Flagship Food Group has acquired guacamole and dip producer Yucatan Foods, for an undisclosed sum. Yucatan makes guacamole and salsa products under its Yucatan and Cabo Fresh lines for retail stores across Canada. The company operates a manufacturing facility in Silao, Mexico. Meanwhile, Flagship produces tortillas, tortilla chips, salsa, green chile and frozen Mexican food products, under brands including 505 Southwestern, La Tortilla Factory, Hatch Kitchen and Lilly B’s. With the acquisition, Flagship hopes to strengthen its position in the guacamole category. Stephen Hillion, VP of sales and marketing for Yucatan, said: “This is great for the future of this legendary brand in the guacamole category. Being part of this broad family of complementary Hispanic and Southwestern food products will allow us to offer more value to our retail partners and to consumers. We are going into immediate action to collaborate with our partners to realise these synergies.” Sam Carson, brand president for 505 Southwestern, said: “We’re really excited about expanding our consumer reach into the refrigerated Dairy, Deli and Produce categories, and Yucatan is the perfect brand partner. We’ll be integrating Yucatan’s sales and marketing efforts into our salsa, green chile and dips business. We’re wasting no time in merging this brand into our 505SW portfolio and innovating on products, marketing, quality and packaging.” Rob Holland, executive chairman of Flagship, added: “This acquisition will definitely result in some innovative product development. I expect we’ll see some exciting ‘Hatch Valley’ guacamole products coming out very soon.”

Ithaca Hummus has launched its new Fire Roasted Salsas collection featuring a trio of salsas with a smoky punch, available in Mild, Medium and Hot. Each of the three varieties are made with real chopped, diced, and squeezed ingredients including fire-roasted tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, salt and vinegar – without preservatives and additives. Mild Fire Roasted Salsa combines smokiness and freshness, Medium Fire Roasted Salsa is a fiery dip with a subtle kick and Hot Fire Roasted Salsa is the hottest of the three, featuring habanero peppers. Chris Kirby, CEO and founder of Ithaca Hummus, commented: “Salsa is a classic dip that has been around for years, yet the market is traditionally dominated by heavily preserved fresh options. We’ve long sensed consumer demand for a less processed option, and we’re thrilled to catapult our brand into the salsa category, building on our commitment to elevated flavours and ingredients.” Ithaca Hummus Fire Roasted Salsas are plant-based, vegan, Non-GMO Project Verified and gluten-free. The Fire Roasted Salsas will be available at various Whole Foods Market locations with an SRP of $6.99.

US-based functional beverage brand, Roar Organic, has raised $6 million in funding. The brand which boasts a line of hydrating beverages containing a blend of vitamins, antioxidants and electrolytes, plans to use the funding to support sales and marketing acceleration while expanding its distribution footprint. Roar Organic has also announced a partnership with Publix Super Markets that will see the beverages enter more than 1,300 new stores. Bill Lange, president at Roar Organic, said: “We’re ready to take the brand to new heights this year with the recent capital raise and our partnership with Publix, expanding our retail footprint throughout the country. Today, consumers are looking for the full package and seek truly healthy, functional hydration products that are fairly priced, convenient to purchase and deliver on taste.” He continued: “Our mission at Roar Organic is to make hydration and functional wellness a deliciously vibrant experience, without artificial ingredients or high sugar and calories. We’re confident with these new gains and our soon-to-be-launched innovations that we will be able to deliver above and beyond on this mission in 2023.”

Post Foods Canada has partnered with Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons to launch an apple fritter-flavoured cereal. Post Tim Hortons Apple Fritter Flavoured Cereal contains notes of apple and cinnamon, as well as being naturally flavoured. "We know how much Canadians love Tim Hortons Apple Fritters, which is why we're so excited to bring the classic flavour of this incredible donut to cereal bowls across the country," said Mazen Sous, senior director of marketing at Post Foods Canada. "We're thrilled to give Canadians a new way to enjoy the taste of one of Canada's favourite donuts, now in cereal form," said Sourabh Malik, vice president of consumer packaged goods at Tim Hortons. "Not only does this cereal taste like an Apple Fritter, but it comes in the Tim Hortons Apple Fritter shape, too." The cereal is currently available at select grocery stores across Canada.

Amplify Snack Brands-owned Pirate's Booty has introduced a new puffed rice and corn-crunchy snack made with white cheddar cheese. Designed for children, Pirate's Booty Crunch Attack! is made with real and simple ingredients. Mark Chu, senior director of marketing at Amplify Snack Brands, said: "We spent years researching and talking to kids and parents about what they want from a snack. That's why we are thrilled to offer a product that satisfies kids' requests for crunch as they get older and parents' requests for a better-for-you option that tastes great and kids love." He continued: "We know many grown-up snackers who also love our Aged White Cheddar Rice and Corn Puffs and can't wait for Pirate's Booty fans of all ages to try this bold, crunchy take on the classic". Pirate's Booty Crunch Attack! is available at retailers for an SRP of $7.49 per 8oz bag.

Diageo-owned whisky brand, Buchanan’s, has expanded its portfolio with the launch of Buchanan’s Pineapple, the brand’s first flavoured spirit. The new 35% ABV spirit is ‘bursting’ with pineapple flavour and notes of vanilla and caramel, balanced with the traditional smoothness of Buchanan’s whisky. Joyce He, director of Buchanan's Whisky, said: "With Buchanan's Pineapple, we are combining one of the most beloved flavours in Hispanic culture with the same distinct smoothness from the House of Buchanan's people have enjoyed for more than 130 years”. Buchanan’s Pineapple is a permanent addition to the brand’s portfolio and is available in retailers across the US for an RRP of $29.99 per 750ml bottle.

