Iron Hill Brewery has launched a new trio of IPA flavours, available at selected US retailers. The new flavours include Autoplay Tropical American IPA featuring ripe guava, juicy peach and passion fruit at 5.6% ABV. Kryptonic Haze Imperial Juicy IPA is 9% ABV and features a juicy tropical fruit aroma and a "unique tropical flavour profile". Peaches and Cream Milkshake IPA at 7% ABV is the third to feature in the line, offering flavours of fresh peach, silky vanilla and warm graham cracker dust. Mark Edelson, Iron Hill Brewery co-founder, said: "New beers can often take a brewery years to develop. So releasing three at the beginning of the year is no small task. With 20 brewery locations, our team of award-winning brewers can make test batches simultaneously and compare notes." He added: "By the time an Iron Hill beer hits the shelves at your local retailer, you know that it has the fingerprints of some of the most decorated brewers in the country."

Plenty Unlimited has announced plans to build a vertical farming research centre in Laramie, Wyoming, backed by a $20 million grant. The grant, gifted by the state through the Wyoming Business Council to the City of Laramie, will help with construction and infrastructure costs. Plenty CEO Arama Kukutai said: “Creating this new centre of excellence greatly expands Plenty’s ability to transform indoor agriculture. We’ve already built one of the top indoor farming research ecosystems in the world in Wyoming.” He continued: “Our new facility will expand our capability to grow the widest variety of crops, which is key to unlocking the potential of this category and addresses a major limitation for the industry today. This continued commitment to innovation is what’s needed to push indoor farming forward and make fresh food accessible to everyone.” The new research centre is projected to span more than 60,000 square feet, built on 16 acres of land in Laramie. The site will double Plenty’s research space compared to the existing Laramie facility it has occupied since 2016. Additionally, Plenty says the R&D centre will diversify its research environments and support the transition of new crops to commercial farms by incorporating areas that more closely mirror Plenty farm environments. Wyoming governor Mark Gordon said: “Wyoming is proud to invest in the continued success of a business that was first innovated right here in the state. The level at which Plenty will be operating in this new facility will truly advance Wyoming’s pre-eminence as a global centre of indoor agricultural research. This centre gives us a tremendous opportunity to promote a state-of-the-art R&D cluster and further diversify our state’s economy.” Plenty plans to add 125 jobs at the new facility over the next six years across various fields, including science, research, engineering and data analysis. Nate Storey, Plenty co-founder and chief science officer, said: “Our research and development has already driven Plenty to achieve industry-leading yields in our core crops of leafy greens, strawberries and tomatoes. With this new, state-of-the-art facility, we will accelerate our pipeline, further increasing yields and bringing more diverse crops to market sooner.” The project will enter the design phase with plans to begin construction later this year and open the facility in early 2025.

Saputo has announced plans to make sweeping changes to its US operations, permanently closing three facilities, while building a new packaging site and expanding its string cheese operations. The dairy giant is spending CAD $240 million (approx. $179 million) on a new cut-and-wrap facility in Franklin, Wisconsin, which is expected to create 600 jobs. The plant is slated to be fully operational by the third quarter of fiscal 2025. Once operational, Saputo will transfer existing packaging operations from other manufacturing sites to its new Franklin facility. As a result, the company will permanently shut sites in Big Stone, South Dakota, and Green Bay, Wisconsin. In addition, the company is investing CAD $75 million (approx. $55.9 million) to convert its cut-and-wrap facility in Tulare, California, into a string cheese packaging facility. Saputo said that the investment will support its growth ambitions and sustain its leadership position in the string cheese product category. The company says the facility will be fully operational by the third quarter of fiscal 2025. Consequently, Saputo will permanently close its South Gate, California, facility in the fourth quarter of 2025. The closure of the three facilities will impact around 720 employees who will each be given the option to relocate to other Saputo facilities. Otherwise, they will be provided with "severance and outplacement support," said the company. Lino A Saputo, president and CEO, said: “Continuing to lay the groundwork for future growth in the US, these initiatives aim to solidify our ability to meet current and future customer demand and further improve our cost structure". He continued: "Strategic investments, a streamlined footprint and optimised facilities will set the stage for notable improvements in our operational performance as we consolidate activities into world-class facilities. Also designed to increase production capabilities in some of our higher-margin value-added product categories, these initiatives will fuel our aspirations to further enhance our value proposition as a high-quality, low-cost processor in the USA.”

Tropicana has expanded its fruit juice portfolio with the addition of two new products: Strawberry & Banana and Pineapple & Pink Guava Crush juices. Strawberry & Banana is a pure juice blend of apple, strawberry, banana and blueberry and counts towards your 5 a day. Pineapple & Pink Guava Crush joins Tropicana’s Sensations range, developed for ‘rest of day’ moments outside of breakfast. The new juice is a blend of “highest quality” apples, pineapple and pink guava. Tropicana Brands Group, Juices UK head of marketing, Caroline Wilding, said: “Strawberry & Banana is a family favourite flavour combination that will keep everyone happy during the morning breakfast rush, whereas Pineapple & Pink Guava Crush extends our positioning as a go-to for rest of the day occasions with its mocktail- inspired fruit blend.” The new products are available at UK retailers in various sizes, starting with an RRP of £2.75 per 850ml.

Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats has transformed its popular gum brand Hubba Bubba into a frozen treat with the launch of Hubba Bubba ice lolly. The ice lolly features bubble gum-flavoured ice with a layer of squishy jelly. Michelle Frost, general manager at Mars Chocolate Drinks and Treats, said: “The Hubba Brand has enjoyed a recent resurge in popularity, appealing to a wide spectrum of consumers". She continued: “In the mints and gum market, we have seen Gen Z cited as the catalyst behind a 16% YOY growth in gum specifically. However, with Hubba Bubba, we also have the added benefit of brand nostalgia to appeal to Millennials and beyond". “Following on from the successful launch of both Skittles Stix and Starburst Ice Lolly in 2022, introducing Hubba Bubba to our range of branded ice lollies is an exciting move for 2023, where we hope to add a pop of fun and excitement to the freezer aisle.” Hubba Bubba ice lolly will be available across grocery, convenience and wholesale channels in a single format for an RRP of £1.65, while a four-pack will launch exclusively in Iceland for £2.99.

Cadman Capital Group has acquired Quoddy Savour Seafood, a Canadian seafood farming and processing business. The Quoddy plant is based in Pennfield, New Brunswick, in eastern Canada and is situated on a 33-acre site next to the Bay of Fundy. The plant has the capacity to raise and hold lobsters and urchins, as well as other local fish species. The facility has access to key US seafood markets including New York, Boston, Montreal and the wider North American East Coast. James Dinsdale, CEO of Cadman, said: “Quoddy Savour Seafood joins the Group at an exciting time for the business. The acquisition reiterates our continued commitment to developing restorative aquaculture solutions to support the sustainable improvement of marine ecosystems. We look forward to working with the existing team and local community and fisheries to bring income and jobs to the region.” Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Pernod Ricard has launched a new variety of flavoured rum under its Malibu brand, Malibu Peach Rum, which has an ABV of 21%. Devaunshi Mahadevia, brand director of marketing at Malibu, said: "With peach being a top five summer flavour, we're excited to introduce this innovation to the Malibu portfolio and to consumers just in time for the warmer months”. Joining the Peach Rum is a new RTD canned cocktail, Malibu Peach Rum Punch, which balances peach and orange flavours. The new beverages are available in US retailers nationwide.

Dr Pepper has launched a new flavour innovation, Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream, as it expands its flavour portfolio. Dr Pepper Strawberries & Cream features the original 23 flavours of Dr Pepper, combined with layers of strawberry flavouring and a smooth, creamy finish. The new beverage will be available in regular and zero-sugar varieties and, according to the brand, will be the only strawberry and cream-flavoured dark soda in the market. The drinks are available in major US retailers.

CCEP Ventures (CCEPV), the innovation investment arm of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, has announced two new partnerships to accelerate research into carbon capture technology. The partnerships with European research groups at universities in Spain and the Netherlands will receive investment from CCEPV to propel their research into carbon capture and turning CO2 emissions into useful products for the supply chain. Through these research and development projects at Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Spain and the University of Twente in the Netherlands, CCEPV plans to explore how captured CO2 can be turned into products like packaging materials and sugar, used to carbonate Coca-Cola Europacific Partners’ drinks, or to create synthetic fuel that can power its factories. Craig Twyford, head of CCEPV, said: “Funding these projects is an exciting opportunity for us to be at the forefront of scientific discovery and innovation. We think it has the potential not only to significantly impact our operations, but it could also be rolled out across different industries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make better use of the carbon in our atmosphere.”

Cove Gut Healthy Drinks has launched Cove Gut Healthy Soda, a sugar-free, functional soda made with 1 billion probiotics and prebiotics. Cove Soda are available in two flavours: orange, grape and lemon lime. The range, which is said to be the first to market in Canada, uses organic ingredients and is made with a natural plant blend sweetener that combines probiotics and prebiotics to enhance gut health. Cove Gut Healthy Drinks CEO John MacLellan said: "Our success with Cove Kombucha has given us great insight into consumer behaviour, including their continuous desire to educate themselves on improving gut health". He continued: "We've continued to innovate based on these learnings, along with consumer trends that reveal a strong interest in decreasing sugar consumption. Cove Soda allows us to respond to consumers' desire to decrease their consumption of sugar while simultaneously improving their gut health." Cove Soda is sold at Sobeys, Loblaw and several local health food stores across Canada. According to the company, more Cove Soda flavours are in development, with plans to expand into the US market, focusing on California in early 2023.

Diageo-owned brand Baileys has launched a new limited-edition "minty green" Irish cream liqueur ahead of St. Patrick's Day. Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake cream liqueur contains flavours of mint, vanilla and a hint of chocolate. "We are absolutely thrilled to provide a new delicious indulgence for everyone's annual celebrations," said Sophie Kelly, SVP of whiskies and liqueur at Diageo North America. "St. Patrick's Day is always a time when people come together to have a bit of fun and toast to the Emerald Isle, and we hope this year it's with the decadent Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake." Baileys Vanilla Mint Shake is available nationwide for a limited time for a retail price of $24.99 per 750ml bottle.

Filipino spirit and wine distributor, The Keepers Holdings, has acquired cocktail mixer brand Island Mixers from Diageo. Island Mixers is a non-alcoholic cocktail mixer that can be combined with gin, tequila or rum. The Keepers is also considering expanding the brand beyond its current lime-flavoured variant into other flavours and categories. The company said: "The growing alcohol beverage industry and diverse spirits portfolio of The Keepers makes Island Mixers a fitting addition to its cocktail mixers line-up". Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Last month, Diageo agreed to acquire Philippines-based rum brand Don Papa Rum for an initial consideration of €260 million.