Bega Cheese will cease production at its Griffith, Canberra, facility following a review of its fresh dairy manufacturing operations across the Australian Capital Territory and New South Wales. The dairy company will relocate production to its Penrith, New South Wales, site. The shift will affect 19 employees, who will have the option to choose between redundancy packages or redeployment. The company commented that outplacement and worker assistance programmes will be available to support Bega's team members during the job transition. Bega explained that due to the lack of dairy farms in Canberra, milk was sourced from outside the Australian Capital Territory and transported to Griffith for production, adding that it was "often bypassing more efficient and sustainable production sites like Bega's Penrith facility". Bega said in a stock exchange filing: “There will be no change to the brand or the milk inside the bottles across Canberra Milk or Dairy Farmers brands...it will be the same high-quality Australian milk that has been sourced for decades”. Darryn Wallace, executive general manager of Bega Dairy and Drinks, Bega Group, noted: "This move will allow us to maintain our high standards across product quality and customer service, utilising the benefits of a larger full-time operation specialising in the production of fresh milk".

ADM has announced that it will permanently shutter its flour mill in New Braunfels, Texas, at the end of March. Dane Lisser, a spokesperson for ADM, told FoodBev that the company has determined that its New Braunfels mill no longer meets the operational requirements of its milling business. "Right now, we’re focused on our colleagues in New Braunfels and we have a team on-site working with those impacted," he said. "We hope to find opportunities in other ADM facilities for as many of them as possible. For those who do leave the company at the end of March, there will be an appropriate financial package, and we’ll be offering support to help them find other employment." He continued: "We’ll also be working with customers previously supplied from New Braunfels to ensure a smooth transition as we transfer production to other mills in our network." "We appreciate the cooperative relationship we’ve had with the city of New Braunfels, and we look forward to continuing that positive relationship with them for the duration of ADM’s ownership of the facility." The mill, which was constructed almost 140 years ago, has the capacity to produce 600,000 pounds of flour daily. This is the latest closure made by ADM, which has shuttered numerous facilities in the US in recent years, including in Illinois, Minnesota and Kansas. ADM plans to dispose of the facility following its closure and decommissioning.

The new high-speed ultrasonic cutting line enables cutting with surgical precision for 40lb or 640lb blocks of cheese. The accurate, dynamic weigh scale conveyor is designed exclusively for cheese applications and has an ultrasonic cutting guillotine that provides a clean accurate cut without crumbs. The machine cuts long cheese bars into individual portions and can reach a production capacity of 200 servings per minute. 3D cameras measure the dimensions of the cheese bars with high precision, and the data is directed to the processor in order to produce precise weight cuts. The machine has an electronic scale that validates the stocking density. The equipment’s technical features include a conveyer overhand to facilitate the cleaning process and belt replacement; a single button to release the tension of the bar; width and height of the cheese bar measured with a 3D laser scanner to feed the material to the weight control; advanced software used for exact weight control with automatic density tracking; and a recycle bin for the cheese bar ends. The control technology is of the Allen Bradley brand and includes a user-friendly operator interface provided with graphics to facilitate operations. Software developed by Coprodev Plus optimises the control of fixed weights by taking into account laser measurements and data produced by the balance. The ultrasonic cheese-cutting technology is said to work well with fragile or sticky products, including soft bars, caramel, pastry and confectionery.

Froneri, the UK-headquartered ice cream JV owned by Nestlé and R&R, has launched a new flavour of its ice cream sticks under its Nuii brand. The latest addition is a Milk Chocolate and Italian Roasted Hazelnut variant, using nocciola del Piemonte, a delicate variety of hazelnut sourced from Italy. Helen Sharp, brand manager for Nuii, said: “We’re excited to launch this new flavour to the market, as we believe it will be a strong contender in Nuii’s ice cream collection and will be loved by UK consumers because of its indulgent flavours”. The new ice cream sticks are available exclusively in Asda stores for an RRP of £4.00 per three-pack and will roll out to other retailers in the coming weeks.

