing need for sustainable and responsible practices. This includes engaging teams across the enterprise to enable everything from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to promoting sustainable agriculture and reducing food waste. Jason Weller Global CSO at JBS Sustainability in the agri-food sector has evolved more in the past few years than it has in the preceding 20 years. There has been a global convergence of food companies, consumers and stakeholders’ expectations for supply chain transparency; deepening public concern about environmental challenges, especially in the face of a changing climate; and advancements in technology to improve agricultural productivity and reduce natural resource impacts. No one has all the answers, but at JBS, we understand that to be a successful business, we must be sustainable. Simply put, we must strive for better futures in terms of economic viability, environmental quality and resilience, improved quality of life for workers, global food security and affordable food choices. While the role of a CSO may have started by focusing on building internal alignment around environmental and social goals and helping the executive team achieve progress, today, that role has significantly expanded. Sustainability teams are heavily engaged with external stakeholders to build partnerships and identify and unlock innovations. We are helping to quantify and act against what was previously hard to account for: the financial, operational and licence-to-operate risks connected with environmental quality. As CSO at JBS, I collaborate across our global network of businesses and supply chain partners to address sustainability opportunities. We operate in over 20 countries and five continents. Together, we develop projects and co-invest in our most important sustainability priorities, such as our aspiration to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Henri Bruxelles Chief sustainability and strategic business development officer at Danone Whereas 20 years ago sustainability was seen as an isolated function, today it has become instrumental in operating and shaping business models that are both resilient and future fit. What has changed is the need for fully connecting sustainability to the business strategy in a win-win relationship, where economic performance serves positive societal impact and sustainability becomes a driver of consumer preference. In this new landscape, the CSO has a key role to play within the company to clarify sustainability priorities, ensure these are strategic imperatives for impact, that they are fully embedded in categories and brand roadmaps, and that progress is delivered year after year. Looking ahead, for companies that rely mostly on agriculture, one rising topic will be how we further embark and support our supply chain in the necessary transition towards sustainable, resilient and performant farming models of the future. This is what we are implementing in our dairy category, with the activation of a diversity of levers that allows farmers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions – with a focus on methane – while creating co-benefits such as securing deforestation and conversion-free supply, improving animal welfare, restoring soil health, preserving water resources and biodiversity, strengthening farm resilience and attractiveness for future generations. Anita Neville Chief sustainability and communications officer at Golden Agri-Resources (GAR) Within the palm industry, there has been tremendous change in the last 20 years from an almost exclusive focus on deforestation to tackling social issues, including labour rights, improving smallholder productivity, and now creating traceable, climate-friendly supply chains. At GAR, a key part of my role is taking a holistic approach to ensure sustainability is at the heart of and integrated throughout our daily operations. Doing this well requires the support of the business, so communicating why sustainability is a business imperative and getting buy-in is essential. Regulation is moving faster than ever before, and there is a big push for verifiable data on sustainability. Technology and data-driven decision-making have become increasingly important tools for the modern CSO. At GAR, technology has helped us map our diverse supply chain, allowing us to achieve 98% traceability to plantation across our Indonesian palm supply at the end of 