WHA general manager Phillipa Clow and chairman Jon Wicks review the Water Dispenser & Hydration Association Conference & Trade Show 2023, held at DoubleTree by Hilton in Milton Keynes, on 16 March. This year's WHA Trade Show aimed to bring together delegates, trade show visitors and exhibitors from across the water dispenser and cooler industry, offering a one-stop shop to meet and network with some of the industry's finest. As the leading association for the hydration industry, WHA is the single point of reference for those who require and supply hydration solutions. Below, Clow (first video) and Wicks (second video) both speak with FoodBev's Gwen Jones about the successes and highlights from this year's event. For more information please visit: twha.co.uk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRxllrWT2xs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CbHMSXjKak&t=22s

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have warned people not to eat Baronet semi-soft cheese, which has been linked to a Listeria outbreak that has resulted in one death. A recall of Baronet products was first announced by the FSA early last week. The agency says that the cheeses are contaminated with Listeria – some of them "at exceptionally high levels". Baronet, a pasteurised semi-soft cheese, is sold in small individual rounds and 1kg wheels that may be served at deli counters. The FSA and UKHSA have not confirmed that The Old Cheese Room in Wiltshire, UK – where the cheeses are manufactured – was the source of the outbreak. Through whole-genome sequencing surveillance of listeriosis samples, UKHSA has identified three cases potentially linked to the outbreak, with one death. According to the FSA and UKHSA: "The outbreak strain has also been found in some food products and samples taken from food environments, however, there is no confirmation that Baronet is the cause of this outbreak". The FSA's head of incidents, Tina Potter, said: “Due to this outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes, we are urging consumers who are vulnerable to Listeria infection – including people who are pregnant and people with weakened immune systems – to ensure they follow the advice in the product recall notices, which details all of the products which may pose a risk". She continued: “We are also asking people to make sure that elderly relatives who may have purchased the recalled items, and who are at particular risk, are aware of the recall and observe the advice". “Some foods carry a greater risk of Listeria than others. These include soft cheeses, pâté, smoked fish, chilled sliced meats and other chilled ready-to-eat products.” Richard Elson, head of incidents and response at UKHSA, added: “Listeriosis is a rare infection and most people will only experience mild symptoms such as abdominal pain or diarrhoea, which usually pass within a few days without the need for treatment. But people with weakened immune systems, who are pregnant, or are infants or elderly are at greater risk of developing severe symptoms." Several batches of The Old Cheese Room's Baronet, Baby Baronet and Mini Baronet soft cheeses have been recalled. The list can be found on the FSA's website.

Diageo has announced that Sir Ivan Menezes is retiring as chief executive officer and member of the company's board on 30 June. Menezes will be succeeded by Debra Crew – currently COO at the drinks giant – who will take up the post on 1 July, becoming the company's first female CEO. Diageo has been led by Menezes since July 2013, and is said to have overseen a period of significant growth for the company. He originally joined the spirits maker through the merger of Guinness and Grand Metropolitan in 1997. Menezes commented: “It has been an enormous honour leading Diageo over the past decade. I am extremely proud of what we have achieved during that time, and I would like to thank my 28,000 talented colleagues around the world for all of their hard work, creativity and passion. I would also like to thank the board for their encouragement, challenge and support over the years…I am confident that under Debra’s leadership, and with our extraordinary portfolio of brands and culture, Diageo will go on to deliver our long-term performance ambition.” As a result of Crew’s appointment, women will make up more than 50% of Diageo’s executive committee from 1 July. She originally joined the Diageo board as a non-executive director in April 2019, before stepping down from the board when appointed president of Diageo North America in July 2020. Crew has previously held positions at PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Nestlé and Mars. Diageo chairman, Javier Ferrán, said: “The board is enormously grateful for Ivan’s contribution over the past decade...Ivan has transformed Diageo’s global footprint, brand portfolio and strategic focus, positioning our business as a clear leader in premium drinks.” Ferrán added that Crew has been a “highly valued member of Diageo’s leadership team in recent years with an impressive track record of delivery”. He commented: “She has deep consumer industry expertise as well as proven strategic capabilities, strong operational performance and a clear ability to build and lead teams. I have no doubt that Diageo is in the right hands for the next phase of its growth.” Crew said: “I am delighted to be appointed chief executive officer of Diageo. Ivan leaves Diageo in a very strong position for future growth and I look forward to working with our teams around the world to capture the opportunities ahead.”

