Meatless Farm is expanding its plant-based portfolio with the launch of five new frozen and chilled convenient ready meals. The range includes frozen Meatless Marinara and chilled and frozen versions of Meatless Korean BBQ Style Chicken & Rice and Meatless Chilli Non Carne. Meatless Marinara combines spaghetti and plant-based pea protein meatballs with a rich tomato and herby sauce. While Meatless Korean BBQ Style Chicken & Rice is an Asian-inspired chicken dish, complete with red chilli and herb sauce and served with white coriander-infused rice. Lastly, Meatless Chilli Non-Carne is a Mexican-style chilli dish consisting of kidney beans, red onion, tomato-based sauce with cumin and served with white rice. Michael Hunter, UK managing director of Meatless Farm, said: "The launch of our new range of ready meals takes Meatless Farm into a brand-new category in the supermarkets and will provide more people with the fuss-free tea they want". The chilled Meatless Chilli Non Carne and Meatless Korean BBQ Style Chicken & Rice is available now on Ocado for an RRP of £3.50 per 400g meal. The frozen Meatless Marinara, Meatless Korean BBQ Style Chicken & Rice and Meatless Chilli Non Carne will launch into Morrisons stores nationwide for an RRP of £3 per 400g per meal on 11 July.

UK private equity firm Endless has acquired edible oils and tinned foods supplier, KTC Edibles, for an undisclosed sum. Headquartered in Wednesbury, West Midlands, KTC supplies over 250 million litres of cooking oil annually to manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers across the UK and worldwide. The company also produces canned foods, sauces and condiments, as well as dry foods such as pasta, rice and lentils. KTC has over a £400 million turnover, four production sites and employs 450 members of staff. Paresh Mehta, CEO of KTC, commented: "This is fantastic news for KTC. While it is business as usual, we are excited by the opportunities new ownership will bring and we look forward to continuing our rapid growth and development. We would also like to thank the Khera family for building such a strong business and supporting the company and its employees over the last 50 years." The acquisition of Endless will enable the company to continue its expansion plans through further development of its operations, range and service offerings. The investment will add another British food company to the firm's existing portfolio, which includes Hovis, Bright Blue Foods and Yorkshire Premier Meat.

New Zealand-based craft spirit producer, Scapegrace Distilling Company, is planning to construct the country's "largest-ever distillery" for £13 million. The 36-hectare distillery, which will be located on Lake Dunstan, Central Otago, will produce the company's entire portfolio of super-premium gin and vodka, alongside an unreleased single malt whisky, with plans to expand its line in the future. Mark Neal, Scapegrace marketing director and co-founder, said: "We made the decision early on to create a world-leading distillery with sustainability at the forefront, so together with the experts at Cheshire we have factored that into every decision we’ve made". "Each decision is an incremental step forward in our quest to eventually become carbon neutral and create a property that enhances the region" added Neal. Construction of the facility has already begun on the first building, which will contain the new Scapegrace head office, bottling hall, warehouse and the first barrel room. It is due to open in August this year. Each barrel room will be able to hold almost 2,000 casks of whisky with an additional three barrel rooms planned in the next few years. The second building, which contains the distillery, will open in October of next year. The distillery is expected to open to the public in November 2023.

Jack Link’s-owned meat snacking brand Peperami has expanded its chicken bites portfolio with the launch of a new flavour, Roasted Chicken Bites. The Roasted Chicken Bites are made with 100% chicken breast, with hints of rosemary, paprika and sage. The protein-packed bites contain 95 calories per 50g bag and are considered to be ideal for health-conscious consumers. Pavan Chandra, head of Peperami marketing, said: “After the success of our Chicken Bites portfolio, being a major sales driver in the category, we felt there was no better time to expand the range with a tasty new flavour. We’re thrilled to introduce the new Roasted Chicken Bites variant, offering consumers a convenient, healthier snack which doesn’t compromise on taste or quality." The Roasted Chicken Bites are available at Tesco stores for an RRP of £1 per 50g pack and for £2 in a 4x25g multipack format.

