Boundless the ‘gut-happy snacking’ brand, has expanded its portfolio with the addition of two new chip flavours, Smoky Bacon and Sour Cream & Onion. Boundless products are vegan, gluten-free and made with natural ingredients, packed full of gut-friendly fibre and nutrients. The two new chip varieties join the brand’s existing flavours, Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar and Chipotle & Lime. Cathy Moseley, founder of Boundless, said: “If you have a gut, you need to look after it! We take 100% natural ingredients and through activation make them even better, creating great-tasting snacks that will keep you and your gut happy. Along with the new listings, we want to meet even more consumer snacking needs and have done just that with our extended range of formats and more accessible flavours.” Moseley launched Boundless in 2017 with the goal of revolutionising the plant-based functional snacking industry. The brand is also launching its existing nut and seed mixes into smaller ‘grab-and-go’ packs which are available in flavours including Sweet Chilli and Orange & Maple Syrup. The new chips are available in select retailers nationwide for an RRP of £2 per 80g bag.

The shortlist has been announced for the 2023 World Food Innovation Awards and we could not be more excited! These awards celebrate the very best companies, people and products from around the world and recognise their outstanding contribution to the food and beverage industry. We’d like to say a huge congratulations to all the hardworking brands that put their products and services forward in this year’s awards. In an era of rising expectations and increased sustainability goals, it’s important to acknowledge the groundbreaking progress each finalist has achieved in making a real and meaningful difference to our global food system. The winners of this year’s World Food Innovation Awards will be announced during our special awards ceremony, which will take place at IFE 2023 at ExCeL London in the UK on Monday 20 March. Thank you for being part of the World Food Innovation Awards! Please find the full finalist shortlist below. Artisan product Aldi US - Emporium Selection Hot Honey Gouda AraBello® Ltd - Peanut Marble – it’s simply magic® Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Cute Star Natural DHA Pure Milk Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Satine Active Lactoferrin Organic Pure Milk Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Yili Cute Star Lactoferrin Pure Milk Children’s/baby product Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Yili Cute Star Lactoferrin Pure Milk For Aisha Ltd - For Aisha Oaty bar Broccoli & Apple 5x25g Good4U - Nutri Balls Strawberry Little Dish - Little Dish fresh kids’ meals Snack product BiteMe Nutrition - BiteMe Protein Cookie Daily Crunch Snacks - Daily Crunch Nashville Hot Sprouted Almonds Franui - Franui Grace Foods UK - Grace Exotic Chips Issei - Issei Mochi Gummies - Mango The Original Chicken Crackling - Chicken Crackling Truede Limited - 6 x 30g Peng Assorted Savoury (BBQ, Sea Salt & Vinegar and Chilli Nacho Flavour) Roasted Chickpeas Snacks Low or no product Barry Callebaut - Second generation chocolate Buddee - Buddee Chocolate Spread Juicy River - Bolle Oro Jnck Bakery - Milky Chocolate Cookie Landbase / CHOCDAY - Dark Premium Nanyang Polytechnic - KuMayya Sweet Potato Milk Rice in Action - SlowCarb Rice T-cket - Ticket Saffron Enriched Beer Natural/organic product Aldi US - Simply Nature Keto Dark Chocolate Coconut Clusters Barry Callebaut - Second generation chocolate Four Sigmatic - Four Sigmatic Think Organic Creamer Four Sigmatic - Sweet Vanilla Organic Plant-Based Protein RISE Brewing Co. - Salted Caramel Nitro Cold Brew Oat Milk Latte Dairy product Biotiful - Kefir Protein Choco-lite Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - AMBROSIAL Youqier Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Cute Star Natural DHA