2022. To give you a sense of scale, this includes more than half a million hectares of our own plantations, as well as more than over 135,000 independent smallholders as well as many small and medium-sized plantation businesses. Stewart Leeth CSO at Smithfield Foods For many companies, the role of CSO focused initially on philanthropy and corporate social responsibility. While some companies' CSOs still have that focus, for many others, the role has broadened considerably to encompass the long-term welfare of the business and the environment – often described as ‘ESG’. Smithfield was the first in the protein industry to create the CSO role, reporting to the CEO. Early on, we articulated a very broad programme covering five areas of interest to our most important stakeholders: animal care, environment, food safety, worker safety and community. The CSO role is extremely important at Smithfield because our underlying purpose is to build trust and transparency in what we do. There continues to be a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about food production generally, and animal agriculture in particular. It’s important for our customers, which include retail and foodservice distribution and major restaurants, to know what our impacts are and what we actually do to address complex issues facing our industry and the planet. Manufacturers need to be associating sustainability with compliance and risk management to address and prepare for future threats and interests of a variety of stakeholders. These include future resource and energy constraints, corporate reputation, resilience in the face of more extreme weather (such as drought, floods and hurricanes, for example) and climate change, consumer preferences, supply chain disruptions and many other factors. Charles Greene CSO at Sophie’s BioNutrients The food and beverage sector has a huge role to play in supporting a sustainable society. Agriculture provides the backbone of our global food production system, and it directly places great demands on arable land, energy, fertiliser and freshwater. The F&B industry is in the driver’s seat when it comes to promoting transformational changes in our global food production system. If this sector promotes foods and beverages that are healthier, more nutritious and more friendly to the environment, then the food production system will need to evolve in response. I am especially excited about Sophie’s BioNutrients because it has so much potential to hit all of the right buttons when it comes to food security and sustainability. Microalgae are typically one to two orders of magnitude more productive than terrestrial plants, and that means we can reduce the land footprint of food production by ten to 100 times. Microalgae are also more complete nutritionally. Vegans and vegetarians cannot meet their full nutritional requirements by eating only land plants, whereas they can do so by eating microalgae. And, the wonders of modern food science enable us to provide consumers of meat and dairy products with algae-based food and beverage products that have the taste, smell, look, and texture we are expecting from the products we eat and drink. John R Tyson EVP, chief financial officer and CSO at Tyson Foods The role of a CSO is always evolving, and the sustainability function of an organisation is increasingly tied to business strategy. It’s about creating value for the business while evaluating environmental and social factors in the same way as financial metrics. Tyson Foods has made important investments to find new ways to help create a food system that is more sustainable and equitable, including working with strategic partners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our supply chain and finding solutions to drive product responsibility from farm to table. To feed the world and future generations, we must take care of our planet and our resources. While the sustainability team plays an essential role in building a compelling business case for environmental and social progress, it is up to the entire organisation to deliver on these goals as part of its strategy. Transparency and the understanding of data is the only way we can make real progress as an industry. More industry-specific areas of opportunity start at the farm and continue through to the consumer, through packaging and opportunities, including renewable energy, energy-efficient equipment and upcycling.

