Smurfit Kappa is investing €40 million in state-of-the-art technology as part of its Pruszków corrugated plant expansion plans in Poland. The company says the expansion will make the facility the company’s largest in Poland and “one of the most high-tech and modern packaging plants” in Europe. CEO of Smurfit Kappa North-East Europe, Jacek Nieweglowski, said: “We are delighted to officially unveil the new manufacturing plant here in Pruszków. This project took just over one year to complete and will enable us to continue to pursue our strategic goal of being the supplier of choice to our customers, particularly those looking for the most innovative and sustainable packaging solutions.” As part of the investment, the paper-based packaging solutions company had a new high-tech corrugator and a range of modern converting machinery installed. The plant was also equipped with a new finished goods warehouse that the company says can accommodate more than 12,000 pallets. The investment is expected to double the facility's output, which now spans 37,500 square metres. Saverio Mayer, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Europe, added: “This significant investment marks our strategic commitment to our presence in Poland and in Eastern Europe. The Pruszków plant is integral to our business and has a talented and skilled workforce fully committed to delivering the best service to our customers.” The expansion expects to create a further 50 jobs, supporting the company in supplying its customer portfolio that includes brands in the FMCG food and beverage sectors.

German packaging and bottling machine manufacturer, Krones, has opened a new Process Technology Center in Germany. The Process Technology Center enables customers to “take their products to a new level” using ultra-small production batches to develop, compare and optimise recipes, processes and parameters. The new centre is designed to support Krones’ customers in the product development processes, helping meet the global markets' flavour demands. According to the company: “It makes no difference whether the customer already has a finished recipe for a future product or is still at the start of the product development journey and would like to leverage Krones’ expertise for those first steps”. Krones will use the centre to closely analyse the effects of various process parameters on different products – the results will go into further developing and refining the company’s machines and lines. The technology centre is divided into two sections, process technology and water design. The process technology side will enable process and treatment steps to be realistically simulated on a pilot UHT system, making it possible to compare the thermal impact of indirect heating using a shell-and-tube heat exchanger versus direct heating. For this, customers will be able to choose between two processes, steam injection and steam infusion. For other trials, the facility is equipped with systems for mixing, flash pasteurisation, deaeration (the removal of air molecules from gas or liquid), homogenisation and filling. The results can then be evaluated in-house in Krones’ microbiological and chemical testing labs. In the field of water design, customers are able to fine-tune the flavour of water by adding the right amounts of minerals and flavour compounds – with deaeration, carbonation, electrodeionisation, ionisation, mineral dosing and filling. Customers can also access Krones’ network of engineers in a variety of disciplines including food and process engineering, to collaborate on transforming ideas into real products. The new centre follows Krones’ subsidiary Steinecker’s inauguration of a research brewery at its facility in Freising, Germany, in 2018 that allows customers to create and test recipes for beer and plant-based beverages. Last month, Krones acquired a 90% stake in Ampco Pumps, a US-based company that supplies sanitary pumps and applied products – such as mixing and blending equipment – to the food, beverage, dairy processing, personal care and pharmaceuticals markets.

Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats has revealed a new addition to its ice cream sharing tub range, with the launch of its Milky Way ice cream. The new variant is said to be the first time that the Milky Way brand has been developed into a tub format. In this new variant, Milky Way’s light nougat flavour is combined with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce swirls and is 90 calories per serving. The ice cream will also be the first HSFF-compliant offering from the Mars ice cream range. Milky Way is the fourth brand to join the Mars range of ice cream tubs, following the launches of Mars, Snickers and Maltesers. Michelle Frost, general manager at Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats said: “Introducing Milky Way Ice Cream Tub to our ice cream portfolio not only offers consumers the trusted taste of one of our most iconic brands but also provides a lower calorie alternative for those seeking a lighter ice cream treat.” The Milky Way ice cream tub will be available in convenience and wholesale channels from May.

