Independent snack producer, Burts Chips, has expanded its portfolio with the introduction of two hand-cooked popcorn products. At 126 calories or less per 20g portion, the “small-batch” ready-to-eat popcorn aims to provide a healthy snack option to consumers. Two flavours are available: Lightly Salted (20g) and Sweet & Salty (28g). The new offerings are said to contain no artificial flavours, colours, preservatives or sweeteners, and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Burts Snacks CEO, Dave McNulty, said: “It’s great to be expanding the products in our range, especially with our focus on building the Burts brand, and it makes perfect sense to use our expertise to develop the ultimate popcorn under Burts”.

Australian alcoholic drinks retailer and hospitality business, Endeavour Group, has announced the acquisition of Shingleback Wine in McLaren Vale, South Australia. Founded in 1997 by brothers Kym and John Davey, Shingleback will join the Paragon Wine Estates portfolio, which includes a collection of fine wine brands and is part of Endeavour’s products and services arm, Pinnacle Drinks. Paul Walton, director of Pinnacle Drinks, said: “We are thrilled to add Shingleback Wine to our Paragon Wine Estates as part of our strategy to grow our premium wine portfolio. Shingleback Wine has been producing beautifully rich and full-flavoured wines for 25 years, and we look forward to continuing to offer it to wine lovers in Australia and around the world as part of Paragon Wine Estates.” Kym and John Davey added: “As a long-term, proud supplier to Endeavour, we know that the Shingleback family of wines has a bright future as part of Paragon Wine Estates”. The acquisition includes the Shingleback Wine brand portfolio, a long-term lease of the McLaren Vale cellar door and an ongoing grape supply agreement. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Valeo Snackfoods-owned brand Fox's Glacier has announced the launch of a new range of HFSS-compliant sugar-free sweets. The vegan-friendly sweets are enhanced with natural stevia and contain eight calories. The range is available in two flavours: lemon, elderflower and mint, and strawberry and banana smoothie. Russell Tanner, marketing director at Valeo Snackfoods, said: “Fox's is well positioned to move into the health-conscious confectionery market, and as each sugar-free sweet is only eight calories, it makes for the perfect longer lasting, permissible sweet treat. We pride ourselves on using high-quality ingredients that suit a range of dietary needs, without compromising on taste, and the new sugar-free flavours are no exception.” Fox's Glacier sugar-free sweets are available at Co-op stores across the UK.

Brazilian frozen vegetable company, Grano Alimentos, has acquired plant-based frozen food manufacturer Mr. Veggy. Founded in 2004, Mr. Veggy makes products such as veggie burgers and vegetarian coxinha, and the purchase marks a move by Grano to diversify its portfolio. Grano operates through a number of distribution channels, and the acquisition is expected to enhance Mr. Veggy’s growth potential. “We want to associate ourselves with the new healthy eating platforms, expanding the offer of products with a focus on quality and price for foodservice and B2C , using our relevant leadership in the sector to further drive the evolution of Mr. Veggy,” said Grano CEO, Fernando Giansante. Grano commercial and marketing director, Andre Magnavita, added: “We always work for health and we feel, in this post-pandemic period, the growing search for functional foods that deliver nutrition, increase immunity, protein value and help the body to work better”. “That's what Grano does, produces minimally processed foods that deliver healthiness in a practical way, valuing what nature has created.”

Wagamama has announced that it is replacing over 8 million delivery bowls with new packaging made from recyclable material. The restaurant chain says the move could help to cut 330 tonnes of virgin plastic from its supply chain every year. The new packaging is made from crystallised polyethylene terephthalate (cPET), a food-safe material made from 70% recycled content. The remaining 30% of the packaging will still be made using plastics, which Wagamama claims is necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the containers. The containers are sand-coloured to ensure the bowls and lids can be easily detected by near-infrared (NIR) scanners in recycling plants. The packaging solution will help reduce the carbon footprint of Wagamama's katsu curry – its most popular dish – by 62%. Wagamama CEO Thomas Heier said: “Reducing our use of virgin plastics is a complicated mission – but one we have been dedicated to for four years. This has been driven by the belief that we needed to do better for our guests, teams and the planet.” He continued: “Months of trial and error, conversations with leading experts, and research into UK waste streams has resulted in a moment where we can finally say we’re proud of our packaging. Proving small choices make for big change, and sustainable progress doesn’t happen overnight. This is an exciting and overdue step for us but only the beginning.”

