US truffle bar producer Honey Mama's has released two new dessert-inspired bars to add to its portfolio of sweet treats. The new additions include a Chocolate Cake Cocoa Truffle Bar and a Birthday Cake Blonde Truffle Bar. The two new offerings are the first to debut as part of the brand's new 'cake' series. The chocolate cake bar features coconut-pecan frosting and the birthday cake bar, which uses no cocoa, contains rainbow confetti sprinkles. Christy Goldsby, founder of Honey Mama's, said: "Creatively, we were inspired by the feeling of joy and specialness associated with birthday cake. Our challenge was to create a clean ingredient version of this universally loved dessert, which led to the creation of the first cocoa-less truffle bar in our history. Our 'blonde' truffle bar is inspired by the mouthwatering visual delight of birthday cake and frosting. What an absolute treat to introduce something so unique that captures the pure joy of birthday cake, while celebrating the nourishing superfood ingredients at the center of our brand." Honey Mama's new launches are available in-store exclusively at Sprouts Farmers Market as well as online on the brand's website.

Belgian Boys has secured $7 million in a funding round led by Equilibra Ventures, a start-up incubation and investment platform created by Kind Snacks' founder Daniel Lubetzky. Belgian Boys is a woman-owned business that offers breakfasts, stroopwafels, cookies and desserts. The investment will help Belgian Boys become a global brand. Anouck Gotlib, Belgian Boys' founder, said: "Even though breakfast is part of our daily routines, Americans have been conditioned to 'stock up' on frozen breakfast items that you would typically find chilled in Belgium. We're excited to see success bringing this same placement in the US, where we consumers are increasingly looking for tasty and convenient optionality beyond the typical American breakfast of eggs and bacon." The company's snacks are already available at major retailers, such as Target and Walmart. In February, the company launched "toaster ready" brioche French toast.

Danone-owned Activia has released a new drinkable yogurt, designed to support the immune system Activia+ Multi-Benefit contains billions of live active probiotics to support gut health, as well as vitamins C, D and zinc to strengthen the immune system. The drinkable yogurts, which contain 9g of sugar and 70 calories, are available in three flavours: strawberry, peach and raspberry. Kallie Goodwin, VP of family & wellness brands at Danone North America, said: "At Danone, we know good gut health is the gateway to a variety of health benefits and overall well-being. We also know that consumers are becoming increasingly interested in both gut health and foods that help support the immune system." She continued: "Our new innovation, Activia+, comes at the perfect time as, now more than ever, people are turning to functional foods and products for the extra support of their gut and immune system". Activia+ is available at selected retailers across the US, including Kroger, Target and Publix for an RRP of $4.59 per 6-pack.

FrieslandCampina has reported moderate declining markets in its full-year results due to lasting effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Dutch dairy giant's full-year reported revenue increased by 3.2% to €11.5 billion. This was primarily driven by "higher commodity dairy prices, price increases and the cautious recovery of out-of-home business in Europe". The company's food and beverage unit revenue increased by 4.3%, taking its total to €7.9 billion compared to €7.6 billion the previous year. This was partly due to higher basic dairy prices. FrieslandCampina saw a significant decrease in its specialised nutrition unit by 3.5% to €1.2 billion, which the company says was impacted by declining birth rates in the Asian market due to the pandemic. The decrease in infant nutrition unit revenue was offset by growth in the company's premium ingredients unit – and the positive performance of the medical, seniors and sports nutrition segments – which saw a moderate increase of 1.5% to €1.3 billion. Hein Schumacher, CEO of FrieslandCampina, commented: "The year in which we celebrated our 150th anniversary, the result, and therefore the subsequent cash payment to members, still fell short of our objectives. However, we did make excellent progress in strengthening the company’s foundation. The cost-saving measures were effectively implemented and completed ahead of schedule. Excellent results were obtained across the entire line in relation to sustainability. The adopted new member financing has strengthened the company’s equity." He continued: "At the same time, infant nutrition activities were under severe pressure and consequently the results of our ingredients and specialised nutrition business as well. A declining market due to a strong decrease in the birth rate and strong local competition were the key reasons for a weak start to the year. This was contrasted by sharp growth in revenue and an improved result for FrieslandCampina Professional, particularly in the second half of 2021. "

Selecta has partnered with Swiss coffee machine manufacturer, Thermoplan, to "further optimise" the company's Starbucks coffee solutions. Founded in 1974, Thermoplan entered into the coffee machine industry in 1995 and is claimed to be the first company to develop the milk frother. Thermoplan's coffee machines will be available exclusively for Selecta's We Proudly Serve Starbucks Coffee Programme, offering the opportunity to optimise its range. “The one and only purpose of our business is making people feel great...And this means, if you want a really good cup of coffee, you will get it...high-quality beans, hand-selected roasts, best machines, served to perfection,” said Tjerry Sanders, category manager at Selecta. Last week, Selecta partnered with Red Bull to strengthen the energy drink brand’s distribution.

The Coca-Cola Company has added to its Schweppes portfolio with the introduction of a new bottled grapefruit flavour. Schweppes Grapefruit Slimline Tonic is a "dry and crisp tonic with a deep citrus taste". According to the company, the new tonic was created in response to changing drinking habits and the new grapefruit innovation feeds consumer demand for fresh, fruity citrus flavours in time for summer. The release is available for an RRP of £1.60 in a 1-litre PET bottle and has been launched in Asda.

