Califia Farms has expanded its portfolio with the launch of a limited-edition dairy-free product – Pumpkin Spice Oat Barista. Inspired by Califia's Oat Barista Blend, the Pumpkin Spice Oat Barista is made with plant-based ingredients, such as cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Suzanne Ginestro, chief marketing officer at Califia Farms, said: "We're thrilled to introduce our new Pumpkin Spice Oat Barista, which gives oat milk fans an easy way to froth up their favourite seasonal oat lattes at home. Pumpkin Spice Oat Barista will launch as a limited-edition item this fall, alongside our ready-to-drink pumpkin spice almond milk latte and pumpkin spice almond milk creamer." She continued: "With the launch of pumpkin spice oat barista, Califia brings yet another reason to celebrate the season with a full variety of yummy plant-based options to make all types of seasonal coffee-house drinks at home". Pumpkin Spice Oat Barista is available at Target, Albertsons, Whole Foods and HEB stores for $4.59 per 32oz carton.

Rabobank has published its annual Global Dairy Top 20, highlighting the 2022 industry leaders in the dairy sector. Compared to last year's top 20, five companies have dropped down, six moved up, and the rest maintained the same position, with Lactalis holding on to the top spot. The top five companies are: Lactalis Nestlé Danone Dairy Farmers of America Yili. Danone and Dairy Farmers of America have switched places, compared to the 2021 results. Among the companies that have slipped down the ranking in 2022 were FrieslandCampina and Arla Foods. FrieslandCampina has dropped from #7 to #8, while Arla Foods slipped from #8 to #9 place. At the same time, Müller was among those that jumped up the ranking, from #20 position in 2021 to #17 in 2022. Meanwhile, Froneri is the new company to join the top 20 this year. Rabobank said: "The combined turnover of the Global Dairy Top 20 companies jumped by 9.3% in US dollar terms, following the prior year's decline of 0.1%...Merger and acquisition activity by Top 20 companies remained relatively stable in 2021 compared to the prior year, but dropped in the first half of 2022, with about 10 deals announced versus the prior year's approximately 30 deals."

Dole Packaged Foods has expanded its portfolio with the launch of a new smoothie, Dole Boosted Blends Berry Spark, to support brain and cognitive health. Dole Boosted Blends Berry Spark holds a mix of blueberries, bananas, blackberries, dark cherries, acai and flax, delivering a range of nutritional benefits, such as memory and focus, as well as vitamin C and fibre. The smoothie is kosher certified, non-GMO and has no added sugar. Orzse Hodi, SVP and managing director of the Americas at Dole said: "Prompted by the pandemic, consumers today are looking to boost their physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing more than ever. We've developed Dole Boosted Blends Berry Spark as a nutritious and convenient smoothie that allows individuals to harness the health benefits of a thoughtfully curated combination of plant-based ingredients to help with memory and focus."

US organic cracker brand, Mary's Gone Crackers, has expanded its product line with the introduction of new plant-based cheese crackers. Mary's Gone Cheezee is said to deliver the "creamy, mild cheddar appeal". The crackers will be available in two flavours: Plant-Based Cheddar and Plant-Based Cheese & Herb, which contains hints of rosemary, thyme and oregano. "Our newest offering is a delightful testament to the future of vegan and gluten-free alternatives," said Mary's Gone Crackers VP of sales, Jason Galante. "The crackers taste of tangy cheddarosity that you would never be able to tell is 100% vegan." The vegan alternative cheese-flavoured crackers will be available at Sprouts stores next month.

Packaging solutions company Amcor has purchased a "world-class" flexible packaging plant in the Czech Republic. Amcor says the location of the facility increases its ability to meet strong demand for its flexible packaging and enables further customer growth in Central Europe. Michael Zacka, president of Amcor Flexibles EMEA, said: "With this acquisition, we are investing to accelerate the organic growth momentum of our flexibles business in Europe in attractive segments. The scalable nature of the acquired site and its attractive location further bolsters our ability to service strong customer demand and generate strong returns for Amcor shareholders." The site is a greenfield development, commissioned by DG Pack in 2019. It features specialised equipment for applications such as coffee and pet food.

Five Star Food Service has completed its acquisition of Elite Vending Company, for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 2002, Elite Vending is an independent operation that serves the Fulton, Cobb, Douglas and Clayton counties in Atlanta, Georgia. The acquisition will add to Five Star's existing business base in this region. The deal comes seven years after Five Star purchased routes from Elite, which, "at the time, were based in competing geographic areas," said the company. Richard Kennedy, Five Star’s president and CEO, said: “Our growth into the Atlanta region in 2018 made way for this opportunity to partner with Elite on another transaction. We are thrilled to add multiple routes to our business in northwest Atlanta. Josh and the team at Elite have done a great job serving their clients, and Five Star is excited for the opportunity to continue to serve them.”