US-based healthy beverage brand, Smart Soda Holdings, has announced the launch of companies in the UK and Canada. Smart Soda offers dispensing options to various markets, such as the food service and workplace sectors. The brand is crafted with alkaline waters and has a wide range of flavours. The company has launched Smart Soda UK, which will operate as a solitary player overseas, and is aimed at customers seeking 'better-for-you' flavoured sparkling waters and sodas for offices and restaurants. Smart Soda CEO Lior Shafir said: “During the pandemic, when the US market was growing rapidly, we began to receive inquiries from companies in the UK, asking where they could buy Smart Soda. That’s when it came to my attention that there really wasn’t anything quite like Smart Soda in the UK and Europe marketplace. He continued: “Therefore, I reached out to Mark Butterfield and Ian Webb, co-founders of The UK Water Group...After a few meetings, we couldn’t remain indifferent to this exciting opportunity. We were totally united in agreement to start Smart Soda UK, a subsidiary of Smart Soda Holdings.” Butterfield added: “Having established a strong reputation in the drinking water industry, Shafir approached us knowing that we founded, built and sold The UK Water Group. His vision was to join forces and establish Smart Soda UK Ltd as part of a global expansion plan. We are thrilled to be building Smart Soda as it is a brilliant fit for both the UK and European markets.” Meanwhile, the company announced that it has finalised its acquisition of a 51% stake in Smart Soda Canada. Shafir commented: “As part of our pre-IPO expansion programme, we’re planning a few more M&A deals this year — both globally and locally. As part of our growth, Smart Soda welcomes Jean-Jacques ‘JJ’ Francoeur and Spencer Deschambault of Smart Soda Canada to our family. Our goal is that Smart Soda will be available everywhere, both to our US clients and also worldwide through our global offices.” In addition to entering the UK and Canadian markets, Smart Soda also hopes to establish two joint ventures in South America and the Middle East by the end of this year.

Arla Foods Ingredients has released two new beverage prototypes that could deliver health benefits for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The two solutions – a ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage with 7% protein and a shot format with 21% protein – both contain the company's Lacprodan BLG-100 protein ingredient, a purified beta-lactoglobulin. In addition to containing 7% protein, the RTD also features 10% fat and 20% carbohydrates, and is aimed at people with stage 1-5 CKD who are not in dialysis. Meanwhile, the high-protein shot solution has been specifically formulated for the dietary management of people living with CKD who are in dialysis. Mads Dyrvig, head of health and performance sales development, said: “While minerals are essential to life, too much is a serious issue if your body has a reduced capacity to excrete it. The nutritional challenge for someone with CKD is that many of the foods we eat, such as meat and dairy, are rich in phosphorous. People diagnosed with CKD are advised to reduce dietary protein intake significantly." "The dilemma is that for a CKD patient, phosphorus accumulation in the body increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes and may lead to cardiovascular disease, whereas the alternative is reducing protein intake and gradually losing significant muscle mass (muscle atrophy). Both conditions increase mortality risk while muscle atrophy also decreases the quality of life for patients." He continued: “The majority of commercially available oral nutritional supplements (ONS) contain a relatively high mineral content, including phosphorous. Arla Foods Ingredients can close this gap in the market with Lacprodan BLG-100, which is low in minerals, has an excellent nutritional profile and offers great benefits in terms of muscle preservation." "Our 100% pure BLG ingredient is rich in essential amino acids and leucine, so it contains high-quality proteins, which meet the nutritional needs of CKD and ESRD patients. It is also extremely low in phosphorous and hence is a great solution for medical nutrition products because it enables the supplementation of protein without compromising requirements for a low mineral intake.”

Primo Water Corporation has recorded 9% growth in its second-quarter revenue to $571.4 million, driven by customer growth, price increases and acquisitions. Adjusted EBITDA increased 9% to $108 million, driven by price hikes, increased demand for Primo's products and services, and the company's exit from the single-use bottled water retail business in North America. For the three months ended 2 July, Primo posted a 6% increase in revenue for its water refill and filtration segment, and 5% growth for water dispensers. In North America, the business's revenue grew 10% to $436.7 million. Meanwhile, in Europe, revenue increased 9% to $69.9 million. Primo CEO, Tom Harrington, said: "I am very pleased with our revenue and adjusted EBITDA growth in the second quarter, accentuating a solid first-half performance that puts us on pace to exceed our previous full-year 2022 targets. Our results were driven by improved pricing, volume and customer growth." "Our pricing actions and operational performance give us the confidence to increase our 2022 outlook to 12% to 14% revenue growth (adjusted for the exit of the single-use bottled water retail business in North America) and adjusted EBITDA to between $415 million and $425 million, despite a challenging Euro devaluation, unprecedented inflationary environment and the exit of our business in Russia. As we continue to transform and reshape Primo, we are a fundamentally stronger business than ever before. Our strategy is working as evidenced by our first-half 2022 performance, and we remain confident in our ability to achieve our long-term 2024 outlook of high-single-digit organic revenue growth with adjusted EBITDA approaching $525 million." He continued: "We are pleased that Primo's cash flow and balance sheet enable us to simultaneously return value to shareholders through regular quarterly dividends, as well as an opportunistic share repurchase programme of $100 million, while at the same time continuing to invest in internal and external opportunities that will further strengthen our operations and drive long-term growth".

