Artisan British crisp company Fairfields Farm has transitioned to becoming a fully vegan brand, with the release of its plant-based Cheese & Onion crisps. The brand has adapted its existing Cheese & Onion flavoured crisps to create a dairy-free version, joining its other vegan flavours which include Bacon & Tomato, Rib of Beef, Sweet Chilli and Sea Salt & Black Pepper. The company, which creates its snacks using renewable energy, uses potatoes grown on its independent family farm on the border of Essex and Suffolk. Laura Strathern, co-founder of Fairfields Farm Crisps, said: "We are all very excited to introduce our new vegan-friendly Cheese & Onion flavour crisps. The demand for plant-based snack choices is greater than ever and after the success of both our Bacon & Tomato and Rib of Beef vegan-friendly crisps, we decided it was time to launch another much-loved flavour. We’re particularly happy at this delicious development because it marks our brand’s transition to being entirely free of dairy and meat, as well as gluten." Fairfields' Cheese & Onion crisps have launched in 40g packs for an RRP of 80p and will be launching in 150g packs for an RRP of £1.99 from May. They are available from East of England Co-op's and independent retailers nationwide across the UK, as well as on the brand's website.

Fonterra has closed its Moscow office and withdrawn from its joint venture with Unifood, following its decision to suspend dairy export to Russia in February. Fonterra's CEO, Miles Hurrell, said: “Our first step following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was to establish the safety of the team in Russia, and our priority through this process continues to be doing the right thing by our people. We then suspended shipment of product to Russia while we assessed the impact of economic sanctions and discussed our long-term plans with our customers and joint venture partner." He continued: “Following careful consideration of the impact on our people and our long-term plans for the Russian market, we will now close our office in Moscow, re-deploying staff where possible, and withdraw from our joint venture Unifood”. Fonterra has been exporting a "small amount of product" to Russia, mainly butter, representing about 1% of its annual shipments. Hurrell added: “Given the current strong demand for New Zealand dairy, we are confident in our ability to re-allocate this product to other markets". You may also like to read: Danone and Valio restrict operations in RussiaCoca-Cola, PepsiCo and McDonald’s join list of companies suspending operations in Russia

Impossible Foods has appointed former Chobani president and COO, Peter McGuinness, as its new CEO, effective April 4. McGuinness has 30 years of consumer expertise, most recently at Chobani, where he scaled operations and drove business growth. Impossible Foods, the producer of meat-free products such as the Impossible Burger, Impossible Sausage and Impossible Meatballs, is expanding its leadership team due to its rapidly accelerating product pipeline and continued global expansion. Pat Brown, current CEO and founder of Impossible Foods, said: "Peter and I will work together to lead Impossible and its long-term strategy, combining our complementary strengths and experience. Peter will be our CEO and a director and will report to the board. I will continue in my role as founder and director, and take on the role of chief visionary officer reporting to the board, leading research and technology innovation, strategic initiatives, public advocacy and, most importantly, our mission." Last year, Impossible Foods secured $500m in a funding round.

Packaging supplier Wipak UK has announced the launch of a new recyclable paper wrap for butter that can be recycled at kerbside within the paper waste stream. The packaging solution, which is claimed to be the UK's first recyclable paper butter wrap, has a 68% carbon footprint reduction compared to other wraps in the market. The new paper wrap is made from renewable, FSC-certified paper that is aluminium-free, covered in ultra-thin natural coatings and has superior grease resistance. Wipak UK’s technical development manager, Keith Gater, said: “Most butter wraps in the UK market are made of parchment paper or a grease-resistant paper which is commonly made into composite laminates with aluminium and polyethylene. Although made from renewable resources, coated parchment papers do not promote a circular economy as they’re not easily recyclable." “Unlike existing butter wraps on the market which are complex material structures, our consumer-friendly paper solution is fully recyclable within the kerbside paper and cardboard waste stream once it has been cleaned. What’s more, it maintains the look and feel of a traditional butter wrap, can be fully printed with brand imagery, and runs on existing butter wrap machinery.” He continued: “With growing pressure from consumers, brands and retailers need to take decisive action with disruptive sustainable packaging solutions that challenge traditional methods. Solutions like Wipak UK’s butter wrap will not only have significant environmental benefits but will help to keep brands relevant in an increasingly competitive market."

TricorBraun Flex, a division of packaging solutions company TricorBraun, has launched a new fully-compostable, plant-based packaging bag. The high-barrier packaging solution, Biotré 3.0, has been awarded the BPI Certification Mark from the Biodegradable Products Institute and is available for speciality food and snacks, coffee, pet treats and nutraceuticals. It is made from high-barrier materials which prevents penetration of water, oil, oxygen, gas and light. The packaging can also be disposed of in composting bins for industrial composting, which contributes to TricorBraun's sustainability goals. Glenn Sacco, vice president, commercial at TricorBraun Flex, commented: "We’re proud to have this distinction from the Biodegradable Products Institute for our Biotré 3.0 product. TricorBraun is committed to pursuing sustainable packaging." He continued: "Since we first developed Biotré in 2011, we’ve continually worked to improve it to provide our customers with packaging options that help to protect both product and planet. Biotré 3.0 is the leading product in the market for customers seeking a fully compostable, high barrier, plant-based package."

FoodBev Media’s Lauren Ford rounds up this week’s food and beverage news, including: Omya acquires Prima Inter-Chem; Louis Dreyfus enters plant protein market with new R&D facility; Fonterra and Future Consumer to scrap joint venture; and more. You’ll find all this and more in this week’s podcast – click here to subscribe.

