Barry Callebaut has halted manufacturing operations at its Weize chocolate plant in Belgium, after detecting salmonella in a production lot on Monday. The company identified lecithin as the source of the contamination and decided to halt production as a precautionary measure while it continues its root cause analysis and risk assessment. All chocolate products manufactured at the facility since 25 June have been placed on hold. Barry Callebaut said in a statement: "For Barry Callebaut food safety is paramount. Our robust food safety programmes in place allowed us to quickly identify lecithin as the source of the contamination. Barry Callebaut informed the Belgian food authorities (FAVV) about the incident and has taken the precautionary measure to stop all chocolate production lines and to block all products manufactured since the time of testing." "We are currently reaching out to all customers who may have received impacted products. The chocolate production in Wieze will remain suspended until further notice," the company said. Once the analysis has been completed, the lines will be cleaned and disinfected before resuming production. The news comes after Ferrero temporarily suspended production at its Arlon facility in Belgium, after the site was linked to a salmonella outbreak.

Nescafé Azera has collaborated with UK coffee roastery Perky Blenders to unveil a new premium craft coffee in instant format. The brand said that its newly developed Rise Up blend targets the at-home trend. The blend is made using high-quality coffee beans from the Djimmah and Sidamo regions in Ethiopia to create a fruity blend. Lucy Gardner, senior brand manager at Nescafé, said: “We know how good Perky Blenders’ premium craft coffee is, and we are delighted to have partnered with them for our second independent craft coffee collaboration to create a high-quality blend". She continued: "With many people continuing to work from home but still wanting a premium coffee experience, our new craft offering is more than ready to Rise Up to the challenge.” Nescafé Azera Craft Coffee is available across Tesco stores, with other major retailers to follow later this year.

Pladis has expanded its McVitie’s portfolio with the launch of a lighter version of the brand's Digestives biscuits, called McVitie’s Digestives Wholesense. McVitie’s Digestives Wholesense offers the "salty-sweet flavour" of a McVitie’s Digestive. Exempt from the government’s upcoming HFSS restrictions, the lighter offering contains 30% less sugar and 50% more fibre than the average digestive biscuit. David Titman, marketing director – McVitie’s at Pladis UK&I, said: “Our mission to help shoppers enjoy our portfolio of products as part of a balanced diet is already well underway. In 2020, we reduced sugar in nine of our bestselling biscuits – and took this a step further earlier this year with the launch of McVitie’s Rich Tea Delights." He continued: “Of course, plenty of us turn to the biscuit category for a little pick-me-up or a touch of indulgence, but for those looking for something healthier, we’re continually seeking ways to extend our offering. By catering to evolving shopper needs and showcasing the diversity of the McVitie’s portfolio, we’re enabling more and more Brits to enjoy our biscuits – demonstrating that they don’t need to be sacrificed entirely to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.” McVitie’s Digestives Wholesense is available across multiple retail, convenience and wholesale stores for an RRP of £1.59 per 300g pack.

Osena Beverage is expanding its functional, ready-to-drink spiked coconut water line with the launch of new variety pack flavours. The Islands Collection features three brand-new variants including Ripe Mango, Divine Guava and Lush Dragon Fruit which join the brand's existing flavours of Exotic Pineapple and Pure Original. Osena is made using real coconut water with naturally occurring electrolytes, no sugar and one hundred calories per 12oz can at a 5% ABV. Chris Allen, co-founder of Osena Beverage, said: "We wanted to create something that we thought was missing for those who wanted to enjoy today and feel good about tomorrow". The Islands Collection is an eight-can variety pack, featuring the new flavours and is available nationwide on the brand's website and us.taprm.com. Osena is also available in two single-flavour four-packs featuring Pure Original and Exotic Pineapple. Osena is also available in-store in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland.

