US-based dairy cooperative, Prairie Farms, has launched Small Batch Mini Classic Ice Cream Bars in a three-flavour variety multipack. The new ice creams come in “America’s top three ice cream flavours,” vanilla, chocolate and strawberry, are made with simple ingredients and are partially dipped in a chocolate coating. Prairie Farms' CEO and EVP, Matt McClelland, said: "Nostalgic flavours are always on trend with consumers and the idea for Small Batch Mini Ice Cream Bars came from the popularity of our Small Batch Ice Cream. Just like our ice cream, each bar starts with the basics – milk and cream from our family-owned dairy farms.” Ice cream for the new bars is blended in small batches with premium ingredients to provide a rich and creamy taste. The variety packs contain 12 wrapped 1.5oz bars and are available to purchase in US retailers now.

Wells Enterprises-owned ice pop brand Bomb Pop has added a new flavour to its portfolio, Candy Clash. Candy Clash combines the signature candy flavours, which are blue raspberry, strawberry and watermelon. Alnese Thomas, senior brand manager of Bomb Pop, said: "Bomb Pop is already a signature staple of summer but we are always looking for new innovations, new products and new opportunities for enjoyment. Candy Clash is emblematic of the feeling of summer: the excitement and potential that all ages feel. We created Candy Clash based on the favourite flavours of tweens and teens – combining these into a refreshing new snack for all." Candy Clash is available nationwide at grocery retailers for an SRP of $4.29 for a box of 12.

New Zealand-based dairy company, Westland Milk Products, has secured a NZ 70m (approx. $43 million) investment to build a new facility to produce bioactive dairy products. The investment was supported by Westland’s parent company, the Yili Group, and will be used to construct a new lactoferrin plant at Westland’s Hokitika facility. The international demand for the milk protein lactoferrin is growing across a variety of nutritional categories because of its reported health benefits. According to Westland, the funding will more than triple the production capacity of the multifunctional protein at the Hokitika site. Westland resident director, Zhiqiang Li, said: “Westland is the only New Zealand commercial manufacturer of bovine colostrum powder, and this move will place us in the top three leading global companies in the lactoferrin category, with a market share of approximately 10%”. Westland’s CEO, Richard Wyeth, added: “We cannot improve on the incredible quality of the natural product our farmers produce day after day, but we can ensure that we extract maximum value for that product, and our lactoferrin strategy is a critical part of that”. He continued: “Our bioactive ingredients innovation pipeline is well advanced, and we’re excited to be a step closer to bringing these concepts to commercialisation”. According to Westland, the addition of spray-dried lactoferrin – in combination with the company’s freeze-dried lactoferrin range – will position the dairy company as “one of the only lactoferrin manufacturers in the world capable of producing both formats on the one site”. Construction of the new plant is expected to take 16 months and is forecast to begin in the first half of 2024. You may also like to read: Westland Milk acquires dairy manufacturer Canary Foods Yili Group opens upgraded butter facility in New Zealand Yili set to acquire Westland Milk Products in deal worth $403m