Nactarome is back in the news, having finalised its second acquisition this week. Following its purchase of natural caramel ingredients supplier, Royal Buisman, Nactarome has today announced its acquisition of Calaf Nuances, a Spanish producer of flavours solutions for the F&B industry. The news marks Nactarome’s fourth acquisition this year as the company looks to expand its product offering and reach. Calaf Nuances has been supplying the food, beverage and ingredients industries since 1998. Its flavours are based on an aroma nucleus that is obtained at a molecular level through the use of Calaf Nuances' own technology. The flavour solutions provider is said to have a large group of loyal customers based internationally across Spain, Europe and Mexico. It has its own in-house technologies including biotransformation, Maillard reactions, distillation, concentration and encapsulation. The latest acquisition will strengthen Nactarome’s existing range of sweet and savoury flavours and savoury blends for the F&B industry. Manel Alcaide, managing director of Calaf Nuances, commented: “This union creates a clear improvement of our proposals for the food flavours market. We are glad to say that all our clients around the world will benefit from all these new opportunities.” Luigi Del Monaco, CEO of Nactarome, added: “With this acquisition, we have not only expanded our presence in the Spanish and Latin America market but also gained access to new competencies and capabilities that will enable us to serve our customers even better. This move aligns with our long-term strategic plan to strengthen our position and create sustainable value for our stakeholders.” In the last five years, Nactarome has expanded its operations, which now comprises 13 production sites and over 550 employees. Terms of the recent transaction were not disclosed.

Exberry by GNT has released an oil-dispersible yellow concentrate made from turmeric. The new launch is said to help food and beverage manufacturers achieve vibrant yellow shades in fat-based applications. Shade Bright Yellow– OD is an oil-dispersible liquid made using traditional, physical processing methods. It is also considered clean label. The liquid is created by dispersing small turmeric-based powder particles – through a multi-stage milling process – in sunflower oil. This enables the concentrate to produce bright, homogenous yellow shades, which are suitable for a wide range of applications, including compound coatings, ice cream coatings, fat compounds for chocolate decorations and seasoning mixes for savoury snacks. Sonja Scheffler, head of product management at GNT, said: “Our Exberry OD colours provide outstanding visual intensity in some of the most challenging applications and Exberry Shade Bright Yellow – OD is an exciting new addition to the range". She continued: "Turmeric is a well known, on-trend ingredient that is approved for use in most countries worldwide and provides wonderfully vibrant yellow hues. The new product is pumpable for low-water applications, too, making it easy to handle.” Exberry's OD range also includes shades of red, pink, orange, blue and green, as well as a safflower-based yellow. All of Exberry's colours are made with natural processes, are plant-based and come from edible fruits, vegetables and plants. Exberry recently announced that developed the “first” purely oil-based food colouring, Shade Vivid Orange – OS, made from paprika seed oil and paprika pulp. It was created to meet the demand for low-dosage, clean-label colouring ingredients that deliver bright orange hues.

US spirits producer Sazerac has announced the launch of its new spirits brand, Mango Shotta. Mango Shotta is a mango, jalapeño and tequila shot offering inspired by the Mexican "mangonada" recipe, a Mexican dessert made of mango sorbet and chamoy topped with chili powder. The beverage combines tequila with the fruity flavour of mango and the bold, spicy bite of jalapeño and contains 26% ABV. Lauren Selman, global innovation and commercialisation lead at Sazerac, said: "We are especially excited to introduce Mango Shotta because it's truly an offering driven by consumer trends and interest”. She added: "We set out to create something different than anything else on the market today that would appeal to a new and evolving drinker and Mango Shotta delivers – its unexpected flavour profile, lower 26% ABV and arresting orange color create the perfect recipe for Mango Shotta to become the shot of summer." Bold and vibrant visuals bring the spicy essence of Mango Shotta to life at every touchpoint – take a bite out of the creative here! To serve, it is recommended that Mango Shotta is refrigerated and poured into a shot glass lined with lime and tajin. Mango Shotta will be available in select markets from May including Illinois, Texas, Florida, Arizona, Ohio, and South Carolina in the US for an SRP of $14.99 per 750ml bottle. Rollout across the US is planned throughout the remainder of the year.

