Mondelez International-owned Cadbury Caramel is launching a new salted caramel flavour range in the UK. The new Cadbury Dairy Milk Salted Caramel range is available in three formats – tablet, buttons (nibbles) and Cadbury Fingers – and aims to tap into the increasingly popular salted caramel flavour trend. The tablet features classic Cadbury chocolate with a smooth salted caramel centre - and expands on the success of its small blocks format (RRP £1.49). Salted Caramel Nibbles feature a Cadbury milk chocolate coating around a soft salted caramel centre (RRP £1.50 for a sharing bag). Meanwhile, Salted Caramel Fingers sees the addition of salted caramel to the traditional chocolate and biscuit confection ( RRP £1.85). Christina Bland, Brand Manager for Cadbury at Mondelēz International says: “Salted Caramel is incredibly popular with shoppers, and as a flavour is second only to orange in terms of growth over the last two years". She added: “We’re delighted to bring this popular flavour to the iconic Cadbury Caramel brand to create a salty-sweet combination that is sure to appeal to chocolate shoppers. The three product innovations in the range are ideal for consumers looking for sweet products for big nights in, which are a continually growing opportunity at a time when people are looking to be careful with money but still wanting to enjoy a treat." More product launches: Lucozade Sport zero sugarHellmann’s temperature-detecting smart jarsSunnyD Vodka SeltzerWalkers Quavers BBQ Sauce flavour

British supermarket giant Sainsbury’s will pay £430.9 million to take full ownership of the Highbury and Dragon store investment vehicles. Sainsbury’s has held an around 49% stake in Highbury and Dragon since it was created in 2000 and will now acquire the remaining interest from Supermarket Income REIT. The vehicles comprise the freeholds of 26 Sainsbury’s supermarkets which are leased to the retail giant. Under the deal, Sainsbury’s will acquire the freeholds of 21 stores, which will continue to be operated as its supermarkets. The remaining five stores will be sold by Sainsbury's, four of which it will lease back. Following the transaction, Supermarket Income REIT has the option to acquire the four stores that are subject to the new Sainsbury's leases for a net consideration of £33.2 million. It is expected that the one remaining store will be sold at vacant possession value. Sainsbury’s will fully fund Highbury and Dragon’s bond redemptions of £170.5 million on 20 March and £130.4 million on 13 July. The acquisition and bond redemptions will be funded by cash resources and a committed unsecured term facility.

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has started construction on a new warehouse at its production unit in Azeitão in Setúbal, Portugal. The company has invested €8 million in the new facility, which will enable CCEP to reorganise the industrial unit, increase storage capacity from 12,000 to 22,000 square metres and optimise recourse operations, including the reduction of vehicle movements to transport pallets, ultimately lowering its carbon footprint. CCEP estimates a 65% decrease in pallet transportation – from 200,00 pallets to 71,000 – and an estimated reduction of 513 tonnes of Co2 compared to 2019 transport data. The warehouse, which the company says will be operational in the last quarter of 2023, will ensure CCEP's operations in Portugal are more flexible and efficient, that they are prepared for future growth requirements, and that they can provide support to other CCEP business units and more rapid response to customers. You may also like to read: CCEP Ventures announces funding to upcycle CO2 CCEP to invest £11m to advance net zero emissions commitment Coca-Cola Europacific Partners pilots refillable solution in Swedish store

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has started construction on a new warehouse at its production unit in Azeitão in Setúbal, Portugal. The company has invested €8 million in the new facility, which will enable CCEP to reorganise the industrial unit, increase storage capacity from 12,000 to 22,000 square metres and optimise recourse operations, including the reduction of vehicle movements to transport pallets, ultimately lowering its carbon footprint. CCEP estimates a 65% decrease in pallet transportation – from 200,00 pallets to 71,000 – and an estimated reduction of 513 tonnes of Co2 compared to 2019 transport data. The warehouse, which the company says will be operational in the last quarter of 2023, will ensure CCEP's operations in Portugal are more flexible and efficient, that they are prepared for future growth requirements, and that they can provide support to other CCEP business units and more rapid response to customers. You may also like to read: CCEP Ventures announces funding to upcycle CO2 CCEP to invest £11m to advance net zero emissions commitment Coca-Cola Europacific Partners pilots refillable solution in Swedish store

