An industry leadership panel with managing directors from Danone, Highland Spring, Montgomery Waters and Nestlé Waters. Henry Dimbleby’s keynote address on ‘Creating a National Food Strategy for public health and sustainability’. A special session on Preparing for Deposit Return Schemes with DEFRA, Circularity Scotland and Sainsbury’s. Latest market insights from Zenith Global, Kantar and Field Agent. Innovation experiences with prebiotic fibre-infused water, protein water and clean energy nootropic water. The conference gives the opportunity for business leaders, suppliers, customers and advisers each year to review trends, debate issues and shape strategies for future business development. Organised by food and drink experts Zenith Global, this will be its 31st year. It has been timed to coincide with World Water Day, as designated by the United Nations. The UK Water Drinks Conference is sponsored by Saniton Plastic, which will be presenting its ground-breaking new plastic bottle. “Our conference is designed for anyone whose business will be affected by the competing pressures of market opportunity, cost inflation, health improvement, environment protection and consumer appeal,” commented Zenith Global's events director, Francesca Hall. “It should help answer the more than usual number of questions raised by a post-Brexit, post-covid, and supply chain disrupted world”. Full programme and booking details are available at http://www.zenithglobal.com/events/ukwd2023, with discounted registration available for small businesses and groups.

Terinex Flexibles, formerly QC Flexible Packaging, has begun construction of its new 3-acre flexible packaging facility in Derby, UK. The company specialises in the design and print of flexible packaging – film, paper and foil-based products – for the food, medical and pet food industries. It serves brand owners, food manufacturers, packaging designers and retailers. The new facility is funded by an £8 million investment from its parent company, OGM Holdings Group, as part of its growth strategy. The new 46,000-square-foot facility in Dove Valley Park, Derby, will significantly increase Terinex Flexibles’ factory and warehouse capacity. The research and development department will relocate to the new facility from its current location at OGM in Oxford. The facility is set to have advanced sustainable energy systems such as a regenerative thermal oxidiser that efficiently recovers heat from the printing process for reuse. The roof will be fitted with solar panels to generate power to operate the factory. Additionally, heat will be reclaimed from the compressors to send warm air to the curing room for the lamination process. Paul Wightman, group managing director of the OGM Group, said: “This investment will more than double the size of the Terinex Flexibles factory enabling for new equipment, offices and warehouse space. We have already invested in a new Comexi F2 MB flexographic printing press, which will be delivered and commissioned later this year, and we are planning to add another press.” He continued: “In addition to offering greater production volumes, our food, pet food and medical packaging customers will benefit from increased R&D capabilities to support their packaging innovations”. “The new factory will optimise all of our processes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to build a factory with the best environmental footprint that will allow industry-leading productivity and quality.” OGM Group expects the new facility to be operational by the end of 2023.

US-based natural meat snack brand, Chomps, has unveiled two new flavour innovations to add to its portfolio, Taco Beef and Habanero Beef. Chomps' new Habanero Beef stick is made with habanero peppers, red pepper, and coriander. Meanwhile, Taco Beef spotlights features the flavours of a taco in a “portable and mess-free format”, with each bite delivering a zesty kick including notes of paprika, cumin, and chilli powder. The new sticks pack 10g of protein, 100 calories, and zero sugar. They have beef collagen casings and consist of grass-fed and finished beef with no hormones or antibiotics. Chomps CEO, Pete Maldonado, said: "We started Chomps to provide delicious, sustainably sourced snacks that fill you up and actually taste good. We'll never stop innovating to give our customers what they are craving, and we created Taco Beef and Habanero Beef to do just that." Chomps Taco Beef and Habanero Beef sticks will be sold online at $24 for a 10-count box or $50 for a 24-count box.

Bacardi has announced the launch of its new Bacardí Caribbean Spiced rum, which is said to be the brand's first premium spiced aged product. The aged rum-based spirit is created with pineapple, coconut, vanilla and cinnamon. To create the Caribbean Spiced rum, Bacardi's process uses both a heavy-aged rum base which provides the bold smoky flavours of molasses and a light-aged rum base, along with blending coconut blossom sugar, pineapple and coconut water. After being rested and then filtered, cinnamon and vanilla are also blended into the spirit, followed by a further rest and a second polishing filter for clarity and colour. Dickie Cullimore, global brand ambassador for Bacardí Rum, said: “Category research showed us that flavoured and spiced are the fastest growing segments in rum and specifically premium rum, and the Piña Colada has risen through the ranks as a top five cocktail. Even more exciting was our discovery that people were looking specifically for unique flavours and aged rums." He continued: "Understanding this desire was key in creating Bacardí Caribbean Spiced and ensuring the flavours and aged rum quality were intensified to deliver the best craftsmanship and taste”. Bacardí Caribbean Spiced, which has an ABV of 40%, is currently available at Ocado and will roll out in retailers nationwide, including Tesco and Waitrose, from next month.

