Mars-owned Dove has added new Milk Chocolate Molten Lava Caramel flavour to its Promises portfolio. The new innovation includes a rich Molten Lava-flavoured caramel centre, covered in a silky-smooth milk chocolate casing. Dove Milk Chocolate Molten Lava Caramel Promises can be enjoyed as an at home dessert or as an on-the-go treat. Martin Terwilliger, senior director, Mars, said: "We hope to inspire moments of everyday happiness with our newest innovation, Dove Milk Chocolate Molten Lava Caramel Promises". He added: "We're consistently looking for new ways to deliver new, exciting experiences to our fans through our flavour innovations, and this new dessert-inspired Promise is one that will surely be a fan favourite.” Dove's Milk Chocolate Molten Lava Caramel Promises is available at US retailers in a stand-up 7.61 oz pouch.

Barcel USA, the snack division of Grupo Bimbo, has announced the expansion of its intense-flavoured chip brand, Takis, with a new nacho-flavoured line. The new cheesy flavour is available in several varieties: Takis Rolled Chips – the brand’s classic tube-shaped chip, Takis Pop popcorn and Takis Waves – a ridged chip variety. The chips were introduced in partnership with DJ and producer Steve Aoki who is releasing a track to coincide with the launch. Aoki said: “I'm all about keeping the energy high before, during, and after my shows, so always keeping a stash of the new Takis Intense Nacho flavour on hand is a no-brainer." Sandra Kirkpatrick, Takis’ marketing director, said: “At Takis, we're all about giving our fans what they want, so we set out to craft the ultimate recipe for an equally-daring snack that captures all of our classic intensity with none of the spice – a flavour that will surely ‘wow’ your tastebuds. With our new Intense Nacho line, we're introducing our first-ever, non-spicy variety." As part of the brand’s partnership with recycling company TerraCycle, all of the new line’s packaging is able to be recycled by mailing the empty bags with prepaid shipping labels to TerraCycle. The new chips are available in US retailers now in sizes between 2.5oz and 9.9oz for an RRP of $2.19 to $4.49.

Pernod Ricard USA has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Skrewball, a premium peanut butter-flavoured American whiskey brand. Skrewball was founded in 2018 by Steven and Brittany Yeng and is said to offer a smooth and nutty taste. The acquisition marks Pernod Ricard's latest foray into the flavoured whiskey category and follows the launch of Jameson Orange in 2021. Ann Mukherjee, chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard North America, said: “Skrewball has proven its uniqueness and success with a large audience, so we are delighted to have this brand as part of our portfolio. With a product that brings an iconic American flavour to the spirits world, Steven and Brittany have found a true point of difference in the category.” The Yengs added: “It’s overwhelming to see how far we’ve come with a ‘screwball’ idea and a dream. We are very excited to see what the future holds for this brand under Pernod Ricard. The engine behind the company – its strategy, global reach and brand building expertise – will greatly support in taking the brand to new heights and we are excited to see it soar.” Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Better-for-you ice cream brand, Halo Top, has introduced new Frozen Yogurt Pops made with yogurt, granola and fruit in Triple Berry and Strawberry. Halo Top Frozen Yogurt Pops are made with Icelandic Skyr-style yogurt and contain 110 calories per pop and 4g of protein. Pete Gargula, Halo Top brand manager, commented: "Our fans know and love our ice creams and other frozen dessert options, but we wanted to give them a go-to snack for any time of day that brings all the indulgence of Halo Top plus a burst of protein and flavour". He added: "An Icelandic Skyr style frozen yogurt pop was the perfect solution. It's creamy, it's hearty, and you can feel good about grabbing one at any time of day.” The Triple Berry flavour is a creamy frozen yogurt blended with crunchy granola and blueberries. Meanwhile, the Strawberry flavour is blended with yogurt, granola and strawberries. Halo Top's new Frozen Yogurt Pops can be found in the frozen aisle of US retailers for an SRP of $5.49 per pack.

Promoted: When it comes to sweet and salted baked goods, a golden, shiny appearance immediately suggests the product is fragrant, fresh and tasty.

