Clean-label snack brand, The Greater Goods Snacking Co., is launching with three new product lines into the US market. The brand, which is known and produced as She Made Foods in India, is launching in the US with new ranges including crackers, cookies and biscotti. The cracker varieties include Tangy Tomato & Basil, Caramelized Onion and Sea Salt variants, while the cookie product line consists of Cinnamon Snickerdoodle, Chocolate Chip and Chai Spice flavours. The brand will also be launching biscotti in Orange Cranberry, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt and Double Dark Chocolate Pistachio variations. According to the brand, Greater Goods is the only US brand that offers certified organic almond-flour based products and will offer the "world's first" commercially available grain-free biscotti. Duvvuri, co-founder and chief product officer, said: "Upon graduating from the University of Michigan, I was pregnant and shopping the grocery store aisles of Ann Arbor when I realised there were no clean label, nutritious products available to feed my son. I started making my own snacks and once I moved back to India, I went into business to provide products that moms can trust. Launching our products in the US as Greater Goods has always been our goal because, after all, the idea for our entire brand was formed in Ann Arbor." Greater Goods' crackers and cookies will retail at $4.99, varying by location, while the brand's biscotti will retail for $5.49, depending on location. The snacks are now available on the brand's website and will be available on Amazon and in select retailers soon.

Myprotein has teamed up with Jelly Belly Candy Company to launch a range of limited-edition products, including Clear Whey Isolate protein powders and BCAA energy drinks. The Clear Whey Isolate protein powders feature five classic Jelly Belly flavours infused into Myprotein’s Clear Whey Isolate. The flavours include – bubble gum, very cherry, green apple, berry blue and tutti-fruitti. The new Clear Whey Isolate contains 20g of protein and 4g of added BCAAs for under 85 calories. Meanwhile, Myprotein and Jelly Belly will also release a line of BCAA energy drinks later this year. Available in two flavours, bubble gum and very cherry, the drinks will be packed with amino acids, essential vitamins and caffeine. Each serving contains zero sugar and calories, 2g of BCAAs, 500mg of L-Tyrosine, 250mg of choline bitartrate and 150mg of natural caffeine from green coffee bean extract and guarana seed extract, which help increase alertness and improve concentration.

Nestlé has entered its Nescafé Gold coffee brand into the ice cream category with the introduction of Nescafé Gold cappuccino ice cream. Nescafé Gold cappuccino ice cream uses real coffee in both the coating and in the core of the ice cream. According to Nestlé, the ice cream coating is made using the company's patented "soft coating" technology. Guglielmo Bonora, head of Nestlé R&D Singapore, said: "Leveraging this 'soft coating' technology, our teams met the challenge of finding the perfect balance between 'coffee-ness', milkiness and sweetness, to bring the Nescafé Gold Cappuccino experience to life. The ganache is designed to melt at a similar rate to the ice cream core, so people can better enjoy the release of sweetness and coffee from the coating, alongside the ice cream." Nestlé's global head confectionery and ice cream strategic business unit, Alexander von Maillot, added: "We didn't just want to make a coffee-flavoured ice cream, but rather take the Nescafé coffee experience and recreate it in the ice cream category". Nescafé Gold cappuccino ice cream will be available in Malaysia over the next few months, with plans to rollout in further Nestlé ice cream markets worldwide.

Myprotein and Perfect Day have partnered to launch a new animal-free whey protein powder, called Whey Forward. Whey Forward is made with Perfect Day's animal-free whey protein, which uses precision fermentation to create an identical whey protein from microflora instead of coming from animals. The animal-free protein will be available in three flavours: creamy mint chocolate chip, rich salted caramel and decadent chocolate brownie. The protein doesn't compromise on nutrition, taste or texture of traditional whey protein. Pallav Tamaskar, managing director of Myprotein US, said: “With Whey Forward, we are removing a barrier to make it even easier for people to find a protein that best suits their performance goals. Pairing Perfect Day’s technology, with our state-of-the-art production and...formula, we are able to maintain the same delicious taste and texture that makes our products leaders in the category." Ryan Pandya, co-founder and CEO of Perfect Day, added: “We’re thrilled to combine Myprotein’s leadership in creating innovative products focused on fueling performance with the unmatched nutrition and functionality of our animal-free whey protein. Whey Forward exemplifies how animal-free does not mean sacrificing taste, performance, or the future of our planet”.