Pernod Ricard has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in French winery Château Sainte Marguerite. Château Sainte Marguerite's wines will enhance Pernod's luxury portfolio, joining the company's Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. The winery will continue to function with its current teams. Château Sainte Marguerite's founder, Jean-Pierre Fayard, said: “Château Sainte Marguerite is one of the 18 prestigious 'cru classé' wines of Provence and we are delighted to pass another milestone in our development, both in France and internationally, thanks to the expertise of Pernod Ricard and its incredible distribution network”. Late last year, Pernod acquired a minority stake in wine and spirits company Sovereign Brands. The transaction is expected to be finalised within the next few months. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Danone has restructured its board of directors with the introduction of three new independent members. The company is welcoming Patrice Louvet, current president and CEO of Ralph Lauren; Géraldine Picaud, current CFO of Holcim; and Susan Roberts, professor of nutrition at Tufts University and co-director of the Tufts Institute for Global Obesity Research. Gilles Schnepp, chairman of the board, commented: "The decision to propose the appointment of Patrice Louvet, Géraldine Picaud and Susan Roberts is another step forward for Danone and its board renewal. They will bring their experience, as well as their internationally recognised expertise in consumer goods, health and nutrition, sustainability, finance and mergers and acquisitions. I would like to thank them, on behalf of the board of directors for their engagement and look forward to working with them." He continued: "Last year as a board we made clear our commitment to ensure our composition would comprise the right blend of capabilities, perspectives and experiences to support Danone’s performance. The appointment of Valerie Chapoulaud-Floquet, announced last December, and the proposed appointment of Patrice Louvet, Géraldine Picaud and Susan Roberts announced today delivers on that commitment." Last year, Danone announced that it would review the structure of its business and appointed Barry Callebaut boss, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, as its new CEO.

Premium yogurt producer Tims Dairy and Wilkin & Sons have collaborated on a limited-edition strawberry Greek yogurt. The Greek-style strawberry yogurt uses Wilkin & Sons' preserves brand, Tiptree's, strawberry jam with champagne conserve. Tims Dairy yogurts are bio-live made with live active cultures, fresh British milk and all-natural ingredients. The British brands have partnered on the new offering to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II this year. The single SKU 450g big pot is launching into Waitrose and Ocado and will be available this month.

Israeli start-up Phytolon has partnered with US biotech firm Ginkgo Bioworks to produce vibrant cultured food colours via yeast fermentation. Phytolon has developed a proprietary process for producing betalain pigments through precision fermentation of certain yeast strains. The company will have access to Ginkgo's bioengineering capabilities to produce vibrant betalain pigments – the healthy and colourful compounds found in foods such as beets and cactus fruit. The project will enhance Phytolon's colour portfolio across the full yellow-to-purple spectrum, as well as expand its vibrant colour offerings in the food and cosmetics sectors. Tal Zeltzer, co-founder and CTO of Phytolon, said: “We’re excited to work with Ginkgo to develop natural food colours that can potentially outperform conventional artificial dyes in cost and performance". She continued: "We believe biotechnology makes it possible to produce a wider range of colours than ever before that may outperform current benchmark colourants, and we look forward to building products that may meet and even exceed consumer expectations for healthier, sustainable foods, all while aiming to maintain industry requirements for high quality and cost-efficiency.”

US ice cream maker Alden's Organic has introduced five new frozen desserts, as it looks to tap into the growing plant-based food category. The new novelty offerings include four new dairy and gluten-free products, such as: dark chocolate almond bar, a dairy-free vanilla ice cream with organic dark chocolate and chunks of crunchy almonds; dark chocolate vanilla bar, a dairy-free vanilla ice cream dipped in organic dark chocolate; vanilla bean round sammie, a dairy-free vanilla bean dessert sandwiched between gluten-free chocolate cookie wafers; and coffee swirl bar, an ice cream mocha dessert with swirls of sweet dairy-free vanilla. Meanwhile, the strawberry cream swirl ice cream bar is a gluten-free fresh organic cream swirled with real strawberry sorbet. Alden's SVP of sales and marketing, Joelle Simmons, said: "Consumers are snacking more than ever, and they are reaching for portion-controlled novelties to satisfy cravings throughout the day. Our new novelties are a delicious way to add a moment of indulgence, joy or connection, and we have a variety of options that everyone can enjoy." She continued: "the plant-based category is only continuing to grow, and we want to stay at the forefront. It is important to us to develop allergen-friendly products with true-to-flavour taste and texture that fill a need for consumers and stand out from the competition." The frozen desserts are available at Sprouts and Natural Grocers stores nationwide for an SRP of $6.49.

Molson Coors Beverage Company is expanding its Vizzy Hard Seltzer portfolio with the introduction of Vizzy Mimosa Hard Seltzer. Inspired by the mimosa cocktail, the hard seltzer is made with real orange juice, mimosa-inspired flavours and antioxidant Vitamin C from the acerola fruit. The new product is available in four different variants – Strawberry Orange, Pineapple Orange, Peach Orange and Pomegranate Orange. The Vizzy Mimoa Hard Seltzer variety pack comes in 12-oz slim can 12-packs and is available now nationwide across the US.