Irish packaging company Zeus will open a 70,000-square-foot logistics facility in Watergrasshill, Cork, creating 40 new roles over the next 18 months. Founded in 1998, Zeus provides food packaging products – such as coffee cups, salad containers, deli trays, cutlery, fast food supplies and more – to the retail sector. The new site is part of Zeus' national logistics and distribution strategy, with four key facilities to be positioned throughout Ireland. With over 12,000 pallet space, Zeus said that the Watergrasshill facility has 12 million clear internal eaves, five dock levellers, a voice-controlled 'Warehouse Management System', and will integrate four other logistics centres withing Limerick and Dublin. In addition, the new positions will be created in the areas of logistics, distribution, commercial and administration. Adrian Lannon, chief operations officer of Zeus, said: “As Zeus has expanded organically through strategic acquisition, we now need to future-proof our operational capacity and capability in line with both customer expectation and company growth. Today’s announcement forms part of a wider strategy to enhance service levels throughout Ireland while increasing operational efficiencies." He continued: “This new modern facility will allow optimised placement of stocks around the country, bringing products closer to our customers. We also have plans for further investment in our Limerick operations, consolidating our JJ O’Toole, Limerick Packaging and Zeus Limerick business operations.” Brian O’Sullivan, founder of Zeus, commented: “This will greatly improve our capability within the region, create new jobs, deliver a better work-life balance for our colleagues and, importantly, deliver greater service options to our customers”. The facility is set to be operational by next month.

Not Just Good – The tradition of homemade food Fini is the brand for fresh-filled pasta, which represents all the flavours of the Emilian tradition in the kitchen in Italy and around the world. The Fini brand originated from the knowledge and flavours of an ancient gastronomic tradition, which is constantly renewed. Only in this way, every day, can we eat something that is not only good but which also has a story to tell. The Fini Group also plays an important role in the canned sector thanks to the Le Conserve della Nonna brand, an Italian company that believes in the simplicity of products and uses natural processes. In the wide range of references, the company offers sauces, condiments and jams, prepared according to traditional methods using carefully controlled and organised industrial processes to ensure the highest quality of products. The feeling of...home! The secret of so much goodness The industrial process at the origin of the production of foods from the brand Le Conserve della Nonna is organised mainly according to the values of local culinary tradition, the simplicity of the recipes and the indisputable quality of the freshly harvested raw materials. The company's production is based on the concept of seasonality, as is the case for any artisan preparation. Just by looking at the finished product, be it a jar of jam or a bottle of tomato sauce, you get the feeling of…home! An irresistible appeal of healthy and simple lunches, the result of great attention and dedication, and the desire to eat in company, like our grandmothers wanted, because the more people sat at the table, the more happiness hovered in the air. Fini's commitment to the environment For years, the Fini Group has pursued the objective of environmental sustainability of its activities through the aegis of its corporate mission – 'Not Just Good' – which focuses on food and its goodness as a result of a safe and controlled production process. The entire supply chain is involved in the 'mission,' from the careful selection of local raw materials to the production and use of widely recyclable packaging, without forgetting the use of clean energy thanks to the photovoltaic systems installed in the company, which make it possible to drastically reduce CO2 emissions and optimise production. SMI has also embraced the goal of sustainability, designing packaging systems such as the CSK Ergon series packaging machine installed in the Fini Group's Modenese plant, which boasts cutting-edge technical solutions in the field of energy saving and respect for the environment. SMI solutions for Le Conserve della Nonna The secret of all the products lies in the genuineness of the raw materials, which are selected and worked through transformation processes that reflect traditional methods to offer a product "like home-made," which speaks of nature and flavours of the past. To optimise the secondary packaging process of the huge variety of Le Conserve della Nonna brand products, the Fini Group turned to SMI for the installation of an automatic shrinkwrapper from the CSK Ergon series, which stands out for its advanced automation and flexibility of use, low energy consumption and respect for the environment. The CSK 50T Ergon packaging machine, installed at the Ravarino plant, packs different types of bottles and glass jars in multiple pack formats in film only, pad + film and tray + film. The range of models of the CSK series of SMI shrinkwrappers includes single- and twin-lane models with a compact and ergonomic design, which contain the best of the industry technology for packaging in shrink film at the maximum speed of 50 + 50 packs/minute (depending on the size of the container and the pack format). CSK 50T Ergon Shrink wrapper Main advantages: Very flexible production and packaging process, which allows you to quickly and easily switch from one format to another to maintain high levels of plant operating efficiency Packaging machine equipped with a motorised system of oscillating guides at the machine infeed, which facilitates the correct channelling of loose containers on a conveyor belt equipped with chains in thermoplastic with a low coefficient of friction Grouping of bulk containers in the desired format carried out continuously by means of electronically synchronized separation pegs and bars Pad cardboard magazine placed under the infeed belt, from where the cardboard blanks are picked up by means of an alternating motion picker, positioned at the start of the cardboard ramp, consisting of a group of suction cups with vacuum suction system Curvilinear cardboard ramp in the initial and final section to facilitate the insertion of the pad under the grouping of products at the outfeed of the electronic separator Compact design film cutting unit, where the blade is managed by a "direct-drive" brushless motor which makes the cutting operation more precise and simplifies maintenance New ICOS motors, equipped with integrated digital servo-drive (driver), able to simplify the wiring of the machine and ensure greater energy efficiency, less noise and reduced wear of components Shrink tunnel equipped with optional metal chain and lubrication able to ensure better splicing of the film under the pack Optional automatic format change adjustment system The machine is also equipped with a series of optional devices to ensure the high quality of the final pack, such as the product stabiliser and the additional 1150mm belt placed at the outfeed of the tunnel for rapid pack cooling To find out more, please visit: https://www.smigroup.it/

