The Kraft Heinz Company has completed its acquisition of an 85% stake in Just Spices, with the remaining 15% stake being retained by its founders. Just Spices is a German start-up with over 170 products in its portfolio, including spice blends, salad dressings, easy-to-prepare “In Minutes” blends and organic offerings. The company's growing business sells approximately 70% of its produce directly to consumers, with remaining sales distributed in major grocery retailers throughout Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland. Rafael Oliveira, president of international markets at Kraft Heinz, said: "With Just Spices, we will leverage Kraft Heinz’s scale and agility to accelerate the business in the fast-growing taste elevation market beyond the company’s current German base and its recent market entries in Spain, Austria and Switzerland. We also see tremendous potential to further strengthen and enhance Kraft Heinz’s own direct-to-consumer operations and go-to-market expansion." The initial deal was announced back in December last year.

Organic alcohol platform Flying Embers has closed a multimillion-dollar Series C funding round, led by Beam Suntory. The company raised $20 million during the round, which will be used to accelerate the growth of Flying Embers' current brand portfolio as it scales its operations and searches for premium hand-crafted natural and organic drink options. In addition, Flying Embers will invest in the growing hard kombucha and hard seltzer categories, and further support its sales infrastructure for wholesale and retail partners. The round also included follow-on investments from Power Plant Ventures, Quadrant Capital, Monogram Cap, and Beechwood Capital. “We are starting the year with strong momentum behind our platform of breakthrough premium brands. Our total business grew over 93% last year as we focused on expanding our placements in key accounts. Hard kombucha continues to scale nationally, outperforming general alcohol trends as early adopting markets and retailers have bet big on beyond-beer categories,” said Bill Moses, founder and CEO of Flying Embers. He added: “Our organic hard seltzers alone have grown by more than 284% this year. Despite what seems to be a category shakeout, consumers continue to seek out sophisticated flavour combinations and quality plant-based ingredients. We are poised to expand our existing kombucha and differentiated seltzer brands through our robust national distributor network, while continuing to test innovations in 2022. With this latest round of funding, Flying Embers is well-positioned to further disrupt beyond-beer categories and scale the business nationally in 2022 and beyond.” In November 2019, Fermented Sciences, the maker of hard kombucha brand Flying Embers, closed a $25 million Series B funding round.

Ireland-based yogurt producer Nomadic Dairy has introduced a new limited-edition addition to its Yogurt & Oat Clusters range. The new Honeycomb and Chocolate variation features a combination of honeycomb pieces and chocolate oat clusters, paired with a separate pot of Nomadic’s live yogurt. This will be the first limited edition flavour release which is part of Nomadic's planned distribution of limited edition flavours throughout the year, although it could also become a permanent addition to the range. Bethan Miles, brand manager at Nomadic Dairy, said: "Our Yogurt & Clusters range has been a runaway success for years now, but our market research recently found that customers wanted to see new flavours. It therefore made sense to create this deliciously indulgent limited edition - especially given the high demand for such flavours across all food categories." The release will be available for an RRP of £1.55 per 169g in nationwide retailers such as Boots, Costcutter, Nisa, Sainsbury's and Spar.

Swedish better-for-you snacks brand Nick's has announced the release of six new light ice cream pints in the US. Nick's new flavours include: Rocky Fjord, which contains chocolate ice cream, nuts and marshmallows; Campfire S'mörgs, a marshmallow ice cream with chocolate chunks and graham crackers; Swedish Munchies, a vanilla and chocolate ice cream with chunks of cookie dough and brownies; Raspbär Swirl, a vanilla ice cream swirled with tart raspberries and chocolate; Hazelnöt Kram, a hazelnut ice cream mixed with chocolate chunks; and Strawbär Cheesecake, a cheesecake ice cream mixed with strawberries and graham crackers. Nick's light ice cream contains fewer net carbs, no added sugar and around 260 - 420 calories per pint. Last year, Nick's raised $100 million in a Series C funding round to expand its portfolio and distribution.

Vintage Wine Estates has acquired US winery Meier’s Wine Cellars (doing business as Meier’s Beverage Group), as it looks to expand its ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage production. Founded in 1895 in Silverton, Ohio, Meier's produces, bottles, imports and markets speciality alcohol and non-alcohol products. The company, the oldest and largest winery in Ohio, owns a bonded winery, brewery and distilled spirits plant with processing and bottling capabilities, which include three bottling lines and a beverage canning line that produces over 800,000 cases annually. Meier's generated around $18 million in revenue last year, and the acquisition was valued at approximately eight times more than Meier's adjusted EBITDA. Pat Roney, CEO of Vintage Wine Estates, commented: “Vintage Wine Estates has a longstanding relationship with Meier’s and has been a spirits client for many years. We know their operation to be among the most well-managed in the business. We are particularly excited about their expertise in RTD wine and beverage alcohol production and plan to expand our RTD production, including Ace Cider products, at their facility.” Meier’s president, Paul Lux, added: “We were attracted to the opportunity to join Vintage Wine Estates because we expect the combination to accelerate cash flow growth from stronger operating leverage while also expanding our capabilities and market reach. Meier’s brings technical strength, increased capacity, and deeper Midwest geographic access to the broader brand equity and scale of Vintage Wine Estates.”