Pure Milk Hyproca Nutrition Co., Ltd - Kabrita YingJia Yingxin Goat Milk Formula Strive Nutrition Corp - Strive FREEMILK, Whole & Chocolate Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Shuhua Sugar Control Lactose-free Milk Plant-based product Aldi US - Simply Nature Chickpea Penne Be Better My Friend - Be Better plant-butter Beyond Meat - Beyond Tenders Bravura Foods Ltd/ Free From Fellows - Free From Fellows Strawberry Vegan Mallows Biotiful - Oat Kefir Yor-gut Cherry Cathedral City - Cathedral City Plant Based Dole Food Company - DOLE(r) Sheet Pan Meal Starter Kits Extraordinary Foods / Pimp My Salad - Coconut Bacon Forest Feast - NUTM!LK CHOCOCORN GOE Wellness - Healthfullicious'ly - Creamy plant-based hemp drink Impossible Foods™ - Impossible™ Spicy Chicken Nuggets Made From Plants Issei - Issei Mochi Gummies - Mango LoveRaw - Nutty Choc Balls Lypid - Pork Belly Mind Blown™ by The Plant Based Seafood Co. - Mind Blown™ Crab Cakes MyForest Foods - MyBacon SOAK'd OATS - High Fibre Probiotic Oat Bars Strong Roots - Strong Roots Good Made Easy Entrees The Vegetarian Butcher - vegan Happy Go Glucky Burger ST MICHEL PROFESSIONNEL - Vegan madeleine Wicked Kitchen - The Saucy Motz Pizza Verdino Green Foods / the Unfished brand - PlantZalmon Smoked Slices Chilled/frozen product COCORICO ORIGINAL - COCOBAKED - BAKED CHICKEN WINGS Franui - Franui Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Xujinhuan Cheese Flavored Ice cream Jnck Bakery - Milky Chocolate Cookie Meat/poultry product COCORICO ORIGINAL - COCORICI CLASSIC The Original Chicken Crackling - Chicken Crackling Seafood product Nanyang Polytechnic - Crispy Fish YT TRATA - SalmonPocket smoked salmon fillet pieces in vegetable oil Responsible Foods, ehf - Næra (TM) Snacks- Fish Jerky Crunch Functional product Damazonia Teas - Sleep Tea Energy One - Energy One Lite ió fibrewater - ió fibrewater Lemon & Lime Four Sigmatic - Sweet Vanilla Organic Plant-Based Protein FHIRST - FHIRST LIVING SODA Jnck Bakery - Milky Chocolate Cookie TRIP - TRIP lightly sparkling CBD infused drinks TCI Co., Ltd. - Soba!™ Buckwheat Husk Extract Rice in Action - NutriRice Plus Drink innovation ió fibrewater - ió fibrewater Lemon & Lime Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Changyi 100% Lactic Acid Bacteria Drink FHIRST - FHIRST LIVING SODA KISSD - KISSD WATER CUCUMBER KISSD - KISSD WATER COCONUT Strive Nutrition Corp - Strive FREEMILK, Whole & Chocolate Food innovation ACCRO - 100% plant-based burger Aldi US - Season's Choice Breaded Buffalo Cauliflower Barry Callebaut - Second generation chocolate Fermenti - Fermented Fruit Bites Little Dish - Little Dish Fresh Kids' Meals Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - AMBROSIAL Youqier Responsible Foods, ehf - Næra™ Snacks Skyr Crunch SRSLY Low Carb - SRSLY Low Carb Pizza THIS™ - THIS™ Isn't Streaky Bacon Rashers Takul Halal Kitchen (Part of Stonehouse Foods Ltd) - Takul Halal Kitchen VEGEMITE - Gluten Free VEGEMITE Ingredient innovation Barry Callebaut - Second generation chocolate DSM - Vertis™ Textured Pea Canola Protein GOE Wellness - Healthfullicious'ly - Creamy plant-based hemp drink GNT Group - EXBERRY® Compound Red Lypid - PhytoFat Meeat Food Tech - MUU Fermented Fava Beans Health innovation BIOHM - Super Kids Impossible Foods - Impossible™ Beef Lite Made From Plants ió fibrewater - ió fibrewater Lemon & Lime Jnck Bakery - Milky Chocolate Cookie Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust - N-ICE Cream (Nottingham High Protein Vanilla Ice Cream, fortified with additional leucine and vitamin D) TCI Co., Ltd. - Banana Flower Stamens Extract Landbase / CHOCDAY - Dark Premium Merlyn Health Foods - Omega 3,6,9 Ex Technology innovation Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Yili Cute Star Lactoferrin Pure Milk Lypid - Pork Belly Haus Holdings - Döner / Shawarma Robotic Kebab Machine Cutters THIS™ - THIS™ Isn't Streaky Bacon Rashers Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Shuhua Sugar Control Lactose-free Milk Marketing campaign Dole Food Company - Dole Healthy Heroes, Assemble! Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - AMBROSIAL Environmental Protection marketing campaign Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Ambrosial Regional Marketing For Rural Revitalization Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - AMBROSIAL 2022 Chinese New Year ‘Tiger for Chinese Style’marketing campaign New/start-up business AraBello® Ltd - Peanut Marble – it’s simply magic® Franui - Franui Issei - Issei Mochi Gummies - Mango Lime Caviar Ltd - Lime Caviar Meeat Food Tech - Meeat Food Tech SOAK'd OATS - High Fibre Probiotic Oat Bars Packaging design Alzamora Group - Oil Premium Pack Beatson Clark - Bespoke glass packaging for BOL Power Shakes Graphic Packaging International - KeelClip™ for Liberty Coca-Cola Beverages Graphic Packaging International - McDonald’s hexagonal salad box Graphic Packaging International - Dogfish Head Hoppy Variety Pack Scratch’n’Sniff Graphic Packaging International - Mars Malteser Giant Easter Egg Carton Graphic Packaging International - Boardio™ for Perfetti Van Melle Mentos gum bottle Graphic Packaging International - ProducePack™ Punnet tray for Smithy Mushrooms Graphic Packaging International - Keelings Blueberry Carton Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd - Satine No Printing No Ink Environmental-friendly Edition KISSD - KISSD WATER Product Ventures - Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts Meeat Food Tech - MUU CSR/sustainability initiative Brownes Dairy - Recycled Ocean Bound Plastic Yoghurt Tubs KISSD - KISSD WATER Meadow - Sustainability initiative ofi (olam food ingredients) - Cocoa Agroforestry Restoration in Pará, Brazil TCI Co., Ltd. - Establish Sustainability DNA from the Inside Out Strong Roots - Carbon Footprint Labeling and Initiatives Foodservice initiative Rice in Action - Instant Flavored Rice Solution Quorn Professionals - Carbono Cero, a delicious carbon neutral solutions The Original Chicken Crackling - Chicken Crackling About the World Food Innovation Awards The World Food Innovation Awards, in association with IFE, are a celebration of innovation and excellence across every category of the global food industry. These awards are a fantastic way to enhance your brand and ensure it gains global recognition. Being successfully shortlisted provides a hallmark of success that will prevail long after the awards ceremony and can highlight the contribution your company is making to the food industry. About FoodBev Media Established in 2000, FoodBev Media is the food and beverage industry’s leading media and communication business. With a portfolio of international magazines, the website foodbev.com and the industry’s largest social media network, FoodBev Media ensures you are continuously kept up to date with the latest trends and innovations. Since 2003, FoodBev Media has gained a reputation for organising successful international awards schemes in the food, beverage and dairy industries. For more information about our selection of awards programmes, please visit foodbevawards.com or email awards@foodbev.com.

Nestlé Cereals has launched its new KitKat cereal, bringing the taste of the popular chocolate bar to cereal bowls. Just like the KitKat bar, the crispy cereal squares combine wafer with a milk chocolate flavoured coating and is a source of the five vitamins, calcium and iron. Sarah Fordy, head of marketing at Cereal Partners UK & Ireland, said: “We’re delighted to announce the partnership between Nestlé Cereals and KitKat”. She added: “This exciting new cereal delivers a delicious taste of KitKat and has been developed to cater to consumers who are looking for an occasional, indulgent breakfast option, that can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.” KitKat Cereal will be available at UK retailers from mid-April.

