Danone has announced the expansion of its International Delight portfolio with a festive line of Grinch-themed coffee creamers. In partnership with Dr Seuss Enterprises, International Delight has introduced a new flavour: Gingerbread Cookie Dough, a sweet buttery dough and brown sugar with hints of ginger and cinnamon. Meanwhile, the brand's famous Peppermint Mocha and Frosted Sugar Cookie flavours have also returned to shelves. Kallie Goodwin, VP of marketing for International Delight, said: "With our latest partnership, International Delight is presenting three tasty creamers for our flavour-obsessed fans along with the nostalgia of the season's most beloved tale, 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'". Susan Brandt, CEO and president of Dr Seuss Enterprises, added: "Pairing The Grinch with his own holiday-themed creamers is a great opportunity to sweeten those Grinchy holiday mornings...The International Delight team has done a great job of infusing both the Grinch's snarky-ness and sweetness into these holiday flavours." The International Delight's Grinch coffee creamers will be available at major retailers across the US for an SRP of $3.99 per 32oz bottle.

Heineken-owned Dos Equis has entered the spirits category with the launch of a ready-to-drink (RTD) Margarita Classic Lime cocktail. The spirits-based beverage blends Blanco tequila and other ingredients to create a mixed cocktail that contains a 10% abv. The new offering also features lime juice and natural flavours. “We are excited to bring our first ever spirits product, Dos Equis Margarita Classic Lime, to the US market which spotlights our commitment to innovation at Heineken USA and Dos Equis,” said Hannah Dray, Dos Equis brand director. “Dos Equis is a credible quality brand born in Mexico and we wanted to bring the excitement that consumers have for a traditional margarita to a can to save them the time and hassle of having to make it themselves.” Dos Equis Margarita Classic Lime is currently available in four-packs of 12oz cans in select markets across the US.

Oatbox has raised CAD 7 million (approx. $5.4 million) to support the production and development of Canadian organic oat milk. Founded in 2014, Oatbox says it has been working on the development of an oat milk that is made with Canadian organic oats. The capital will enable the company to invest in the construction of a large-scale production line, as well as accelerate the expansion of its offerings in grocery stores across Canada. Marc-Antoine Bovet, co-founder and CEO of Oatbox, said: "This investment, which is a vote of confidence in our brand and business model, will fuel our ambition: to be the reference in Canadian organic oat-based products". Oatbox products are available on its website, grocery stores and independent stores.

Software company Milk Moovement has secured $20 million in a Series A funding round, as it looks to accelerate adoption of its technology among dairy businesses in North America. The round was led by venture capital firm VMG Catalyst and seed investor and agriculture industry expert, Richard Cargill. Milk Moovement's technology platform creates full supply chain visibility for dairy farmers and distribution partners to track and route shipments in real-time, optimise delivery schedules and in turn significantly decrease food waste and profit loss. The company has a network of 2,500 dairy farms and over 5,000 users, including dairy businesses United Dairymen of Arizona and California Dairies Inc. Robert Forsythe, CEO and co-founder of Milk Moovement, said: "We constantly seek out the best and brightest talent to join us as we build market-leading products and partner with dairy industry leaders. This latest round of funding is a major win for our employees and investors, but most importantly it allows us to support our incredible partners in getting the right milk to the right place at the right time." Milk Moovement currently employs 50 people across Canada and the US. This latest investment round follows the company's closure of a $3.2 million funding round last year.

US snack brand Fresh Cravings is expanding its product portfolio with a new range – Creamy Dips – as well as new salsa variants. The new line consists of two new dairy-based dips: Kale Artichoke, which is made with a combination of vegetables and cheese and packed with hearty kale, diced and roasted whole artichokes, and Poblano Street Corn, made from poblano peppers, roasted corn, cotija cheese, lime and spices. In addition to the brand's new dips, Fresh Cravings is also launching two new salsa variants: spicy Triple Pepper and Peach Mango, a sweet and tangy salsa with a tropical twist. Jay Whitney, CMO of FoodStory Brands, said: "As we continue our mission to elevate snacking and bring people together to 'Crave Goodness', our goal is to offer unique flavours that can be enjoyed alongside loved ones. We are excited to add these four new items into Fresh Cravings' family of products." "In addition to the distinctive flavours these new products provide, our expansion into dairy-based dips reflects our commitment to provide snack-lovers with thoughtfully curated recipes and affordably priced products," Whitney added. The brand's Creamy Dips are launching nationwide across the US at Kroger and Kroger Banners. Meanwhile, the two new salsas are available regionally at Kroger and Kroger Banners.

CanDo-owned snack bar brand, Keto Krisp, has expanded its plant-based range with the launch of a new flavour – Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt. The new flavour is a crispy take on a traditional combination of rich dark chocolate with sea salt and almonds. The bar offers 11g of protein, 8g of fibre, 4g of net carbs and 2g of sugar. Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt is also gluten-free and keto-friendly. "Satisfying your chocolate craving doesn't have to be synonymous with 'cheat days' or 'guilty pleasures'," said Adam Bremen, founder of CanDo. "It was important for us to maintain the sweet, decadent taste crave from dark chocolate with a nutty crunch from protein-packed almonds, but with just 2g of sugar." Dark Chocolate Almond Sea Salt is available in select US retailers, including Whole Foods Market, Costco, Sprouts, Wegmans, Publix and HEB.