The World Food Innovation Awards are designed to recognise and reward excellence in the development of innovative food and beverage products and technologies around the world. This year, an international judging panel has been assembled to assess all applications. These individuals have the difficult task of determining which food and beverage innovators have made the most meaningful impact in the industry and have best taken on the role of developing revolutionary products and technologies. The process will take place at the end of February when judges will evaluate applications to determine which award entries meet the highest criteria and will be crowned our winners. Applications for the 2023 World Food Innovation Awards have now closed! We look forward to releasing the finalists soon and announcing the winners at a special awards ceremony at IFE, Internation Food & Drink Event on the 20th of March. Part 2 of our judging panel: Louis Bedwell Managing Director, Mission Ventures The world of food and drink is ever-changing. The post-pandemic era, a cost of living crisis and the influence of changing behaviours mean that there has never been a more challenging yet exciting time to be in the industry. For this year's World Food Innovation Awards, I'll be looking for the following factors: Mission: Brands need to be passionate about what drives their consumers. Customers are looking for brands and products that create a positive environment and impact on the world. Problem-solving: What problem does the brand or product solve for consumers? Sometimes products taste great and seem like a good idea, but consumers don't need them. The most successful innovations solve an obvious problem. Scalability: This is the golden goose. It's only possible to have a great brand and product if it is scalable. How do consumers access your product? At what price? Is it commercially viable? Health: The pandemic showed how interlinked our health and economies are. Consumers seek a broad spectrum of products and brands supporting their health. How do you communicate these benefits to the consumers? I'll be looking out for this. Diversity: The best food products are made by everyone and for everyone. I'd love to see an influx of new ideas from a new generation of founders. Philippa Christer Event Director, IFE and IFE Manufacturing An award winning product must taste fantastic, but also fill a need in the market place and have very clear branding inline with the target market. For me this must be coupled with superb sustainability credentials. I am looking for companies with a strong message around creating innovative sustainable solutions within their supply chain, packaging and business model. Matt Buckingham Marks and Spencer | Buyer, Confectionery I’m delighted to be joining the judging panel for World Foods Innovation Awards this year. As a newcomer to the awards, I am very excited to see what this year’s entries have to offer. As a buyer in Confectionery, my world has been rocked by the HFSS laws therefore any innovation in this space will particularly pique my interest. The way in which HFSS has altered customer decision making has changed the priorities for Confectionery products with a greater focus on healthier choices without compromising on taste. The 5 areas that I will be considering when evaluating this year’s entries include: Better Choices: How consumers can be provided with heathier choice products that still deliver on taste, quality and nutritional value. Innovation that explores ways to provide the public with reduced calories, salt, fat & sugar will score highly. Sustainability: Evaluating our impact on the planet is becoming more and more critical. Waste from the Food & Drinks industry has a massive part to play in reducing our carbon impact, therefore innovation that reduces single use plastics and provides reusable and recyclable solutions is imperative. Backing British: Having grown up on a family farm, innovation that supports the UK farming and manufacturing industry really excites me. Whether this be diversification in the dairy industry or backing British manufacturing capabilities, any way in which we can help feed our nation from within our own shores should be supported. Quality: Working for a retailer with (arguably!) the best quality products on the market, quality is always at the forefront of my mind. Innovation around producing restaurant quality food at affordable prices will always be of interest. WOW Factor: Any innovation in our industry needs to make you want to pick it up from the shelf, be this the branding, nutritional quality or the problem that it solves. Any product that I see must make me want to buy it! Silvia D'Alesio Food & Packaging Ecosystem Expert Hello, World Food Innovation Awards 2023, Judging Panel, and New Entry! I’m so lucky to be at such an important contest with many professionals, observing food and bev innovations and dealing transversally with judge categories based on today's and coming years' needs. I hope you will come away enriched with a broad overview of how food innovation can really impact society, environment, and business and ultimately enrich the everyday life of consumers with added value. I wish to thank the staff of FoodBev Media because every year it is able to create this event with participants and judges by animating the debate on new trends in food product development. so the good is that here we're on the same page promoting activities such as this for creating a net world we live in more sustainable and better our efforts in rethinking the food system we consume. factors I will be looking out for are: Sustainability - Organic Barometer, and Green packaging: recyclability of packaging, commitment to social responsibility, safeguarding the supply chain, and reducing waste The search for convenience: in response to the permacrisis the savings for the buyer due to the format particular format or products offering promotions or quality and quantity in a convenient ratio Product textures: emotional stimuli given by attributes such as: "crispy", "thin", "velvety", "creamy", "soft", "rough", "filling", and "stuffed" Processing method - Cooked and (well) eaten: as a distinctive element, as a synonym for quality and savoir-faire, as a tradition and craftsmanship, as an expression of the care and passion put into production. Lifestyle: Factors that claim specific philosophies of life and styles of consumption, such as veganism or organic Steve Osborn Director, The Aurora Ceres Partnership Ltd Taste always wins. Well it used to anyway. Food and beverage products are constantly being challenged by fads, trends and changes in consumer habits. This provides fertile ground for innovators and product developers, as new opportunities and niches are constantly appearing, sometimes in unexpected places. And taste would always be the main factor that would determine the success or failure of the product, that and marketing budget of course! There has however been something of a shift in recent years, where the need for healthier products has really come into focus, helped by a greater understanding of what a healthy diet looks like. This is also running in parallel with a greater need for environmental considerations. These three components are now essential in the success of the product: Taste, Health and Environment; and new and emerging products need to genuinely deliver one each of these. This can be imagined as a triangle with taste at the top (it still ‘wins’ after all) but this is now supported by the other essential pillars. This doesn’t mean that indulgence isn’t allowed but it is about healthier or permissible indulgence. The Aurora Ceres© ‘Taste, Health and Environment’ Innovation Triangle is always a core part of the food technology scouting and innovation activities which we undertake at The Aurora Ceres Partnership Ltd. The innovations that will be catching my eye in the World Food Innovation Awards 2023, will be those that satisfy not only the taste component, but also the healthier propositions as well as the environmental concerns. Each entry will be considered through this lens, and will help to determine the real value of the innovation. In addition to this I will be particularly interested in products that satisfy a genuine need, as this is always the hallmark of great innovation. Stay up to date with our awards by visiting the dedicated FoodBev Awards website www.foodbevawards.com The finalists and winners of the World Food Innovation Awards 2023 will be announced shortly.

