UK supermarket chain Morrisons has announced that it is scrapping 'use by' dates on 90% of its milk in favour of customers using the sniff test. This has been enforced to help reduce food waste in the home, with Morrisons anticipating the move will prevent millions of pints of milk from being discarded every year. The ‘use by’ dates will be scrapped from Morrisons own-brand British and Scottish milk, Morrisons For Farmers milk and Morrisons organic milk in-store, which are supplied by Arla farmers. Morrisons South West milk and The Best Jersey milk remain unchanged. The company scrapped ‘use by’ dates across some of its own-brand yogurt and hard cheese ranges back in 2020. Morrisons will continue to show 'best before' dates on its milk packaging to indicate to consumers when they should drink it by in order to get the best taste. Ian Goode, senior milk buyer at Morrisons, said: “Wasted milk means wasted effort by our farmers and unnecessary carbon being released into the atmosphere. Good quality well-kept milk has a good few days life after normal ‘use by’ dates – and we think it should be consumed not tipped down the sink. So we’re taking a bold step today and asking customers to decide whether their milk is still good to drink. Generations before us have always used the sniff test – and I believe we can too". The chain has issued instructions for testing milk. For example, if it smells sour then it may have spoiled or if you can see that it has curdled, then it is not fit for consumption. The move aims to support Morrisons' commitment to reducing its food waste in stores by 50% by 2030.

Santa Margherita USA, a subsidiary of Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo, has acquired majority ownership of Roco Winery. Founded in 2001, Roco Winery produces a wide range of wines, including pinot noir, chardonnay and sparkling varieties. The winery is located in the Willamette Valley region in Oregon. "When we started Santa Margherita USA, our vision was to create a robust and relevant wine company featuring the best of key regions," said Vincent Chiaramonte, president and CEO of Santa Margherita USA. Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo's chairman of the board, Gaetano Marzotto, added: "Our affinity and admiration for the US made the location of our first international winery venture a natural choice. The US marketplace is dynamic, and we believe in the quality of Oregon wines, specifically from the Willamette Valley region." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

'Smart' beverage dispensing company Bevi has unveiled a new smart water dispenser, allowing consumers to customise filtered and sparkling waters to their preference. Bevi's Standup 2.0 enables users to tailor filtered and sparkling water by changing temperature, carbonation level, flavours and enhancements, such as vitamins and electrolytes. Bevi's co-founder and CEO, Sean Grundy, said: "Our new Standup 2.0 is the water machine that we wanted to bring to life when founding Bevi eight years ago. However, we didn't have the resources and the world-class engineering team needed to make it happen until more recently." He continued: "When we launched our 1.0 machine, our goal was to match the quality and convenience of bottled water and seltzer. The purpose of 2.0 is to offer a superior, customised, fun way to drink water that simply can't be matched by bottled beverages." The new machine helps to reduce the dependence on single-use bottles and cans by delivering filtered, sparkling and naturally-flavoured water on tap.

US Beverage has formed a joint venture to acquire Utah's largest independent craft brewer, Uinta Brewing, as it looks to expand both companies. Connecticut-based sales and marketing company US Beverage represents premium import, craft, cider and speciality malt beverages, and provides a national distribution network for global brands such as Innis & Gunn, Moosehead Lager and Malibu Splash sparkling malt beverages. Uinta Brewing Company, located in Salt Lake City, produces a wide assortment of beers, including Cutthroat Pale Ale, Detour Double IPA and Lime Pilsner. Justin Fisch, president of US Beverage, commented: "Uinta is a strong brand with a state-of-the-art brewery. The team and culture that has been developed over the years is second to none in the industry. The acquisition of Uinta creates tremendous opportunities and synergies and we share a robust strategic vision for the future." Details of the transaction have not been disclosed, but both companies have confirmed that Uinta leadership, operations and staff will remain in place.

Danone-owned International Delight has partnered with Warner Bros. Consumer Products to release a limited-edition Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgy Caramel Creamers. The new "Willy Wonka-inspired" flavour is available in both traditional and zero-sugar varieties. Both offerings are available at major retailers nationwide in 32oz bottles for an SRP of $3.79. "With our new Wonka Whipple Scrumptious Fudgy Caramel Creamers, we're bringing a world of pure imagination to our flavour-obsessed Creamer Nation fans, delivering the magic of Willy Wonka's iconic Chocolate Factory," said Olivia Sanchez, VP of marketing for International Delight. Last year, International Delight teamed up with Hershey's-owned brand Reese's to launch a new ready-to-drink iced coffee mashup.

Danone North America has expanded its Silk portfolio with new Silk Extra Creamy Almond milk, joining the brand's extensive alt-dairy range. The new plant-based release is made with a blend of three different kinds of almonds for a silky-smooth taste and apparently has 50% more calcium than reduced-fat milk, zero grams of cholesterol and is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin E. The milk is available in Unsweet and Original variations and will join the company's range of almond products, which includes beverages, coffee creamers and yoghurt alternatives. Derek Neeley, vice president of marketing for Silk, said: "We’re thrilled to introduce Silk Extra Creamy Almond milk to Silk’s almond portfolio, just in time for the new year. Almond is a great way to start your plant-based journey and our new Extra Creamy almond milk, along with our almond-based coffee creamers and yogurt alternatives, offers options to incorporate plant-based products throughout the day." The new launch is available for an RRP of $3.49 per carton in the US.