Bubs Australia has announced the termination of employment of its CEO Kristy Carr with immediate effect for failing to comply with “reasonable board directions”. Carr founded the publically-listed business back in 2015. Bubs also announced that Dennis Lin, who stepped down from the role of executive chairman last month, has had his employment terminated from the company. He had been working with the board during the transition period. Also last month, Bubs revealed that Katrina Rathie has been elected chair, replacing Lin. Meanwhile, Reg Wiene has been appointed as an independent non-executive director. The termination of employment of its founder was announced during a stock-exchange filing on 10 May, following the start of a strategic review two weeks ago. In the review, Bubs said it would place particular importance on "expenditure management and the Chinese market". In October last year, Bubs Australia entered a binding agreement with Heilongjiang Ubeite Dairy Group to manufacture and distribute Bubs’ Chinese label goat milk infant formula in China. Speaking of the CEO's termination, Rathie said: “We acknowledge Kristy’s long service to Bubs and the role she has played in building the Bubs brand to the position it enjoys today”. Bubs COO Richard Paine will continue to act as interim CEO until a permanent replacement has been found. A statement approved by the Bubs board said: “The board thanks Richard Paine for his continued strong performance as Bubs’ interim CEO. In support of Richard and the Bubs executive team, the board will lean in to contribute its strong commercial, FMCG, dairy and international markets expertise to drive Bubs’ strategy forward in Australia, USA, China and international markets." “The board is fortunate to have strong capability and skills to help assist in the strategic review and we will update the market on the outcomes of the strategic review and the future leadership of Bubs in due course.” In April, the infant formula and baby food business announced that its gross revenue in Q3 fell by 10%. According to Bubs, its strategic review is expected to be completed by 30 June.

Pernod Ricard has invested in circular economy technology company ecoSpirits through its venture capital fund, Convivialité Ventures. The drinks giant has joined the $10 million Series A funding round, taking a minority share in the start-up, which is committed to developing low carbon, low waste distribution systems for the alcohol industry. The round also included participation from New York-based circular economy investment fund, Closed Loop Partners, as well as food sector private equity investor, Proterra Asia, Singapore-based growth stage investor Pavilion Capital and existing investor, Wavemaker Partners. EcoSpirits' closed-loop distribution system offers a "powerful cost advantage" and reduces waste and carbon emissions by "avoiding the production and transportation of glass bottles and other secondary packaging". Pernod partnered with ecoSpirits back in March 2022 for the distribution of some of its premium brands in Hong Kong and Singapore, including its Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin and Havana Club rum. These spirits are transported in bulk and delivered to hospitality venues in a fully reusable 4.5-litre glass container, reducing the waste and emissions associated with the production/transportation of bottles and secondary packaging. EcoSpirits says it will use the funds to strengthen its leadership position and accelerate its R&D activities. It will enable the start-up to scale its hardware, software and IoT R&D programme, expand operations in key markets globally (including the US), and grow its regional customer and engineering teams in Miami, London, Singapore and Shanghai. Stéphane Longuet, co-founder and managing director of Convivialité Ventures, said: “We are very pleased to participate in this investment which will help develop a company offering such an innovative solution to our industry, by drastically reducing waste and carbon emissions. EcoSpirits’ approach is perfectly in line with our group's objectives to reduce its carbon emissions and we are looking forward to using it on a large scale around the world.” Sui Ling Cheah, ecoSpirits executive board chairman, added: “We are thrilled with the successful close of our Series A round, which not only validates ecoSPIRITS’ impressive progress in building a comprehensive technology platform, but also marks a significant milestone in our journey to global scale. We are equally honoured to welcome leading investors to our journey such as Closed Loop Partners, Proterra Asia, Pavilion Capital and Convivialité Ventures. The future gets brighter when more resources are invested in circular economy innovation.” The news comes as Pernod moves to expand its partnership with ecoSpirits to markets outside of Asia. Also from Pernod Riacrd: Pernod Ricard signs first sustainability-linked loan for €2.1bn Pernod Ricard suspends Absolut exports to Russia Absolut expands range with three new flavours