Wine and spirits brand house Anora has made a €5 million investment in Ish, taking a 26% stake in the Danish non-alcoholic beverage company. Founded in Copenhagen, Ish offers a broad portfolio of non-alcoholic spirits, wines and ready-to-drink beverages. Since 2018, the company – which employs 17 people – is said to have doubled its sales every year. The new partnership will see Anora distribute Ish’s products in Norway, Sweden and Finland. The investment will enable Ish to accelerate its international growth. Anora’s support will also allow Ish to expand its sales and marketing capabilities and drive forward new product launches. “Ish is a forward-thinking innovator with an impressive track record. It is great to partner with a company that is also driven by such a strong purpose, just like we at Anora,” said Anora’s CEO, Pekka Tennilä. “Non- and low-alcohol beverages is an important and growing category for us, and we’re very excited to ambitiously continue building the category together.” Morten Sørensen, founder of Ish, said: “When I started Ish about four years ago, as one of the first movers in the non-alcoholic category, it was with the purpose of making it easy to be a mindful drinker. By teaming up with Anora, who understands this purpose, we can get our products in the hands of many more consumers and that makes me happy.” CEO Peter Bruun added: “This new partnership manifests our position as a leading non-alcoholic brand in the Nordics and provides additional strength to our international expansion in Europe and North America”. Anora’s minority shareholding in Ish can be diluted to 20% over the next couple of years.

Mondelēz International has announced the launch of eight non-high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products from brands including BelVita, Cadbury Drinking Chocolate, Maynards Bassetts and The Natural Confectionery Company. Mondelēz will be launching a new BelVita Soft Bakes Apricot Filler, a line extension to the existing non-HFSS product Soft Bakes Strawberry Filled, which will be available from UK and Ireland retailers from this month. It will also release a new BelVita Fruit Crunch range, available in two flavours: apple and pear, which contains 30% less sugar and 70% less saturated fat, and raisin and currant, contains 70% less saturated fat than the average market of sweet adult biscuits. The new range has less than 100 calories per biscuit and will be available in UK and Ireland retailers from September. Mondelēz said that it plans to launch more non-HFSS BelVita products in January 2023. Louise Stigant, UK managing director at Mondelēz International, said: “I’m proud of the non-HFSS ranges that we are developing in categories such as biscuits, confectionary and drinking chocolate. This is a result of a significant amount of work and investments that we have made to find opportunities to innovate and reformulate products so that we can give consumers more choice." “As custodians of some of the UK’s most beloved and iconic brands, we need to carefully balance the journey towards more non-HFSS products, alongside the need to meet the expectations of our consumers, we want to ensure we don’t compromise on taste or quality. This remains a complex challenge for the industry and one which requires ongoing partnership with Government.” Mondelēz has also developed non-HFSS products for its confectionery brands in the form of Maynards Bassetts' Wine Gums Juicies, Maynards Bassetts' Sports Mix Juicies and The Natural Confectionery Co's Juicy Snakes. Each product, which contains 30% less sugar, will also be available from this month. Meanwhile, in 2023, the business will be reformulating its Cadbury Drinking Chocolate and Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate products to make them non-HFSS.

Nestlé has launched two new Little Steps multigrain cereals for babies and toddlers in the UK, under its SMA Nutrition range. The two variants include: Little Steps Multigrain Cereals Oat, Barley & Wheat for babies from six months, and Little Steps Multigrain Cereals with Fruit for toddlers from 12 months. The multigrain cereals, which are made with no added sugars, are also fortified with essential nutrients, such as iron, "to help support the normal cognitive development of young children," said Nestlé. Ingrid Hayes, marketing director for Nestlé Nutrition, said: “We have developed Little Steps Multigrain Cereals to provide parents with the reassurance that they are giving their little one a healthy start to the day. Little Steps Multigrain Cereals contain no added sugar and are fortified with iron and other nutrients such as vitamin C and thiamin, at an affordable per serving price point.” Little Steps Multigrain Cereals are available at Asda stores for an RSP of £2 per 180g box.

Joyo has introduced a new line of adaptogenic sparkling teas in the US. Joyo's sparkling teas are available in five flavours: unsweetened black tea, raspberry black tea, black tea with lemon, peach black tea and tropical green tea. Each tea is crafted with ayurvedic ingredients and a blend of five adaptogens. The company said: "Joyo's sparkling teas offer a premier way for tea drinkers to enjoy their favourite healthy beverage while catering to the modern, grab-and-go lifestyle". The brand will be available at Erewhon stores for an RRP of $3.49 per can.