Indian snack company Haldiram’s Nagpur is investing more than INR 1 billion ($13.6 million approx.) to build a manufacturing facility for long-shelf-life dairy products. SIG is partnering with Haldiram's to help expand the company's footprint from its existing markets of Maharashtra, Goa and Chhattisgarh by supplying the firm with a high-speed CFA 1224 filling machine for combiblocXSlim carton packs. SIG’s high-speed filling machine is said to be able to fill 24,000 carton packs per hour. “SIG offered us state-of-the-art technology with full flexibility of nine volume sizes on one filling machine, all at high speed," said Haldiram’s Nagpur director, Sushil Agarwal. "This gives us a lot of options to pack a variety of products in a huge number of different packaging formats and sizes. And even more, the elegant, slim carton packs are very attractive and stand out on the shelf.” According to SIG, Haldiram’s Nagpur is also aiming to launch a wide range of ethnic dairy and non-dairy products, and will leverage its existing retail network and distribution capabilities. Haldiram’s Nagpur marketing director, Neeraj Agarwal, added: “With SIG, we know that we will be able to extend this in a big way into the ethnic beverages category. We will be able to introduce beverages that consumers really enjoy, in the right-sized packaging that suits different consumption occasions.” The offerings will include buttermilk, which will be under the name Matka Jhatka, sold in 200ml combiblocXSlim carton packs, along with Aam Panna, Jal Jeera, a variety of lassi products.

Japanese professor Homei Miyashita has developed a lickable TV screen, that can imitate food flavours, in a move to create a multi-sensory viewing experience, according to Reuters. The device, named Taste the TV (TTTV), uses a conveyor belt of ten flavour canisters that spray in a particular combination to create the taste of a food. The flavour sample then rolls on hygienic film over a flat TV screen for the consumer to sample. Meiji University professor, Homei Miyashita, said in a statement to Reuters: "In the Covid-19 era, this kind of technology can enhance the way people connect and interact with the outside world. The goal is to make it possible for people to have the experience of something like eating at a restaurant on the other side of the world, even while staying at home." Miyashita works with a team of approximately 30 students that has produced an assortment of flavour-related devices, including a fork that apparently makes food taste richer. The professor built the TTTV prototype himself during the past year and commented that a commercial version would cost an estimated JPY 100,000 ($875) to make.

Simmons Foods has announced that it plans to invest $100 million to expand its prepared foods operation in Van Buren, Arkansas, US. The project will add 65,000 square feet to the existing facility to make way for two new highly automated production and packaging lines. The plans also include enhanced interior spaces within the site for workers and improved traffic flow in and around the plant. Simmons Foods' Van Buren site currently consists of three production lines, producing approximately 110 million pounds of fully cooked chicken products annually. The expansion will increase annual production capacity by an estimated 100 million pounds. The company currently employs approximately 600 team members at this location. Simmons Foods' subsidiary, Simmons Prepared Foods, is a farm-to-fork poultry producer based in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, that primarily supplies chicken products for the foodservice industry. Joel Sappenfield, president of Simmons Prepared Foods, said: “This investment will create 100 new jobs, including highly skilled positions to support robotics and automation processes. The expansion will also support growth in the local economy and assist in meeting market demand for one of the fastest-growing segments of the business – cooked products." The company expects to break ground on the project this month and have production online by the first quarter of 2023.

Pladis has unveiled its newest product launch in the UK with McVitie's Blissfuls biscuit sharing pouches in two flavour variations. The new release comprises McVitie’s biscuits, encasing a Belgian milk chocolate cream centre – flavoured with either hazelnut or caramel – then topped with a crunchy and golden-baked biscuit lid. David Titman, McVitie’s marketing director at Pladis UK, said: “Created especially for sharing, our latest innovation is just the moreish special treat to shake up the evening snacking occasion by boosting relevance for sweet biscuits during these moments. As the market leader in innovation, we’re committed to broadening appeal for the McVitie’s brand with a line-up of NPD that takes our beloved biscuits to even more consumers and eating occasions. With extremely positive feedback from trials already under our belt, now we can’t wait to see what shoppers think of McVitie’s Blissfuls.” McVitie’s Blissfuls are available in 228g sharing pouches in Sainsbury’s, with further rollout across most major retailers expected in January and February. Two variants, McVitie’s Blissfuls Belgian Milk Chocolate & Caramel and McVitie’s Blissfuls Belgian Milk Chocolate & Hazelnut will retail at an RRP of £2.59.

Rotunda Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in Siegel Egg, a distributor of bakery ingredients throughout New England and New York. Siegel Egg operates out of a 171,000-square-foot facility in Billerica, Massachusetts, distributing over 2,300 SKUs to customers in New England and New York. The company supplies products to commercial, in-store, wholesale and foodservice bakeries. Dan Lipson, Rotunda partner, said: “We believe long-term market tailwinds, including increased focus on supply chain simplification and reliability as well as growing demand for speciality bakery products, offer a unique opportunity to invest in a regional leader like Siegel. We are eager to invest in the management team and work in partnership as we seek to drive value creation, accelerate organic growth and pursue add-on acquisitions.” The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

US vodka producer Victor George Spirits (VGS) has acquired a majority stake in Palm Beach Distillery, as it looks to become "the largest black-owned spirits company in the world by 2025". Founded in 2017, Palm Beach Distillery, which is said to be Florida’s first female-operated distillery, manufactures vodka, rum and gin, and will begin producing several new VGS products, such as Pullman Porters 1867 rye whiskey and Fort Mose' bourbon. According to VGS, Pullman Porters 1867 is a six year-aged rye whiskey named after former slaves that became the highest-paid black people of the 1860s. Meanwhile, Fort Mose' bourbon is named after the first US city where black people could live freely, located outside of St Augustine, Florida. The new brands will be released in February 2022 in honour of Black History Month. "This is very exciting for our team at Victor George Spirits as we continue to expand our footprint across the US," said VGS founder, Victor G Harvey. "We are rapidly adding to our quality portfolio of brands and will be acquiring additional distilleries with a plan to be the largest black-owned spirits company in the world by 2025." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.