French dairy giant Lactalis has sold its final Argentinian facility to a local operator for an undisclosed sum. A spokesperson told FoodBev: “This Argentinean site was part of a larger acquisition made in Mexico”. The closure comes after Lactalis agreed to purchase Fonterra and Nestlé’s Brazilian joint venture, Dairy Partners America, for BRL 700 million (approx. $133 million), in December last year. In September, Lactalis Canada introduced new speciality yogurt brand, Khaas, with vegetarian and Halal product lines, in a bid to become the “national leader in the ethnic yogurt category”. In 2021, according to Rabobank’s annual Global Dairy Top 20, Lactalis overtook Nestlé as the largest dairy producer in the world and is the second-largest food producer in France, behind Danone.

Elmhurst 1925 is introducing a sour cream alternative as it looks to evolve from a dairy-free beverage brand into a plant-based food company. Made with an oat milk and hemp protein base, the latest addition to Elmhurst’s portfolio is said to be rich and tangy and can be used as a one-to-one replacement for its dairy counterpart. The product – which comes in a squeezable pouch – is free from sodium and made using simple ingredients. Alongside its first food innovation, Elmhurst is also releasing a new barista milk flavour. Maple Walnut Barista Edition is creamier than everyday plant milks and can be steamed, foamed or used to sweeten hot and iced coffee. Meanwhile, Elmhurst’s Vanilla Lavender Botanical Blend OatNog is a limited-edition offering made from wholegrain oats, cashews and lavender extract. The seasonal product allows consumers to ‘upgrade’ coffee, cocktails and baked goods.

Lucozade Sport is expanding its range with the launch of Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar, containing 4 calories per ser serving. Available in Orange & Peach and Raspberry & Passion Fruit flavours, Lucozade Sport Zero Sugar contains sodium and Vitamin B3 to help reduce tiredness and is available in 500ml bottles and 4x500ml multipack formats. Both flavours include Acesulfame K and Sucralose sweeteners. Tom Bell, head of marketing for Lucozade Sport at Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I said: “As the nation’s favourite sports drink, we are excited to bring a new offering from Lucozade Sport. We know that more and more people are living an active lifestyle and hydration is a key need at this moment. He added: “This spring we are launching a thirst-quenching zero-sugar fitness drink containing sodium and Vitamin B3 that tastes great. We can’t wait for people to try it.”

KPM Analytics has announced the acquisition of Smart Vision Works, a specialised AI technology company providing computer vision systems for the agriculture and food industries. Smart Vision Works’ proprietary machine learning algorithms can overcome machine vision problems, delivering quality solutions for customers. Specialising in sorting and foreign material detection, the AI technology can be leveraged by food companies to enhance quality and streamline efficiency. Brian Mitchell, KPM Analytics CEO, said: "The addition of Smart Vision Works to our existing Sightline Process Controls and Eye Pro System machine vision businesses allows us to provide additional data and technologies for our customers to leverage in their production processes. We strongly believe that the advanced AI capabilities within Smart Vision Works will advance our offerings across all of the end markets we serve." Smart Vision Works’ systems efficiently and automatically sort products by size and defect, allowing defective items to be removed from the line. Using AI, the foreign material detector is engineered to find things that do not belong. Once trained, the system can detect foreign material whether it's plastic, cardboard, metal, or even hair. This is useful for food companies to ensure they are protecting their customers and reducing the risk of recalls. Chris Bryant, president of Smart Vision Works, added: "Since 2012, we have worked to fulfil our mission of creating AI-powered vision control systems that improve quality and production for our customers. We are excited to join KPM Analytics. The global resources and reach of KPM will allow us the opportunity to bring Smart Vision Works technologies to customers all over the world and to leverage our solutions in new and innovative ways." Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Proper Snacks has added two new flavours to its Propercorn range in Sweet Cinnamon and Sweet. Sweet Cinnamon features warm cinnamon flavours with a hit of smooth caramel. Meanwhile, Classic Sweet is a HFSS-compliant version of its existing flavour. Founder, Cassandra Stavrou, said: “Sweet has always been the hallmark of the category. The fact that we’ve been able to develop our best-ever recipe for it, whilst also making it compliant, is something the team should be really proud of. Sweet Cinnamon is so delicious. It only lasts a few seconds in our office and we can’t wait for it to hit the shelves”. The new flavours have launched into selected UK retailers, with sharing packs retailing at £1.80 / 100g. Both flavours are under 126kcal per serving and are high in fibre, vegan, gluten-free, seasoned with natural flavours and contain no palm oil.