Seaweed science: using sea botanicals to boost gut health Australian seaweed contains a wide range of vitamins and minerals, including iodine, iron and calcium, which are said to help people overcome health challenges such as inflammation and poor gut health. Seaweed is used in innovative ways in Australia. Australian drinks companies such as Seadrift Distillery are inspired by the mindful drinking movement and have created an award-winning non-alcoholic spirit distilled in traditional copper pot stills, which offers an infusion of seaweed and other fresh coastal and sea botanicals. Phycohealth creates seaweed pasta, muesli and seaweed roasted macadamias. And here’s a fun fact: Australia and South Africa account for 50% of total macadamia nut production. Over the next five years, the expected market growth rate of macadamias in Europe is higher than for most other nuts. Sustainability drives Australia’s food innovation Australia spends about AUD 1.4 billion a year on agriculture research and development, around 40% of which is funded by the Australian government. Australian farmers, scientists and researchers are driving advances in bioscience, novel farming techniques as well as food innovation and processing. Australian companies and research centres harness food innovation to improve the sustainability and traceability of their products and supply chains. With a background in science and engineering, the founders of Extraordinary Foods/Pimp my Salad were inspired by the natural food scene and have created an innovative range of gluten-free, vegan salad toppers. Their meat-free coconut bacon is turning heads in the UK and has been nominated for a FoodBev World Food Innovation Award this year. Pimp my Salad is not the only Australian nominee; Australia’s iconic brand Vegemite is making waves with its Vegemite gluten-free option. Sustainable sipping: Australia’s drinks industry leads the way We see exciting examples in Australia’s drinks industry where companies lead the way in sustainability. In fact, Australian winery Wakefield Wines became one of the first wine producers globally to acquire carbon-neutral certification, and more have followed since. Small Things Wine produces premium Australian wine packaged in cans rather than bottles. Not only are cans 25 times more recyclable than glass, but their production and transport use significantly less energy, further reducing their carbon footprint. The company’s natural, premium wines are produced using sustainably certified grapes from the famous Margaret River region in Western Australia. The Thread Softly wine range from Fourth Wave Wine works to bring back a thriving ecosystem of native flora and fauna in Australia’s Yarra Yarra biodiversity corridor by planting a biodiverse mix of native tree species. To date, they have planted over 1 million trees. They also offer wines in aluminium cans and 1.5l pouches and will launch their ‘Born Free’ range in glass made from 100% recycled materials. At Austrade, we look forward to introducing UK consumers to some of our unique Australian products in 2023. Australia is bursting with premium food suppliers - Austrade.

The Real Drinks Co is adding a new flavour to its portfolio of naturally fermented sparkling tea that uses white peony tea leaves to produce an alcohol-free alternative to sparkling rosé in Peony Blush. Peony Blush is made from white peony teas that are grown in the Fujan province of China. With a pale, wild-salmon pink colouring, Peony Blush features creamy, buttery and strawberry-tasting notes. Its smell is described as being vibrant and fruity with a deeper, savoury complexity and smoothness. The Real Drinks Co founder, David Begg, commented: “...This is an exciting opportunity for The Real Drinks Co to provide a genuine alcohol-free alternative to sparkling rosé at a key seasonal time”. He added: “While many alcohol-free wines and sparkling wines remove alcohol, The Real Drinks Co naturally ferment tea leaves to produce the same authenticity, provenance and complexity that are found in wine. We expect trade to stock more alcohol-free alternatives this summer and look forward to seeing the response.” Priced at £9, Peony Blush will be available in a 750ml bottle with the brand’s celebratory cork & cage closure, from 27 April in selected UK retailers and online.

Dole Packaged Foods has introduced Good Crunch, a “better-for-you” dried fruit snack that comes in three varieties. Made using non-GMO pineapple and banana, the new offering aims to provide a healthier alternative to traditional crunchy snacks such as potato chips, and is free from artificial flavours, colours and preservatives. The varieties include: Banana Bites Original, which is a source of potassium; Pineapple Bites Original, containing fibre and manganese; and Pineapple Bites with Chili. “Crunchy snacks are often associated with being unhealthy, but we're looking to change that perception with Good Crunch,” said Orzse Hodi, senior vice president and managing director, Americas at Dole Packaged Foods. Efforts have been made to minimise the environmental footprint of the product, with unused pieces of fruit upcycled into organic fertilisers, while solar energy is used to power the dehydration process. Sold in resealable pouches, Good Crunch is currently available through Amazon and Hannaford, with a wider rollout, including to Walmart, planned for later this spring.

Shaw-Ross International Importers has announced its acquisition of TYKU Sake from Diageo. TYKU is a premium sake brand that was developed for the US market in the early noughties, before being purchased by Diageo in 2020 as part of the spirit giant's acquisition of Davos Brands. Wine and spirit importer Shaw-Ross is looking to bolster its Japanese portfolio through the deal, the financial terms of which have not been disclosed. “As the nation’s leading importer of sake, we feel that TYKU complements our growing Japanese portfolio by increasing our range of premium sakes,” said Shaw-Ross president, Scott Jove. “From Gekkeikan to Iichiko, Shaw-Ross represents the top brands in the Japanese drinks categories, and we are well positioned to take advantage of the US consumer’s growing interest in the country’s culture and products.”