US-based cookie company, Last Crumb, has closed a $3 million seed funding round as it looks to strengthen its position in the luxury goods market. The round was led by Electric Feel Ventures with participation from existing investors and new investors, including Chetrit Ventures, David Grutman, Andrew Rosen and Seema Bansal and Sunny Chadha. Launched in 2021, Last Crumb offers 12 core cookie flavours, such as The Madonna, a peanut butter cookie, and What’s Up, Doc, a carrot cookie with cream cheese frosting. Last Crumb said that the brand has sourced the "finest ingredients," leading to the testing of 100 different chocolates, dozens of flours, dried fruits, sea salts, vanillas and more to find the perfect components for its cookies. Last Crumb CEO, Matthew Jung, stated: "Last year we sold our first box of cookies and brought to life our vision of creating the first luxury cookie brand. We committed to quality and experience and found a deeply loyal and fast-growing customer base that believes in what we do. We've found an equally engaged group of investors who believe and share our vision and have the industry knowledge to take Last Crumb to new heights." Electric Feel Ventures founder, Austin Rosen, added: “Last Crumb has taken one of the most common confectionery goods and turned it into a luxury brand. We’re very excited to continue supporting and helping them build the Louis Vuitton of sweets.”

Mochi ice cream brand Little Moons is launching a new limited-edition Iced Latte Coffee mochi in time for the summer season. The offering comprises the brand’s gelato ice cream combined with richly roasted coffee and notes of caramel, all encased in chewy mochi dough. Howard Wong, co-founder of Little Moons, said: "We're excited to bring another flavour to our ever-expanding portfolio. As Europe’s leading mochi ice cream brand, we’re dedicated to our mission of shaking up the ice cream category with a snackable treat that can be enjoyed throughout the day." Wong continued: "This new flavour will challenge those more conventional coffee moments, providing a caffeine hit and a little lift in one bite-sized ball of delicious snackable ice cream mochi". Little Moons Iced Latte Coffee mochi is available now on Ocado with an RRP of £5.00.

PepsiCo has reported a 5.2% increase in net revenue in its second-quarter results for 2022, as it updates its full-year outlook. For its second quarter, the company posted net revenue of $20.22 billion, compared with $19.22 billion recorded for the same period last year. Meanwhile, PepsiCo’s 2022 operating profit for Q2 came in at $2.1 billion and the company has reported organic revenue growth of 13%. Its PepsiCo Beverages North America division's net revenue decreased by 1%. Meanwhile, the company’s Frito-Lay North America unit saw its net revenue increase by 14% and Quaker Foods North America increase by 17%. PepsiCo's Latin America division saw the most growth, with an increase of 23% in net revenue. Ramon Laguarta, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, said: "We are pleased with our results for the second quarter as our business momentum continued despite ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical volatility and higher levels of inflation across our markets. "Our results are indicative of our highly dedicated employees, the strength and resilience of our categories, agile supply chain and go-to-market systems and strong marketplace execution. Our performance also gives us confidence that our investments to become an even faster, even stronger and even better organisation by winning with pep+ are working. "Given our year-to-date performance, we now expect our full-year organic revenue to increase 10% (previously 8% and we continue to expect core constant currency earnings per share to increase 8%."

African spirits group Spearhead has raised $3 million in funding, which will power its growth in new markets and support the launch of new products. The Black-owned company secured the funding from investment and advisory platform Pendulum. Founded in the UK in March 2021, Spearhead features a portfolio of premium brands such as Bayab Gin and Vusa Vodka. The spirits are distilled with botanicals from across the African continent. Chris Frederick, Spearhead's co-founder and CEO, said: “With a lack of Black-owned African spirits brands exported globally, we have made it our mission to connect the world to Africa through our spirits". He continued: "Our brands not only increase diversity and challenge cultural bias in the sector but being produced on the African continent allows us to show the world what Africans have always known about its culturally and resource-rich continent, with products that compete on the world stage in taste and quality, as well as innovation". Spearhead has sold 35,000 units since entering the market.

Pepsi Bottling Ventures (PBV) is investing $35 million in a new bottling line at its production facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The company acquired the 526,000-square-foot production facility in 2012 and leased an additional 316,000-square-foot warehouse extension at the site last year due to increased storage needs. The new bottling line will enhance the company's manufacturing operations by optimising production capacity for some of PepsiCo's brands, including Lipton Tea, Aquafina and PBV-owned brand, Nature's Twist. The company says the line will enable the production of millions of beverage cases annually and the manufacture of bottles made from 100% recycled material. Derek Hill, president and CEO of PBV, said: "This investment is a promise to our customers and consumers that we will continue to meet their beverage needs and demonstrates our long-term commitment to the region and the state of North Carolina". He continued: "We're excited about the opportunities that this new line will afford us as we focus on innovation and improving efficiencies. This investment allows us to continue operating at our best and ensures stable and well-paying jobs for years to come." Construction of the new line is scheduled to start in 2023 and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2024.

UK meat alternative business, This, has unveiled its first branded food-to-go range into WHSmith, which comprises three sandwiches and two snacking pots. The sandwiches use the brand's plant-based chicken, and are available in three flavours: This Isn’t Chicken & Sweetcorn, This Isn’t Chicken & Stuffing and This Isn’t Coronation Chicken. Meanwhile, the snack pots include: This Isn’t Chicken Tikka Pieces, which comes with a mango chutney dip, and This Isn’t Pork Cocktail Sausages with tomato ketchup. Andy Shovel, co-founder of This, said: ‘’Working with WHSmith to deliver this range has been epic. Travel retail has picked up enormously and it’s another opportunity to show people how good plant-based food can be.’’ The new range will be available at WHSmith, with an RRP between £2.50 and £4.00.