Eat the Change has expanded its Just Ice Tea ready-to-drink organic iced tea line with the launch of three new varieties: mango white tea, original black tea and lemon ginger herbal tea. The new offerings join the Just Ice Tea existing line-up, which includes: original green tea, honey green tea, Moroccan mint green tea, peach oolong tea, half tea & half lemonade and berry hibiscus herbal tea. The mango white tea provides a Just Sweet Enough blend of delicate white tea, containing only 60 calories per bottle. The original black tea has an unsweetened real-brewed blend of two varieties of black tea from India that delivers a well-balanced taste with zero calories. Meanwhile, the lemon ginger herbal tea's herbal tulsi and rooibos are blended with lemon and ginger for caffeine-free refreshment, containing 40 calories per bottle. Just Ice Tea is an organic, fair trade and OU Kosher-certified bottled tea line that offers unsweetened and Just Sweet Enough options using organic, Fair Trade Certified agave or honey as the sweetener. “These new varieties give us the chance to expand our line of chef-crafted teas - reviving some fan favourites while enhancing them with Chef Spike’s touch,” said Seth Goldman, co-founder of Eat the Change. “Just Ice Tea was created with the same mission-in-a-bottle values we brewed into Honest Tea, and we are thrilled to develop them with Organic and Fair Trade-certified ingredients.”

