Cargill has released a new Bright White chocolate solution, which the company says has an "extraordinary white colour".    “Nearly 20% of consumers state that the visual appeal of a product is the key factor influencing their purchase decision,” said Cathrin Simon, Cargill’s marketing manager for chocolate. “This reality gives new meaning to the saying that we ‘eat with our eyes.’” Matthieu Rouvillain, senior R&D manager at Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate, added: “Historically, white chocolate actually meant cream-coloured chocolate. Our new Bright White chocolate reimagines what is possible with a whiter-than-white recipe that truly dazzles.” In order to achieve the bright white colour, the Cargill team selected ingredients and used patented, proprietary processes to lighten the colour profile. The team says the chocolate provides a "round, balanced taste with a subtle vanilla flavour, and smooth, indulgent texture". Bright white chocolate has multiple applications, including bakery, cereals, confectionery, dairy, decorations, cereals, among others. It will be available in solid, liquid and easy-melt formats.

PepsiCo has pledged to help 50 million people gain ready access to nutritious food options by 2030 (against a 2020 baseline). The commitment will be achieved through the company's Food for Good food security programme and by expanding its affordable nutrition offerings as part of its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) strategy.  This new goal will take place alongside PepsiCo's Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge, committing $100 million in positive agriculture and food security initiatives by 2030. The Pledge includes training farmers, helping strengthen agricultural production, increasing crop yields and supporting the journey towards a more resilient food supply.  Established in the US, Food for Good is a childhood nutrition partnership with local leaders focused on collaborative, community-centric activities. Through the expansion of this programme, PepsiCo hopes to advance long-term food security for people of all ages.  Investments include: a $1 million grant to World Food Programme (WFP) to develop partnerships in the Middle East and North Africa, focused on improving food security needs of "communities affected by climate change, conflict, natural disasters and humanitarian crises"; and growth of the She Feeds the World project, which aims to ensure "gender equality and economic empowerment" of women in agriculture worldwide (expanding into Colombia, Nigeria, Turkey, Thailand and Vietnam in 2022).  Meanwhile, Quaker is partnering with regional non-governmental organisations CARE and Un Kilo de Ayuda to combat childhood malnutrition through programmes like Quaker Qrece – "a holistic intervention that provides a specialised food product and education in at-risk communities in Guatemala and Mexico". "The world is facing a dire global hunger crisis, which has only been exacerbated by the pandemic," said Jon Banner, executive vice president, PepsiCo global communications, and president of The PepsiCo Foundation. "As a leading global food and beverage company, we have a critical role to play in realising a more equitable global food system to ensure the communities we serve are free from hunger and malnutrition." He continued: "We are proud to leverage our global capabilities in collaboration with local community partners in new ways, but it is just one step in a long journey toward realising zero hunger and ensuring a sustainable future for all".  World Food Programme USA president and CEO, Barron Segar, added: "We are grateful to PepsiCo for their decade-long partnership and steadfast support as we work to defeat global hunger. PepsiCo's critical investments in sustainable agriculture and building the resilience of small-scale farmers are helping us make great progress in addressing the root causes of hunger." You may also like to read:  PepsiCo posts 11.6% net revenue growth in Q3 PepsiCo pledges to be “net water positive” by 2030 PepsiCo vows to cut sugar levels in sodas and launch healthier snacks in EU

Israeli 3D-printed meat alternative company Redefine Meat has launched plant-based lamb and beef whole cuts, which the company says are comparable to high-quality animal meat.  The whole cuts, launched under the company's New-Meat range, will first become available in high-end restaurants in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Isreal.  The meat substitute is made from a mix of "soy and pea protein, chickpeas, beetroot, nutritional yeasts and coconut fat, it mimics flank steak, which is also known as bavette," according to Reuters .  The New-Meat range also includes burgers, sausages, lamb kebabs, and ground beef, which the company claims will allow chefs to achieve "culinary versatility to incorporate plant-based meat into their menus". Eshchar Ben-Shitrit, CEO and co-founder of Redefine Meat, said: “Over the past few weeks at COP26, we’ve seen world leaders commit to landmark goals such as the elimination of all deforestation by 2030, which requires a significant reduction in global meat consumption. Redefine Meat has its eyes set on the real problem – not meat, but the way it’s produced. We have a genuine solution that today, not in 2030, preserves all the culinary aspects of meat we know and love, but eliminates cattle as a means of production. “We’ve achieved a level of superiority in taste and texture that surprised even some of the most recognised chefs in the world, and our unique technological capabilities enable us to replace every part of the cow for the first time. By continuing our close collaboration with the top-tier culinary world, we will accelerate our product rollout in the coming months – beginning with Europe and followed by the US and Asia – and launch within multiple distribution channels next year,” he added.