A milk fat enzymatic biotechnology, which customises flavours to meet consumer preferences and enhances the lactic flavour of dairy products An industry-first sweetness design platform with a smart sweetness adjustment tool applicable to all of Yili’s dairy products that cater to customers’ reduced sugar and flavour needs A heat treatment homogenisation technology platform, which has brought about a new room-temperature yogurt and emerged as a gamechanger for industrial development The 100% peeling system and oxygen-free grinding process, which have led to the creation of the Plant Selected series featuring world-leading soybean milk products that have a strong aroma and smooth texture without any unpleasant soybean flavour. In addition, the ultrafiltration technology is integrated and innovated, through which key components such as protein, calcium and fat are reorganised and optimised to increase the concentration of protein and calcium in the original raw milk, providing consumers with science-based nutritional supplements. Does Yili have any other innovative plans for dairy products and healthy foods? Yili is highly active in the dairy market and confident about its ability to maintain a leading position across all categories, including liquid milk, milk powder, yogurt, ice cream, cheese, and more. Beyond its core dairy sector, the company is continuously evolving its product portfolio and entering new business lines, such as mineral water, plant-based beverages and lactic acid bacteria drinks, with the aim of meeting consumers’ diversifying needs. Yili’s products aim to bring nutrients and health benefits to all age groups as they go about their daily lives. The Group strives to develop patented technologies of core probiotics with its own independent intellectual property rights and has launched a new probiotic health solution brand, Quanjiayi. It has finished the R&D of four flagship probiotic strains and realised their functions, namely, the BL-99 strain for intestinal health, K56 strain for weight management, ET-22 strain for oral health and YLGB-1496 for the health of infants. These technologies have been commercialised in product series such as Changyi 100%, Yixiao, Cheese Bar, Xujinhuan ice cream and the BL-99 solid beverage. Looking forward, Yili will take advantage of its global innovation network to expand the Chinese probiotic strain pool and develop more functional strains. How are Yili's product innovations contributing to the UN's sustainable development goals (SDGs)? To date, Yili has launched five net zero-carbon products through its full-lifecycle carbon reduction actions, including two net zero-carbon milks, net zero-carbon yogurt, net zero-carbon organic milk powder and net zero-carbon ice cream. Yili continues developing its sustainable packaging technologies to improve recyclability and reduce carbon emissions. The use of polyolefin-only packaging, microfoam protective packaging, barrier PET packaging and other packaging solutions, as well as the directing melting PET materials for dairy products, have enabled the replacement of environmentally-unfriendly packaging materials and high recycling performance of packages after consumption. Satine’s No Printing No Ink Environment-friendly Edition won 'Best Packaging Design' at FoodBev's World Food Innovation Awards this year. The inner package is designed in pure white without traditional ink printing and information such as the product name and production date is laser-printed. It uses FSC-certified green packaging materials to help protect the forest ecosystem. Part of the raw material of the cap comes from sugar cane. The outer box uses paper carrying handles to reduce the use of plastic. Every 100,000 outer boxes save approximately 260kg of plastic. In addition, as food is closely related to human health, a sustainable, secure and healthy food industry will contribute to the UN's SDGs. To help achieve SDG 3 on health and nutrition, Yili has carried out academic research and technology development projects aimed at offering customised dairy products that satisfy the nutrition and health needs of different consumer segments, with the goal of fuelling a healthier population. For example, Yili has been conducting research on the breast milk of Chinese mothers for 21 years and operating the first breast milk database among China’s dairy companies. The Group’s vast research data have established a strong foundation for the development of infant formula milk powder. Furthermore, with support from the Chinese Red Cross Foundation, Yili has launched the Yili Nutrition 2030 public welfare programme, which focuses on ensuring that children can stay healthy and always pursue their dreams and aims to contribute to China’s rural revitalisation strategy and the Healthy China initiative. What key trends do you see now in the healthy food sector? Low sugar, high protein: As obesity, diabetes, and other health problems are becoming increasingly serious, demand is growing for healthy and low-sugar food and beverages. High-protein products have gone beyond being a choice just for sports enthusiasts and emerged as a mainstream offering. Consumer demand for high-protein foods is expected to continue increasing. Functionality: During the Covid-19 pandemic, natural and high-protein products became a favourite among consumers. People have been moving away from products with more sugar, fat and salt towards functional dairy products. An ageing population has also driven the growth of nutrition solutions that can meet the elderly’s needs around healthy ageing. Transparency and sustainability: The consumer-driven trend towards 'clean labels' will also continue as consumers demand greater transparency about the procurement of ingredients and hope to buy eco-friendly products. Meanwhile, the demand for natural and organic products is set to continue growing. In addition, as concerns about carbon emissions continue to rise, the conservation and efficient utilisation of water resources has also become an important topic in sustainable global development.

Mightylicious has debuted a range of handcrafted, gluten-free cookies. The line-up includes seven flavours: Brown butter Chocolate Chip, Brown Butter Shortbread, Oatmeal Raisin, Double Dutch Chocolate Chip, Grandma Arline’s Oatmeal Coconut, Salted Peanut Butter and Vegan Chocolate Chip. The soft-baked cookies are made from all-natural, non-GMO ingredients and are free from gluten, wheat, rye, barley and RBST. Mightylicious' founder, Carolyn Haeler, stated that her celiac disease diagnosis inspired her to develop Mightylicious handcrafted cookies: "Our hand-crafted cookies are designed to indulge and satisfy...I was determined to create a cookie that was gluten-free, healthy and above all, irresistibly delicious.” Mightylicious will be available online and in retail outlets, including Walmart, Whole Foods, Costco, King’s, Price Chopper and more.