UK red meat processor Dunbia has announced its acquisition of a lamb abattoir in Launceston, Cornwall, from H R Jasper & Son. The purchase of the processing site expands Dunbia’s West Country presence and enhances its range of regional lamb products from Britain and Northern Ireland. The abattoir employs 90 people, all of whom will be retained. Dunbia CEO Niall Browne said: “The reputation of and demand for high-quality West Country lamb is growing both within Britain and across Europe, and we look forward to continuing to work with farmers in Cornwall and across the Southwest to promote this excellent product to both new and existing customers”. Founded in 1930, the Jasper family business processes up to 10,000 lambs a week, supplying the retail, wholesale, foodservice and export markets. Dunbia’s parent company, Dawn Meats, purchased a beef abattoir and boning facility in Treburley, Cornwall, from Jasper in 2014. Keith Jasper, managing director of H R Jasper & Son, said: “We have a proud history of providing great service to both our farmers and our customers, and as the family now passes on the business, we are confident that Dunbia will continue that tradition”. “We have been doing business with Dunbia for many years. It’s a family business like ours and has previous experience of acquiring and developing businesses in the West Country. Our family looks forward to continuing to work with Dunbia on the site.” The terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Biotech group Novozymes has invested in an energy-saving UV filtration system from sustainable pasteurisation technology company Lyras. Novozymes has purchased its first UV-based raslysation system (a non-thermal processing technology for liquids) to replace its existing, labour-intensive filtration processes. Raslysation uses UV light at a specific wavelength to pasteurise opaque liquids, including dairy, juice and enzymes. The liquid is directed past the light source and illuminated to inactivate bacteria and other microorganisms. The group’s investment in Lyras’ raslysation technology will help reduce energy consumption, support sustainable strategies and improve control of unwanted microbial activity during the filtration process. Steen Skaebaek, senior director at Novozymes, said: “As many enzymes cannot withstand high temperatures, our legacy equipment was primarily made up of classic depth-filtration to remove the bioburden in our products. However, this meant our employees replaced heavy sets of filter plates daily as part of the purification process. He continued: “Raslysation removes the need for this process while helping us take more control of how we create our product. We’re also expecting to see a difference in our next energy bill. Raslysation fits into our green strategy in every way. It’s likely that, with time, the next step will be to install more of Lyras’ UV technology at several of our global sites that produce high-value enzymes and proteins for the food industry.” The investment comes after Novozymes announced plans to merge with ingredient manufacturer Chr. Hansen in December.

Nobell Foods has appointed Impossible veteran Sergey Solomatin as its new vice president of food science and product development. Solomatin brings experience spanning nucleic acid biochemistry, biophysics, polymer chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences to his new post at Nobell, a California-based animal-free dairy company that genetically engineers soybeans to produce the dairy protein casein. During a more than decade long tenure at Impossible Foods, Solomatin helped to develop, scale and commercialise the plant-based meat maker’s technology and created the company's materials and texture research group. “At Nobell Foods, we harness the power of plants to create animal-free cheese with accessibility and craveability at the forefront,” said CEO and founder, Magi Richani. “As we pioneer a new category in food with 'Plant-Grown Proteins,' the innovative work that Sergey and his team are doing will enable us to challenge the perceptions of what animal-free cheese tastes, melts and stretches like.” Solomatin added: “As a young company that's building an entirely new category, Nobell Foods has a huge opportunity to drive real change and create a positive impact on the planet and people. Nobell Foods is already leading the future of food with their work around casein, and I'm beyond honoured to join their innovative team.”