Pernod Ricard has invested in circular economy technology company ecoSpirits through its venture capital fund, Convivialité Ventures. The drinks giant has joined the $10 million Series A funding round, taking a minority share in the start-up, which is committed to developing low carbon, low waste distribution systems for the alcohol industry. The round also included participation from New York-based circular economy investment fund, Closed Loop Partners, as well as food sector private equity investor, Proterra Asia, Singapore-based growth stage investor Pavilion Capital and existing investor, Wavemaker Partners. EcoSpirits' closed-loop distribution system offers a "powerful cost advantage" and reduces waste and carbon emissions by "avoiding the production and transportation of glass bottles and other secondary packaging". Pernod partnered with ecoSpirits back in March 2022 for the distribution of some of its premium brands in Hong Kong and Singapore, including its Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin and Havana Club rum. These spirits are transported in bulk and delivered to hospitality venues in a fully reusable 4.5-litre glass container, reducing the waste and emissions associated with the production/transportation of bottles and secondary packaging. EcoSpirits says it will use the funds to strengthen its leadership position and accelerate its R&D activities. It will enable the start-up to scale its hardware, software and IoT R&D programme, expand operations in key markets globally (including the US), and grow its regional customer and engineering teams in Miami, London, Singapore and Shanghai. Stéphane Longuet, co-founder and managing director of Convivialité Ventures, said: “We are very pleased to participate in this investment which will help develop a company offering such an innovative solution to our industry, by drastically reducing waste and carbon emissions. EcoSpirits’ approach is perfectly in line with our group's objectives to reduce its carbon emissions and we are looking forward to using it on a large scale around the world.” Sui Ling Cheah, ecoSpirits executive board chairman, added: “We are thrilled with the successful close of our Series A round, which not only validates ecoSPIRITS’ impressive progress in building a comprehensive technology platform, but also marks a significant milestone in our journey to global scale. We are equally honoured to welcome leading investors to our journey such as Closed Loop Partners, Proterra Asia, Pavilion Capital and Convivialité Ventures. The future gets brighter when more resources are invested in circular economy innovation.” The news comes as Pernod moves to expand its partnership with ecoSpirits to markets outside of Asia. Also from Pernod Riacrd: Pernod Ricard signs first sustainability-linked loan for €2.1bn Pernod Ricard suspends Absolut exports to Russia Absolut expands range with three new flavours