Farmer Focus has received a $3.6 million grant as part of the second round of USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). The grant will support a $17.8 million expansion of Farmer Focus’s existing organic chicken facility in Harrisonburg, Virginia. By almost doubling the site's processing capacity over the next two years, the investment will enable Farmer Focus to create more than 300 new jobs for residents of the city and surrounding area. The $59 million second round of MPPEP investment was announced by US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during a visit to Farmer Focus’s Harrisonburg headquarters on Tuesday. Vilsack said: “The Biden-Harris administration and USDA are taking action to advance a sustainable vision of agriculture that prioritises the needs of our resilient producers and small businesses, strengthens our food supply chain and brings value back to rural people and places”. He added: “Through investments like this one, USDA will continue to work tirelessly to give farmers and ranchers a fair chance to compete in the marketplace, which in turn helps lower food costs for the American people”. The MPPEP's aim is to increase meat and poultry processing capacity, expand market opportunities for farmers and create jobs in rural areas.

FreshToHome, an Indian meat and fish e-commerce platform, has closed a $104 million Series D funding round led by Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund. The raise was backed by new and existing investors, including Iron Pillar, Investcorp, Investment Corporation of Dubai, Ascent Capital, E20 Investment, Mount Judi Ventures and Dallah Albaraka. Founded in 2015, FreshToHome operates in over 160 cities across India and the UAE, and offers more than 2,000 certified fresh and chemical-free products. FreshToHome co-founder and CEO, Shan Kadavil, said: "FreshToHome has pioneered the revolution of making 100% preservative- and antibiotic residue-free fresh fish, seafood, meat and meat products accessible and affordable to all, and that is our biggest USP. We are now a 'proficorn,' with operational profitability across the company. As we strive to offer more value to our farmers and fishers, customers, employees and investors, our focus is on profitability and sustainable value creation." An Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund spokesperson added: "Our vision with the $250 million Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund is to empower the next generation of innovative, technology-enabled companies led by visionary founders. We are impressed with the FreshToHome management team led by Shan Kadavil, and they have done some quality work in creating a robust technology-enabled supply chain and scalable backward integrated capabilities to serve both customers as well as farmers and fishers."