US-based ingredient manufacturer Baldwin Richardson Foods (BRF) has announced that is has acquired the assets of Californian company Aseptic Solutions USA. The transaction will expand BRF’s manufacturing capabilities to include high-demand aseptic products, accelerating the company’s commercial strategy to be a ‘full-portfolio liquid product supplier’ for the F&B industry. Aseptic manufacturing solutions make shelf-stable, preservative-free products while maintaining maximum freshness, texture, flavour and nutritional value. BRF’s acquisition of the California-based assets will enable it to serve new markets. Erin Tolefree, president of BRF, said: "In addition to expanding our product offerings, this acquisition will expand our geographical footprint and the agility of our supply chain, best positioning us to help our customers build for the future". The acquisition will enable BRF to leverage its market position through manufacturing a range of beverage products including plant-based milk alternatives, concentrates and purees, bar cocktail mixes and coffee creamers, in a variety of bottle, carton and pouch sizes. Cara Hughes, VP of customer and community at BRF, said: "Baldwin Richardson Foods is known for its culture of innovation which makes us an 'easy button' for our customers…This new expansion is a demonstration of our culture and a commitment to delivering on our customers' needs." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Beyond Better Foods-owned brand Enlightened has expanded its better-for-you snacks portfolio with the launch of the new frozen Greek yogurt bars. The new product is available in two variants: caramel brownie and mint & cookies. Offering all the nutritional benefits of Greek yogurt, the bars are said to be the "lowest sugar Greek yogurt bars on the market," with only 80 calories and 3g of added sugar. In addition, Enlightened's frozen Greek yogurt bars contain prebiotic and probiotic benefits, as well as 5g of protein per serving. "Our customers have been asking us for years to deliver a Greek yogurt version of our ice cream bars," said Enlightened founder and CEO Michael Shoretz. "We worked hard to create a product that not only tastes great but also offers a healthier alternative to traditional ice cream bars." Enlightened's frozen Greek yogurt bars are available in Sprouts Farmers Market, Harris-Teeter, ShopRite, Ingles, Smart & Final and other retailers for $6.99 per box of four.

Hiru Corporation has entered into a "multi-million-dollar" agreement to package still and sparkling water products for Voss Water in the Western US. As part of the co-packing deal, Hiru, operating from its facilities in Glendale, Arizona and Denman, California, will fill still and sparkling water into bottles provided by Voss. The agreement covers all types of bottles used by Voss, including glass, aluminum and plastic containers, across a range of sizes. Kathryn Gavin, president and CEO of Hiru, stated: "This new co-packing agreement with Voss Water has been in the works for several months now and is a natural outgrowth of our ever-expanding ability to meet large client demand on the West Coast of the United States and our successful production history in servicing other similar national brands". She continued: "We expect this co-packing relationship to become a significant and ongoing revenue source as we continue to meet their future delivery expectations and our manufacturing footprint continues to grow. ...is growing at a rapid pace and now includes almost all of the national water bottling companies that are well known to the consuming public." The precise financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Ginsters has added new limited-edition flavour innovation, Creamy Tomato, Chicken & Mozzarella Slice, to its portfolio. The Creamy Tomato, Chicken & Mozzarella Slice is full of tender, British chicken cooked in a creamy sauce with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil pesto and encased in a golden baked puff pastry with a tomato and basil crumb topping. Ginsters’ limited-edition Creamy Chicken, Tomato & Mozzarella Slice includes no artificial colours, preservatives or flavours. Sam Mitchell, Ginsters managing director, commented: “The latest launch in our Limited Edition Slice range is designed to bring excitement, variety and innovation to the category and introduce new shoppers to Ginsters slices as they browse for more tempting, great value lunch options”. Mitchell added: “We are proud that our innovation strategy has continued to grow our category and we hope that the mouth-watering new Creamy Chicken, Tomato & Mozzarella Slice will bring even more shoppers in. Ginsters is shorthand for quality and excitement, and we have plenty more in the pipeline for 2023 and beyond.” The new slice comes in a serving size of 170g for an RRP of £1.95 and will be available at select UK retailers from 9 April.

New Belgium Brewing has agreed to acquire Constellation Brands’ 259,000-square-foot brewing facility in Daleville, Virginia. The acquisition will expand New Belgium’s existing production capacity to help meet the growing demand for its craft beer portfolio. Upon completion of the deal, New Belgium will begin brewing at Daleville, focusing on Voodoo Ranger Juice Force IPA and Fruit Force IPA. New Belgium CEO, Steve Fechheimer, commented: “For a company growing as fast as New Belgium, there’s no challenge more urgent than boosting our ability to make enough beer to meet growing demand”. He continued: “We’re excited to join the Daleville community, and we’re confident this facility and its local team will help us fuel our growth for the foreseeable future. We greatly appreciate the partnership we’ve seen from distributors and retailers over the past several months as we’ve worked to find a solution.” New Belgium and Constellation Brands will also enter into a co-packing agreement as part of the deal. New Belgium will manufacture select brands for Constellation at the Daleville facility, including the newly launched Fresca Mixed. Jim Sabia, president of Constellation Brands’ beer division, said: “One of the keys to our success is bringing a focused and disciplined approach to our beer business, making key strategic pivots when the circumstances warrant it”. He added: “We are pleased that New Belgium Brewing will be able to more fully optimise the Daleville facility’s footprint and are confident they will position the existing talented workforce for additional future success”. The agreement also includes continued employment for all current New Belgium staff. The deal is expected to close in early May.

