Pladis-owned brand McVitie’s has announced the launch of a new range of fruit-flavoured flapjacks that are high in fibre, called Go Ahead FibreJacks. Baked with whole grain oats, Go Ahead FibreJacks is available in two flavours: raspberry and blueberry. Aslı Özen Turhan, chief marketing officer at Pladis UK&I, said: “We’re excited to launch the brand new Go Ahead FibreJacks that have the benefits of being high in fibre and the goodness of whole grain oats, but still taste delicious”. McVitie’s Go Ahead FibreJacks are available at Sainsbury’s stores for an RRP of 65p for a single bar and £1.99 for a four-pack. The new offering is also expected to roll out at Co-op, Asda and Morrisons stores from next month.

Kraft Heinz has announced the launch of a new line of chef-inspired sauces and spreads in the US, called Heinz 57 Collection. The products are available in two ranges: Infused Honeys and Crunch Sauces. Infused Honeys, which is a honey sauce infused with unique flavours, comes in two variants – hot chili and black truffle. Meanwhile, Crunch Sauces, made with oil-based premium ingredients, is available in three flavours – chili pepper crunch, roasted garlic crunch and mandarin orange miso crunch. “As an iconic brand, Heinz aims to accelerate culinary trends and create pathways for everyday consumers to discover vast culinary cultures,” said Ashleigh Gibson, head of marketing and strategy at Heinz. “With the increase in chef-inspired cooking, the Heinz 57 Collection enhances culinary creations and transforms traditional dishes into dynamic creations.” Heinz 57 Collection is available nationwide across Meijer, Stop & Shop, Giant Food, Hy-Vee, Publix and Walmart stores.

Royal Unibrew has entered into an agreement to purchase Canada-based Amsterdam Brewery Co for CAD 44 million (approx. $34 million). The acquisition, which includes a brewery and two Brewpub restaurants, will help Royal Unibrew expand into the Americas. It will also support the company's sustainability strategy, by lowering Royal Unibrew's CO2 footprint significantly by reducing the transportation needs for products sold in the US and Canada. Royal Unibrew CEO, Lars Jensen, said: “The acquisition we are doing today is very important for the future growth of Royal Unibrew in the Americas region. We are adding capacity in Canada, which is also close to our US business, and over time we expect to serve most of Canada and partly the US from Amsterdam Brewery Co, which will reduce transportation costs and our CO2 footprint." He continued: "On top of that, we will serve the market much better and thereby protect ourselves against out-of-stock and transport congestion, which has increased significantly over the last 18 months. Further, we will free up capacity on our current facilities in Denmark, which will postpone certain capex needs”. The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing preparations, is expected to close during the third quarter of 2022.

Yili Group has opened a dairy facility in Hohhot, China, which will be used as a production base for liquid milk, infant formula and cheese. The company says it aims to build a "Dairy Silicon Valley" that will be the "world’s largest" site of its kind, and will serve as a global hub for the dairy and health industries. Located at the Global Smart Manufacturing Industrial Park, the facility will produce liquid and powder milk. It will also house the Chilechuan Ecological Intelligent Pasture and a manufacturing experience centre. The liquid milk production base received a total investment of RMB 5 billion (approx. $741 million) and will process 6,500 tonnes of fresh milk per day. Meanwhile, Yili invested RMB 3 billion (approx. $445 million) into its milk powder production base, which will have an annual production capacity of 60,000 tonnes, feeding 1.28 million infants per year. "Exploring the development of dairy industrial clusters, the program is expected to boost regional economic growth and accelerate the growth of global health industries," a Yili spokesperson said. The new site is expected to create jobs for more than 350,000 people.

Aldi has released a food recall warning for a limited number of stores in the Midlands after one of its products was deemed unsafe to eat. The supermarket has issued a recall on its Primula Cheese 'Spicy Cheese n Jalapenos' variant in the Midlands area due to an isolated temperature control issue. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), "the temperature issue could potentially spoil the product, which may be unsafe to eat". The recall includes all dates of the product up to and including 7 February 2023. “We are recalling this product from a limited number of stores in the Midlands due to an isolated temperature control issue," an Aldi spokesperson told FoodBev. "Customers who purchased this product from affected stores are asked to return it to their nearest store, where a full refund will be given." Customers who purchased the product from any of the affected stores are asked to return it to their nearest Aldi supermarket. Aldi has apologised for any inconvenience.