The Vitafoods Europe 2023 agenda will explore everything from market trends to sustainability to women in nutraceuticals, and more. Highlights of this year’s event include: Forward-facing discussions at the Future of Nutrition Summit – 8 May, Marriott Hotel, Geneva Following its success at previous Food Ingredients Europe events, visitors can join this exclusive, one-day summit to keep their businesses ahead of the curve. Join a diverse range of C-suite industry leaders and futurist thinkers for a series of exclusive talks on the trends and technologies that will be shaping the nutrition industry in five years’ time. Expect insights on topics ranging from precision nutrition and the digitalisation of health management to sustainable supply chain solutions – and everything in between. Discover the hottest nutrition trends at the Vitafoods Europe Conference – 9-10 May This premium, two-day conference returns in a new format. Focused on sports and active nutrition; cognitive and emotional health; metabolic and immune health; life stages and healthy ageing, the Vitafoods Europe Conference covers the most up-to-date trends and innovations in nutraceuticals. Now located in a purpose-built theatre on the Vitafoods Europe show floor, visitors can easily attend the conference alongside their regular show floor and expo experience from 9-10 May. Unrivalled insights at the Vitafoods Insights Theatre Back for 2023, the Vitafoods Insights Theatre is a firm visitor favourite, offering free-to-attend expert sessions. This year, visitors will get a taste of the developments shaping our ever-changing industry, from current global consumer trends, updates on regulatory and supply chain issues, as well as delivery formats and packaging. Experience true innovation at the Start-up Innovation Challenge A chance to discover cutting-edge innovations and connect with the most exciting health and nutraceutical start-ups as companies pitch their ideas live to a host of key nutraceutical industry players. Together with the popular Start-up Pavilion, this challenge provides a unique opportunity for companies to find innovative ingredients, technologies, services, and finished products to help their businesses grow. Transforming the industry with the Sustainability Resource Centre Discover insights and learnings on how to build a sustainable brand at the Sustainability Resource Centre, a new zone dedicated to helping drive sustainable change in the nutrition industry. Visitors can expect expert-led presentations and content on supply chain traceability, regulatory compliance, certifications, carbon offsetting, alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and gender and LGBTQ+ inclusivity. Discover, connect and be inspired by new products and innovations Popular, free-to-attend features on the Vitafoods Europe show floor also return for 2023, to help inspire innovation and collaboration for business growth. Professionals searching for inspiration for new product development can head down to the New Ingredients Zone to discover the latest inventions and market successes in ingredients and raw materials, as well as new inventions in core health categories such as sleep and stress management, pain relief, weight loss, healthy ageing, cognitive performance and diabetes. For information and inspiration on the latest finished products, the New Products Zone is the place to be. Or for visitors wanting to experience the next big nutraceutical development for themselves, the popular Tasting Centre offers the chance to sample the most recent, retail-ready supplements, foods and beverages. Experience it for yourself As the pace of industry change continues to accelerate, standing still isn’t an option for nutraceutical companies that not only want to succeed but shape the future of global health and wellbeing. With the very best in industry innovations, ideas and insights available, this year’s Vitafoods Europe has something for everyone. Registration for Vitafoods Europe 2023 is now open. Discover more about the show features and registration options at vitafoods.eu.com.

Plant-based protein brand Aloha has launched the Kona Bar, a high-protein and low-sugar snacking bar that supports sustainable agriculture in Hawaii, where the brand was founded. The bars are gluten, dairy and soy-free and are made with responsibly-sourced ingredients, including Kona coffee, Hawaii-grown macadamia nuts and the first commercial launch of Ponova oil in a food product. Ponova oil is a sustainable plant-based oil made from the beans of ultra-regenerative, climate-resilient pongamia trees on Hawaii’s O‘ahu island. The Ponova oil in the bar is crafted by food and agriculture innovation company Terviva and is made by expeller pressing and lightly refining the beans of pongamia trees in a process comparable to that of olive oil. Pongamia trees are historically used for reforestation in Asia as they revitalise land by sequestering carbon and improving soil health and water quality. Naveen Sikka, CEO of Terviva, said: “Ponova oil is a delicious, premium oil containing Omega-9s that is climate-friendly and helps convert distressed farmland into sustainable, productive acreage. We’re proud to partner with Aloha to bring this innovative ingredient to market.” In addition to Ponova oil sourced from Terviva’s O’ahu farm, the macadamia nuts are from Hamakua Nut Company and the Kona Coffee from Greenwell Farms, both located on Hawaii Island. Hamakua Nut Company uses environmentally friendly cultivation practices, without harmful insecticides and without any fossil fuels. Greenwell Farms generates nearly all electricity via solar and biomass energy and is committed to regenerative farming practices. Brad Charron, CEO of Aloha, said: “The launch of the Kona Bar underscores our commitment to supporting sustainable farming and agricultural practices, with Hawaii as a prime example of what the future of farming and stewardship should look like. As we grow, we're committed to finding new and innovative ways to use our business as a force for good. This is a critical step in delivering on our mission to create delicious and nutritious food while making a positive impact on the world.”