Kurita offers an innovative 360° solution for the full water cycle of a food and beverage plant, which will help save water and energy and improve the productivity of a facility. Kurita is ready to deliver customised solutions that are specifically designed for pasteuriser and autoclave treatment to protect all the parts that are in contact with the treated water to: Prevent corrosion and scaling Remove fat and oil Improve packaging rinsing And more Contact an expert to learn more. Customer success stories proving the efficiency of Kurita’s 360° solution Case study one: Milk cans steriliser treated with all-in-one product Albaphos FB 9100 Kurita developed Albaphos FB 9100 as a new all-in-one product for the food industry. It combines a powerful fat dispersion with excellent corrosion and deposit control. Albaphos FB 9100 perfectly matches all KPIs of the company’s customers. By using only one product instead of two, Albaphos FB 9100 brings the advantages of reduced equipment, storage capacity and handling costs. A top-up advantage of this treatment solution is the reduction of the environmental footprint. Also, Kurita’s all-in-one product has the following benefits: • Corrosion inhibition • Scale inhibition • Bio dispersions and anti-foam • Fat and oil removal • Gloss improvement • Repellency optimisation As a result of changing the treatment, our customer verified an optimisation of up to 50% in their equipment costs. Also, with Kurita’s all-in-one product, they had a safer and reliable dosage, while controlling corrosion, deposit control and fat and oil dispersion at the same time. Case study two: Successful water treatment in sterilisation process – food producer improves the optical appearance of packaging by scale inhibition with eco-friendly product Albaphos FB 9428 • Perfect optical appearance of the sterilised goods and packaging • Prevention of scale in the steriliser, especially in the heat exchanger Albaphos FB 9428 keeps the autoclave free of scaling and deposits, decreasing the cleanings and maintenance times. After starting the treatment with Albaphos FB 9428, the closure of the packaging improved significantly their appearance and was not observed corrosion. Kurita offered a water treatment solution in short term. The food producer was able to meet the demands of its customer. The customer lowered his environmental footprint by changing to an eco-friendlier treatment. Albaphos FB 9428 is easily biodegradable and P-free. Next level wastewater management Case study three: Outstanding product recovery in a meat processing plant with S.sensing CS our customer increased revenue in oil and grease sales while improving the overall health of their plant Through this innovative approach, Kurita was able to increase the client’s lost product recovery by more than 30%, providing two more pounds of marketable oil and grease per animal, which resulted in a cleaner and healthier wastewater lagoon. The results were achieved in both normal operating conditions and upset scenarios. Interestingly, while gains of 0.54 kilograms of FOG per head were noticed during normal operations, the gains during upset conditions proved to be most valuable, with 1-1.5 kilograms of FOG per head captured. As a result, the client increased its revenue in oil and grease sales and improved the overall health of their wastewater operation. The annualised revenue gains from the Kurita feedforward approach and S.sensing CS technology amounted to over €350,000 (assuming €0.37/kg. market price for inedible tallow). Learn more about S.sensing Technology here. Industrial water and process treatment worldwide With more than 70 years of experience, Kurita provides state-of-the-art solutions tailored to the specific needs of water systems. We are committed to implementing environmentally friendly concepts that conserve natural resources whenever possible. Contact an expert at Kurita Kurita Europe GmbH Theodor-Heuss-Anlage 2 68165 Mannheim Germany Phone: +49 621 1218 3000 Fax: +49 621 1218 3600 E-Mail: kuritaeurope@kurita-water.com Webpage: www.kurita.eu #Kurita #productionplant #water

Food manufacturer NutraDried Food Company has added to its Moon Cheese portfolio with the launch of flavoured crunchy cheese sticks. The new snack will be available in five flavours including Cheesy Does It, Wild White Chedda', Kick It Up a Nacho, Rowdy Ranch and Yum Inferno. The cheese sticks are the "first shelf-stable cheese snack product in a stick or puff format made from 100% real cheese". The new range contains 14-15 grams of protein, three grams of carbohydrates and one gram or less of sugar per serving. They are also certified gluten-free, keto-friendly, made with rBST-free cheese and contain no artificial flavours. Brad Lahrman, CEO of NutraDried Food Company, said: "...Cheese stick snacks have been loved by consumers for decades and now we have a nutritionally better option for everyone to enjoy. Moon Cheese Crunchy Cheese Sticks meet the strict brand standard of our cheese snacks, which means made with 100% real cheese, packed with protein and low in carbs and sugar. We can't wait for consumers to find their favourite flavour." The new line has an MSRP of $4.99 and is available now at US Whole Foods Market locations and will be available online this summer.

Azelis has announced the opening of its Regional Innovation Centre for Food and Nutrition in Singapore, as part of its efforts to invest in innovation capabilities. The centre will enable Azelis to create "healthier and tastier solutions" for food products using advanced, sustainable ingredients and ready-to-use formulations. Azelis says that the centre is an essential milestone in its growth strategy, as it strengthens its position as a provider of innovative food and nutrition solutions. Vikash Raj, Asia Pacific innovation director at Azelis, said: “The allows us to support our customers in their projects by developing innovative solutions for all stages of the formulation process from concept to final product, across industry applications in bakery, beverage, confectionery, dairy and savoury". He continued: "Focusing on innovation in new products and applications is our objective, and thanks to our comprehensive lateral value chain, we have access to sustainable building blocks for food and beverage formulations. Our vision for the is to positively impact our sustainability, health and wellness ambitions by creating pioneering formulations that address nutrition and health challenges and bring healthy solutions to the mainstream market.” Laurent Nataf, Azelis' CEO and president of Asia Pacific, added: “With more than 20 laboratories in the region covering our key market segments, we have significantly invested in our innovation capabilities across the Asia Pacific to ensure we deliver on our brand promise, ‘Innovation through formulation’". He added: "Our regional innovation network builds on our formulation expertise and technical capabilities by encouraging greater collaboration across our teams to strengthen cross-country synergies, increase efficiency and ensure consistent formulation success for our customers. We look forward to further strengthening our partnerships with our customers and principals by allowing them to leverage the strength of our ever-growing innovation network capabilities, remaining their innovation partner of choice.”

