US plant-based protein bars, GoMacro, has expanded its portfolio with the launch of two flavours: GoMacro's Salted Caramel + Chocolate Chips and GoMacro Kids' Cinnamon Roll. GoMacro's Salted Caramel + Chocolate Chips bars feature a mix of almond butter and coconut milk blended with maple sugar. Meanwhile, the Cinnamon Roll flavour combines creamy cashew butter with coconut milk, plant-based protein and vegan white drizzle. The new flavours contain non-GMO ingredients and are certified organic, vegan, gluten- and soy-free. "We’re always listening to our customers and creating new products that fit their needs," said Jola Sonkin, co-founder and CEO of GoMacro. "These delicious new flavours are made with the wholesome ingredients and certifications GoMacro customers have come to trust."

Healthy nutrition is the new norm, as markets globally show rising demand for healthier foods. Formulating for the new generation of health-conscious consumers remains challenging, as taste, texture, flavour and appearance matter alongside convenience and a nutritional profile. Fibre and protein enrichment, free-from, plant-based nutritional choices, sugar, salt and fat reduction, fresh-keeping for sustainable health, clean label, healthy indulgence are all a focus for Univar Solutions. Bakery, snacks, beverages, dairy and active nutrition are some of the key categories seeing consumer drive for healthy nutrition. She continued: “Consumers are effectively becoming mindful nutritionists, educating themselves on what they need for health and wellness. They are mindful of the nutrient density and functionality of their foods, and we will soon see a combination of holistic health and self-care in food and beverage markets like never before, with a sharp focus on ingredient sustainability and taste, flavour, texture and appearance.” Plant-based nutrition is seen as one of the pillars of health and wellness, from the self-case as well as the environmental and sustainability perspective. Health crises, climate change and the ability of food production systems to keep pace with a population projected to reach 8.5 billion by 2030, bring the need for alternative proteins into focus, rapidly elevating the “better for me, better for the planet” theme across the continents. “We believe that plant-based food innovations could help the food industry bring together business communities, science and technology to create sustainable growth, enable consumer choice for better nutrition and have a positive impact on fighting climate change. Univar Solutions has these innovative technologies and ingredients to assist challenges of developing high-quality, clean-label, plant-based alternative products,” McDonagh added. The source of the ingredients used to create products matters. Consumers routinely scrutinise ingredient lists and educate themselves on product safety, quality and traceability. European markets are adopting the Nutri-Score front-of-pack label, while in the UK, promotions on food and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt (HFSS) in medium to large retailers will be restricted starting October 2022. Delivering sustainable, nutrient-dense and functional products is becoming a prerequisite for successful product launches and brand longevity. Clean labels are essential in providing the health-conscious consumer with information and therefore confidence in their chosen products, as ‘Front-of-Pack’ labelling is well established throughout Europe. The concept of clean conscience is beginning to supersede clean labelling, as it goes beyond what is good for the body and reflects what is good for the planet, the provenance of ingredients and their environmental sustainability. And consumers are now seeking and being given more information about the health components of the food that they are purchasing. Healthy products in the next two years will focus on solutions that support consumers’ self-care practices and boost nutrient density, whilst reducing fat, sugar and sodium. “Enabling that all-important consumer choice and quality healthy nutrition is what fuels our passion at Univar Solutions, and that is the focus of our efforts to bring quality, efficient solutions and options to food and beverage manufacturers,” said Kevin Hack, vice president for food ingredients at Univar Solutions. Webinar series: Discover wellness Join Univar Solutions’ Virtual Discover Wellness Series throughout June 2022 to learn more about how Univar Solutions can prepare you to meet these unique and rising demands. Among the topics of discussion are selected ingredients and formulations for healthy nutrition in bakery, snacks, dairy, beverages and active nutrition, such as starches, enzymes, natural sweeteners, taste modulators, natural colours and flavours, texturising systems, proteins and protein concentrates and prebiotic dietary fibre. The webinar series will discuss ingredient solutions that will address flavour, texture and mouthfeel challenges during product development. Learn more about healthy nutrition and Univar Solutions here. #health #HFSS #partnercontent #UnivarSolutions

