The Bonduelle Group has entered into negotiations to sell a majority stake in its Bonduelle Americas Long Life (BALL) business unit. The 65% stake will be sold to capital fund Fonds de solidarité FTQ and institutional investor Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) for CAD $850 million (approx. €625 million). BALL processes and manufactures canned and frozen vegetables for retail supermarket and foodservice sectors in the US and Canada, as well as for private label, third party brands and own brands such as Arctic Gardens and Del Monte. Guillaume Debrosse, CEO of the Bonduelle Group, said: "The transaction with the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and CDPQ would allow BALL to pursue its development in a North American market that is constantly consolidating and to finance its growth and profitability investments, without any new allocation of capital by the Bonduelle Group". "As a minority shareholder, Bonduelle will ultimately benefit from 35% of the value created by this business" Debrosse added. The transaction, subject to customary conditions, is expected to close in a few weeks.

Bowery Farming has opened its "largest, most technologically advanced" vertical farming facility in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Bethlehem Farm is powered using 100% renewable energy and houses 15% more efficient LED lighting. It also features a custom-built water recapture and filtration system designed to harness water from plants, ensuring high-quality food safety standards. Irving Fain, founder and CEO of Bowery Farming, said: "If we've learned anything from the past two years it is that we are in a period of unprecedented disruption and uncertainty across our climate and geopolitical circumstances, which unfortunately is going to persist. We are also seeing firsthand that our global food system is inextricably tied to these dynamics." He continued: "At Bowery, wherever food is needed, we can grow it. We are addressing the challenges in our system by growing food smarter for more people in more places – and that work, securing food for our future, continues today with the opening of our Bethlehem Farm." The smart farm will provide freshly grown produce to 50 million people within a 200-mile radius of the farm via retail outlets including Whole Foods Market and Giant of Landover, as well as ecommerce partner Amazon Fresh. Bowery has partnered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on the redevelopment project of the site, formerly the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, which will create more than 70 full-time jobs. In January, the company announced plans to open two new smart indoor farms that would serve the Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, areas.

Australian soft drinks company, Nexba, has announced the launch of a range of caffeine- and sugar-free energy drinks with added vitamins and prebiotics. Nexba Natural Energy comprises two flavours: Lemon & Yuzu and Wild Citrus. The company said the new drinks have been designed "to build everyday energy without the crash and burn effect of typical energy drinks". The flavours contain ginseng extract, vitamin B complex and vitamin C to improve gut health and enhance everyday energy levels. Nexba Natural Energy drinks are also free from any artificial ingredients. Troy Douglas, co-founder and global CEO of Nexba, said: “So many energy drinks on the market are full of sugar and artificial ingredients. Our Nexba mission has always been to not just do things differently, but better. We searched for the best natural and active age-old ingredients and expertly blended them into Nexba Natural Energy with no sugar and no caffeine – but no compromise on taste.” Nexba Natural Energy drinks are available at Holland and Barrett and Sainsbury’s stores for an RSP of £1.79.

US-based olive oil grower and producer California Olive Ranch is launching a new line of vinaigrettes to add to its portfolio. The range will include four unique vinaigrette variants – Balsamic, Carrot Miso, Caesar and Garlic Apple Cider. Balsamic is a "tangy" dressing consisting of balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary and thyme; Carrot Miso is an Asian-inspired vinaigrette with carrots, miso, rice vinegar, garlic and tamari; Caesar is designed for caesar salads and includes parmesan cheese, roasted garlic, a hint of dijon mustard and seasonings; while Garlic Apple Cider is crafted with apple cider vinegar, crushed garlic and savoury seasonings. Each vinaigrette is vegan and dairy-free and is made with the brand’s extra virgin olive oil. The range is also gluten-free, non-GMO verified and contains no added preservatives. The California Olive Ranch Vinaigrettes will be available exclusively at US Whole Foods Market throughout the next few weeks.

Eat Just subsidiary, Good Meat, has signed an agreement to partner with biotech solutions company ABEC to construct a cultivated meat facility. The collaboration will see the installation of the "largest known" bioreactors for avian and mammalian cell cultures. Ten 250,000-litre bioreactors will be installed at the US-based cultivated meat facility. Once fully operational, the facility will have the capacity to produce up to 30 million pounds of meat – initially beef and chicken – without the "need to slaughter". ABEC is also designing and manufacturing bioreactors for Good Meat’s headquarters in California and its facility in Singapore. Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of Eat Just, commented: "Our first step was receiving regulatory approval and launching in Singapore. Our second step has been selling to customers through restaurants, street vendors and delivery platforms." He continued: "We’ve learned that consumers want this, and we’re ready to take the next step to make this happen at commercial scale. I am very proud to partner with the ABEC team to make this historic facility happen." Good Meat is planning to finalise the site selection in the next three months.

