Wells Enterprises has expanded its Blue Bunny portfolio with the introduction of Twist Cones and a new Load'd Cones flavour. Twist Cones feature classic flavours of soft frozen dairy dessert "twisted all the way to the bottom," with a chocolaty bite at the end of the cone. The new offering is available in chocolate vanilla, strawberry cheesecake and chocolate peanut butter flavours. Jeremy Hrynewycz, brand director, Blue Bunny, said: "We love bringing the fun of Blue Bunny to consumers' homes in new and innovative ways, and Twist Cones are this summer's newest addition to our all-star line-up of frozen treats the whole family can enjoy". Meanwhile, Blue Bunny's latest Load'd Cones flavour, salted caramel pecan, features salted caramel and fudge swirls, mixed with pecans and chocolate-flavoured sea salt bunnies. All of the new offerings are available at retailers nationwide.

Diageo plans to invest £40.5 million to expand the capacity of its beer packaging facilities in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Runcorn, England. The investment will help the company meet increasing global demand for its Guinness products, and support the growth of both Guinness Draught and Guinness Zero. The drinks giant plans to more than double its canning production at the Belfast site with a £24.5 million investment that will see the installation of a new packaging line. An additional £16 million will be invested into the Runcorn site to upgrade its bottling line and expand warehousing capacity. Aidan Crowe, operations director for beer at Diageo, said: "This expansion is a significant investment in the development of our packaging facilities. The projects in Belfast and Runcorn will support our growth ambitions, helping us to deliver end-to-end product innovation and reinforce our agility to meet demand and provide excellent service to our customers around the world." Construction will begin immediately, with the new capacity set to become available in 2023. Stories you may also like to read: Diageo acquires flavoured tequila brand 21Seeds Diageo agrees sale of Windsor whisky business to Bayside/Metis Diageo opens $110m canning facility in Illinois

William Grant & Sons-owned brand, Atopia, has released two new flavoured non-alcoholic spirits to add to its portfolio of premium spirits. The new variants include Rhubarb & Ginger and Hedgerow Berry. Rhubarb & Ginger has fruit notes including green apple, rhubarb and a hint of pink grapefruit and ginger. Hedgerow Berry’s spirit base features blackberries, redcurrants and raspberries, with "floral undertones of rosehip and pomegranate and a hint of spice". Atopia's non-alcoholic spirits are copper pot distilled before being blended with natural botanicals and flavours. Rhubarb & Ginger is available from Waitrose and Clink for an RRP of £23 while Hedgerow Berry is available from M&S and Clink for an RRP of £23.

Italian confectionery giant Ferrero is recalling some of its Kinder products in the UK due to concerns surrounding salmonella, according to the Foods Standards Agency (FSA). In a statement, the FSA said: “This is in connection with a potential link to a salmonella outbreak. A number of these cases have been young children.” The FSA stated that at least 63 cases of salmonella have been identified as linked to Kinder products, most of which were in children under five years of age. The company's recall note said: "We are voluntarily recalling selected batches of Kinder Surprise as a precautionary step, since we have become aware of a possible link to a number of reported cases of salmonella". "Further to the voluntary recall on Kinder Surprise 20g and Kinder Surprise 20g x 3 pack in the UK and Ireland with Best Before Dates between 11 July 2022 and 7 October 2022, Ferrero has taken the precautionary decision to voluntarily recall selected Kinder products which include Kinder Mini eggs, Kinder Egg Hunt Kit 150g, Kinder Surprise 100g and Kinder Schokobons in the UK and Ireland with best before dates between 20 April 2022 and 21 August 2022." "The company continues to cooperate with the UK FSA, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and Food Standards Scotland in relation to a number of reported cases of salmonella. Although no Kinder products released to market have tested positive for salmonella, we are taking this extremely seriously." The note continued: "We are working with retailers to ensure that these products are no longer available for purchase and are asking consumers, who have one of these listed products with the above best before dates, to please keep the product and contact our consumer care team on consumers.uk@ferrero.com or consumers.ireland@ferrero.com". "We know that these particular products are popular with young children, especially as Easter approaches, so we would urge parents and guardians of children to check if any products already in their home are affected by this recall," said Tina Potter, FSA head of incidents. Ferrero said the affected chocolate was manufactured in Belgium and that the recall may extend to other countries.