Coca-Cola has unveiled its newest variation to add to its extensive Coca-Cola Flavours range, with the release of Coffee Mocha. The newest launch incorporates the Coca-Cola taste infused with a rich coffee flavour. The Coca-Cola with Coffee Mocha release will join the already available Dark Blend, Vanilla, Caramel and Vanilla Zero Sugar offerings. The addition will be debuted alongside Coca-Cola Flavour's new look which features vibrant coloured cans and a bold logo positioned at the top of the packaging that "brings a modern edge to the same great tastes". The rollout of the new flavours packaging includes all Coca-Cola and Coke Zero Sugar Flavours and variants, including Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Vanilla, Coca-Cola Cherry Vanilla, and their zero sugar and calorie-free counterparts.

Swiss vending and automation company, Invenda Group, has raised CHF 7 million (approx. $7.59 million) in a funding round, which will support growth in sales and development. Available in 14 countries, Invenda develops software and hardware for vending machines, smart kiosks and digital signage. The funding round was led by former Emmi CEO Walter Huber and financial specialist Gregor Greber. Invenda says the funding will bolster confidence among core investors in both its corporate culture and global expansion plans. "Our goal was to collect 3 million francs by the end of 2021, but now the amount is more than double," said Invenda's founder and CEO Jon Brezinski. “We are changing the way customers are engaged, creating smarter ways to manage inventory and maintenance, and using our imaginations to expand the entire industry.”

Grupo Costa has acquired Juan Luna, a company specialising in sliced cold meats and cheese and meat snacks, in a move to strengthen its presence in the pre-packaged food market. Juan Luna has been added to the Costa Food Group holding, a national meat purveyor that currently supplies 'Iberico' and white pork, chicken and turkey. Jorge Costa, CEO of the Costa Food Group, said: "The acquisition of Juan Luna allows us to strengthen our options in the pre-packaged food market and also to extend our ranges. It will undoubtedly boost our growth, as it is a leading company in cutting, slicing and packaging. This incorporation is key to bringing continuity to our commitment to being closer to the end consumer." The Juan Luna plant in Sollana (Valencia, Spain) produces pre-packaged, ready-to-eat meat and cheese products in different formats such as sliced, cuts, diced, wedges, cheeseboards and presentation cases. Costa Food Group operates under multiple companies, including Piensos Costa, Costa Food Meat, Casademont and Industrias Cárnicas Villar.

Retail and online grocer of premium Korean food products, Wooltari USA, has acquired Korean start-up KPOP Foods, for an undisclosed sum. KPOP Foods offers Korean food products and collaborates with key distributors to bring its sauces and seaweed snacks to 3,000 retailers nationwide. Wooltari USA has partnerships with Korean food manufacturers, an operations hub fulfilling thousands of orders per day and a logistics network offering one-day delivery in major cities with one-to-three-day shipping nationwide. The company's aim is to make high-quality Korean food accessible to everyone. Theo Lee, co-founder and CEO of KPOP Foods, said: "We share a common vision and our teams possess expertise and knowledge in complementary areas. Together, we're excited to influence the future of Korean food in the US." The acquisition will enhance KPOP Foods' capabilities in product development, sourcing and operations to expand its distribution and services.

PepsiCo has introduced a new addition to its SodaStream's portfolio of sparkling water makers, called the Art. The Art features Sodastream's new Quick Connect technology for an easy cylinder insertion and comes with a BPA free one-litre reusable bottle, saving single-use plastic bottles. According to the company, the machine features a "slim silhouette, retro design, stainless-steel trim and a unique carbonating lever". “We really enjoyed designing the Art and believe it will be a showstopper in any kitchen,” said Mark Fenton, general manager at SodaStream US. “In addition to the new, sophisticated look, consumers can rely on the ease-of-use and...quality they have come to know and love with SodaStream.” SodaStream the Art is available in black and white at Bed Bath & Beyond retailers for $129.99, with the addition of two more colours, misty blue and mandarin red, coming in March via "other retailers nationwide".

Once Again Nut Butter has expanded its portable, organic snack range with the addition of new gluten-free graham cracker sandwiches. The new releases are available in peanut butter and sunflower seed butter flavours. The brand's high-quality, sustainably sourced nut and seed butters are combined with its graham crackers, made from a blend of organic sorghum flour, organic oat flour and organic cassava flour. These are then filled with dry roasted blanched organic peanuts or dry roasted organic sunflower seeds. The clean-ingredient product uses RSPO certified palm oil to stabilize the spreads and is made with sustainably sourced cane sugar. They're also vegan, kosher certified and non-GMO verified. Gael J. B. Orr, director of marketing at Once Again Nut Butter, said: "Our nut and seed butters have always been an awesome ingredient choice to create plant-based snacks with, so we couldn’t be more excited to introduce these ready-to-enjoy graham cracker sandwiches to market. Designed to appeal to all ages, the portable snacks can be eaten straight off the shelf, no peanut-butter stirring or sunflower-butter spreading needed and they’re surprisingly filling and tasty." Once Again’s graham cracker sandwiches will be available in US retailers nationwide in March 2022.

Multivac Sepp Haggenmüller SE & Co has announced it has acquired the complete holdings of TVI Entwicklung und Produktion. TVI, which specialise in portioning machines and complete portioning lines, has been part of the Multivac Group since 2017. The company's product range includes solutions for tempering, freezing, pressing, portioning and automating, as well as for winding grill sticks and producing kebab skewers. Christian Traumann, joint group president of Multivac, commented: "By acquiring the complete holdings of TVI, we are underlining the strategic importance of TVI within the group. The company is an essential component for the further alignment of Multivac as a complete supplier of packaging and processing solutions." Traumann continued: "This is also shown by the investment in TVI's new site in Bruckmühl, which offers the ideal conditions for further sustainable growth and which makes it possible to systematically expand TVI's leading position in the meat portioning sector".