FrieslandCampina has appointed Jan Derck van Karnebeek as its next chief executive officer, effective 1 June this year. Van Karnebeek will take the reins from Hein Schumacher, who was named as Unilever's incoming CEO in January. Currently chief executive of GreenV – an international group of companies active in the horticultural sector – van Karnebeek spent a large portion of his career at Heineken, working in commercial, marketing and general management positions. He served as chief commercial officer at the Dutch brewer from 2015 until 2021. Sybren Attema, chairman of FrieslandCampina’s supervisory board, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Jan Derck van Karnebeek as our new CEO. Jan Derck is a business leader with an excellent track record of delivering growth across multiple businesses, in the Netherlands and internationally, in both business-to-consumer and business-to-business settings.” He continued: “He is a seasoned consumer goods executive with a strong focus on value creation for the company and its owners, always with a keen eye for the interests of all stakeholders. Jan Derck believes in doing business with a purpose in which people, the planet and profit are key elements. He is known as a team player who sets the bar high for himself and others while creating an environment of trust, confidence and accountability.” During his career at Heineken, van Karnebeek held posts in the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Austria. Van Karnebeek said: “I am honoured to become FrieslandCampina’s new CEO. What really draws me to FrieslandCampina is that it is a modern consumer goods company – with driven employees, nutritious products and ingredients, and strong consumer and B2B brands marketed in over 100 countries – combined with the rich heritage and no-nonsense, hands-on ownership mentality of the cooperative.” He added: “I really look forward to working with FrieslandCampina’s employees and member dairy farmers on growing and further future-proofing this great company and cooperative”.

Britvic has announced an investment of £13 million to create a fifth canning line at its UK site on Glebe Farm Industrial Estate in Rugby. According to Britvic, this investment takes the company's Rugby facility into the "top five largest soft drinks manufacturing sites in Europe". These latest developments are part of a £40 million investment into the Rugby facility, over the past two years. Additionally, the investment follows Britvic's wider £250 million investment into its business and operational continuity plan, which aims to improve its British supply chain, create more jobs and improve efficacy, helping to reduce waste. The investment is expected to create 20 new jobs across engineering and manufacturing. Paul Graham, Britvic managing director in Great Britain, said: “This investment is another example of our commitment to our people, product and planet goals. Developing our state-of-the-art supply chain means that we can increase the production capacity of peoples’ favourite brands, create more jobs and improve efficiency helping to reduce waste. We look forward to seeing the new canning line in action.” The new line will see capacity increase by 14%, enabling Britvic to produce 80,000 recyclable 330ml cans per hour for some of the UK's biggest soft drinks brands, including Tango and Pepsi Max. The news follows Britvic's announcement of a £27 million canning line in the factory in October 2021, and a £19 million upgrade to its distribution centre last year. The first cans are expected to hit shelves in the next few weeks. You may also like to read: Britvic launches sugar-free Tango Paradise Punch Xampla and Britvic launch vitamin microcapsules for beverage industry Britvic launches Robinsons on-the-go functional squash drops

Britvic has announced an investment of £13 million to create a fifth canning line at its UK site on Glebe Farm Industrial Estate in Rugby. According to Britvic, this investment takes the company's Rugby facility into the "top five largest soft drinks manufacturing sites in Europe". These latest developments are part of a £40 million investment into the Rugby facility, over the past two years. Additionally, the investment follows Britvic's wider £250 million investment into its business and operational continuity plan, which aims to improve its British supply chain, create more jobs and improve efficacy, helping to reduce waste. The investment is expected to create 20 new jobs across engineering and manufacturing. Paul Graham, Britvic managing director in Great Britain, said: “This investment is another example of our commitment to our people, product and planet goals. Developing our state-of-the-art supply chain means that we can increase the production capacity of peoples’ favourite brands, create more jobs and improve efficiency helping to reduce waste. We look forward to seeing the new canning line in action.” The new line will see capacity increase by 14%, enabling Britvic to produce 80,000 recyclable 330ml cans per hour for some of the UK's biggest soft drinks brands, including Tango and Pepsi Max. The news follows Britvic's announcement of a £27 million canning line in the factory in October 2021, and a £19 million upgrade to its distribution centre last year. The first cans are expected to hit shelves in the next few weeks. You may also like to read: Britvic launches sugar-free Tango Paradise Punch Xampla and Britvic launch vitamin microcapsules for beverage industry Britvic launches Robinsons on-the-go functional squash drops