Unilever has recorded underlying sales growth of 8.8% in its Q2 results, amid "the challenges of high inflation and slower global growth". The owner of Ben & Jerry's posted turnover of $15.8 billion for its second quarter and $29.6 billion for its first half. Meanwhile, underlying sales growth for H1 stood at 8.1%. In Q2, underlying sales grew across Unilever’s Asia/AMET/RUB, Americas and Europe segments, by 9%, 11.7% and 4.6% respectively. The company's foods and refreshment business grew its underlying sales by 8.1% in the second quarter and by 7.3% in the first half. Ice cream underlying sales grew high-single-digit during the first half of the year, driven by strong growth in the out-of-home business. Unilever says that its Magnum and Cornetto brands continued their growth momentum, supported by new variant innovations, while ice cream suffered from supply issues in the US. Unilever CEO, Alan Jope, said: “Unilever has delivered a first half performance that builds on our momentum of 2021, despite the challenges of high inflation and slower global growth. Underlying sales growth of 8.1% was driven by strong pricing to mitigate input cost inflation, which, as expected, had some impact on volume. We are now raising our sales guidance for the year." He continued: "Underlying operating margin was on track at 17% for the first half. We have made further progress against our strategic priorities. We are maintaining strong investment in our brands, supporting 9.4% underlying sales growth in our billion+ Euro brands. Ecommerce sales now represent 14% of turnover, up from 6% in 2019. Of our three priority markets, the US and India again grew strongly, while sales in China were affected by the lockdowns in the second quarter."

Italian dairy group Granarolo has announced the acquisition of a 60% stake in mozzarella maker Industria Latticini G. Cuomo. Based in Agro Pontino, Latticini G. Cuomo produces a range of cheeses, including mozzarella, ricotta and cow's milk cheeses. The company is said to process around 15,000 tons of milk a year. The cheese producer has also recently built a new 33,000-square-metre facility, and the acquisition will allow Granarolo to use this as a hub for the production of its mozzarella products destined for the central and southern Italy market. Granarolo's chairman, Gianpiero Calzolari, said: “We found the Cuomo family to be a partner with a similar vision to ours, so we asked them to continue working at the company to develop new products and new markets that value the dairy history and craftsmanship of this brand and that of Granarolo. Granarolo has been focusing its attention on the cheese market for some time now, making the most of the milk in our territories and is a frontrunner among the best 'Made in Italy' enterprises abroad.” Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Emmi Group has agreed to sell its 25% stake in Italian cheese manufacturer, Ambrosi, to Lactalis Group. The move is part of the company's ongoing portfolio reshaping efforts and supports its strategic focus on "clearly defined, profitable growth segments," and the "associated strengthening of majority stakes". Urs Riedener, CEO of Emmi, said: “Italian cheese classics such as Parmigiano Reggiano and Grana Padano have been the ideal addition to our high-quality traditional range of Swiss cheese specialities, but are no longer part of our core range. The sale also reflects our consistent strategic alignment to differentiated brand concepts and profitable focus platforms, such as ready-to-drink coffee, speciality cheeses, desserts and plant-based milk alternatives.” Completion of the transaction is subject to approval by competition authorities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Plant-based food producer Bandit, formerly known as Conscious Cultures Creamery, has raised $1.5 million in a seed funding round. The company makes vegan cheeses that use cashews as their base. Bandit's signature cheeses include Maverick, a "cave-aged, double cream camembert-inspired bloomy rind," and Barn Cat, a "cave-aged, vegetable ash ripened cheese with an ash inlay". The brand also produces a variety of seasonal cheeses. The company's seed funding round was led by venture capital firm Prime Movers Lab. Gaetano Crupi, Prime Movers Lab partner and Bandit board member, said: "The Bandit team is pushing the boundaries of cultured, plant-based milks, producing the most compelling vegan cheeses on the market. We have been looking for a dairy-alternative investment, and at the end of the day, Bandit just tasted better than anything else we tried." Crupi added: "They make delicious plant-based foods that will find broad acceptance among chefs at elite restaurants as well as the average American consumer shopping the aisles of their neighbourhood grocery store". Bandit plans to use the investment to continue scaling up its production processes and growing its consumer base. The brand's plant-based cheeses will be available from a number of new grocery stores in Northern California, Texas and Illinois in the coming months.