Mara Renewables Corporation has closed a CAD 39.5 million growth equity raise, as it looks to expand its microalgae-based product portfolio. The funding round was led by InvestEco Capital, with other investors including BDC Capital, Export Development Canada, MacKinnon, Bennett & Company and Thai Union Ingredients, among others. Mara has built a portfolio of microalgal strains, some of which are processed using a clean, environmentally friendly extraction method to develop high-quality algal oil. The company's global team spans Canada and the UK, and its headquarters are located in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Mara's ingredients are used in applications and formulations by global infant nutrition, supplement, and food and beverage customers. Arturo Ania, CEO of Mara, said: "Mara is very excited to finalise our growth capital phase. This new investment will allow Mara to continue our aggressive growth trajectory and further expand new research and development initiatives into commercial products." He continued: "We are certain that the expertise added around our investor and board table will allow us to continue our growth phase and expand our omega-3, protein and other ingredient platforms to become world-changing solutions".

Organic food and beverage company, Ecotone, has announced a €20 million investment at its plant-based drinks production facility in Badia Polesine, Northern Italy. The 14,000-square-metre site produces organic plant-based beverages for brands including Bjorg, Bonneterre, Isola Bio, Abbott Kinney’s and EcoCest, and employs 163 people. The investment – which has included the creation of a new production line – will enable Ecotone to produce an additional 27 million litres of plant-based beverages per year. Christophe Barnouin, CEO of Ecotone, commented: "This major investment aims to strengthen Ecotone’s industrial competitiveness in a growing market for plant-based beverages. With a strong presence throughout Europe just like its brands, with nine production sites, including two in France, Ecotone is committed to its values and leading the way towards more innovation and sustainability in the food industry." He continued: "I would like to pay tribute to the unwavering mobilisation of the teams over the past three years, which has enabled the project to succeed and make the Badia Polesine factory a European industrial flagship". The investments made over the last three years and the opening of the additional production line have created 32 new jobs, and more hires are expected as production increases. The investment is part of Ecotone's strategy to "strengthen the competitiveness of its production sites," with the company "focusing on innovation and automation while driving forward sustainability throughout its operations".

Beneo has announced its acquisition of Dutch plant-based ingredients company, Meatless, for an undisclosed sum. Through the deal, Beneo is looking to expand its portfolio to offer a wide range of plant-based texturizing solutions for meat and fish alternatives. Founded in 2005, Meatless is a manufacturer of textured plant-based ingredients, with a portfolio of solutions derived from a variety of sources, including rice, faba beans, wheat, pea, lupin and quinoa. The acquisition marks the latest move by Beneo to strengthen its offering for the plant-based market, and comes after the company unveiled plans for a €50 million pulse processing plant in Offstein, Germany. Andreas Herber, a member of Beneo's executive board, said: “Following the recently announced investment into our new faba bean processing plant, the acquisition of Meatless is the next logical step to reaffirm Beneo's commitment to strengthening its business with solutions for plant-based alternatives”. He continued: “Beneo and Meatless are a natural fit. Beneo's raw material expertise and ingredient knowledge, in combination with Meatless’s technology and product portfolio, will provide our customers with a versatile plant-based toolbox for meat and fish alternatives. The acquisition will allow for exciting new developments within Beneo's portfolio, while also supporting the business’s sustainability ambitions.”

Plant-based meat producer Heura and meat-free advocates Bosh! have collaborated to release a plant-based chorizo burger. The chorizo burger can be served as is, broken up into smaller chunks to "provide 'flavour bombs' throughout a dish", re-shaped into meatballs, kebabs and sliders or sauteed for use in bases for ragouts and casseroles. Marc Coloma, food activist and Heura co-founder, said: "Bringing healthy, delicious and affordable plant-based foods to the world’s largest dedicated online grocery retailer shows that we can remove animals from the food chain with no compromise in choice. Ocado has a progressive customer base, with quality and taste at their hearts – the perfect match for our nutritious, delicious and versatile chorizo burger." Bernat Añaños, Heura co-founder, added: "Our community asked – we listened, and we created. The chorizo burger is the brainchild of our Heura TechRebels and Bosh. Designed to allow consumers to burst with creativity, this product goes beyond standard use." He continued: "Having an animal meat successor as a versatile ‘ingredient’ is the next step in making it mainstream, and we can’t wait to see what our community and beyond create using this exclusive new product. Bosh! share our global mission of creating a movement which excites, inspires and enables consumers to make a choice which benefits the planet, animals and people every day." The exclusive product will is available on Ocado for an RRP of £3.50 per two-pack.