Solina has acquired Canadian wholesale food distributor W.T. Lynch Foods as it looks to accelerate its expansion in the North American market. Founded in 1942, Lynch Foods manufactures a wide range of savoury and sweet food products – such as sauces, syrups and dessert toppings, and soup and gravy bases – for the foodservice and retail markets. The acquisition will further expand Solina's North American business, which began with the purchase of Canadian foodservice company Produits Alimentaires Berthelet in 2020. In addition, Lynch Foods' 178 employees will now join Solina, bringing the company's Canadian headcount to over 315 employees. Anthony Francheterre, CEO of Solina, commented: "In Lynch Foods, we have bought a company that has a similar and complementary business platform to Berthelet and the capacity and capabilities to drive our growth as a leading food solutions partner in the Canadian market. This is a positive and exciting move for both companies, our customers, and our people." Guillaume Dubois, president of Solina Canada, added: "This is a remarkable moment for us in Canada. Having Lynch Foods and Berthelet in our portfolio gives us coverage coast-to-coast and establishes Solina as the leader in foodservice and customised flavour solutions nationally. Our customers and our people will benefit from our expanded capabilities and ability to grow with them." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Last October, Solina purchased Smithfield Foods’ seasoning business, Saratoga Food Specialties, for $587.5 million.

Stora Enso has completed the divestment of its Maxau paper production site in Germany to Schwarz Produktion, part of Schwarz Group. The enterprise value of the divestment is approximately €210 million. The transaction will reduce Stora Enso’s annual supercalendered paper capacity by 530,000 tonnes and, based on 2022 figures, will reduce the packaging giant’s annual sales by approximately €385 million. Schwarz Produktion is the umbrella brand for the production companies of Schwarz Group. The Group has more than 4,500 employees who produce food, beverages and sustainable packaging materials for retail companies Lidl and Kaufland. The sale is part of Stora Enso’s plan, announced in March 2022, to divest four of its five paper production sites in order to focus on strategic growth areas. According to the company, “Stora Enso's focus is on long term growth potential for its renewable products in packaging, building solutions and biomaterials innovations”. In January this year, Stora Enso signed an agreement to divest its paper production site in Hylte, Sweden, and all of its related assets to Sweden Timber, a Swiss sawmill and planing mill company. At the same time, Stora Enso discontinued the Anjala, Finland, site divestment process. “For the Anjala site, we have concluded that the benefits from retaining the site within the Group exceed the value of explored divestment opportunities,” said Seppo Parvi, CFO at Stora Enso. Additionally, Stora Enso completed the divestment of its Nymölla paper production site in Sweden, and all related assets to Sylvamo, a US-based global producer of uncoated paper. In January this year, Stora Enso acquired the Netherlands-based company De Jong Packaging, a corrugated packaging producer, for an enterprise value of approximately €1,020 million.

Aleph Farms has acquired a manufacturing facility in Modi’in, Israel, and certain related assets from biotechnology company VBL Therapeutics (VBLT), for an undisclosed sum. Five years after producing the ‘first’ cell-grown minute steak, the company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Esco Aster – a vertically-integrated contract manufacturing organisation – to produce cultivated meat in Singapore. Didier Toubia, CEO and co-founder of Aleph Farms, said: “Israel and Singapore are the first two markets where we intend to launch our cultivated thin-cut steak. Building up production capacity quickly in those locations while keeping capital investment lean provides a clear roadmap to scalability.” He added: “Beyond Israel and Singapore, we plan on building additional strategic assets worldwide as part of our effort to bring more security and resilience to food systems”. Existing assets acquired from VBLT will be paired with a technology transfer from Aleph Farms' pilot production facility in Rehovot, Israel, to increase local output in response to more demand for quality protein. Xiangliang Lin, CEO of Esco Aster and deputy CEO of Esco Lifesciences Group, commented: “Our state-of-the-art facility will enable Aleph Farms to unlock value and ramp up local production in an efficient manner. We look forward to seeing the facility support Aleph Farms’ goals in the future.” This MOU covers the use of Esco Aster's manufacturing expertise in producing Aleph Farms’ cultivated meat in Singapore, helping the nation work towards its goal of “30 by 30”— the establishment of agri-food capabilities that can satisfy 30% of the island’s nutritional needs locally and sustainably by 2030. Such terms also position Singapore as a focal point for Aleph Farms’ future expansion in Southeast Asia and the broader Asia-Pacific region. “We are proud to be working with Aleph Farms to bring its cultivated steak to Singapore," said Xiangliang Lin, CEO of Esco Aster and Deputy CEO of Esco Lifesciences Group. "As part of our contract manufacturing MOU, we will work together with religious authorities on obtaining a halal certificate for our facility, enabling our collaboration with Aleph to expand to even more of the broader region." Aleph Farms also plans to produce different cuts of steak as well as other products based on animal cells, such as cultivated collagen, through additional proprietary capabilities. From a single fertilised egg, the company says it can grow “thousands of tonnes” of cultivated meat.