UK dessert brand Pots & Co has expanded its portfolio with two ganache flavours. Handmade in small batches, the new desserts contain high-quality ingredients with no artificial preservatives. According to the company, both desserts are made with ‘Fino de Aroma’ cocoa, which is said to be "classified in the top 8% of cocoa in the world". The new flavours include: Choco latte ganache, which features handmade chocolate ganache made with Fino de Aroma cocoa and roasted coffee and has 80 calories per pot, and chocolate & hazelnut praline ganache, combines the same chocolate ganache but with roasted hazelnuts, coming in at 87 calories per pot. Fraser Thomson, joint-CEO for Pots & Co, said: “Developing a high-quality and great-tasting HFSS-compliant product has been a year-long journey that has seen more recipe development, tasting and testing than we’ve ever done before". He continued: “It’s been a labour of love that has led us to a two-strong line-up of the finest handmade chocolate ganache desserts that are ‘delightfully delicious’ and low in calories at the same time. There’s no compromise between the two in our kitchen, and dessert lovers will still get all the indulgent taste and flavour that Pots & Co is celebrated for." “We pride ourselves on the quality of the ingredients we use, especially when it comes to chocolate. Using this extremely high-quality chocolate means that our ingredients naturally don’t contain as much salt and sugar as others. This gave us an advantage when developing our non-HFSS products, as we were still able to produce restaurant-quality desserts that taste buds everywhere deserve.” Pots & Co's choco latte ganache and chocolate & hazelnut praline ganache will be available at Tesco stores from 1 May with an RRP of £3.50 per pot.

Hormel Foods has announced a new flavour for its Corn Nuts snack brand. The Corn Nuts Mexican Street Corn flavour is inspired by the classic Mexican street corn (also known as 'elotes') flavour, which is served on the cob and has notes of chilli and citrus. Robbie Koons, Corn Nuts brand manager, said: "We're very excited to have the Mexican Street Corn flavour join the ranks of the classic Corn Nuts varieties people love. Since Hormel Foods acquired the brand in 2021, we have been working to innovate and expand the flavour portfolio." Corn Nuts Mexican Street Corn is available at grocery and convenience stores in the US.

Amber Beverage Group (ABG) has issued bonds worth €30 million to finance its automated high-bay warehouse project. The global spirits company's four-year bond issue saw a high level of demand from both private and institutional investors in the Baltic region, with a total exceeding €45 million. The bond issue was arranged by Signet Bank in Latvia. Located in the Freeport of Riga, Latvia, the funds will be used to build a 24,000-square-metre fully automated logistics centre. As a result of the new facility, the warehouse capacity is expected to increase by around 30%, from 25,000 pallets to 35,000 pallets. Jekaterina Stuģe, CEO of ABG, said that the site "will incorporate the latest equipment, managed by a powerful warehouse management system". In addition, she stated that "the warehouse technology will be supplied by Jungheinrich at a cost of €15 million”. The company's entry into the bond market represents "a significant step for Amber Beverage Group," said Stuģe. The company handles 1,400 own and third-party drinks products, and its brand portfolio includes Rooster Rojo Tequila, Kah Tequila, Moskovskaya Vodka, The Irishman Whiskey, Writers’ Tears Whiskey, Riga Black Balsam, Cross Keys Gin and Cosmopolitan Diva. Stuģe added: "As part of our policy of continuous improvement as we move towards attaining a position as a top ten spirits company worldwide, we want to further improve our efficiencies. We aim not only for smooth and cost-effective processes but systems that are contemporary, state-of-the-art and sustainable. We continue to look at various M&A transactions and also at important development projects such as the advanced, automated warehouse project."

Dan Bunt caught up with Yili's MD Gerrit Smit regarding the group's success at the World Food Innovation Awards and new product innovations.