The Coca-Cola Company has announced that it will phase out its Honest teas product line, with plans to continue producing the "quickly growing" Honest Kids juice products. Coca-Cola will discontinue its Honest teas portfolio at the end of 2022. The Honest brand was founded in 1998 by Seth Goldman and Barry Nalebuff. Coca-Cola took a 40% investment stake in 2008, before fully acquiring the brand in 2011. Today’s announcement by Coca-Cola that they will be discontinuing @HonestTea is a gut punch to all the sweat, tears, and incredible passion that went into building our beloved brand. (1/11) — Seth Goldman (@HonestSeth) May 23, 2022 The soft drinks giant said: "The Coca-Cola Company is challenging itself to think differently about how its brands help accelerate business transformation, reflect consumer choice and promote growth as a company. This means rationalising its lineup of drinks and prioritising fewer, bigger brands with the greatest potential for scale and profitable growth." Sabrina Tandon, group director, RTD Tea, Coca-Cola North America Operating Unit, added: “We are phasing out the Honest teas product line, but are not selling the Honest brand”. Meanwhile, the Honest Kids juice offerings, along with the national Gold Peak and regional Peace Tea brands will remain part of the company. “Shifting from a three-brand tea portfolio to a prioritised two-brand tea lineup will free up investment resources and supply chain capacity to better meet consumer needs and capture share in the category,” said Tandon. “We believe Gold Peak and Peace Tea are best positioned to meet consumer preferences for high-quality brewed teas with different levels of sweetness and flavour.” She continued: “Ongoing supply chain challenges mean we are having to prioritise production and distribution of certain product SKUs, and that we’ve been unable to meet consumer demand for Gold Peak. This, among other factors, helped drive this very difficult decision”.

Plant-based food and ingredients supplier, Above Food, has opened a gluten-free ingredient development, processing and packaging facility in Western Canada. The facility – called Above Food Ingredient Centre – is located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and will serve as the company's main future product innovation and gluten-free ingredient processing site. The centre features technologies for cleaning, sorting, polishing, blending and formulating, which allows for the development, processing and packaging of flours, fibres, starches, flakes and texturised ingredients. Mike Marshall, president of Above Food Specialty Ingredients, said: "Our centre is world-class, representing what we at Above Food envision as the future of food. It bolsters our speciality ingredients capabilities and enables us to help customers accelerate ingredient innovation." "This is a significant growth opportunity for Above Food to expand our customer reach and bring more value to all crops in regenerative agriculture rotations," he added. The opening of the new facility will expand Above Food’s speciality ingredients division within the consumer packaged goods sector and further elevate its brands, including Farmer Direct Organic, Eat Up!, NorQuin and Tiny Hero. Last week, Above Food announced its acquisition of Northern Quinoa Production (NorQuin) for an undisclosed sum.

The Hershey Company is adding to its Lily's portfolio of confectionery and snacks with two new better-for-you gummy variants. The release includes Lily's Sweet Fruity Gummy Bear Friends and Lily's Tart and Tasty Sour Gummy Worms. Lily's Gummy Bears are available in four fruity flavours including raspberry, strawberry, orange and lemon while the Sour Gummy Worms are for those who have an affinity for sour snacks and includes a mix of lemon-raspberry and apple-peach variants. Both sweet and sour treats have less than one gram of total sugar. Lily's products are also gluten-free, fair trade certified and made with non-GMO ingredients. Michael Rabinovitz, director of Lily's Sweets, commented: "The love for gummies nationwide is growing while the desire for better-for-you snacking options continues. Leaning into peoples' love of gummies, the Lily's brand is here to give everyone the best of both worlds… delicious gummy snacks that truly stand apart with less than one gram of sugar." The gummies are available now in 1.8 oz. bags at US retailers nationwide. In 2021, The Hershey Company acquired Lily’s as part of its better-for-you snacking strategy.

