Carlsberg Group has unveiled plans to expand regenerative barley usage across its brands in the UK, Finland and France. The plans form part of the Group’s new 'Zero Farming Footprint' ambition where it has committed to sourcing 30% of all agricultural raw materials from regenerative practices and sustainable sources globally by 2030. Within its goal, the beer giant aims to “promote biodiversity, restore soil health and support natural carbon capture”. UK-based Carlsberg Marston's Brewing Company (CMBC) has committed to 100% regenerative barley for Carlsberg Danish Pilsner by 2027, and for all UK brands by 2031. CMBC and ADM have contracted the initial 23 farmers to grow an estimated 7,000 tonnes of regenerative barley during 2023. Jonathan Lane, managing director UK at ADM, said: "ADM is delighted to be supporting this exciting project as further evidence of how we work with farmers, here in the UK and around the world, to expand regenerative agriculture as part of our collective endeavour to reduce carbon and make our food system more sustainable". Partner farmers in Finland are supplying regenerative barley to Sinebrychoff, a Carlsberg Group company. Meanwhile, in France, 45 partner farmers of Kronenbourg SAS are supplying traceable 'Responsible Barley'. The brand has also committed to using this for 100% of the barley in its Blonde brews by 2026. The aim is that, by 2026, Kronenbourg 1664 Blonde will be brewed with 100% barley malt sourced from this new agricultural value chain, with 250 partner farmers producing 5,000 hectares of responsibly sourced barley that is traceable using blockchain technology. Simon Boas Hoffmeyer, senior director of Sustainability & ESG for Carlsberg Group, said: "We cannot reach our targets alone. Partnerships are vital across the value chain, which is why we are collaborating closely with local farmers, traders, maltsters, agronomists and NGOs who provide expertise in the transition to regeneratively grown barley.” He added: “Over time this will allow us to offer our consumers and customers lower-carbon beers and contribute to improving the ecosystems we rely on. We will cooperate with all relevant stakeholders to ensure that we as a company and our industry as a whole, strive towards a Zero Farming Footprint."

Nestlé has introduced a new 'golden' flavour variety to some of its big confectionery brands, including Aero, Milkybar, Munchies and Smarties. Under its Aero brand, Nestlé has launched two new products, Aero Golden Honeycomb Melts sharing bag and Aero Golden Honeycomb Block, both feature golden bubbles with a honeycomb flavour. The company has also launched the Munchies Gold Sharing Bag, which sees the brand’s traditional centre of soft caramel and crispy biscuit coated with Caramac’s caramel-based chocolate. New Smarties Gold Buttons join the lineup, featuring Caramac buttons with mini Smarties throughout for a crunchy treat. Finally, Milkybar has been given a caramel flavour twist to create new Milkybar Gold Buttons and Milkybar Gold Block. Amy Bennett-Inge, brand manager at Nestlé, said: “We’ve taken some of the flavours we know fans love best – caramel and honeycomb – and applied our chocolate-making wizardry to create new taste sensations. The Golden Collection features deliciously-flavoured products from four of our top sellers – Aero, Munchies, Smarties and Milkybar. We can’t wait for people to try them!” The Golden Collection products are available in supermarkets nationwide, with prices ranging from £1.25 to £1.75.

My/Mochi has debuted its initial line of new products for 2023 including Cereal and Milk Mochi Ice Cream and Mochi in the Morning. Cereal + Milk Mochi Ice Cream brings together cereal and ice cream, wrapped in chewy mochi dough. The product launches in Walmart in March. Mochi in the Morning, a new line of Smoothies, is set to launch featuring fruit puree wrapped in soft rice mochi dough, providing antioxidants and a good source of vitamins B and C. Chief marketing officer, Brigette Wolf, commented: "My/Mochi has been at the forefront of making mochi accessible, fun and easy for people to experience through its expansive ice cream offering and now we have the runway to do so much more”. Four new flavours will be added to the My/Mochi ice cream portfolio in the second quarter of the year including Ube, Strawberry with Boba and familiar favourites Coffee and Passion Fruit. All My/Mochi products are 100 calories or less, free from gluten, soy and nuts, and contain no GMO or artificial ingredients. The average retail price for a 6-count pack is $6.29.