Sole Source Capital, a private equity firm focused on the industrial sector, has acquired Lee Fish USA. Based in California, Lee Fish is an importer and distributor of fresh and frozen seafood serving the North American market. David Fredston, founder and CEO of Sole Source, commented: “This transaction marks the firm’s third platform investment in the foodservice distribution space, following our investments in Individual Foodservice and Worldwide Produce, and we believe our expertise in this market will help drive significant value”. Richard Adlem, founder of Lee Fish, added: “We are pleased to partner with Sole Source, whose team has a strong reputation of growing founder-owned businesses". Established in 2001, Lee Fish sources more than 220 seafood species from a range of suppliers, including wild fisheries and farms across the globe. The company specialises in branded seafood from countries such as New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Myles Bowker, CEO of Lee Fish, said: “With Sole Source, we look forward to expanding our distribution capabilities and customer base as we continue to source the highest-quality, in-demand premium seafood for our customers throughout North America”. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Low-calorie sweetener brand Splenda and its parent company, Heartland Food Products, have announced the opening of the “first-ever” fully integrated US-based stevia farm. The 1,465-acre farm was engineered to be eco-conscious with the implementation of socially responsible farming techniques, water conservation measures and waste management. By sourcing stevia from the central Florida farm, the company expects to “eliminate” unnecessary CO2 emissions caused by global stevia supply chain operations, reducing environmental impact. As the farm is vertically integrated, Splenda is able to oversee all aspects of stevia production, from crop propagation to the extraction of glycosides from the leaves. The innovative growing process sees stevia leaves grown from cuttings of mother plants that contain the strongest agricultural properties including the sweetest and best-tasting stevia. The leaves are harvested, steeped in freshwater – where the stevia is then extracted – and filtered, providing pure stevia glycosides for use in food and beverages. As part of the facility’s eco-conscious engineering, the clean stevia leaves are pulled from the steeping tanks and dried for use as animal-feed in agriculture. Ted Gelov, chairman and CEO of Heartland, said: "At Splenda, our mission is to help people live happier, healthier and longer lives by making it easier to reduce sugar. By growing higher-quality stevia plants and producing better and sweeter-tasting stevia sweeteners, we can help consumers achieve their sugar reduction goals." He continued: “By growing stevia in the US, we are helping to build a new American agriculture industry and bring more farming jobs and economic prosperity to Central Florida with this $50 million initial investment. Until now, all stevia has been grown and processed from markets outside the US, mainly China. The approach we've engineered with our Splenda Stevia Farm gives US farmers an opportunity to grow and process stevia right on their own farms.”

Fly by Jing, a Chinese food brand, has secured $12 million in Series B funding from Prelude Growth Partners and Pendulum. The company, known for its Sichuan Chili Crisp hot sauce inspired by the founder's hometown of Chengdu, says that the funds will accelerate its growth as it expands into Kroger, Albertsons and other US retailers. Jing Gao, founder of Fly by Jing, commented: “In the continued, unwavering support from the female-led team at Prelude Growth Partners, combined with Pendulum’s dedication to underrepresented founders of colour, Fly by Jing has the kind of guidance and stewardship that will truly make it a household name. We look forward to partnering with our retailers to make our flavours accessible to even more people and to further our mission to evolve culture through taste.” Alongside its flagship Sichuan Crisp sauce, Fly by Jing also offers soup dumpling kits, seasonings and a range of other 'pantry staples'. Neda Daneshzadeh, co-founder of Prelude Growth Partners, said: “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with Jing and her exceptional leadership team to build one of the most disruptive condiment brands in America”. She added: “The brand has become a cult favourite by bringing authentic, bold flavours to the category and we are excited to further support investment in the company’s retail expansion and product innovation strategy”. Robbie Robinson, co-founder and CEO of Pendulum, commented: “We’re honoured to invest in their vision, and believe they – like so many companies led by founders of colour – are poised to grow formidable businesses while remaining authentic to their brand”.

UK-based cold brew tea brand Kaytea has expanded its flavour portfolio with the addition of Mango Yuzu. Mango Yuzu joins Kaytea’s existing flavours such as Jasmine Grapefruit and Lemon Zest, to offer a more ‘exotic’ flavour profile. Yuzu is a small fruit that originates from East Asia and is known for its citrusy punch, often described as tasting like a combination of lemon, grapefruit and mandarin orange. Kaytea’s founder, Kevin Tang, said: “There’s a growing clamour for clean deck soft drinks that provide refreshment that doesn’t come at the expense of health (i.e not rammed full of artificial sweeteners). Organic white tea leaves are slowly cold-brewed to draw out as much flavour as possible, before being blended with natural mango and yuzu flavours. The drinks are vegan, gluten-free and contain 17 calories per 100ml can. He continued: “Perhaps more importantly there’s a cry for undiluted transparency which is why we proudly talk about our drink making no spurious health claims. Of course, we could have sprinkled a handful of manmade vitamins within our drinks to claim some arbitrary functional prowess, but in truth, we’d rather be known for nailing refreshment!” The ready-to-drink beverages are available at select retailers across the UK.