Hostess Brands-owned cookie and wafer brand Voortman has introduced a range of zero-sugar mini wafers to its portfolio. The bite-sized wafers are available in two flavours: vanilla and chocolate. The wafers contain no artificial flavours or colours, no high-fructose corn syrup and are packaged in resealable stand-up pouches. The new offering will join Voortman Cookies' portfolio, which includes Sugar Free Mini Iced Oatmeal and Sugar Free Mini Vanilla Shortbread. “Our goal with the expansion of our zero sugar portfolio is to provide consumers with great-tasting, fun-sized snacks that make balancing health and indulgence easy and delicious,” said Adam Lisook, general manager of Voortman Cookies. “We’re excited to offer sugar-conscious consumers more of what they want: easy, portable snacks that deliver all of the flavour without all of the sugar.” The mini wafers are available in 6.5oz pouches at grocery retailers nationwide.

Up Vertical Farms has begun operations at its hands-free vertical farm in western Canada and expects the produce to be available in retailers in the region this spring. The farm produces sustainably-grown, pesticide-free and contamination-free baby salad greens, at 350 times the yield of conventional field-grown greens. The fully automated farm’s customised LED lights and temperature-, humidity-, water- and nutrient-controlled systems enable optimal growing conditions. According to the company, it employs advanced, high-density growing technology that uses 99% less land, water and fertiliser when compared to traditional agriculture methods. The facility uses recycled CO2 and proprietary lighting technology to grow the greens to custom brix levels and flavour levels, with the produce lasting for more than 22 days refrigerated. It produces greens including rocket, kale, romaine, butter lettuce and baby choi. Up expects annual production of approximately 2 million pounds of salad greens and has the ability to fully customise packs to fulfil the specific needs of retailers and restaurants. This is due to the company growing the crops in an automated 13 to 21-day period, which allows blends to be tailored and grown instantaneously to keep up with ongoing trends. Bahram Rashti, co-founder of Up Vertical Farms, said: "We are honoured to do our part to help Canada navigate its food security issues by providing a healthier, more sustainable local farming solution that reduces farming's impact on the environment and Canadian consumers' dependence on imports from the US”.

Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Granola is launching a new Barista Edition with a chocolate mocha flavour. The latest addition to Kellogg’s granola range is infused with an aromatic coffee flavour, with Crunchy Nut's classic milk chocolate curls and sliced almonds. It is naturally high in fibre with no artificial colours or flavours. Rui Frias, senior brand activation manager, Kellogg’s UKI, said: “We know coffee is one of the UK’s favourite morning drinks, so it seemed like the right next step for us to look into how we could combine the crunch of our Granola with the delicious flavour of coffee. He continued: “We’re proud of our tasty new Barista Edition and delighted to welcome it to the Crunchy Nut Granola range with the launch of our Chocolate Mocha Flavour. We are sure this will be a breakfast staple across the UK that coffee lovers won’t be able to resist.” The latest addition to the range follows Kellogg’s launch of Salted Caramel-flavoured Crunchy Nut cereal in December. The company also expanded its non-HFSS Coco Pops range with the launch of Coco Pops Chocos in January, and In February unveiled a new Honey variety of its Rice Krispies Multigrain shapes cereal. Kellogg’s Crunchy Nut Granola’s new Barista Edition is available in major UK retailers for an RRP of £2.99.

IFF has expanded its innovation capabilities with two new flavour labs at its campus in Brabrand, Denmark. The site provides a hub for research, application development, and ingredient and flavour creation. The expansion will enable local and regional manufacturers to work in partnership with a new team of flavourists, who, the company says, “will introduce the latest modulation technologies and develop solutions for the beverage, bakery, dairy, snacks, culinary, bars and confectionery end markets”. Laurens Reiber, creative director at Nourish Europe, IFF, said: “We’re thrilled to launch these flavour labs. Brabrand is already a massive innovation centre, and its location helps us better understand local market preferences and deliver trending global flavours. Now we’re investing further to boost our speed-to-market capabilities and to bring greater value to our partners.” The team at the labs will collaborate with manufacturers to create unique taste experiences for consumers, especially in the areas of masking, sweetness and umami, using IFF’s library of proprietary flavour ingredients. Flavourists will be given access to IFF’s latest research innovations, including in plant-based and biotechnology, as well as resources such as pilot plant manufacturing, ingredient expertise and evaluation studios, providing an environment for end-to-end product design. Jan Bechtel, regional president of Nourish Europe, IFF, said: “This expanded facility is a testament to our continued investment in innovation to meet evolving consumer expectations. We will continue to build on our deep expertise and scientific knowledge and invest in tools and products to bring what matters most to consumers in the market: creating the next generation of delicious, healthy and experiential food and beverages.” The expansion follows IFF’s opening of a ‘Nourish’ innovation lab in New Jersey, US, last year. In the last few months, the company has announced the sale of its Flavor Specialty Ingredients business to Exponent for $220 million, as well as of its Savory Solutions Group to PAI Partners for $900 million.