UK condiments company, Real Good, has launched a new spicy BBQ sauce. Real Good’s Spicy BBQ Sauce is said to contain 70% less sugar and salt than other BBQ sauces on the market. The sauce, which has 100% plant-based ingredients, features a blend of coriander, lime and chipotle chilli. Elizabeth Jones, founder of Real Good, said: “Our Real Good Spicy BBQ Sauce recipe is in keeping with our low sugar and salt promise, with 70% less sugar and salt than other barbecue sauces. Our Smoked BBQ Sauce has proved very popular with our customers, so we are confident that a Spicy version will be well received.” Real Good's Spicy BBQ sauce is available at Ocado stores for an SRP of £3.00 per 485g squeezable bottles.

Food ingredients supplier Bluegrass Ingredients has announced the release of nearly 20 new dairy concentrate products, as well as a vegan-friendly cheez option. According to Bluegrass, dairy and cheese concentrates "are created by treating ingredients with natural enzymes that enhance flavour and texture". The new concentrates are clean label and certified kosher. The ingredients include: cheddar cheese ingredient, natural cream flavour, Romano cheese ingredient and Parmesan cheese ingredient. While, the concentrates include: strong cheese cracker concentrate, strong sour cream type concentrate, strong American cheese concentrate, strong cheddar cheese concentrate, strong blue cheese concentrate, American cheese concentrate, Romano cheese concentrate, Parmesan cheese concentrate, blue cheese concentrate and vegan cheez concentrate. The vegan cheez concentrate consists of nine ingredients: water, coconut oil, salt, modified food starch, yeast extract, natural flavour, lactic acid, xanthan gum and citric acid. Meanwhile, the company has also introduced butter concentrates, which includes: strong brown butter concentrate, strong butter concentrate, butter concentrate and brown butter concentrate. Hoyt Huffman, CEO at Bluegrass, said: “Dairy concentrates provide an innovative solution for food brands looking to increase efficiency and predictability in sourcing and manufacturing without sacrificing flavour. Our expanded portfolio of concentrates products offers a wide range of flavours that can be used to create more intense tastes at a fraction of the time and cost of traditional cheese and dairy ingredients.” Peter Losee, VP of marketing at Bluegrass Ingredients, added: “From Italian dishes to queso dips, we’ve seen concentrates become a go-to ingredient for research and developmnt professionals looking to add more intense cheese flavours without adding more cheese, which can be expensive and impact a product’s health profile. We’re working to stay on the cutting edge of the emerging concentrates market, including offering a vegan cheez formulation.”

Hong Kong-based company, Swire Pacific, has reached an agreement to acquire Coca-Cola bottling businesses in Vietnam and Cambodia. The deal was handled through Swire Pacific's subsidiary, Swire Coca-Cola Limited. According to Reuters, Swire will pay $1.02 billion in cash for the assets. The transaction will see Swire own and operate Coca-Cola Beverages Vietnam, which has three bottling facilities, and Cambodia Beverage Company, which has one bottling site. The company says that, upon completion of the acquisition, Swire Coca-Cola's franchise population will expand by 15% to 876 million. Patrick Healy, chairman of Swire Coca-Cola, said: "This acquisition marks a major milestone for Swire Coca-Cola, significantly expanding our operating footprint and population served to a new region. We have been investing in building a world-class bottling system over the past 57 years. This expansion of territories is part of a broader strategy to expand the global scale, volume and revenues of our bottling business." Karen So, MD of Swire Coca-Cola, added: "As a long-term strategic partner with Coca-Cola, we are delighted to be expanding our relationship through this acquisition and excited by the enormous growth potential of the non-alcoholic beverage markets in Vietnam and Cambodia, which are valued at over US$6 billion and forecast to grow at over 6% CAGR until 2036. With our successful refranchising experience in the USA and Chinese Mainland between 2014 and 2017, I am confident that our continuous commitment to excellence will help capture the opportunities that these dynamic markets will bring."