Premier Foods has agreed to acquire Indian and Southeast Asian meal kit and accompaniments brand, The Spice Tailor. The British food manufacturer will initially pay £43.8 million for 100% of the shares of The Spice Tailor, with an additional consideration dependent on future performance. The Spice Tailor produces Indian and Asian curry kits, pastes and meal bundles, and is expected to generate £17.3 million in revenue in the 2022/2023 financial year. Premier Foods, owner of the Sharwood’s and Loyd Grossman brands, says that the acquisition will significantly expand its ethnic foods business in Australia. The company also expects to be able to grow The Spice Tailor's current retail distribution across existing and new markets. Alex Whitehouse, CEO of Premier Foods, said: "We have greatly admired The Spice Tailor business for some time and we’re very much looking forward to it joining our existing stable of strong brands. The acquisition is well aligned to our growth strategy and we see a clear opportunity to build on the excellent track record of The Spice Tailor, by leveraging the elements of our proven branded growth model." Whitehouse continued: "This acquisition represents a highly complementary geographical fit, and we see significant potential to expand The Spice Tailor’s distribution in all our target markets. We see this as another important milestone for us following the group’s strong performance over recent years and The Spice Tailor is an important addition to accelerate our future growth plans.”

Dips and spreads producer ¡Yo Quiero! is extending its portfolio with the launch of its new line of better-for-you avocado cream cheese dips. The avocado-forward range includes Spinach Artichoke, Spinach Bacon, Jalapeño Popper and Bacon Cheddar Ranch variants. Jay Alley, co-owner and vice president of sales for ¡Yo Quiero!, said: "With the mindfulness to balance premium ingredients and fresh flavours with nutrition, these four delicious products combine the mouthwatering decadence of real cream cheese with the wholesome goodness of avocado". Alley continued: "Avocado has come out on top as one of the healthiest ingredients to build upon to create dips that have fewer calories, less fat and less cholesterol than other top-selling cream cheese dips in this category. Avocado is the first ingredient in each of our four flavoured dips...". The new range will join the brand's portfolio of guacamoles, queso and salsas, among other dips and spreads. ¡Yo Quiero!'s Avocado Cream Cheese Dips will be available across in the US in select Costco, Walmart and Albertson's locations.

Plant-based superfood firm Laird Superfood is expanding its portfolio into the snack category with the launch of new adaptogenic protein bars. The brand's first protein bar, The Laird Superfood Plant-Based Protein Bar with Adaptogens, is free from any gluten, dairy, soy and whey. The bars are powered by plant-based protein from peas, hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds and each one contains 10g of protein, 6g of dietary fibre and 9 essential amino acids, plus added benefits of adaptogens from chaga and lion’s mane extracts. Laird Superfood's protein bars are available in peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chip, chocolate mint and lemon almond variants. The new offerings are available on Laird Superfood's website with further distribution on Amazon and in other retailers pending.

France's Compagnie Léa Nature has completed the acquisition of a 60% interest in Bio Organica Italia and Bio Organica Farm. Bio Organica Italia is a supplier of olives, dried tomatoes, pesto, olive oil, spreads and bruschetta, among other products. Meanwhile, Bio Organica Farm is the structure that owns the agricultural land where the organic and biodynamic olives and vegetables are produced. The acquisition will see Bio Organica's products come under Compagnie Léa Nature's Ekibio arm, which will aim to develop the range in France and internationally. The Ekibio portfolio already includes a variety of food products, such as quinoa, crispbreads, biscuits and gluten-free offerings. Charles Kloboukoff, CEO of Compagnie Léa Nature, said: "Compagnie Léa Nature is proud to welcome Bio Organica, an exemplary family business in terms of the integration of agricultural sectors and possessing great mastery of quality and local varieties, with production carried out on the farm, in particular in biodynamic". Carlo Gaudiano, CEO of Bio Organica, added: "Compagnie Léa Nature will invest in our territory in the coming years, creating new 'green' jobs and allowing Bio Organica Italia to develop and grow in new strategic markets. We will remain at the head of the company's activities, but in a group with European dimensions and with an absolutely avant-garde vision. It is, therefore, with pleasure and pride that the family business Bio Organica Italia joins the European family business Compagnie Léa Nature, to which we will have the task of bringing the incredible history, the great agri-food tradition and the capacity for gastronomy innovation of Italy."