Free From Food Expo, Europe’s leading innovation platform for the free from, organic, vegan, functional and healthy ingredient food industries, has partnered with UAE Food & Beverage Business Group (FBMG) to collocate and co-produce the most influential F&B events in the UAE: Free From Food Dubai and the fourth edition of the Future Food Forum 2023. The FBMG is the most influential F&B organisation in the UAE, with close ties to the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They are committed to the development of the F&B sector and provide a platform to collaborate, innovate and network within the industry. Its membership boasts some of the biggest names in the international F&B sector, including General Mills, Kellogg’s, Nestle, Danone, Spinneys and Carrefour. Future Food Forum, their thought-leading conference, attracts C-level executives from the F&B Industry, regulators and government authorities and features an exclusive conference programme with global industry expert keynote speakers, CEO round tables and government policymakers sharing invaluable market insights. As evidenced by the wellness trends throughout the world, free from, healthy and functional ingredients and products, are the future of food. The ideology at the heart of Free From Food Dubai and Future Food Forum directly aligns with UAE government initiatives and nutrition strategies to reduce sodium, trans fats, offer healthier snacks for children and improve the general health of the nation. Due to the growing interest in healthy lifestyles, the trend towards healthy eating, the increased incidence of food intolerances like celiac disease, gluten and lactose intolerance and the rise in disposable income, Middle Eastern consumers are hungry for Free From & Healthy Products. The GCC gluten-free food products market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 9% during 2021-2025, and sugar-free, vegan/plant-based food, protein-rich foods, and non-alcoholic drinks are all expected to perform well. As evidenced by the increased number of gymnasiums, fitness centres, and interest in “better for you food,” the GCC is a market ripe with opportunities for International Free From Food and Functional Ingredient businesses. Free From Food Dubai, hosted in partnership with the UAE FBMG’s 4th edition of the Future Food Forum, will be a uniting force bringing together eminent international food manufacturers, distributors and local key decision makers in the retail, food services, catering, wholesale and all other ‘Free From’ & Healthy Ingredient distribution channels. This two-day, 100% B2B event will feature a physical showcase of innovative businesses and products, an extensive curated matchmaking programme with guaranteed high numbers of meetings for participants and a conference programme with global industry expert keynote speakers. Presentations covering categories free-from, vegan/plant-based, natural/organic, functional/healthy ingredients, zero-waste, sustainable manufacturing processes and product features will provide invaluable market insights and education for professionals. Attendees and exhibitors will be able to make the most of their time with efficient matchmaking services organised by Global Management Dubai, meeting specialists and experienced organisers for the Saudi Export Development Authority and Saudi Pavilion at Gulf Food. Previous attendees to the Amsterdam 2021 and Barcelona 2019 Free From Food editions reported that the unique matchmaking is one of their favourite parts of the FFF event, with 97% of attendees making new business connections and 95% of attendees expecting sales following the event. Since the UAE relies on agrifood import for 90% of food requirements, foreign companies can feel confident that local partners will be open to foreign business connections. With an innovative exhibition, extensive networking and matchmaking approach and UAE FBMG’s thought-leading CEO conference, Future Food Forum, Free From Food Dubai 2023 will be the premier event in the Free From and Healthy Food Markets in the Middle East. Pre-registration is now open for participants, and visitors are encouraged to connect with their peers through our matchmaking platform at free-from-food-dubai-2023.b2match.io/ and on social media in advance of the show. For more information and to receive the latest updates, please visit dubai.freefromfoodexpo.com.

Organic dairy brand Five:am has launched three new products to its portfolio – flavoured yogurts, yogurt pouches and flavoured milks. The flavoured yogurts are said to contain less sugar than competitor’s flavoured offerings, with 10.4g of sugar per serving (Vanilla Bean) and no artificial flavours or colouring. Flavours included in the range are Mango, Vanilla Bean, Passionfruit, Strawberry, Natural and Coffee Bean. Chris Elliott, CEO of Barambah Organics, the parent company of Five:am organic, said: “All our products are free from GMO, synthetic pesticides and herbicides. Moreover, organic tastes better, which is why retailers want more organic dairy from us.” Additionally, the brand will launch new 120g organic yogurt pouches in five flavours – Mango, Strawberry, Blueberry, Vanilla Bean and Cacao. Five:am’s first line of flavoured milks will be available in select Woolworth stores in Victoria and New South Wales in Australia. The flavoured milks are packaged in 350ml bottles made from 100% recycled and recyclable plastic. Flavours in the range include Iced Coffee, Chocolate and Manuka honey. Five:am’s 1kg flavoured yogurt range is available in Woolworths stores in Australia with an RRP of $9.50. The 120g yogurt pouches are distributed through the Metcash network, including IGA, with an RRP of $2.20.

In this exclusive video interview, FoodBev Media news reporter Gwen Jones spoke with Ken Burns, lead scientist and chef at Kalsec, on the importance of comprehensive allium flavours as it pertains to food and product development. Find out more below.