Nestlé Health Science has agreed to acquire The Better Health Company from CDH Investments and founding shareholders. The deal includes the manuka honey brand Egmont, the Go Healthy supplement brand and New Zealand Health Manufacturing, an Auckland facility that produces vitamins, minerals and supplements. With the acquisition, Nestlé Health Science aims to strengthen its health and nutrition portfolio in New Zealand, which includes brands like Solgar supplements. “Go Healthy and Egmont are trusted brands with a track record of strong growth which complement our global portfolio of active lifestyle and health and wellness nutrition brands very well,” said Nestlé Health Science’s head of Oceania, Asia, Middle East and Africa region, Paul Bruhn. “We also see the opportunity to accelerate growth in the region through the manufacturing facility in Auckland, which will enable us to bring new products to local markets faster.” Nestlé New Zealand CEO, Jennifer Chappell, added that the deal would help solidify the company's position in nutrition, health and wellness, while underscoring its commitment to New Zealand. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2022, subject to regulatory approval. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Irish food company Kepak has announced plans to invest £5.5 million in its Merthyr, Wales, facility. With the investment, Kepak is looking to enhance the Merthyr site's Central Prepared Meats (CPM) packaging facility. The capital will also support the introduction of new, innovative technologies to strengthen the company's sustainability credentials. According to Kepak, the move will lead to an increase in the site's livestock requirements. Kepak's CEO, Simon Walker, said: “We are very pleased to be investing in our Merthyr plant, which is a strategically important site for Kepak. As a growing food business, Kepak is committed to continually investing in its sites to ensure we are optimising the work we do through innovative methods. The enhancements that will be made to our Merthyr plant will not only help us to achieve greater capacity but to importantly grow the number of colleagues we employ at the site and support local farmers with a significant uplift in demand for livestock.” The investment will result in over 100 new jobs, with roles being created across areas including manufacturing, operations, IT and engineering. Kepak Merthyr's general manager, Chris Jones, added: “We are delighted to be announcing this significant investment at the Kepak Merthyr site, including the creation of 100 vital jobs supporting the local economy. This investment will bring about enhancements to our facilities, ultimately doubling the site’s CPM packaging facility significantly increasing our demand for livestock, which is excellent news for local farmers. At Kepak Merthyr, we are committed to supporting local communities and being a good employer, and this investment is further evidence of that commitment in action.”

Kraft Heinz has stopped supplying Tesco with some of its most popular products amid a dispute over pricing. Baked beans and tomato ketchup are among the missing items, after Tesco resisted charging its customers higher prices for them at a time of surging inflation. The retailer has apologised for the absence of certain products, which left gaps on shelves across the entire Heinz brand. A spokesperson for Tesco told FoodBev: “With household budgets under increasing pressure, now more than ever we have a responsibility to ensure customers get the best possible value, and we will not pass on unjustifiable price increases to our customers. We’re sorry that this means some products aren’t available right now, but we have plenty of alternatives to choose from and we hope to have this issue resolved soon.” Meanwhile, a Kraft Heinz spokesperson said: "In today’s challenging economic environment – with commodity and production costs rising – many consumers are working within tight budgets". "We always look at how we can provide value through price, size and packs so consumers can enjoy the products they love and trust at a price point that works within their budgets, without compromising on quality. We are confident of a positive resolution with Tesco.”

Listen to this exclusive podcast interview with Austrade, the Australian Trade & Investment Commission. FoodBev's Lauren Ford is joined by Ana Nishnianidze, Australia’s Trade & Investment Commissioner to the UK and Ireland. She discusses the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement, the impact it will have on the British food and drinks industry, and how the introduction of new tastes and flavours from the Southern Hemisphere will bolster innovation in both countries.