Blended and snacking cheese brand Ilchester has partnered with Marmite to launch a new product, the Marmite Cheddar Cheese Wedge.  Available in a 180g format, the new product will be available in 224 Waitrose stores across the UK.  "A slice of cheese with a scraping of Marmite on toast; cheese and Marmite sandwiches; toasties; cheese and Marmite muffins… the list of cheese and Marmite combinations is endless, but a cheddar cheese wedge with Marmite has never been done before, and with consumer demand strong for such a product, we thought that now more than ever was the time to create this tasty combination," said Dorota Dziedzic, assistant brand manager for Ilchester.  "With more people still working from home, savoury snack options are as popular as ever and we believe that our new Marmite Cheddar Cheese will hit the right spot with homeworkers, particularly as the cheese toastie was named earlier this year as the most popular snack during lockdown. Also, our Ilchester Marmite Cheese Bites are in the top five of popular adult snacking nets, with an 8.3% growth in sales in the latest 52 weeks. She continued: "When it comes to pairings, our new Marmite Cheddar Wedge will give a modern twist to the traditional cheese muffins, or will work as a new addition to puff pastry pinwheels. It's also perfect grated into dumplings served with braised Beef and Ale, washed down with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Or even just as a snack sliced off the wedge on its own!"

Barry Callebaut has launched a new dairy-free plant-based chocolate solution, Dairy-Free Compounds. The new solution joins the company's range of dairy-free chocolates, nuts, cocoa powders and cacao fruit experience ingredients. Dairy-Free Compounds provides a versatile solution that is 100% plant-based and dairy-free, offering a range of shelf-stable dark compounds suitable for the confection, snack and bakery categories, as well as dark low melt chunks designed for the ice cream market. The new range includes: Dark dairy-free EZ melt compound: For molding, enrobing, drizzling, bottoming, panning, and more Dark dairy-free compound chip/chunk: For baked goods Dark dairy-free compound soft chunk: For plant-based or allergen-free ice cream and frozen dairy Dark dairy-free compound soft shaped chunks: For customised inclusions Dark dairy-free bulk liquid: For large scale molding, enrobing, drizzling, bottoming “To support the plant-based revolution, we’re thrilled to introduce our latest offering, Dairy-Free Compounds,” said Laura Bergan, director, Barry Callebaut brand. “Recent successful plant-based launches met market demands with a flavour-first mentality, focusing on taste." She added: "At Barry Callebaut, we’ve taken the plant-based opportunity to a new level elevating products on indulgences that happen to be plant-based. We’re excited to see the industry expand product lines and introduce new innovative creations to cater to everyone’s lifestyle choice, across different generations.” You may also like to read: Barry Callebaut to acquire Belgian-based Europe Chocolate Company Barry Callebaut debuts Van Houten ruby chocolate drinking powder Danone names Barry Callebaut boss Antoine de Saint-Affrique as CEO

Plant-based meat producer Future Farm has secured £42 million in Series C funding, as it looks to enter new product categories and advance its technology. Since launching in Brazil in 2019, Future Farm has rolled out its products internationally and the brand is currently available in 24 countries. Future Farm’s portfolio includes plant-based burgers, sausages, meatballs, mince, ‘chick’n’ and ‘tvna’, and the company says its next move will be into the plant-based drinks and dairy categories. The Series C investment – which was co-led by Rage Capital – will support Future Farm’s plans for rapid growth across Europe and the US. The brand will also use the funds to advance its True Texture Technology, bringing its products closer in look, feel and flavour to their animal-origin counterparts. Future Farm currently creates its plant-based products using 3D extrusion, enzymes and biotechnology. In addition, the funding will support progress towards Future Farm’s goal of 100% sustainable and plant-based packaging. “This investment ignites a new chapter in Future Farm; we are creating a robust 4.0 plant-based platform with meat, milk and dairy,” said Marcos Leta, Future Farm's founding partner and CEO. He adds: “12 innovations are now being developed to make slaughterhouses and dairy products even more obsolete.”