Carambar-owned Terry’s Chocolate Orange has launched a duo of frozen treats exclusively into Iceland stores, including tubs and sticks. The Terry’s Chocolate Orange Ice Cream Tubs contain chocolate orange-flavoured ice cream, swirled with a rich chocolate sauce. The brand has also launched Terry’s Chocolate Orange Ice Cream Sticks, with milk chocolate orange ice cream, layered with chocolate sauce and coated in a crisp chocolate orange shell. The Terry’s Chocolate Orange story began in 1767 in York, England, with the opening of a shop selling lemon and orange candied peel. In 1823, Joseph Terry joined the company and developed new lines of chocolate, confectionery, candied peel and marmalades. In 1993, Terry’s was bought by Kraft Foods; it became part of Mondelēz International in 2012; and in 2016 it was bought by investment company Eurazeo that formed French confectioner Carambar. Products using the Terry's brand name are now produced in the Carambar facilities in Strasbourg, France. The ice creams will be available in Iceland stores from 27 March for an introductory price of £3 before increasing to £4.

Perfetti Van Melle’s lollipop brand Chupa Chups has partnered with Kinrise Poppin to launch Lolly Poppin Chupa Chups candy-glazed popcorn. The two brands were paired by Australian brand extension agency Asembl to launch two flavours for Poppin’s first collaboration in its 30-year history. Kinrise Poppin brand marketing manager, Tracey Fitzsimmons, said: “We are thrilled to be launching this new Lolly Poppin popcorn range with Chupa Chups. The same great taste of Poppin popcorn but now coated in Chupa Chups’ bestselling flavours, Strawberry & Cream and Cola that everyone loves.” The vegan-friendly snacks are made without artificial colours or flavours and contain 23% wholegrain, with less than 120 calories per serving. Marta Ballesteros, Perfetti Van Melle’s area licensing manager, said: “We are excited about the crunchy experience that Kinrise Poppin have created with our iconic Chupa Chups flavours for the first time in the Australian market. They have developed the perfect snack for all.” Lolly Poppin Chupa Chups is available now in retailers across Australia.

As wholesale markets continue to decline, dairy farmers are set to face “generally larger” price cuts in March than those announced for February, says a milk price changes report by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Meanwhile, Guernsey Dairy’s wholesale milk price will rise by 12.6% from 12 March, the government announced on Thursday. The increase will help reduce the “operating deficit” at the milk processor and offset the rise in costs farmers have faced. The wholesale price represents what the business charges its milk distributors, and the last time it was changed was in January 2022. Despite the wholesale price increase, Guernsey Dairy expects to make a trading loss in 2023, as it continues to battle inflationary cost increases in raw materials, packaging, consumables and energy since Brexit and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Stuart Falla, who chairs the Guernsey Dairy management board, said milk price rises that have occurred in recent years reflect a reduction in the financial support that the States of Guernsey provides to farmers. He commented: "In the past, the States provided far more by way of direct financial support for the local dairy industry. That was in recognition of the important role that farmers play, in managing the countryside and maintaining the Guernsey herd, which we all benefit from, whether we buy milk or not.” Falla continued: "The result is farmers are having to rely more on income from their milk, and that is being passed on to consumers through the retail price, which we have seen increase significantly in recent years". As part of the increase Guernsey Dairy is implementing, farmers will see a 10% rise in the price they are paid for their milk, to reflect increased production costs in 2021 and 2022. "The States need to urgently decide whether or not maintaining Guernsey's countryside through the continuation of dairy farming in Guernsey is a prize worth paying for directly from general revenue as they did in years gone by," Falla added. In the UK, a majority of the March price cuts were in excess of 2 pence per litre, ranging from 0.5 pence per litre to 7 pence per litre, according to AHDB. Crediton Dairies, Freshways, Grahams, Müller and Paynes Dairies have announced price reductions which sit mostly in the 3 to 4 pence per litre range. At the beginning of the year, Jersey Dairy stated that its wholesale price would increase by 15 pence per litre, as it looked to address “significant increases in farm costs over the last year”. The dairy producer also cited the war in Ukraine, Brexit and Chinese Covid-19 lockdowns as sources of supply chain issues, market volatility and increased costs at Jersey Dairy and on Jersey dairy farms. Phil Le Maistre, dairy farmer and chairman of the Jersey Milk marketing board, commented: “We fully understand the challenging times that all our customers are currently experiencing with the rising cost of living. However, it is essential that Jersey Dairy implements this price increase now if we want our dairy farms to have a sustainable commercial future.” According to the AHDB report, Irish co-ops have cut prices by 5 to 6 euro cents and Dutch co-op Friesland Campina’s cuts total 12 euro cents per litre since the beginning of the year. All cheese manufacturers listed on the AHDB league table, including Wensleydale Creamery and Saputo, have also announced cuts for March. The cuts were larger than those on ‘liquid’ products and ranged from 3 pence per litre to 7 pence per litre. Belton Cheese and South Caernarfon Creameries reduced their March price by 3 pence per litre. Parkham Farms previously announced a 7 pence per litre reduction to take effect in March, while Wyke has made a cut of 5.19 pence per litre. Many factors have contributed to wholesale prices decreasing over the last year and it seems that the dairy industry is now bearing the brunt of it.