Danone has sold its 38% stake in Irish organic yogurt producer Glenisk. According to the French dairy giant, Danone's shares in the company were redeemed by mutual agreement. Glenisk has reverted back to being entirely owned by its founders, the Cleary family. A spokesperson for Danone told FoodBev: "As part of its ongoing portfolio review and having received a buy-back offer from the company, Danone has disposed of its stake in the Irish dairy products company, Glenisk. This was a non-controlling stake in a business which is not core to Danone’s activity in Ireland." In 2006, Stonyfield Europe bought a minority stake in the yogurt business. As a result, Danone, which acquired Stonyfield in the same period, took over a controlling stake in the company. Meanwhile, Lactalis acquired Stonyfield from Danone in 2017 for $875 million. However, Danone remained a minority shareholder in Glenisk while it "continued to be majority-owned and fully managed by the Cleary family," said Danone. Glenisk said in a statement: "The partnership with Danone was a positive arrangement for Glenisk, enabling the company to invest in its manufacturing facility in Killeigh, Co Offaly and in product innovation and branding". "The board of directors have now determined that a return to full ownership by the Cleary family is in the business’s best interest. Glenisk MD Vincent Cleary thanked Danone for its support and involvement over the years."

Heinz is launching a new Culinary Tomatoes range including finely chopped tomatoes and pizza, curry and chilli tomato bases. The new range includes chopped and peeled tomatoes, a classic pizza sauce and tomato puree, as well as tomato bases for cooking sauces – passata, chilli, curry and frito. Caio Fontenele, Heinz new ventures director, said: “We’re delighted to give Heinz tomato lovers even more access to our finest tomatoes, while offering inspiration for cooks to create new and delicious recipes in their kitchens. We’ve developed our brand new tomato collection to offer something for everyone, regardless of their cooking skills.” He added: “Our Heinz Passatas are perfect for creating classic pizzas and pastas, while our Chilli and Curry bases will help home cooks to explore cuisines, beyond Italian . We also have our signature Heinz Tomato Frito, containing fresh garlic and onions, cooked in olive oil to extract the best flavour, and already a success in other European countries.” The full new Heinz Culinary Tomatoes range includes: Heinz Chopped Tomatoes (400g) – RRP £1.25 Heinz Chopped Tomatoes multipack (4x 400g) – RRP £4.75 Heinz Peeled Tomatoes (400g) – RRP £1.25 Heinz Classic Pizza Sauce (400g) – RRP £1.75 Heinz Classic Passata (500g) – RRP £1.75 Heinz Passata with Basil (500g) – RRP £1.75 Heinz Curry Tomato Base (500g) – RRP £1.75 Heinz Chilli Tomato Base (500g) – RRP £1.75 Heinz Double Concentrated Tomato Puree (130g) – RRP £1.40 Heinz Frito Tomato Base (500g) – RRP £1.75 (available in August) Heinz Finely Chopped Tomatoes (400g) – RRP £1.25 (available in August) The range has no added preservatives, additives, or sugar. The new Heinz Culinary Tomatoes range is available now from Asda stores in the UK and will expand to other retailers later this year.

Tequila Cazadores has announced the release of a new coffee-infused tequila, Cazadores Café, now available across the US. Cazadores Café joins the company’s portfolio of tequilas made with 100% agave and is designed for a variety of occasions, the Bacardi-owned brand said in a statement announcing the launch. Vanilla and chocolate notes created from Cazadores’ Blanco tequila are blended with “richly roasted” Mexican coffee and agave nectar to create the coffee-infused innovation. It is created first following the brand’s seven-step zero-waste process, whereby 99% of the raw agave juice is extracted after harvesting the piñas, through a 24-step diffusion process rather than cooking them first. The tequila can be drank as a shot, over ice or as part of an espresso martini cocktail. It has an ABV of 33% and will be available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $29.99 for a 750ml bottle. The launch follows the brand's launch of a RTD canned cocktail line in Canada in April this year.

Mars Wrigley is expanding its block chocolate offering with the launch of the new Galaxy Smooth Mint flavour. The flavour is said to have the second highest flavour penetration in the confectionery market, with 61% of shoppers repeatedly purchasing mint-flavoured products. Galaxy Smooth Mint joins the 7-strong chocolate block line-up from July. Victoria Gell, Galaxy brand director, said: “The arrival of our first-ever Galaxy Smooth Mint bar offers shoppers a new flavour of our much-loved brand. We know that innovation drives the category, and shoppers often buy large block chocolate formats to enjoy sharing moments together.” She added: “This new flavour allows us to reach new audiences by appealing to mint lovers (that over-index in comparison to milk chocolate), who will then introduce new consumers to the category via sharing". Galaxy Smooth Mint is available in UK retailers from July for an RRP of £1.25 for a 110g bar.

Stoli Group has announced changes to its leadership team as it appoints current CFO Chris Caldwell as the company's new global CEO. Caldwell has taken over the position previously held by Damian McKinney, who has been with the company since 2020. Stoli Group did not disclose the reason for McKinney's departure. Caldwell first joined the business in 2020 as global CFO. Prior to Stoli, he held senior roles at Americana Foods, Fonterra and Diageo. In addition, Artem Pozdnyakov, who served as Stoli's global financial controller, has now been named the company's new CFO. Meanwhile, Mark Federighi, a newcomer to the Stoli company, has been appointed as president of North America. Federighi previously worked as chief sales officer at US wine company O'Neill Vintners and Distillers. Yuri Shefler, Stoli's founder and owner, said: "As an integral member of the Stoli Group executive team, Chris has proven time and again that he has the strategic and financial acumen, as well as the leadership skills needed in today's CEO. Ensuring continuity of leadership, Chris and Artem, will play pivotal roles as we look to further diversify through acquisitions and brand expansion. We are beyond thrilled that Mark will be joining them in support of our aggressive growth goals." Caldwell commented: "The past few years at Stoli Group have been incredibly rewarding, and I am immensely proud of the value that I created as CFO. I am honoured to work alongside Artem, Mark and the rest of the leadership team as we begin a new journey of innovation and expansion for Stoli Group."

