Ornua-owned Kerrygold introduces new Grader's Select Cheddars in Sharp, Extra Sharp and Vintage varieties, specially curated for optimum taste. Free from artificial flavours or preservatives, Kerrygold Grader’s Select line is made with milk rich in naturally occurring beta carotene, which is present in the Irish grass that Kerrygold cows enjoy year-round. The cheeses are available exclusively at Kroger and Harris Teeter. "It was an honour to curate this exclusive collection of uniquely delicious cheddars for Kroger,” said master cheese grader Enda Howley. “Kerrygold’s farm to table approach allows us to produce the highest quality cheeses that deliver a rich and natural taste that is truly unmatched." Building on the brand's cheese portfolio, the varieties cater to a range of tastes: Sharp is a mature, well-rounded cheddar with a smooth and savoury finish, Extra Sharp is a well-balanced, creamy cheddar with a rich flavour profile, Vintage is a complex and full-bodied aged cheddar with a robust texture.

Veolia Water Technologies has extended the wastewater treatment capacity at Baladna Food Industries' farm in Al Khor, Qatar, reducing the dairy producer's water consumption by more than 50%. Following the completion in 2020 of an initial stage to the partnership, Baladna renewed its relationship with Veolia to extend the wastewater treatment capacity at its farm located north of Doha. The farm is home to more than 24,000 cows that occupy around 2.6 million square metres. The extension of the companies' collaboration is enabling the farm to recycle 22,000 m3/d (cubic metres per day) of wastewater. The partnership started in 2020 with the design and construction of a 6,000 m3/d wastewater treatment plant, allowing for the treated water to be reused for irrigation within the farm and, following further treatment by reverse osmosis, to spray and cool the cows during hot summer months. Piet Hilarides, CEO of Baladna, commented: “After a successful project with Veolia, we strengthened the partnership in line with Baladna’s commitment to sustainable water management. The holistic approach to reuse treated wastewater and limited environmental impact of open lagoons are key developments. “We are keen to expand the treatment capacity of reusable water on a larger scale, reducing our freshwater consumption by more than 50%. This project marks a major milestone on the sustainability journey of Baladna and will significantly contribute to improving the environment for the surrounding area.”

Barebells expands its flavour portfolio in the UK with the launch of a limited edition milkshake, Lemon Cheesecake. In line with Barebells existing range of milkshakes, the newly launched flavour contains 24 grams of protein, has no added sugar and is lactose free. “It’s the perfect blend of sweet, tart and creamy, as creamy as an actual cheesecake, yet it has a light and airy milkshake feel to it”, says Amy Banerjee, head of marketing at Barebells. Barebells Lemon Cheesecake is available to purchase at selected gyms and stores nationwide at an RRP of £2.49.

Amcor has announced an investment of up to $45 million in ePac Flexible Packaging, a US packaging company that puts digital printing technologies at the centre of its business model. The investment will increase Amcor’s minority shareholding in ePac Holdings and follows a capital injection in the region of $10-15 million announced last year. Headquartered in Texas, US, ePac uses digital printing technologies to produce custom packaging for customers in sectors including dairy, snacks, coffee and confection. The company’s solutions include stand-up pouches, lay-flat pouches and rollstock. Amcor's executive vice president of strategy and development, Ian Wilson, said: "This additional investment reflects our confidence in ePac's entrepreneurial team and their proven ability to rapidly scale in the high-growth, often higher-value short run segment. ePac's proven digital technologies enable the delivery of exceptional service levels and significantly reduced lead times." He continued: "We believe this investment complements Amcor's existing digital activities and is well aligned with our vision that packaging will continue to become more personalised and more connected, as well as more sustainable". "This partnership is an excellent example of our objective to partner with high-growth, visionary companies that provide opportunities for Amcor to leverage new innovations and value propositions while generating strong returns for Amcor shareholders. We are excited to be extending our relationship with a highly successful start-up." Founded in 2016, ePac is focused on servicing the short run needs of small customers in the consumer goods industry. Annual revenue has grown more than 600% over the past three years to a run rate of over $200 million. ePac operates 25 sites globally, all with an identical set-up, offering customers automated quoting and digital printing capabilities across a number of product specifications.

Darigold’s new $600 million facility is due to open in Pasco, Washington, in 2024 as part of the cooperative's plan to expand and modernise. The company hosted a groundbreaking ceremony at the site of its future Pasco production facility, which is expected to process 8 million pounds of milk per day when fully operational, sourced from more than 100 dairy farms in the surrounding communities. “The Pasco project represents our third major capital investment in as many years, the largest investment in our co-op's 104-year history, and a significant step in an ongoing strategy to expand and modernise Darigold,” said Joe Coote, the cooperative's chief executive officer. When fully operational, the facility will have the capacity to produce 175 million pounds of butter per year and nearly 280 million pounds of powdered milk products annually, including products that meet the highest industry specifications for use in the most sensitive applications, such as infant formula. “This region is ideally suited to producing high-quality, nutritious dairy and our proximity to global shipping infrastructure makes it more efficient to access international markets,” added Allan Huttema, chairman of Darigold’s board of directors and operator of Almar Dairy in Parma, Idaho. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, demand for dairy grew at 1.6% in 2021 in the US, while demand for dairy exports rose by 19%. Darigold says that very few countries have excess production capacity, providing US dairy producers with the opportunity to benefit from growing global demand. In addition to adding capacity to Darigold's overall production capability, the new Pasco facility will incorporate a variety of innovative technologies and conservation strategies that combined, could mitigate more than 300,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