Sustainable agriculture company Pure Harvest Smart Farms has secured $180.5 million in its latest funding round, as it looks to expand across Asia. The round included participation from global investors, including Metric Capital Partners, IMM Investment Corp and Olayan Group, in addition to several existing investors and management. Pure Harvest, headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, uses controlled environment agriculture technologies such as high-tech greenhouses to produce high-quality, sustainably grown fresh fruits and vegetables. The company plans to use the investment to support research and development, as well as expand its footprint across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and open new high-tech hybrid smart farms in Asia. Sky Kurtz, co-founder and CEO of Pure Harvest, said: "We are humbled by this investment from an esteemed group of global investors, backing our mission: to harness the wonders of science, the power of nature and the passions of people to provide tasty, affordable, sustainably grown fresh produce anywhere". Kurtz continued: "At Pure Harvest, we have demonstrated we can reliably deploy our high-tech farming solutions across the GCC. Now it is time to enter new markets that share similar challenges to our own – fast-growing populations, seasonal import dependence and an awareness of the crippling effects that short-term crises (e.g. Covid-19, Russia-Ukraine conflict) and climate change are having on our global food system." Smart Harvest is also investigating a number of new growth initiatives, including product extensions and water-efficient CEA solutions for fodder production. The funding round takes the company's total capital raised to date to $387.1 million.

US plant-based beverage, Califia Farms, has announced the launch of new dairy-free creamers developed specifically for iced coffees. Iced Café Mixers, which contain 3g of sugar per serving, feature a "creamy" blend of oat and almond milk. The creamers are available in two flavours: vanilla sweet crème and caramel crème. Califia Farms' chief marketing officer, Suzanne Ginestro, said: "Califia is excited to be the first to respond in a major way to this massive youth-led shift towards cold coffee. Gen Z and millennials drink iced coffee throughout the day and all year round, and we saw an opportunity to develop a groundbreaking product to better meet their needs. These Iced Café Mixers allow them to enjoy their iced coffee to the very last drop with absolutely no compromise on flavour, creaminess or whitening." She added: "Consumers want to recreate the café experience at home and are looking to retail products, like our Iced Café Mixers, to achieve that. This at-home coffee consumption behaviour coupled with the generational shift towards cold coffee has made these products an instant hit with retailers. They recognise this innovation as a major step forward for the coffee category." Califia's Iced Café Mixers will be available in 24.5oz refrigerated bottles across Target and Kroger stores for an SRP of $4.89.

The Coconut Collaborative has launched a plant-based Double Cre&m that is designed to behave like its dairy equivalent. Offering a “luxurious thick and creamy texture,” the heat-stable offering is free from gluten, soy and palm oil. The whippable dairy alternative product can be enjoyed with a fruity crumble, in a pasta sauce or as a cake topping. The Coconut Collab Double Cre&m is available at Sainsbury’s stores across the UK, as well as from Tesco and Ocado. The new offering is also being served at this year’s Wimbledon tournament. James Averdieck, founder and MD, said: “Being chosen as a cream option for the Wimbledon Championship really shows that plant-based is becoming ever more mainstream. We’re hugely proud to have been chosen as a supplier for one of the biggest sporting events of the summer.” The dairy-free cream comes in a 220ml pot for retail and a 400ml pot for catering and foodservice, which is available through wholesale food supplier Brakes. The launch comes a year after the brand introduced a plant-based crème fraîche alternative in the UK.

UK plant-based meat company This is adding to its portfolio with the launch of a frozen plant-based range in Sainsbury's. The line-up includes the This Isn’t Chicken Tenders, This Isn’t Pork Sausages and This Isn’t Chicken Nuggets. The new frozen offerings use a similar combination of ingredients to the company's chilled alternative meat range, such as soya and pea protein. Andy Shovel, co-founder of This, commented: "The overall growth of frozen meat-free has been pretty level the last few years. But when you look at how Gen Z-ers are taking to it and how our brand resonates with them, it felt like a no-brainer to launch our own frozen range. Plant-based products like ours can help provide a long-term boom for frozen food." The range, which will have an RRP between £2.75 and £3.00, will feature in recyclable cardboard packaging and is available via Sainsbury’s stores nationwide across the UK.