Odyssey Wellness – creator of Odyssey Elixir sparkling energy drink – has completed a $6.3 million Series A capital raise that will support Elixir’s growth across all its distribution channels. Odyssey Elixir is "the first" sparkling energy drink infused with functional mushrooms. Each beverage contains 2,500mg of fruiting body extracts from functional mushrooms (cordyceps and lion’s mane), as well as L-theanine and panax ginseng, which provide the benefits of nootropics, adaptogens and beta-glucans. The beverages are said to promote brain performance and boost energy, focus and mood, without the caffeine crash, artificial sweeteners, added sugar, or other ingredients associated with traditional energy drinks. Scott Frohman, founder and CEO of Odyssey Wellness, commented: "Odyssey is a purpose-driven company on a mission to upgrade people from their habitual caffeine crash, jitters and burnout to a more sustainable energy. By utilising the power of functional mushrooms and bringing them mainstream, we aspire to expand a growing population of conscious individuals that are more focused, more productive, and passionate about doing good, feeling good, and sharing those vibes with others." He added: “We appreciate the infusion of capital and trust from our investors who bring incredible expertise and will be valuable strategic partners as we continue to build this brand.” Since its debut last year, it is now available at over 5,000 brick-and-mortar locations, including natural and conventional retailers.

International manufacturer of caps and closures, United Caps, has launched an effective and sustainable tethered closure for carton packaging, 23 H-PAK. The patent-pending closure includes a tamper-evident band that keeps all parts intact for easier recycling. It is designed to make an instant connection with established filling lines to ensure easy integration with existing processes and fast production-line implementation. United Caps CEO, Benoit Heckes, said: “One of the stand-out features of this new tethered closure is its audible click when opening, a satisfying sound that lets consumers know their closure is in an open position – once opened, it is in the optimal position for use and the cap stays in position for the perfect pour. He continued: “In addition to its ability to keep all parts intact for recycling, its super-strong hinge ensures the box-fresh experience consumers are looking for. It not only enhances the user experience but also helps to protect the environment, a critical R&D driver for Unites Caps.” In addition to its tethering features, the 23 H-PAK is a cost-effective solution for cartons. Its lightweight design reduces exposure to plastic taxes and helps to reduce business running costs.

A US appeals court has ruled that the name 'gruyère' can now be used to label cheeses made outside the Gruyère region of Switzerland and in France. The Court of Appeals of Virginia upheld a prior decision finding 'gruyère' to be a generic term used for a number of cheeses. Its decision was seen as a victory for US dairy groups, including The Consortium for Common Food Names, US Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) who were among a coalition of dairy stakeholders arguing for the use of the term in the US market. The ruling should put an end to attempts made by Swiss and French consortiums to stop the use of a common food name through a US certification mark registration. USDEC said the decision reinforces an understanding that “generic terms like 'gruyère' refer to types of food and a method of production regardless of where they are produced”. Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC, said that the ruling was an “outstanding result for manufacturers and farmers” in the US. She continued: “We’re grateful that the Appeals Court agreed that nobody owns the exclusive right to use generic terms. This sets a terrific precedent for the right to use common food names in the United States. Now we need other countries to likewise stand up for what’s right and defend that use just as strongly.” Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF, added that the announcement represented a “significant win for America’s dairy farmers”. He added: “NMPF rejects blatant European attempts to unjustly limit competition from American companies and will continue to fight alongside our allies to oppose efforts to monopolise common name foods.”