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced draft recommendations for the labelling of plant-based foods that are marketed as milk alternatives. The guidance has been developed in light of the large number of plant-based milks that have entered the market over the last decade. The variety of alt-milk products has also expanded beyond soy, rice and almond to include oat, cashew, hemp seed, pea, pecan and many other options. FDA commissioner, Robert Califf, said: “The draft recommendations issued today should lead to providing consumers with clear labelling to give them the information they need to make informed nutrition and purchasing decisions on the products they buy for themselves and their families”. The draft guidance, ‘Labelling of Plant-based Milk Alternatives and Voluntary Nutrient Statements: Guidance for Industry,’ recommends that dairy-free products that include ‘milk’ in the name and have a different nutrient composition to their animal-derived counterpart should “include a voluntary nutrient statement that conveys how the product compares with milk based on the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service fluid milk substitutes nutrient criteria”. An example might read: “Contains lower amounts of vitamin D and calcium than milk”. The guidance comes after the FDA conducted a study last year which found that almost all plant-based milks have lower amounts of four key micronutrients – phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and selenium – when compared with cow’s milk. Dairy foods are recommended under US dietary guidelines, which also include fortified soy beverages in this group, due to their nutrient composition being similar to that of milk. Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, commented: “Getting enough of the nutrients in milk and fortified soy beverages is especially important to help children grow and develop, and parents and caregivers should know that many plant-based alternatives do not have the same nutrients as milk. Food labels are an important way to help support consumer behaviour, so we encourage the use of the voluntary nutritional statements to better help customers make informed decisions.” The draft guidance does not apply to other dairy alternatives, such as plant-based cheese or yogurt. The FDA says that it is in the process of developing a draft guidance to address the labelling of other products.

Molson Coors has unveiled its new alcohol-free beer, Staropramen 0.0, which is set to roll out in 330ml bottles and a multipack format across selected UK retailers this March. The alcohol-free beer maintains a subtly sweet flavour and soft malty-fruity aroma, complemented by its “unique flavour profile” and crisp finish. Kathryn Reynolds, marketing controller of Premium Beers at Molson Coors Beverage Company, said: “The number of alcohol-free occasions is increasing and, while there are more 0.0% options available, we know consumers want zero alcohol lagers to still truly deliver on flavour". She continued: "The expert Staropramen team have perfected a method to offer just that – a full-flavoured Czech pilsner with zero alcohol.”

Sucro Sourcing has announced plans to build “Canada’s largest sugar refinery” in southern Ontario, with an estimated cost of $100 million. The sugar refiner expects the new facility to have an annual refining capacity of 1 million metric tonnes. Jonathan Taylor, founder and CEO of Sucro Sourcing, said: "Sucro is demonstrating supply chain innovation and a willingness to invest in new refining capacity in both Canada and the United States. The sugar markets in both Canada and the US are experiencing steady, long-term, sustainable growth, and Sucro is investing to supply these growing market demands." He continued: "We also believe a modern, new refinery in Ontario will be very well placed to service any potential market demand for refined sugar in the US market, and fully utilise Sucro's highly integrated supply chain already in place to service customers in the US market”. Sucro chairman, Don Hill, added: “Due to Sucro's successful low-cost focus in building its previous sugar refineries, including the recently opened sugar refinery in Lackawanna, New York, this new Ontario refinery will not need to be fully utilised shortly after opening. Instead, Sucro will patiently add production based on growing market demand, including any potential export opportunities to the United States.” The new refinery is expected to open in 2025.

Danone has announced that it will invest up to $65 million over the next two years to expand its Jacksonville, Florida, facility. The project will add a new bottle production line and could create 40 full-time jobs. The expansion will help to meet consumer demand in the coffee and creamer categories, boosting the production of brands such as International Delight and SToK. Danone COO, Mike Sloboda, commented: "We are thrilled to be investing in the people and economy of Jacksonville, creating 40 new jobs in addition to supporting our approximately 110 existing employees, all with competitive wages and benefits. This investment will allow us to better serve our customers and operate our business in an even more efficient and sustainable way."