Campari Group has announced the closing of an agreement with Catalyst Spirits to acquire a 15% interest in Howler Head Kentucky bourbon whiskey, with a route to total ownership and exclusive distribution rights. Howler Head is available in the US, Canada and recently expanded to the UK. The brand's premium whiskey is aged for two years in oak barrels, and then blended with natural banana flavour. Campari has initially agreed to pay $15 million in cash for a 15% interest in the brand. The group will have the option to buy 100% of the brand – subject to future results – which can be exercised from 2025. Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Campari Group, said: "With bourbon whiskey serving as one of our global priority brand pillars, Howler Head is an ideal fit for our portfolio. In addition to being an exceptionally high-quality liquid, Howler Head has established a clearly unique brand personality and, through its deep relationship with UFC, has a huge on-tap worldwide fanbase ready to enjoy this fantastic bourbon." Simon Hunt, CEO of Catalyst Spirits, added: "Campari Group has a proven track record for building global brands that consumers truly love and we can think of no better partner as we expand distribution of Howler Head around the world, as well as tap into the vast potential that remains in our existing markets of the US, Canada and the UK". He continued: "In our second full year in market, we are witnessing incredible demand for this product and see endless opportunity for growth as we maximise Campari’s established route-to-market expertise, including its vast sales organisation and distributor relationships, both in the US and internationally."

Paulig Group has announced plans to expand its tortilla factory in Landskrona, Sweden, to meet the growing demand for Tex-Mex food products. The food and beverage company has purchased 22,000 square metres of land next to the plant. Paulig produces over 400 million Santa Maria tortillas annually for the Nordic and Baltic regions. The Santa Maria brand is available in over 40 markets across Europe and Asia. Thomas Panteli, SVP supply chain and sourcing at Paulig, said: “The Tex-Mex category is continuously growing in the Nordic and European markets, and the purchase of the land in Landskrona will enable the expansion of our production to meet the increasing demand. The Landskrona area has a good location in terms of logistics, enabling a very efficient way to our Nordic and European customers." Paulig says it will make a final investment decision on the expansion project by the end of 2022.

UK-based CBD brand Trip has raised $12 million in funding, as it looks to continue its growth in the US market and beyond. The round was supported by entrepreneurs, business leaders and investors, including Maria Raga, former CEO of Depop, and Christian Angermeyer, founder of Apeiron Investment Group. Trip's premium-quality CBD portfolio includes drinks, oils and gummies, designed to help consumers "find calm". Olivia Ferdi, Trip co-founder, commented: "Over the last few years the world's attitude towards the importance of mental health has changed dramatically. Since discovering the power of CBD through an incredible personal experience, our mission has always been to share calm in the everyday chaos, with next-generation wellbeing products to power your lifestyle and help care for your mental health." She continued: "Helping to open up conversations around stress and anxiety, we're excited to create a community across the globe, harnessing the power of plants to find their calm". The brand will use the investment to expand its retail footprint through strategic partnerships in the US, including becoming Soho House & Co's exclusive global CBD supplier as well as Los Angeles-based retailer, Erewhon.

Just Eat Takeaway has entered into a definitive agreement to divest its 33% (approx.) stake in iFood to Prosus in return for a cash consideration of up to €1.8 billion. Just Eat has entered into an agreement with MIH Movile Holdings, an affiliate of Prosus, for the sale of the equity stake. iFood, a joint venture between iFood Holdings and IF-JE Holdings, is an online food and delivery platform serving the Latin American region. The transaction consideration will comprise €1.5 billion in cash on closing and a deferred consideration – which is reliant on the performance of the online food delivery sector over the next twelve months – of up to €300 million. According to Just Eat Takeaway, it remains "focused on improving its profitability and on a disciplined allocation of capital". The company will retain the transaction proceeds to "maintain its balance sheet strength" and to "service repayments of its upcoming debt maturities". The transaction is subject to approval by the company’s general meeting.

Baby and toddler food manufacturer, Beech-Nut Nutrition Company, has introduced a new "veggie-forward" snack: Crispeas. Available in original and cheese variants, the new offering aims to help make it easier for caregivers to incorporate vegetables into their child’s diet. The puffed pea mini-sticks are designed for toddlers and children aged one year and over. Beech-Nut Crispeas are gluten-free, grain-free, and do not contain any added sweeteners, artificial preservatives, colours or flavours. Jon Harrington, brand director for infant and toddler snacks at Beech-Nut, said: “Our new Crispeas are made primarily from peas, and offer a crunchy texture with a savoury, delicious flavour that everyone in your house will love”. Beech-Nut Crispeas are available in 1.4oz bags on Amazon.

PepsiCo has launched two new Rockstar Recovery variants to add to its existing portfolio, but with added ingredients including collagen and vitamin C. The two new limited-edition flavours – Pineapple Coconut and Mango Lemonade – will join the existing orange and lemonade variants but with additional ingredients. The additional ingredients include coconut water, collagen and consumers' 100% daily dose of vitamin C to help you "reset and hydrate for any activity". The new Rockstar Recovery variations are now available at select retailers nationwide.