UK plant-based meat startup, Jack & Bry, has partnered with The Cornish Seaweed Company to launch "the world's first" unbreaded jackfruit fish fillet. Jack & Bry used its jackfruit flavour composition and texture optimisation platform with The Cornish Seaweed Company's organic seaweed to replicate the white, flaky texture of fish while re-creating an authentic seafood taste experience. “We’ve changed the minds of climate-conscious pizza eaters and burger lovers with our jackfruit pepperoni and gourmet jackfruit burgers; we now want to focus our efforts even further, beyond land and into the ocean with our world’s first jackfruit fish fillet,” said Bryony Tinn-Disbury, Jack & Bry's founder and CEO.

Hella Cocktail Co, which creates botanically inspired mixers and beverages for cocktails, has secured $5 million from American whiskey brand Uncle Nearest's venture arm, Uncle Nearest Ventures. Founded in 2012, Hella Cocktail is a BIPOC-founded brand, with products currently sold in over 20,000 stores, bars, hotels and restaurants in the US. The brand's products include bitters & soda, premium mixers and crafted bitters. The investment is part of Uncle Nearest's commitment to supporting minority-owned spirit companies. The funding will help Hella Cocktail enter its next phase of growth, as well as expand its team and increase warehouse stock to meet the outpacing demand. “We don’t see this as just an investment in Hella, but rather an investment in bringing all voices to the table and celebrating different experiences,” said Hella Cocktail CEO Jomaree Pinkard. “This partnership not only enables us to bring our message to more audiences but aligns us with a fellow minority-owned and led company that understands how integral culture is when creating a successful business.”

MOM Group has expanded its GoGo squeeZ snack pouches with the launch of two new products to support children's brain and immune health. Happy BrainZ is a certified USDA Organic fruit snack that contains no added sugar and features a blend of apple, banana, pineapple and orange, with benefits of iron and Omega-3 fatty. Each pouch provides plant-based prebiotic fibre "to help nourish the growth of good bacteria in the gut, which is linked to the brain," said the company. Meanwhile, Happy ImmuneZ is a certified USDA Organic fruit and vegetable snack that combines apple, strawberry and rhubarb with no added sugar or preservatives that contains immune-supporting nutrients like zinc and vitamin B-12, along with plant-based prebiotic fibre. "We were inspired to develop these new products after hearing from parents that brain health and immune health were the top areas of importance for their kids," said Mark Anthony Edmonson, chief marketing officer at GoGo squeeZ. GoGo squeeZ's Happy BrainZ and Happy ImmuneZ are shelf-stable, BPA-free and gluten-free. The products are available to purchase at Walmart stores in ten-count packs for an SRP of $6.98.

JBT Corporation has announced the launch of SuperCrss, a new saturated steam sterilisation technology for food packaging applications. According to JBT, SuperCrss has the ability to process steel and aluminium cans of all shapes and sizes. Applications include packaging for products such as beans, tuna and tomatoes, that benefit from a static thermal process. Furthermore, SuperCrss includes JBT’s processing management system Log-Tec, which the company says enables manufacturers to optimise operations during all phases, including venting, ramping, cooking and cooling. “The creation of SuperCrss provides customers a modern solution to effectively utilise saturated steam retort technology,” said Rick Wilson, global product line director at JBT Corporation. “We’re constantly searching for new technologies for customers across the globe, and JBT is pleased to do this once more through SuperCrss.”

Cultivated meat company SciFi Foods, formerly known as Artemys Foods, has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round. The investment, which was led by venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz, will be used to bring the company's products combining cultivated and plant-based meat to the mainstream market at an affordable price. The US food tech start-up uses bioengineering and technologies such as CRISPR to produce meat from animal cells. Joshua March, CEO and co-founder, commented: "We've devised the technology to grow real meat without the need for an animal — an astounding feat. This innovation is the future we once only imagined could be a reality. I believe it’s important to be open and authentic about what we’re doing and our new name reflects exactly that. Consumers value transparency and I would rather be bold than hide behind a bland, corporate moniker." The funding will also be used to support the company's research and development efforts, as well as establish new marketing strategies and hire additional employees.

Katjes Group has acquired UK gluten-free baked goods manufacturer, Genius Foods, through its investment arm Katjes Greenfood. Founded in 2009, Genius Foods, which recorded net sales of €40 million last year, produces gluten-free loaves, rolls, buns, bagels, wraps, muffins and other products. Katjes Greenfood says that Genius Foods has a "market-leading position" in the UK and France, as well as a growing presence in the US, Australia and Germany. Katjes Greenfood managing partner, Tobias Bachmüller, said: "This makes gluten-free a perfect category for Katjes Greenfood, which invests in the future categories of nutrition and operates as an independent legal entity within the Katjes Group. The chance to acquire a market leader in a future food category represents a unique opportunity to us." The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. However, Katjes Greenfood said that the acquisition is its largest to date.