Huhtamaki is a key global provider of sustainable solutions for on-the-go and on-the-shelf food and beverage packaging. With 100 years of history and a strong Nordic heritage, the company operates in 38 countries and across 114 operating locations around the world. Huhtamaki offers innovative packaging solutions both in flexible packaging and fibre packaging, that ensure hygiene and safety for the consumer and help prevent food waste. Fibre technology and solutions Huhtamaki’s fibre business specialises in sustainable and innovative moulded fibre packaging. Combining deep understanding of industry and consumer needs with cutting-edge technology, the company produces fibre products that are food-safe, sustainable and innovative, without compromising the key functionality. The focus is on using materials in a smart, purposeful manner. Collaboration with customers is key in order to co-create solutions that are both functional and environmentally viable. One of the company’s fibre packaging manufacturing sites in Alf, Germany, recently switched its focus from plastics to smooth moulded fibre products to meet the growing demand for plastic-free alternatives for food packaging. In 2022, the site plans to replace more than 2,000 tons of plastic with fibre. The state-of-the-art automated manufacturing site will have the capacity to manufacture up to 3.5 billion fibre products annually. This represents the first such large-scale production capability in Europe. Supporting customers in their sustainability journeys Huhtamaki’s fibre-based packaging innovations are already in use by some of the world’s leading foodservice operators. Popular brands such as Unilever’s Fru Fru, Calippo and Carte D’Or, as well as McDonald’s, have been able to significantly reduce the amount of plastic used in packaging by replacing it with Huhtamaki’s fibre-based, renewable and recyclable alternatives. Huhtamaki has enabled a transition to recyclable fibre-based packaging for the Fru Fru brand’s short-shelf life ready meal trays, available in Romania. Made with FSC-certified wood fibre sourced from sustainably managed forests, the new packaging innovation is recyclable, certified for home composting and offers a natural alternative to plastic trays.​ Introducing these award-winning fresh trays for Fru Fru has the potential to eliminate 400,000 units of plastic trays every year. For the frozen dessert brand Calippo, the packaging used for squeezes has been redesigned to reduce the amount of plastic consumed by 58%​. Thanks to an overall weight reduction, the optimised packaging reduces waste. Huhtamaki has also worked with Carte D’Or to shift the packaging for their ice cream to recyclable paper tubs and lids. This will help the brand eliminate more than 900 tons of virgin plastic in the UK annually. Furthermore, our multiple award-winning Sundae cup and lid, developed with McDonald’s and Havi, is made from 100% renewable resources with wood fibres from sustainably managed forests. It is recyclable and compostable. Moreover, this plant-based innovation provides the insulating effect needed for ice cream packaging – also ensuring a great consumer experience. In addition to moulded fibre technology, Huhtamaki also offers extensive paper-based flexible packaging solutions to serve different customer needs. These include Push Tab Paper , the industry-first paper-based blister solution, and Blueloop PaperLid , a sustainable lidding alternative to traditional laminates. Discover packaging solutions at www.huhtamaki.com . #fibrepackaging #Huhtamaki #packaging #partnercontent

AliasSmith AB-owned Buen Vato has announced the European launch of the "world's first" tequila in a cardboard bottle. The cardboard bottle, which is made from 94% recycled material, is said to be lighter to transport, reducing CO2 emissions in a significant way compared to traditional industry methods. AliasSmith's CEO, Claes Puebla Smith, said: “The drinks industry needs a shake-up, and sustainability needs to be placed at the heart of this transformation. That’s why we’ve launched Buen Vato." He continued: "The cardboard bottle is just the start, Buen Vato will constantly redesign the production, packaging and business model in order to reach perfect sustainability”. The product is launching in Sweden in July, with plans to distribute in the UK, Italy, France and Spain later in the year.

Sustainable food-tech company Hyfé Foods has raised $2 million in a pre-seed funding round led by venture firm The Engine. Other investors included Blue Horizon, Caffeinated Capital, Supply Change Capital, Lifely, Gaingels, Hack Ventures, among others. Founded in 2021, Hyfé uses wasted sugar water from food and beverage manufacturers as feedstock to produce mycelium flour for a variety of food applications. The Chicago-based company has developed a carbon-neutral method to produce "affordable, high protein, low-carb and allergen-free flour products". According to the company, the technology conserves water and improves global food access. Hyfé will use the investment to up-scale the commercialisation of its products. Michelle Ruiz, co-founder and CEO, commented: "A bowl of Hyfé pasta has as much protein as a chicken breast, is high in fibre and has no refined carbs. We’re on a mission to make food better for you as well as better for the planet." She continued: "Hyfé’s mycelium flour tastes and acts just like wheat flour, enabling people to eat the foods they love without negative health impacts. We are leveraging biotechnology to produce this ingredient that is carbon neutral, at scale and at a very low cost".

UK-based Dash Water has expanded its portfolio of fruit-and vegetable-infused sparkling waters with the launch of a brand new mango flavour for the summer season. The newest launch is infused with real wonky, otherwise disregarded fruit and contains no sugars, no artificial sweeteners and no calories. Jack Scott, Dash co-founder, commented: "Everyone loves mangoes, there’s something about them that transports you to a sunny, happy place… and turns out they blend really well with sparkling spring water. We rescue the not-so-perfect mangoes and turn them into tasty drinks – it’s pretty simple really! This flavour is already one of our bestsellers and I can’t wait for more people to enjoy it this summer." The mango variant will join Dash’s five existing wonky flavours: cucumber, lemon, raspberry, blackcurrant and peach. Mango is available for an RRP of £1.29 each or in a 12-pack for an RRP of £14.99. The release is available to order online on the brand's website or in UK retailers including Wholefoods, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, WH Smith and Boots.