A free-trade agreement (FTA) signed this week by the EU and New Zealand will protect masses of products with EU geographical indications. The EU and New Zealand signed the FTA on 9 July, the European Commission announced. Under the deal, EU annual exports could potentially grow by up to €4.5 billion and bilateral trade is expected to grow by up to 30% within a decade. The European Commission said that tariffs will be “eliminated as of day one” on key EU exports such as pig meat, wine and sparkling wine, chocolate, sugar confectionery and biscuits. Close to 2,000 EU wine and spirit names, such as Prosecco, Polish Vodka, Rioja, Champagne and Tokaji, will be protected by the FTA. Additionally, 163 renowned traditional EU products with “geographical indications” such as Feta and Comté cheese, Lübecker Marzipan and Elia Kalamatas olives are set to be protected in New Zealand. In its statement revealing details of the FTA, the European Commission said that the agreement takes into account the interests of “sensitive agricultural products”. This includes several dairy products, beef and sheep meat, ethanol and sweetcorn. There will be no “liberalisation of trade” for these sectors, the statement continued. Zero or lower tariff imports from New Zealand will be allowed in limited amounts through tariff rate quotas. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said that New Zealand is a key partner for the EU in the Indo-Pacific region. She commented: “This modern free trade agreement brings major opportunities for our companies, our farmers and our consumers, on both sides. With unprecedented social and climate commitments, it drives just and green growth while reinforcing Europe's economic security.” Negotiations of the FTA have been ongoing since June 2018, and were concluded in June 2022. The signed agreement will now be sent to the European Parliament for its consent. The deal can enter force following the completion of the ratification procedure in the EU and New Zealand.

Under its Nescafé brand, Nestlé has expanded its portfolio with the launch of Nescafé Gold Dessert Edition, an indulgent coffee collection inspired by popular desserts. The new range – in flavours chocolate caramel brownie mocha and sticky toffee pudding latte – comes in sachet format, which is “convenient and easy for preparation”. The sachets are non-HFSS and contain around 80 calories per mug, providing a frothy dessert-inspired treat with a caffeine boost. Mia Beverley, Nescafé Gold frothy coffee brand manager, said: “We are really excited to launch our new Nescafé Gold Dessert Editions range. Dessert Editions offers our consumers the perfect treat to elevate their coffee break or satisfy those afternoon or post-dinner me-moments. We have two delicious and indulgent flavours to choose from, a rich Chocolate Caramel Brownie Mocha and an iconic Sticky Toffee Pudding Latte, so you can now have your cake, by drinking it too!” In April, Nescafé tapped into the ice coffee market with the launch of Ice Roast, its first soluble coffee designed especially for use in iced coffee beverages. The Nescafé Gold Dessert Edition range is available now in major UK supermarkets.

Canadian agribusiness Richardson International, through its subsidiary Richardson Malting, has entered the malt business with the acquisition of Ragleth, the parent company of Anglia Maltings. Anglia Maltings – a maltster and grain processor based in Norfolk, UK – has a wide portfolio of businesses, including: Crisp Malt, Micronized Food Products (MFP) and EDME Food Ingredients. MFP specialises in the production of cereals and pulses for brewing and animal feed, while EDME Food Ingredients focuses on malted and non-malted products for the baking industry. The company operates seven malt facilities located across the UK, Poland and Germany. Richardson is transferring 360 employees from Anglia Maltings to its group of companies in the US, Canada and Europe. Curt Vossen, CEO of Richardson International, said: "We share common values with Anglia Maltings and are aligned in our commitment to operational excellence and exceptional customer service. As experienced handlers of malting barley in North America, this is an exciting next step in our long-term strategy, which includes the diversification of our business and continued growth in the food processing industry." Stuart Sands, CEO of Anglia Maltings, added: "As proponents of innovation, Richardson's support will enable us to realise our ambitions for new ingredients and open new avenues for our business. By leveraging our operational expertise, we will continue to offer best-in-class, whether it be through the delivery of the highest quality food ingredients or outstanding service to our valued customer base." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.