Spanish dairy company Calidad Pascual has acquired an 8% stake in local beer brand Cerveza Mica through its investment arm, Pascual Innoventures. The investment expands on a distribution agreement between both companies that was established back in 2019. The minority stake will help Calidad Pascual boost the brewer's R&D efforts in recent years. Both companies will then collaborate on the joint launch of new products in the alternative beverages space. Gabriel Torres, CEO of Pascual Innoventures, said: "Pascual has a long relationship with Cerveza Mica, and we are very excited about this new way of collaborating that we have opened, reinforcing our commitment to innovation and expanding our value proposition in the Castile-Leon and national markets. We believe that the innovative spirit of Mica is a strong ally for the development of new business opportunities." As part of this agreement, Pascual Innoventures will also support the marketing of all Mica products, contributing to the brand's growth. In addition, Calidad Pascual said that the joint projects "will not only be limited to the innovation of the final product but will also be open to possible improvements throughout the value chain, from the cultivation of raw materials to marketing and reaching the final consumer". Juan Cereijo, CEO of Cerveza Mica, commented: "We are already working on new opportunities, and we are happy and proud to have closed this new collaboration agreement". Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Impact technology company Divert has announced it has broken ground on its integrated diversion and energy facility in Turlock, California. The new facility, funded in part by a $63 million municipal green bond issued through the California Public Finance Authority, will capture and turn wasted food into carbon-negative renewable energy through a method of anaerobic digestion. Ryan Begin, CEO and co-founder of Divert, said: “The wasted food crisis is a major contributor to climate change and food insecurity…For the past 16 years, Divert has been at the forefront of working to prevent waste through our sustainable infrastructure and advanced technologies. This is a transformative opportunity to scale Divert’s proven solutions in California and further accelerate our vision for a waste-free future.” The 65,000-square-foot facility will transform waste from retailers and other companies into carbon-negative renewable energy, preventing it from emitting harmful methane in landfills. It will also provide companies with data analytics giving insights on how to waste less and donate food that is still edible. Once fully operational, the facility is expected to process 100,000 tons of wasted food annually, offsetting up to 23,000 metric tons of CO2 each year. According to Divert, the facility’s renewable energy production will be enough to supply around 3,000 homes each year. California state treasurer, Fiona Ma, commented: “The green bond issued through the California Public Financing Authority is one example of how California is leading on climate change through quality, long term-green infrastructure opportunities. We applaud Divert’s commitment to tackling our state’s wasted food crisis with the development of this new facility, making strides toward a stronger economy and a better quality of life for the people that we serve, now and into the future.” Divert plans to scale to 30 facilities across the US to be within 100 miles of 80% of the country’s population in the next eight years. According to Divert, it currently manages approximately 0.5% of US wasted food from 5,400 food retail stores and intends to grow that to 5% through its expansion goals. The site is expected to be fully operational in 2024.

Tyson Foods will cut approximately 15% of senior leadership roles and 10% of corporate roles, chief executive Donnie King has said in a memo to employees. Talks with impacted employees are expected to take place this week, King informed Tyson team members. He added: “As we look towards our future, we must also consider the roles and staffing levels across our teams and prioritise work that drives value for our customers and consumers. This means making the difficult but necessary decision to reduce headcount across the organisation.” Tyson had around 6,000 employees working in corporate roles in the US as of 1 October, Reuters stated. If Reuters' statistic is correct, it would mean an estimated 600 US employees would be affected in addition to 15% of those in senior leadership roles – the number of which has not been confirmed. The news follows the company’s closure of two US processing plants back in March, which affected almost 1,700 Tyson employees. In its latest Q1 results, Tyson's adjusted operating income declined 68% to $453 million, and adjusted EPS fell 70% from the prior year. The company reportedly failed to forecast the amount of protein on the market, as drought in the western US prompted ranchers to reduce cattle herds by sending more animals to slaughter. Meanwhile, an outbreak of bird flu triggered export restrictions, resulting in a larger-than-expected national supply of chicken. In the memo, King concluded: “This is not an easy day, and we recognise it will be difficult for our team members. While this will require time to process, these decisions are necessary to continue executing our long-term strategy and over time will make Tyson Foods stronger.” FoodBev Media has contacted Tyson Foods for comment.