The Escalante family, owner of Aceitunas Guadalquivir (AG Olives), has announced the acquisition of Bell-Carter Foods, bringing together the two olive families. The deal will bring immediate investments to Bell-Carter Foods’ California production operations and provide more opportunities for its olive grower partners, nationwide customers and Lindsay brand consumers. Within the first few weeks of the acquisition, investments will be made in the company's Corning facility, including advanced olive cookers, expanded warehouse space and new production lines – all of which will help Bell-Carter meet the demand for Lindsay brand olives processed and packaged in California. "With this new investment, Bell-Carter is now in an even stronger position to ensure that our US production facilities stay ahead of the retailer and consumer demand that we are seeing for high-quality, innovative and best-value table olive products,” said a spokesperson for Bell-Carter. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Suntory Group-owned Ribena is building on its popular sparkling range this month with the launch of new Ribena Sparkling Zero Sugar, as demand rises for zero sugar choices within the flavoured carbonates category. Ribena Sparkling Zero Sugar features the taste of a carbonated soft drink in Ribena’s signature Blackcurrant flavour, without the addition of sugar. Ribena Sparkling Zero Sugar will be available in 500ml and 2L bottles meeting shopper needs for both ‘drink now’ and ‘drink later’ formats. The Ribena Sparkling range is also getting a refreshed look. The updated pack design is rolling out across the whole range, including Ribena Sparkling Zero Sugar.

Mondi’s new sustainable drinks packaging, Hug&Hold, a recyclable, paper-based solution to replace plastic shrink wrap, has been validated for automated packing processes. Hug&Hold comprises two elements that provide secure transportation as well as stacking of bundles of bottled drinks. The first element is a sleeve made of 100% kraft paper that wraps around the bottles to hold them securely, it offers high tensile strength and can withstand enough weight to strap and stabilise the bottles during transportation. The second element is a corrugated clip which holds the bottles around the neck. An optional integrated handle means a bundle of bottles can be carried and transported easily. Simple separation of single bottles from the pack by the consumer or retail staff adds to the convenience of the design. Mondi’s Hug&Hold provides a strong and stable solution that is made from renewable and fully recyclable materials. The team worked with Krones, a global acting specialist in packaging automation technology, to ensure that Hug&Hold can pack bottles in a fully automated process with the latest Krones’ machines. Krones offers options to upgrade its existing machinery enabling an easy switch to Hug&Hold as a sustainable alternative. Hug&Hold currently is available for 0.5l up to 1.5l PET bottles in bundles of six or four.

Plant-based snack company Hippeas has launched new veggie straws to its line of products. Made from a blend of vegetables, the veggie straw line provides 3g of protein and 140 calories per 1oz serving. Flavours include Straight Up Sea Salt, Rockin’ Ranch, and sour cream and onion. Hippeas Veggie Straws are now available at Whole Foods Market stores in the US. “At Hippeas, we’re all about ‘Giving Peas a Chance,’ so we’re really excited about the launch of Hippeas Veggie Straws and the introduction of a new plant-based snack,” stated Hippeas CMO, Julia Hecht. “Yellow peas come from the same legume family as our beloved chickpea, and provide a delicious taste and crunch experience that really elevates our Veggie Straw line. Hippeas Veggie Straws are yellow pea-based and contain vegetables like tomato, red beet, spinach and kale. not just potato starch,” she continued.

Naturelly enters the confectionary market with the launch of high fibre fruit gummies with only 5g of naturally occurring fruit sugar. Each vegan-friendly 40g pack contains your recommended daily fibre intake and is only 68 calories, with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. The great taste award-winning fruit gummies are available nationwide from various retailers, for an RRP of 80p.

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, known for its dairy and vegan ice cream, has launched seven new flavours now available at 3,500 Walmart locations across the US. For its third rotation at Walmart, Van Leeuwen has collaborated with Tapatío Hot Sauce to bring some heat to its ice cream. This new rotation also includes the seasonal launch of Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll and Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole, Van Leeuwen’s alternative take on the classic autumn dessert, featuring swirls of caramel. The rotation of new flavours includes Mexican Hot Chocolate, made in collaboration with Tapatío Hot Sauce, Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole, Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll and Wildberry Layer Cake. Other flavours include Strawberry, Hazelnut Fudge Cookie and Honeycomb. “Heading into the season known for all things pumpkin, we are excited to offer Walmart shoppers a variety of fall-themed flavours that will quite literally spice up their ice cream selection at home,” said Ben Van Leeuwen, co-founder and CEO of Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. “Walmart has been a great partner and we are happy that Van Leeuwen’s flavours will be up for grabs when Walmart shoppers are stocking up for their upcoming festivities with friends and family.”

Valeo Snackfoods has expanded its Barratt portfolio with the launch of Flumps Sugar Free marshmallows. The pink and yellow marshmallows are available in supermarkets and convenience stores across the UK, with an RRP of £1.00. Free from sugar, the new offering will not be subject to new UK regulations restricting the promotion of food and drink products that are high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS), set to come into effect next month. The launch is part of Valeo Snackfoods’ strategy to expand its range of HFSS-compliant products and follows the introduction of Fox’s Glacier Sugar Free Moments. Russell Tanner, marketing director at Valeo Snackfoods, said: “We know that healthy eating has become a higher priority for consumers, with more and more people looking for sugar-free and low-sugar versions of their favourite confectionery. Coupled with the upcoming HFSS regulations in October, consumer and customer need for sugar-free variants has never been higher. “The key thing for us was to create a sugar-free product that was true to the brand and still tasted great and we’re really pleased with the results.”