Plant-based food producer SunOpta has unveiled its new 65,000-square-foot global headquarters and innovation centre in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. SunOpta says that its new home was designed to "accelerate the speed of innovation, foster collaboration and model the company’s sustainability heritage". The site, which features a pilot plant and a dramatically expanded research and development centre, will allow the company to increase its offerings across all categories. Last year, SunOpta invested in its Allentown, Pennsylvania, plant in a move to expand its plant-based manufacturing capacity, and the company aims to double sales of its plant-based products by 2025. The producer also acquired dairy-free milk brands Dream and WestSoy from Hain Celestial in 2021. “Our growth ambitions required this move. We’ve grown our plant-based business by more than $100 million over the last two years through a focus on innovation and new customer development and we expect this pace of growth to continue,” said Joe Ennen, CEO of SunOpta. “This new facility, with a full-scale pilot plant and a huge expansion of the research and development space, will allow us to aggressively develop new products and new customers.”

Asian plant-based food company, Growthwell Foods, has announced the appointment of Manuel Bossi as its new group CEO and the acquisition of a majority stake in ChickP. Bossi succeeds Justin Chou, who will remain on the board. Having previously held roles at The Hershey Company, Ferrero, Mondelēz and Nestlé, Bossi joined Singapore-based Growthwell in October 2021 and has been serving as deputy CEO. “Manuel is a seasoned business leader with a rich breadth of commercial and operational experience across cultures and geographies, with a strong track record of driving sustainable growth across categories and markets,” said Growthwell Foods board director, Shivendu Nadkarni. “We are confident that Manuel will lead the company and team into the next stage of growth and successfully expand our market and category footprint.” Growthwell Foods has also announced it now owns a majority stake in ChickP, following its latest investment in the Israeli chickpea protein start-up. The company is preparing to accelerate its growth across Asia-Pacific and to enter new markets in 2022. “Geographical expansion is a key strategic pillar of our growth, and we have our eyes set on various markets in Asia and Europe. We are also preparing to drive growth via entry into adjacent plant-based categories with our patented high-protein chickpea technology,” said Bossi.

The Tofoo Co has joined forces with Flying Goose to introduce a new extra-firm tofu block: Tofoo Sriracha. Said to offer a spicy and tangy flavour, the chilli-infused block is marinated in Flying Goose’s original sriracha sauce. By collaborating with the Thai hot sauce brand, Tofoo is aiming to encourage consumers to try tofu for the first time. Tofoo co-founder, David Knibbs, said: “We are really excited about bringing these two great brands together in one delicious experience”. Knibbs continued: “The new launch marks just one of several NPD launches planned for 2022, together with a £2 million investment into operations to further improve process and efficiencies, setting the stage for further growth". “The brand saw its most successful period of sales to date in Veganuary 2022 and is estimating turnover for this year to break through the £20 million barrier.” With an RRP of £2.70, Sriracha Tofoo arrives in Waitrose this month and Tesco in May. The launch of the marinated block follows the introduction of a teriyaki flavour in 2020.

Beyond Better Foods has expanded its better-for-you snacks portfolio with the launch of the new Enlightened Greek yogurt cheesecake range. The new releases will add to the brand's range of frozen mini cheesecakes and are available in two variants – original and dark chocolate. Enlightened’s Greek yogurt cheesecakes have up to 50% less sugar "compared to a serving of traditional cheesecake". Michael Shoretz, Enlightened CEO and founder, said: "We’re so excited to build upon our existing cheesecake line with the addition of Greek yogurt, a key ingredient also included in two of our new Sundae Cone flavours. Consumers love Greek yogurt for its protein and probiotics. We found that incorporating Greek yogurt adds richness and creaminess to our cheesecakes and we think it’ll delight our fans." The releases are packaged with two mini cheesecakes in a box for an MSRP of $5.99 and are available in the US on the Enlightened websites as well as in Lowes Foods, United Supermarkets, Food City and HEB.