After eight years as CEO of the Carlsberg Group, Cees ’t Hart has informed the supervisory board of his intention to leave the Group by the end of Q3 2023. Since beginning his position at the beer giant, the company has been “significantly strengthened” with 2022 seeing Carlsberg deliver an all-time high revenue and operating profit of DKK 70.3bn (approx. $10.07bn) and DKK 11.5bn (approx. $1.65bn) respectively. In 2017, Carlsberg became one of the first ten companies – and the first brewer – in the world to introduce science-based targets aligned with the 1.5°C goal in the Paris Agreement. The company has achieved relevant progress on its sustainability targets, including a 57% reduction in carbon emissions. Chair of Carlsberg’s supervisory board, Henrik Poulsen, said: “Cees ’t Hart has delivered remarkable results during his time at Carlsberg…Under his leadership, the Group has navigated significant challenges, including the difficult Covid-19 years, the war in Ukraine and the ongoing sale of the Russian business. Cees leaves behind a purpose-led and performance-driven company with solid strategic, financial, organisational and societal health.” Cees ‘t Hart said: “It has been a privilege leading Carlsberg the past eight years. I'm immensely proud of the organisation and the results we as a team have achieved. I'm confident the successful journey of Carlsberg will continue well into the future." He continued: “Staying on board for another half a year will allow me and the team to continue delivering on our challenging plans for 2023 and accomplishing the sale of the Russian business before the summer. Thereafter, I'll focus on some interesting non-executive roles.”

UK supermarket Tesco has expanded its Easter offering with new products from chocolate brands including Toblerone, Terry’s and KitKat. Carambar-owned Terry’s Chocolate Orange has launched Terry’s Chocolate Orange Egg and Exploding Candy. The classic chocolate orange is reimagined in egg form alongside a sweet popping candy chocolate orange. Mondelēz International’s Toblerone brand has expanded its offering with the launch of Toblerone The Edgy Egg Milk Chocolate Easter Egg. The hollow milk chocolate egg is made from a pattern of small Toblerone triangles containing the brand’s signature chewy honey and almond nougat within it and is accompanied by three mini Toblerone bars. Under its KitKat brand, Nestlé has launched the KitKat Caramel Cookie Collision Easter Egg. The caramel-flavoured milk chocolate egg contains cookie and shortbread biscuit pieces within the shell and is joined by two KitKat Chunky Caramel bars and a bag of Cookie Dough Mini Eggs. Wicked Kitchen has introduced the Salted Caramel Flavoured Chocolate Egg, a plant-based salted caramel-flavoured chocolate egg that features crisped rice in the shell. The plant-based company has also launched Carrot Cake Cupcakes, four vegan carrot cake cupcakes with smooth and creamy vanilla frosting and edible carrot decorations on top.

Ever After Foods, formerly known as Plurinuva, has launched its patented bioreactor platform to produce cultivated meat. Backed by Israeli food producer, Tnuva Group, the company has developed the “first production platform that can bring cultivated meat to the mass market at scale”. Yaky Yanay, Pluri CEO and president and chairman of Ever After Foods, said: “In less than a year, Ever After Foods developed a solution unlike any other in the market through massive technological advancements that evolved the original biotech-focused technology into a food-grade platform. We see incredible potential for Ever After Foods to transform cells into high-quality cultivated meat products.” The bioreactor system for cultivated meat production tackles the scaling challenges faced by those in the industry. Its manufacturing plants will require lower capital expenditures and lower production costs. According to the company, these will provide a 700% increase in productivity when compared to other cultivated meat technology platforms. Ever After Foods CEO, Eyal Rosenthal, commented: “Current cultivated meat companies all use very similar methods for growing cells and face insurmountable challenges when it comes to scaling production in a cost-effective manner. To achieve cost parity, their methods will demand huge bioreactors of more than 10,000 litres, which are infeasible for use with animal cells.” He continued: “Ever After Foods’ disruptive technology enables significantly higher cultivated meat production capacity, with efficiencies that lower resources and costs. We can currently produce more than 10 kilograms of cultivated meat mass with just a 35-litre bioreactor and have a proven path to scale and reach price parity.” Eyal Malis, CEO of the Tnuva Group, said: “Leveraging its unique production platform, Ever After Foods will transform the food system by reinventing how we produce and consume meat”. Rosenthal added: “This is not a fad. Addressing food security, health, sustainability and animal welfare concerns, cultivated meat is the future of food. Our new name, logo and branding underscore our ambition to deliver the future of meat, sustainably, ever after.”