Dairy Farmers of America has partnered with the Good Culture brand to launch probiotic milk. The new Good Culture Probiotic Milk features the taste and nutrition of lactose-free milk with a patented probiotic shown to help support digestion and the immune system. Rachel Kyllo, senior vice president of marketing, DFA Dairy Brands, said: “With the continued growth and consumer interest in probiotics and gut health, we’re really excited to bring this great-tasting milk with probiotics to store shelves in partnership with the Good Culture brand, which is so well known for producing on-trend, cultured dairy products”. She added: “We think Good Culture Probiotic Milk will help meet consumer desires for more functional nutrition benefits and drive excitement in the dairy case.” Good Culture Probiotic Milk is available in whole and 2% reduced fat milk varieties and has an extended-shelf life (ESL). Each 12-fluid-ounce serving provides 1 billion probiotic cultures and is a good source of vitamins A and D. Good Culture Probiotic Milks will initially launch at select retailers on the East Coast with future plans for expansion in US retailers.

Alongside the Startup Market is the New Products Tasting Theatre – a demo kitchen where buyers will have the opportunity to sample the latest products, explore the range of key distributors and wholesalers including Bidfood, Empire Bespoke Foods and Alibaba.com, taste a showcase of gold winners from the Free From Awards, and attend IFE’s Big Business Break with Surya Foods, where innovative brands will be pitching their product for the chance to secure up to half a million pounds in investment and support. Matt Buckingham, buyer – confectionery at Marks & Spencer, said: “I am planning to attend IFE this year as it gives buyers a unique opportunity to meet suppliers from all over the world and see (and taste!) fantastic innovation in the flesh. This exposure to newer suppliers that we may not have previously been aware of does not come regularly and it is a great networking opportunity for prospective suppliers that are interested in working with one of the most recognisable brands in the UK.” In IFE’s Exporters Hub – sponsored by K International, and powered by the Institute of Export & International Trade – international buyers will have the opportunity to quickly and efficiently source export-ready food & drink brands with infrastructure in place for international sales. Among the numerous new products on offer at this year’s event are: a range of British-produced pizza toppings from Action Foods; AVO’s Lafiness Korean Barbecue Style Marinade; Vitafresh Sedge Grass Straws from Vitafresh Produce; a new vegetable fibre paste from TheFlexitarian; and The English Drinks Company’s all-new Cucumber Vodka. Insights from industry leaders New for 2023 is IFE’s Sustainability Stage – sponsored by Elopak – where industry leaders and ESG experts will delve into a wide range of issues within this important topic. Visitors can attend sessions, including: a look at sustainability in the frozen food sector with Rupert Ashby of the British Frozen Food Federation; a discussion on sustainability in wholesale led by James Bielby of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors; a debate on the health of the nation moderated by Louis Bedwell of Mission Ventures; and ‘Sustainability begins with the board’ led by Rob Iles of Visionise. The stage will additionally have a full day of content curated by the Food & Drink Federation, featuring debates on topics such as decarbonising our food systems, meeting evolving customer expectations, the transition to a circular economy for plastics and packaging, and what ‘green skills’ are needed for the industry to achieve net zero. The show’s Trends & Innovation Platform will see presentations and discussions from the likes of Kantar, thefoodpeople, IGD, FDReviews, FMCG Gurus and Stylus, on topics including active nutrition, emerging food technologies, future world flavour trends, consumer price sensitivity, and the rise of the discount retailers in the UK. The stage will also see a discussion on how the industry can work to champion black-owned brands, led by Silika Shellie-Manso, Director of Innovation (grocery) at Sainsbury's, and a debate around managing allergens across the supply chain led by Bertrond Emond, Membership Ambassador & Culture Excellence Lead at Campden BRI. To find out more about everything happening at IFE 2023, and to register for your complimentary trade ticket, visit ife.co.uk.