Local Bounti has acquired indoor farming company Pete's for $122.5 million, in a move to advance its growing technologies. Based in California, Pete's is the operating name for Hollandia Produce Group and has three greenhouse growing facilities, including two operating facilities in California and one under construction in Georgia. The company produces leafy greens such as living butter lettuce, packaged salads and cress. Local Bounti, a US-based agriculture company, plans to install its patent-pending 'Stack & Flow' technology across Pete's facilities. The 'Stack and Flow' technology leverages the best of vertical and green growing capabilities and reduces the environmental impact of facilities. Craig Hurlbert, co-CEO of Local Bounti, said: "This synergistic acquisition is a unique opportunity to combine a highly-complementary and profitable CEA market leader in Pete's with Local Bounti's technological solutions to significantly accelerate market access for our superior produce varieties and create one of the largest CEA companies in the United States." The acquisition will also expand Local Bounti's global reach and distributive footprint.

Turkish grocery delivery company, Getir, has secured $768 million in a Series E funding round to support its growth ambitions. The funding, which brought Getir's total capital raised to $11.8 billion, was led by Abu Dhabi investment firm, Mubadala Investment Company, and included participation from Abu Dhabi Growth Fund (ADG), Alpha Wave Global, Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global. Founded in 2015, Getir has a presence in 81 cities in Turkey and 48 cities across Europe and the US. The company, which has grown a total network of 1,100 g-stores around the world, will use the funds to continue its growth within the countries it operates. Getir's founder, Nazim Salur, said: “We are defining the ultrafast delivery sector and this latest round of funding is a testament to Getir’s position as industry pioneer. In such an exciting and competitive market we cannot afford to stand still. This investment will enable us to further develop our proposition and technology, as well as invest in our employees to continue to attract the best talent.” Ibrahim Ajami, Mubadala's head of ventures and growth, added: “Groceries represent one of the largest offline to online opportunities globally, led by fast-changing consumer habits which have accelerated online purchasing adoption. We believe Getir will continue to prove to be an industry leader as it expands into new categories and geographies."

Hometown Food Company is expanding its portfolio with the release of new frozen pancakes under its Hungry Jack and Pillsbury Baking Funfetti brands. Hungry Jack frozen pancakes are now available in regular size, buttermilk and chocolate chip flavours and mini buttermilk size while Funfetti frozen pancakes are available in a mini buttermilk size, regular and unicorn. The frozen pancakes can be heated up in the microwave or in a conventional oven. Dan Anglemyer, COO of Hometown Food Company, commented: "Morning breakfast consumption at home has increased in the past few years, as more people work from home. Hometown recognises the need for a quick, hot breakfast, so we are bringing our signature pancake mix to life in the frozen breakfast aisle. By introducing frozen pancakes under both the Hungry Jack and Funfetti brands, we are bringing options for all members of the family." Hungry Jack and Funfetti frozen pancakes are available nationwide across the US for an MSRP ranging from $2.99 to $3.49 per pack.

German steam technology company Certuss has introduced a new electric steam generator, the Certuss E320MX. The new Generation E generator is said to offer a compact design, enabling space savings. It is also modularly expandable for capacities from 10 to 320 kg/h. Through Certuss Plug & Play, the unit is said to offer high efficiency. Moreover, the Certuss E320MX can be used with a wide range of applications thanks to its operating pressure of up to 16 bar. Holger Deimann, global sales and marketing director for Certuss, told FoodBev: “With the new Generation E from Certuss, customers in the process industry will perfectly master the balancing act between energy transition and sustainability with simultaneous process reliability. The high degree of automation of Certuss steam boilers and the simple control with remote access is unchallenged.”

US retail technology firm, AiFi, has raised $65 million in a Series B funding round to strengthen its autonomous retail position. The funding round featured participation from Aldi South Group, Żabka Group, Rewe, Verizon Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures LLC, among others. Founded in 2016, AiFi is an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that allows retailers to deploy autonomous shopping solutions. The company works with top retailers, such as Aldi South Group, Carrefour, Compass Group and Żabka Group. According to AiFi, the round, which brings the company's total funding to $80 million, will be used to expand its technical team "to cater to the surging demand for AiFi's solution". AiFi's CEO and co-founder, Steve Gu, said: "The pandemic heavily influenced consumer preferences, including the need for quicker, more seamless shopping experiences. It's become clear that shoppers are ready for autonomous retail and AiFi is here to deliver." "We relentlessly improve our AI algorithms to ensure we have a strong foundation to support our platform, and the success we've seen with diverse store formats, speed of deployment and a frictionless customer experience attests to the flexibility and maturity our product has achieved." He continued: "We have deepened our partnerships with some of the world's largest retailers that share a vision of innovation. With this latest round of funding, we'll be able to scale our partnerships and launch customised stores in record time to bring us closer to our vision of using AI to simplify people's busy lives." AiFi's technology is being deployed in a wide range of store formats, including grocery stores, sports stadiums, canteens, convenience stores at universities, and more. The company claims its advanced tracking algorithms can scale up to 10,000 square feet to accommodate various shopper journeys, including app, credit card and gated or hybrid entry.

Swiss producer of industrial minerals, Omya, has acquired distributor of ingredients and speciality chemicals, Prima Inter-Chem, as it looks to strengthen its growth in the Asia Pacific region. The acquisition will boost Omya's distribution capability for the food, pharmaceutical, animal feed and industrial sectors within Malaysia and Indonesia while establishing a platform for growth for the wider region. Prima Inter-Chem is a major distributor of chemicals, excipients, ingredients and additives for various industries. The company has facilities in Shah Alam, Penang and Johor in Malaysia, and Jakarta in Indonesia. Khoo Kah Pheng and Lim Kooi Fui, founders and shareholders of Prima Inter-Chem, said: "We are very pleased to have found a great harbour for the team and business we have built over the last 38 years. We believe that Omya is the best partner to take Prima to the next level of growth and success in Asia."