Cadbury Mini Rolls is introducing two new flavours – Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Mint – as permanent flavour extensions to its core range. The launches join the existing Milk Chocolate and Chocolate Raspberry flavours and aim to drive further demand in the category. According to Cadbury, the mini rolls segment is currently worth £70 million, with its Milk Chocolate and Chocolate Raspberry versions representing 70% of this. Cadbury Mini Rolls are manufactured by Premier Foods Group, under licence from Mondelēz International. Mathew Bird, brand marketing director for sweet treats at Premier Food, said: “The new additions to the range give us the opportunity to broaden the appeal of Cadbury Mini Rolls and keep them relevant with a new audience. Our insights reveal that mint flavours, in particular, appeal to a younger adult audience, while chocolate orange shows no sign of slowing down as a popular combination.” The new Chocolate Orange and Chocolate Mint flavoured mini rolls are available now in retailers across the UK for an RRP of £2.25 per five-pack.

Italian wafer brand Loacker has expanded its Quadratini, Classic Wafers, Tortina and Gardena product lines to include a new peanut butter flavour variety. The “indulgent” flavour option is non-GMO verified and made with 74% peanut butter cream, 100% alpine milk and no added flavourings or colours. TJ Rooney, president of Loacker USA, said: "Our US customers love peanut butter, so we are delivering a peanut butter punch in the best form – a delicious wafer made with 74% peanut butter cream”. He continued: “For nearly 100 years, our customers have come to expect delicious crispy wafers and chocolates made with pure quality ingredients, so it was critical that our team met those expectations by providing them with a premium peanut butter experience”. Quadratini Peanut Butter is a bitesize snack sharing pack that includes five wafers with a pinch of cocoa and four layers of peanut butter cream filling. The Classic Wafers line is individually wrapped and includes three wafers with a pinch of cocoa and two layers of peanut butter cream filling. The Tortina Peanut Butter line is individually wrapped snacks that are covered in milk chocolate and filled with peanut butter cream. Finally, the Gardena Peanut Butter line is made with Loacker’s signature wafers, filled with a peanut butter filling and coated in milk chocolate. The new products are available in retailers across the US.

Danish biotech company Chromologics has closed an extended seed funding round in which it raised a total of €12.6 million. The specialist producer of innovative natural food colours welcomed two new investors in the extended seed round, Doehler Ventures and Thia Ventures, in which it raised an additional €7.1 million, taking the total raised to €12.6 million. This additional funding will be used to accelerate commercialisation of Chromologics’ first product, Natu.Red, a pH- and temperature-stable, tasteless, water-soluble and vegan natural red food colour. According to the company, “during the coming funding period Chromologics will further advance regulatory approval, establish a commercial production line, expand the portfolio towards additional colours, and progress on commercial execution”. Chromologics uses a proprietary fermentation production method that is environmentally-friendly and ensures a competitive cost and sustainable supply to food and beverage manufacturers. Gerit Tolborg, CEO of Chromologics, said: "We are thrilled to be able to accelerate our commercial development and welcome two new, strong investors, Doehler Ventures and Thia Venture. In particular, Doehler's formal investment marks a new phase in our collaboration. We look forward to benefiting from their expertise as we begin developing commercial-scale production." Rodrigo Hortega, head of investments at Doehler Ventures, the investment arm of global natural ingredients supplier, Doehler Group, said: "We look forward to supporting Chromologics as they develop and bring to market a range of natural food colours using their precision fermentation platform. We see a competitive advantage in this type of sustainable natural ingredient. The timing is right, and we are prepared to offer the full network and know-how of the Doehler Group.”