While known for its ancient history of vine cultivation and wine production, Georgia – located in the heart of the Caucasus region – is one of the richest countries in mineral and thermal waters. The bottled mineral water industry has made great strides forward in the last decade, as shown by the successes of the company Aqua Geo, which uses increasingly advanced bottling and packaging technologies. In order to automate its plants, the Georgian company turned to SMI to supply it with several turnkey plants for the production of carbonated water under the Kobi brand and natural water under the Sno brand. Kobi water plant Aqua Geo lies in a picturesque place that fascinates visitors with its natural beauty and countless historical and cultural sites, such as the Georgian Military Road, taken to reach the bottling plant. This road is an enchanting 200km-long path through the Caucasus Mountains that connects the Georgian capital Tbilisi to the Russian city of Vladikavkaz, and is located in the north, not far from the border between the two countries. Modern technologies for high-quality products Kobi spring water is characterised by its unique taste and minerals, and by a healthy, high-quality microbiological composition. The Kobi source is striking for the lack of pipelines above the surface, thanks to a highly technological system that preserves the natural course of the spring water, while fully respecting the surrounding environment. The production plant for the bottling and packaging of Kobi mineral water glass and PET bottles is equipped with modern fully automated lines that use advanced technologies to fully protect the quality of the natural product. SMI, which has been collaborating with Aqua Geo since 2011, has been involved in the important development project of the Kobi brand and has designed, built and installed two bottling lines side by side: one for 0.33 litre and 0.5 litre glass bottles and the other for 0.5 litre, 1 litre and 1.5 litre PET bottles. The logistic configuration of the two bottling lines side by side allows for the optimisation of space and costs, due to the fact that both use the same area for raw materials and the same unloading and storage area for the finished pallets ready for distribution. About SMI Group The SMI Group is one of the world’s largest producers of bottling plants and packaging machines, and is composed of parent company SMIGroup, subsidiary companies SMI (the first and largest business in the Group), Smipack, Smimec, Smitec, Enoberg, Smienergia, Smilab, SARCO.RE and of a network of branches providing sales support, after-sales service and spare parts supply. SMI designs and manufactures bottling plants and packaging machines with an innovative design, equipped with IoT technology, providing thousands of customers from more than 130 countries with smart solutions than can meet their requirements in terms of competitiveness, production efficiency, operational flexibility, energy saving, easy management and monitoring of the whole production process. The latest developments and the continuous investments in research and development have led to the production of even more compact, economic and eco-friendly machines, able to meet production requirements of up to 36,800 bottles/hour. For more information on SMI, visit www.smigroup.it. #mineralwater #Georgia #partnercontent #SMIGroup #AquaGeo

Mashgin, developer of an AI-powered touchless self-checkout system, has raised $62.5 million in a Series B funding round led by venture capital firm NEA. The capital will be used to grow Mashgin's team and accelerate its expansion. The company has also achieved a valuation of $1.5 billion, elevating it to 'unicorn' status. Mashgin's touchless checkout system does not require barcodes or RFIDs, and instead uses AI and computer vision to identify products, allowing consumers to pay in ten seconds or less. According to the California-based company, its checkout system is "four times faster than cashiers and traditional point-of-sale". The machines are currently deployed in more than 800 locations, including convenience stores, sports stadiums, airports, universities, and corporate and hospital cafeterias. Mashgin's chief technology officer and co-founder, Mukul Dhankar, said: "The global pandemic accelerated the adoption of touchless technologies, but consumer behaviour has turned them into the baseline expectation. Our mission is to leverage artificial intelligence to create real-world benefits for people. By making time-draining tasks fast and seamless, we enable consumers to get back to what really matters, while freeing up businesses to truly innovate on the customer experience to build lasting loyalty."