Zurena has launched premium Caribbean-inspired non-alcoholic drink mixers into H-E-B grocery stores across Texas. The beverages are made with a blend of Caribbean spices and tropical fruit juices and can be added to any alcoholic beverage, such as spirit, wine, bubbly or beer, or non-alcoholic beverages including club soda, teas and fresh fruit juices. The mixers are available in two flavours including Ginger and Tropical and are also all-natural. Nigel Smith, founder of Zurena, commented: "Zurena’s core mission is to uplift spirits and bring the positive feel of the Caribbean to any celebration. H-E-B is well known for community involvement; pairing with them to expand our retail offerings is a natural choice." The offerings are available for purchase in H-E-B stores in Austin, Houston and San Antonio.

Gat Foods and Resorcix have partnered to launch a botanical ingredient that prevents Thermophilic Acidophilic Bacteria (TAB) spoilage in fruit-based beverages, called Flavorwatch. TAB is a bacteria strain that negatively impacts the quality and organoleptic properties of most still and non-alcoholic beverages. Flavorwatch is said to maintain "the beverages' organoleptic characteristics, fully retaining original flavour throughout the shelf life, and delivering a durable sensory experience in clear, high-acid still beverages". The companies explained that the new ingredient "contains natural compounds with a proven bacteriolytic effect, disintegrating TAB cells in the germination phase," which helps prevent the bacteria from producing off-flavoured and unpleasant-smelling metabolites. “The precious rainforest is known to reveal surprising botanical treasures,” said Yehoshua Maor, founder and CSO of Resorcix. “Our Flavorwatch solution is based on a botanical oleoresin that naturally possesses anti-TAB spoilage properties.” Flavorwatch is suitable for still, clear and ready-to-drink beverages, such as fruit beverages, fruity water and iced tea. “Flavorwatch is an innovative clean label, natural flavouring that protects the beverage’s distinct flavour qualities providing a full guarantee and peace of mind for manufacturers. It provides consumers consistent quality, with no compromise on flavour,” added Hila Bentman, international marketing manager at Gat Foods. “It allows beverage companies to ensure consumers the distinctive and continuous sensory experience during the entire shelf life of their soft drinks.”

Canadian food company Fieldless Farms has raised CAD 17.5 million (approx. $13.4 million) in a Series A funding round led by agriculture and food fund Forage Capital Partners. The funding round also featured participation from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC). Founded in 2019 in Cornwall, Ontario, Fieldless grows leafy greens using highly-controlled environments and renewable energy, without herbicides or pesticides. The funding will help Fieldless to expand its leafy greens line. Forage Capital Partners CEO, Jim Taylor, said: “We really like Fieldless’ approach and what the company has been quietly and cost-effectively building here in Canada. We think the company is well positioned in the current economic climate for steady and significant growth.” Fieldless CEO, Jon Lomow, added: “In Canada, we import around $60 billion worth of food each year and happen to have the largest trade deficit in the world for lettuce. We rely on other nations to feed us, and it’s risky and unsustainable. We’re building Fieldless to address that massive opportunity – the need to locally produce food that is safer, secure, and more sustainable, 365 days a year."

Soozy’s Grain-Free, a US gluten-free baked goods brand, has added a new birthday cake flavour to its donuts portfolio. Birthday Cake Donuts, which is non-GMO project verified, is sweetened with organic coconut sugar and maple syrup, and contains no refined sugar, processed grains and artificially coloured sprinkles. Soozy's uses sprinkles coloured from plants and vegetables, such as red cabbage, beet and turmeric. The new flavour is said to be made with half the amount of sugar of a traditional baked good, all while being free of grains, dairy, soy, gums, refined sugar and preservatives. Soozy's co-founder, Mason Sexton, said: "As someone who used to have to avoid many of the "fun" nostalgic snacks and treats due to a severe gluten sensitivity (including traditional donuts), I'm delighted to be able to offer customers a product that's truly delicious, nutritious and also fun to enjoy". He continued: "To be able to recreate the nostalgic vanilla birthday cake flavour profile in a baked good without the refined sugar, gums, grains and artificial dyes, all while keeping the soft and delicious donut texture, is no easy feat, but we were up for the challenge". Birthday Cake Donuts will be available at Sprouts Farmers Market for an SRP of $7.99 per four-count box.