The Ugly Company, a US-based producer of upcycled dried fruit snacks, has raised $9 million in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Sun Valley Packing, a fruit grower and distributor, and Value Creation Strategies, with participation from singer Justin Timberlake and investment firm Valley Ag Capital Holdings (VACH). The funds will be used to expand processing capacity and accelerate US expansion. The Ugly Company offers a variety of dried fruit snacks, such as cherries, peaches, white nectarines, apricots and kiwis. Ben Moore, founder and CEO of The Ugly Company, said: "The millions of pounds of fruit that gets thrown away every day in Central California is heart-breaking...I felt called to action to ensure every piece of fruit grown in the Valley is consumed by people, not landfills and livestock. This Series A funding is huge for us. We can finally address our infrastructure needs and expand sales nationally."

Healthy snacking bars and flapjacks brand, Warrior, has released its new Fudge Brownie Warrior Crunch protein bar, available at Asda stores from March 2023. The Fudge Brownie Warrior Crunch bar is the latest addition to Warrior’s protein bar range, featuring a sprinkle-laden milk chocolate coating, frosted nougat core and caramel centre. Each bar contains 2.3 grams of sugar and 20 grams of milk protein. Kieran Fisher, founder of Warrior and KBF Enterprises, commented: “The Warrior range has proven to be popular with Asda shoppers and we’re confident these new listings will be no exception. We’re looking forward to building on our strong sales success with this expanded range.” He added: “We are committed to driving innovation in the sports nutrition category and this latest new product offering will provide health-conscious Asda shoppers with even more ways to incorporate protein into their diet in a healthy and affordable way.”

Danish brewer Carlsberg has reported revenue growth of 16.9% in its full-year results and said that its revenue per litre of beer sold grew 9% in 2022. Meanwhile, the brewer saw organic operating profit growth of 12.2%, with Asia and the recovery of the on-trade in Western Europe being the main contributors. However, Carlsberg warned that increased prices this year may have an impact on beer consumption in some of its markets, especially Europe. CEO Cees ’t Hart said: “The high earnings and very strong cash generation were achieved despite many challenges, including the war in Ukraine, rising energy and commodity prices, and the impact of the pandemic, particularly in Asia”. He continued: “2023 will be another challenging year, but the strategic, organisational and financial health of our company is strong, and we are confident that our purpose-led and performance-driven culture will drive continued sustainable long-term value creation”. The company also announced that it is buying out its partner in India and Nepal, expecting to purchase the roughly 33% shareholding for $744 million. Meanwhile, the brewer expects to have found a buyer for its business in Russia and signed an agreement by June, according to Reuters. However, the company is seeking an option to buy back the business in the future. "We are exiting Russia for now, but we don't exclude the option...of coming back," said Hart, who is cited by Reuters. "I can't see us coming back in the first ten years, and many things will need to change before we would consider going back to Russia."

Dutch poultry company Plukon has acquired 51% of the shares of JA ter Maten Holding, for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 1978, JA ter Maten manufactures poultry and poultry meat products for further processing into food or pet food products. The company owns two production facilities in Bunschoten, the Netherlands, and Brecht, Belgium. Plukon produces fresh meals, ready-to-heat and ready-to-eat products, and meal components. The company currently operates in six European countries. Both companies have a long-standing relationship. With the acquisition, Plukon hopes to further strengthen its position in the poultry processing value chain in Europe. JA ter Maten's directors, Wouter and Willem ter Maten, said: "As directors, we were already very satisfied with the cooperation with Plukon. A company with a high degree of professionalism and values that we share. Together with Plukon, we are convinced that, as management, we will be able to implement our expansion plans in full because we have thus secured part of our raw material supply. This step will not affect existing suppliers." Plukon CEO, Peter Poortinga, added: "We are delighted with the transaction with the Ter Maten family and thus with the strengthening of the long-term cooperation between the two companies. Both Plukon and Ter Maten stand for supplying high-quality poultry products, where high quality and delivery reliability are the basis. We look forward to working with Willem and Wouter ter Maten to realise our growth ambitions in the coming years."

Botanical tonic brand Sunwink has launched a new superfood powder, Citrus Lime Prebiotic, that will help maintain gut health and reduce bloating. The powder, which is made with chicory root inulin, burdock and tangerine peel, is 100% organic and can be mixed with water for a refreshing taste. Sunwink’s Citrus Lime Prebiotic powder is available for purchase online at the brand's website and at Target stores.

Springworks Farm has raised $22 million through a combination of equity and debt as it looks to fund the construction of its fourth and largest aquaponic greenhouse. The new greenhouse will expand its operations by 120,000 square feet and will create 40 new jobs in the state of Maine. The raise marks phase one of Springworks' plans to build 500,000 square feet of greenhouse space over the next six years. The company uses aquaponics – "a recirculating ecosystem that combines fish and plants" – to grow its fresh produce, which includes organic bibb, romaine and green leaf lettuce. Upon completion of the fourth greenhouse, Springworks says it will produce around 5 million heads of lettuce and 315,00lbs of tilapia annually. The development will also help the company to meet the increasing demand for local and sustainably grown produce. Trevor Kenkel, who founded Springworks in 2014 at the age of 19, said: “Regional agriculture is core to the sustainable future we want to help build. By delivering organic greens to customers faster, we are able to cut food waste and improve quality.” Karin Gregory, who led the investment for Blue Highway Capital, added: "We first met the Springworks team in 2021 and began to follow their progress. We look in rural areas for companies with strong management teams in sectors positioned for growth and are pleased to have participated in this financing with Farm Credit East."