Cargill has announced plans to build a soybean processing facility in Pemiscot County, Missouri, to meet growing global and domestic demand for oilseeds. The new facility will have an annual production capacity of 62 million bushels of soybeans and will create around 45 full-time jobs. Tim Coppage, regional commercial lead at Cargill agricultural supply chain North America, commented: "Cargill's new facility, with its location on the Mississippi river, will operate year-round and provide farmers with the opportunity to take advantage of increased domestic demand versus relying solely on seasonal exports. Access to both river and rail will provide more flexibility and market access for farmers." Cargill expects the facility to begin operations in 2026.

Dutch plant-based cheese start-up Willicroft has raised €2 million in a seed investment round. Willicroft uses traditional techniques and plant-based ingredients, such as beans and pulses, to produce its dairy-free cheeses. Paulig’s venture arm PINC and Rockstart led the company's seed round, which also received participation from Döhler and Feast Ventures. Willicroft will use the funds to expand into new markets, such as the Nordics, the UK and Germany. “With this new raise locked in we'll be bringing our delicious, beautifully branded range of plant-based cheese to three new markets: the UK, Germany and the Nordics, bringing in senior talent and continuing on our quest to become the world's first net positive plant-based cheese company,” said Brad Vanstone, co-founder and CEO of Willicroft. “Our new investor group can help open up a number of new markets whilst also fast-tracking our products' continued evolution.” Mark Durno, managing partner agrifood at Rockstart, said: “Willicroft is taking plant-based dairy alternatives to the next level. Alongside making delicious products, they are helping farmers to transition to sustainable production by enabling a local supply chain without the need for monocropping or highly processed ingredients. “They have spent the last years understanding their consumers and their footprint, and the next phase will be to put those learnings to scale.”

Animal-free dairy company Imagindairy has secured an additional $15 million in a seed extension round, as it looks to scale up production. The initial round last year brought in $13 million, meaning the company has now raised a total of $28 million in seed investment capital. The funding was led by Target Global, and joined by existing investors Strauss Group, Emerald Technology Ventures, Green Circle Foodtech Ventures, Collaborative Fund, New Climate Ventures and FoodSparks by PeakBridge. Imagindairy creates "animal-free milk proteins from microorganisms via proprietary precision fermentation technology," allowing for the production of a variety of dairy products, including raw milk and cheese. The Israeli company's dairy proteins are non-GMO, cholesterol-free and offer the same flavour, texture, functionality and nutritional value as their conventionally produced counterparts. Eyal Afergan, co-founder and CEO of Imagindairy, said: "This extremely successful seed round reflects a strong vote of confidence in Imagindairy and its vision to lead the animal-free dairy industry. This substantial injection of capital will serve to advance our ability to make true dairy alternative products a day-to-day reality." The new funds will be used to expand Imagindairy's team and accelerate the company’s research and development efforts, as it looks to launch a range of dairy products made without the use of animals.

Sausage roll brand Wall’s Pastry is launching two new products to add to its pastry portfolio with the release of Pork and Pickle sausage rolls and Cheddar and Pickle cheese rolls. The rolls will introduce a "tangy pickle flavouring as the perfect partner to a succulent pork and a sumptuous flaky pastry". Jason Manley, head of marketing for Wall’s Pastry, said: "We’re delighted to bring a new taste into the category. Pork, cheese and pickle have long been flavours that pair beautifully together so we’re excited to be bringing this to consumers with our two new products". He continued: "As well as new flavours, these products bring with them the opportunity to expand into new occasions. As well as traditional picnics and on-the-go snacking, the tangy pickle is ideal for barbecues and celebrations with a ‘Ploughman’s lunch’ feel." The Pork and Pickle Sausage Rolls and the Cheddar and Pickle Cheese Rolls are available in four-packs and will cost £1.75 per pack.