Katie Pearmine, associate director of global food systems partnerships at the Global FoodBanking Network, discusses the needs of food banks amid rising economic uncertainty, and outlines the business case (not just the moral incentives) for the food industry to support food banks at this time – and how they can do so. The new year has brought with it new worries for many of the world’s economies, including the potential of a new wave of recessions. Economic insecurity is expected to worsen, which will invariably have a more significant impact on communities facing rising food insecurity. Already, falling consumer confidence is leaving its mark on the food industry as consumers prepare for a likely recession and become less likely to spend as a result. Likewise, in the face of inflation, many food companies are feeling the impact and having to adjust to higher operating costs and volatile supply chain issues as well. Yet, food businesses of every kind continue to witness high levels of lost and wasted food that could otherwise be distributed to serve people experiencing hunger. This is particularly pressing as economic insecurity continues to rise. Globally, it is estimated that 7% of all food that is available to consumers at the retail and restaurant level is wasted. This amounts to more than 380 million tons of food – each year – that could otherwise serve a positive purpose. For instance, in 2022 alone, an estimated 1.3 billion people faced food insecurity, a far greater number than originally anticipated, increasing the need for food banking services and broader food security safety nets across the globe. As such, there is a clear moral argument for businesses to support the role of food banks in supporting communities, but there is also a strong business case for doing so. Take it to the bank Through donations of surplus, off-grade or otherwise safe but not salable food, businesses have the opportunity to not only support greater food security, but they can also realize cost savings. Partnerships with food banks open the door to reducing costs associated with transportation, storage, handling and disposal of products that are no longer destined for the market. Furthermore, ensuring wholesome food reaches people rather than waste streams also has the added benefit of reducing and preventing harmful environmental impacts caused by food waste, which generates annually up to 8% of the total greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans. For starters, businesses can work alongside food banks to plan and forecast more effectively. While companies are making substantial progress in reducing food loss and waste, some amount of surplus in the supply chain is inevitable. By partnering from the start with food banks, businesses are able to maximise the potential of shared benefits – such as cost savings, community stewardship and reduced environmental impacts. For example, businesses can take inspiration from the growing number of voluntary agreements to reduce food loss and waste, like Pacto por la Comida where Banco de Alimentos de México is leading efforts with consumer packaged goods companies and the broader food industry to halve food loss and waste in Mexico by 2030. Indeed, there are significant opportunities to coordinate with food banks and build mutually beneficial relationships across the entire supply chain, including entities in the food packaging, transportation and storage realms. Supporting food banks and food security can also clearly go beyond donating food and funds alone. Food businesses are central in making introductions to industry partners who may not, at first sight, appear to be natural connections—but that can have dramatic impacts on the success of food banks nevertheless. This includes providing links to entities such as software companies, particularly those involved in data management and analysis, as well as industry groups such as the Global Cold Chain Alliance, which can provide food banks with greater technical knowledge and connections across broad industries. Time to engage Finally, businesses can also play a key role in engaging the public sector to shift policies and practices that strengthen food donation incentives and capabilities. By working to facilitate a better food donation policy environment, businesses can not only help unlock policy benefits for food banks but can also continue to meet their wider social and environmental goals. For instance, the adoption of specific policies, such as tax incentives for businesses making food donations, clearly shares benefits between both food banking organisations – through greater and more effective food donation – and businesses – through deductions and credits. 2023 is already on course to present more economic challenges that will increase the need to reduce costs and maximise existing resources, especially within the food industry. At the same time, the demand for food banking services continues to rise. Food businesses of all shapes and sizes can take proactive steps to ensure that food banks are well-equipped to face these challenges, and it is in the interest of the entire industry to minimize the impact of an economic downturn. Ultimately, thriving communities result in thriving businesses. With margins narrow and economic pressures high, businesses can minimise their own costs, while helping food banks to ensure that more people are supported with nutritious and healthy food. In the face of economic uncertainty, there is not only a clear moral case for food businesses to support food banks, but also a pragmatic one.