Met Foods-owned Cocos Organic has launched a gut-friendly and dairy-free yogurt alternative fortified with Bifidobacterium BB-12. Light Natural is described as "fully functional and live," made with 96% organic coconut milk and fortified with live bacteria strains. Cocos Organic said: "Made using traditional techniques to create a gut-friendly, lighter alternative to dairy that can be enjoyed at every time of day, can add texture and flavour to a range of sweet and savoury dishes, including breakfast bowls, smoothies, dips, curries, pasta sauces and desserts. Cocos Organic's Light Natural yogurt is available at Ocado and Planet Organic stores for an RRP of £4.99.

Cargill has opened a 6,200-square-metre House of Chocolate at its existing chocolate production facility in Mouscron, Belgium. The company first unveiled plans to open this new facility in September 2020. The facility includes a chocolate experience centre, a pilot plant with sensory expertise and a creative workspace for the company’s European research and development team. Cargill says that customers are able to explore market trends around health, sustainability and sensory experiences, as well as create new product concepts. Inge Demeyere, Cargill Chocolate Europe managing director, said: “We wanted to create a place where customers can explore the entire world of chocolate under one roof, enabling them to taste, feel, smell and see chocolate in every form". She continued: "At the House of Chocolate, customers can collaborate with our experts and leverage our resources to create products inspired by the latest trends. It is a place designed to bring ideas to life and quickly move them to the market.”

UK ethical brand Honest, which was created by circular economy company co-cre8, has designed a reusable bottle made from recycled single-use bottles. The lightweight reusable bottle, named Honest Bottle, is available in eight colours and is made from 100% recycled single-use bottles (rPET), while the cap is made entirely from recycled milk bottles (rHDPE). The bottle strap is currently made from both virgin TPU and polycarbonate (PC), with the brand stating that it is "actively looking at sourcing a recycled alternative with the required functionality". The reusable bottle is a fully circular product meaning the bottle and lid are accepted by household waste collections and Honest operates a take-back recycling scheme for the strap. Peter Goodwin, co-founder of Honest, said: "Driving down sales of bottled water must be the number one goal to limit the amount of single-use plastics in circulation. To achieve this, we need a dramatic behavioural change that switches consumers over to reusable – all of which need to be, at the very least, easily recyclable." The 500ml Honest Bottle is Britain's only reusable bottle that is made from UK-sourced recycled material and will initially be sold to consumers through the brand's website for an RRP of £14 each.

UK pulses and grains brand, Merchant Gourmet, has expanded its portfolio with the launch of two new products. The limited-edition Fiery Jamaican-Style Grains combines grains and pulses with scotch bonnet jerk paste, creamy coconut and fresh lime. Each pouch contains 169 calories. Richard Peake, managing director at Merchant Gourmet, said: “We believe that cooking convenient , simple dishes should never mean compromising on taste or quality. Our latest Jamaican-Style pouch is an innovative new plant-based product that is perfect for shoppers who want to explore new flavours and textures.” Meanwhile, the new Mediterranean-Style Grains with Tomato & Olive combines freekeh and wheatberries with red peppers, tomatoes, olives, fresh lemon and an array of herbs and spices. The offering contains 174 calories per pouch, as well as being high in fibre and low in saturated fat. Peake added: “Our latest Mediterranean pouch offers a new flavour to our portfolio of ready-to-eat pouches and is designed to introduce more people to freekeh through popular flavours and make cooking quick and easy, whilst never compromising on taste”. The pre-cooked pouches, which are free from preservatives or artificial colours, are available at Ocado and Morrisons stores for an RRP of £2.

Arla Foods has invested €190 million in the construction of a new milk powder production plant at its Pronsfield dairy facility in Germany. The Pronsfield dairy site, located in Rhineland-Palatinate, is Arla's "largest site worldwide" and will include a 51-metre-high drying tower and a new energy centre. The plant will enable Arla to produce 685 million kilograms of milk that can then be processed into approximately 90,000 tonnes of premium milk powder annually. Arla's new facility will manufacture products for B2B business within the food processing industry, including processing milk powder into chocolate or baked goods. Peder Tuborgh, CEO of Arla Group, said: "I am very pleased to inaugurate this new production facility at our Pronsfeld plant today. Giving as many people as possible access to good, nutritious food every day is one of the biggest challenges we face around the world...As the largest Arla plant in the world with a strong export business, the new production facility gives the Pronsfeld site even greater importance for the growth strategy of our international business." Upon construction, the company plans to use the plant to expand its business in international markets such as the Middle East, West Africa and Southeast Asia to meet the growing demand for affordable and nutritious dairy products.