Swedish food tech company Nick's has announced the full opening of a new €6 million facility in Bitola, North Macedonia. Founded in 2017, Nick's produces no-added-sugar snacking products such as bars, as well as sweeteners and ice cream. With the multi-million-euro investment in a new production facility, Nick's aims to keep up with demand for its products. The Bitola factory has capacity to produce over 40 million confectionery and protein bars each year. Stefan Lagerqvist, CEO of Nick’s, said: “We are delighted by the sustained growth of our company globally, and the impressive work from our North Macedonian colleagues to support that global growth in the opening of a new factory. The quality and commitment of our team internationally is unprecedented, and I'm proud that our continued investments in Bitola continue to create new jobs locally." He added: "Our good relationship with local authorities and the team on the ground in North Macedonia has created a superb foundation for future production expansion. With our current growth trajectory, it's just a matter of time until we need to start installing new lines in the factory.”

Fever-Tree has expanded its tonic water range in time for summer with the release of Spanish Clementine Refreshingly Light Tonic Water. According to the brand, the tonic is "subtly sweet, fruity and vibrant" and is crafted by mixing spring water with hand-picked clementines from Valencia and Quinine from Central Africa. The tonic contains no artificial flavours or sweeteners, containing 17 calories per 100ml. The release is available in bottle form for an RRP of £1.95 or in can format for an RRP of £4.30 for 8x150ml. Spanish Clementine Refreshingly Light Tonic Water is available now at all UK major retailers.

Kellogg's has expanded its Special K breakfast product range with the launch of a new granola product, which contains 30% less sugar. Special K Crunchy Oat Granola comes in two flavours: Mixed Berries, with blackcurrants and cranberries, and Dark Chocolate Curls, with 64% cocoa. Kellogg's said that the new offerings contain an "oat rich base with puffed grains", making it light-textured granola. Both flavours are also high in oat grain fibre to support gut health and are classed as non-HFSS. Emily Dutton, Special K's senior brand manager, said: “Our food development experts have created a new Special K Crunchy Oat Granola to give people a great tasting high fibre option with 30% less sugar than other granolas”. Special K Crunchy Oat Granola is available in Asda, Waitrose and Morrisons stores for an RRP of £2.99.

Frozen food producer Real Good Foods is adding to its portfolio with the launch of new Grande Chicken Enchiladas into Sam's Club stores. The Grande Enchiladas have a limited amount of carbs and are 100% grain-free, due to the brand's tortillas being made of chicken and cheese instead of "processed grains and flours". Bryan Freeman, executive chairman of The Real Good Food Company, said: "We are proud to partner with Sam's Club in our national launch of our new hand-rolled Grande Chicken Enchiladas topped with our fresh made salsa roja and shredded cheese". "We are honoured to have this opportunity to introduce this craveable entrée to Sam's Club Members and we believe this furthers our mission to make nutritious food more accessible throughout the US, and in turn, improve the lives of Sam's Club Members looking for healthier options in the frozen food aisle," Freeman added. Real Good Foods' Grande Enchilada is now available in Sam's Club stores nationwide across the US.

US sous vide food company Cuisine Solutions has announced a $250 million investment from private equity firm Bain Capital, as it looks to expand globally. Cuisine Solutions is the "largest" sous vide company worldwide, with locations in North America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. French for ‘under vacuum,’ sous vide is a cooking method in which food is vacuum-sealed and cooked in water at precise temperatures. The company, which is headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, provides prepared sous vide food products to foodservice, on-board, military and retail customers worldwide, including Starbucks, CostCo, Trader Joe's and Target. Felipe Hasselmann, CEO of Cuisine Solutions, said: "Our future, while bright before this strategic partnership, is now even more exciting as we see substantial runway to drive growth and expansion through continued innovation across multiple product categories". "...This investment will enable us to rapidly scale our worldwide manufacturing infrastructure, business partnerships and fortify our supply chain, thereby creating additional scale to meet the growing needs of the global partners who rely on our products every day across tens of thousands of locations," added Hasselmann. The minority investment will further strengthen Cuisine Solutions’ position in the sous vide category, provide additional resources to support product innovation, and help expand its business and manufacturing footprint globally. Last year, Cuisine Solutions partnered with Eat Just on vegan sous vide egg bites.

Campbell Soup Company has recorded a 7% increase in third-quarter net sales to $2.13 billion, driven by "sustained consumer demand...and significantly improved supply". Consumption of Campbell's products was up 4% compared to the prior year, and organic net sales increased 9%. Campbell's meals & beverages unit witnessed a 6% rise in net sales, driven by increases in US soup, foodservice and Prego pasta sauces, partially offset by declines in Canada. Meanwhile, the food giant's snacks business saw an 8% increase in net sales, driven by salty snacks, as well as cookies and crackers. Campbell has raised its full-year fiscal 2022 net sales guidance to reflect its performance to date and continued supply recovery. "As expected, we had a strong recovery across the business in the quarter with high-single-digit sales growth driven by sustained consumer demand for our brands and significantly improved supply," stated Mark Clouse, Campbell Soup Company president and CEO. "Our improved supply chain execution along with inflation-driven pricing began to mitigate the margin pressure we have experienced over the last 12 months. While the operating environment remains challenging and we continue to expect significant inflation, our team is executing well and Campbell is on a much stronger foundation today."