Coca-Cola has launched a limited-edition beverage, Zero Sugar Byte, which it claims contains “the flavour of pixels”. The soft drinks giant says the new launch features a “bright, upfront taste is reminiscent of powering up a game" and its "refreshing finish makes for a perfect gaming companion”. Inspired by the gaming world – in particular, online video game Fortnite – and the metaverse (the collective term for 3D virtual worlds that encourage social connection), the new beverage aims to appeal to a younger generation of tech-savvy consumers. In a company statement, Coca-Cola said: "The centrepiece is Pixel Point, an Island created in Fortnite Creative designed by Coca-Cola and lifestyle and gaming organisation PWR. Upon entry, players will discover Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte in the metaverse and interact with fellow gamers through a series of four sensory-inspired, multiplayer mini-games: The Castle, The Escape, The Race and The Tower. Each immersive room poses its own challenge that can only be solved by working in tandem with fellow players to progress up the tower." The new beverage is an extension of the brand’s ongoing 'Real Magic' campaign, and is also the second product launch from Coca-Cola Creations, following its inaugural Coca-Cola Starlight launch earlier this year. “For our second expression from Coca-Cola Creations, we wanted to create an innovative taste inspired by the playfulness of pixels, rooted in the experiences that gaming makes possible, said Oana Vlad, senior director, global strategy at Coca-Cola. “Just as pixels power digital connection, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar Byte brings people together to share moments of Real Magic.” "This new Coca-Cola Creations flavour is an amazing nod to gamers from one of the most iconic brands in existence, and we’re proud that we could help create something special for our shared communities to celebrate its launch,” said Lachlan Power, professional gamer and PWR founder. “It’s been an exciting project for PWR to collaborate on by creating this experience which facilitates teamwork and player connections whilst representing the vibe of this new Coca-Cola Creation.” The drink is available in "extremely limited quantities" in select countries in Latin America today. It will also be made available in the US to purchase in 12.5oz slim cans on May 2. The new product will launch in China on May 23.

Lightweight packaging provider Ecolean has appointed Marie Samuelsson as CEO, following Peter L Nilsson’s retirement after 15 years at the helm, in June 2022. Samuelsson, who will assume the role of CEO on 1 June, brings several decades of industry and leadership experience to the position. Most recently, Samuelsson was market region manager at Assa Abloy. She has also held the position of senior VP Höganäs and worked at Tetra Pak, SonyEricsson and ABB. Ecolean’s Chairman, Arne Karlsson, said: "With Marie, we are getting an experienced leader with deep engineering expertise and relevant industry experience. We are happy to have her at the helm of our continued expansion and are looking forward to working together. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Peter for his passion and hard work in driving Ecolean’s success." Samuelsson added: "What drew my interest to Ecolean is the idea of a truly sustainable business model. Encoded into Ecolean’s DNA is using a minimal amount of raw material to produce lightweight packaging solutions. The company is at the technological forefront of the industry and is really bringing something new to the market, which impressed me." Nilsson, who was appointed CEO of Ecolean in 2007, has led the company through expansion to 30 countries worldwide and the set-up of production sites in Sweden, China and Pakistan. "I am very proud of what we have achieved over the last 15 years and would like to thank the team at Ecolean, with whom it has been a pleasure to work. As I welcome Marie, whom I know will bring a valuable skillset to Ecolean’s growth plans, it is my hope that she finds the job as exciting and rewarding as I have," said Nilsson.

Fever-Tree has unveiled a new limited-edition passionfruit and lime-flavoured tonic water for the summer. The new offering combines spring water with botanical extracts, including Ecuadorian yellow passionfruit, Tahitian lime and quinine. The limited-edition product is free from artificial flavours and sweeteners, and contains just 18 calories per 100ml. The tonic water can be enjoyed with gin, vodka or just ice. Fever-Tree’s senior innovation manager, Georgina Denny, said: “The G&T drinker is becoming more experimental and creative when mixing at home and we wanted to create a liquid to satisfy that thirst for something new this summer". “We believe like many others in the quality and enjoyment you can get from having fruit in season and we wanted to mimic this with our Limited Edition series, first with Damson & Sloe for autumn winter, and now Passionfruit & Lime for the summer. “What's more, the new tonic is ‘refreshingly light,’ so drinkers can enjoy delicious combinations with all of the flavour and fewer calories.” With an RRP of £1.95, the new Fever-Tree offering is available until autumn at Tesco, Asda, Ocado and Sainsbury’s.

Vertical farming company Kalera has opened a new facility in Colorado, US, in a move to expand its domestic footprint. The indoor farm will produce lettuce and microgreens, with the first harvest scheduled for May. The almost 90,000-square-foot facility is the company's fifth US farm. In addition, Kalera operates farms in Munich and Kuwait, and is set to open a facility in Singapore later this year. "Increasing our national and global footprint has been a priority for our team as we seek to serve our major retail and foodservice customers," said Curtis McWilliams, Kalera's interim chief executive officer. "Opening this facility is an exciting step towards this goal, and we're proud to serve urban communities like Denver with clean, nutrition-dense leafy greens that are accessible to local consumers." The opening follows news of the vertical farming business's merger with special purpose acquisition company, Agrico Acquisition Corp. Kalera says that the partnership will result in it becoming the first vertical farming company to go public on the NASDAQ market.