Mondelēz International  has reported a 7.8% rise in third-quarter net revenue, supported by price increases and the performance of its emerging markets business. The owner of Cadbury and Oreo posted net revenue of $7.18 billion, beating analysts’ average estimate of $7.03 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitiv, cited by Reuters . The rise in net revenue was driven by favourable currency, the impact of the company’s acquisitions of  Hu , Grenade and Gourmet Food , and organic net revenue growth of 5.5% – which in turn reflected volume and price increases. Mondelēz’s emerging markets business – which recorded net revenue increases of 6% and 19.6% in  Q1 and Q2 , respectively – continued to boost the snack giant’s performance in Q3, delivering 12.9% growth in net revenue. In the third quarter, Mondelēz’s Asia, Middle East and Africa business delivered 10.8% growth in net revenue, while the company’s Latin America region witnessed a 23.1% rise. Generating $2.71 billion in sales, Mondelēz’s Europe business recorded a 7.4% year-over-year rise in net revenue, while the company grew its Q3 net revenue by 1.4% in North America. “We delivered strong revenue and earnings growth in the third quarter with broad strength across both developed and emerging markets,” said Mondelēz chairman and CEO, Dirk Van de Put. “Demand for our categories and brands remains vibrant and volume growth is solid as we implement pricing to reflect higher inflation.” Mondelēz now expects organic net revenue growth of approximately 4.5% for the full year, an increase on its previous projection of upwards of 4% growth. The company has also announced it is committing to a 2050 target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its full value chain. Mondelēz says that it will take an end-to-end approach in its efforts to reach the target, encompassing areas including ingredient sourcing, packaging, transportation and manufacturing efficiencies. “We’re transforming how we do business across our operations and with the suppliers and farmers we work with – from seeking to improve cocoa farming practices in West Africa to promoting regenerative agriculture in wheat fields in the Midwest United States,” said Van de Put.

The Coca-Cola Company has agreed to take full control of US sports drink brand BodyArmor, in a deal valued at $5.6 billion – according to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ).   The news follows last week's announcement that the beverage giant was nearing completion of a deal to buy a controlling stake in BodyArmor. According to WSJ, which cites people that are familiar with the matter, the purchase values the drinks brand at approximately $8 billion.  Bodyarmor produces a range of sports drinks for the US market, which are made with coconut water and without artificial colours or flavours. Coca-Cola, which already owns 30% of BodyArmor, first purchased a minority stake in the company back in 2018 and earlier this year announced its intentions to buy a controlling interest in the sports drink maker.

Beam Suntory has expanded its Hornitos portfolio with the introduction of a new tequila seltzer flavour: pineapple. With an ABV of 5%, the ready-to-drink offering contains 112 calories and is free from artificial sweeteners. Made with Plata tequila, Hornitos Tequila Seltzer Pineapple features “an agave character with a distinct, fresh-cut pineapple taste and a hint of creamy sweetness”. The new variety joins lime and mango flavours in the Hornitos Tequila Seltzer range. “The hard seltzer category has seen incredible growth, with sales making up greater than 50% of the US ready-to-drink (RTD) category, and the success of our first two flavours has proven that fans are interested in a tequila-based seltzer option that doesn't compromise on taste,” said Rashidi Hodari, managing director of tequila at Beam Suntory. With an SRP of $11.99 per four-pack, the new tequila seltzer flavour is available across the US in 12oz cans.

Global incubator for advancements in the dairy industry, Mylkcubator, has launched its first edition with the selection of four start-ups.  The opening edition was launched by Pascual Innoventures in collaboration with Eatable Adventures, and will enable the chosen start-ups to "lay the foundations for a new path of development and innovation for the dairy industry and respond to the big challenges it faces".  Sejal Ravji, director of Pascual Innoventures, said: "Mylkcubator launches its first edition with the aim of marking a dramatic before and after in food innovation. I think we are facing global challenges that can only be resolved thanks to bold bets like this; it’s a starting point for the development of the dairy products of the future. It’s a very ambitious project at many levels, including technological, but we’re partnering with leading experts, companies and investors from all over the world who share our vision to make it happen." The selected start-ups include:  Real Deal Milk (Spain):  Uses precision fermentation to develop dairy products that are nutritionally and gastronomically identical to their traditional dairy counterparts.  Zero Cow factory (India): Produces dairy products using microbial bioengineering and precision fermentation.  De Novo Dairy (South Africa):  Uses precision fermentation technology to produce animal-free dairy proteins that "provide the same sensory experience and nutrition" as dairy.  M2Factors (US): 108Lab's subsidiary M2Factors is accelerating the state-of-the-art in cell-cultured dairy with the aim of reducing the cost of production.  The incubation programme will begin with its first sessions in order to determine the state of development of each project (at a business and technical level), with guidance from Pascual Innoventures, Eatable Adventures and the investors and partners involved.

Alcoholic tea brand Noveltea has launched a limited edition spirit in collaboration with rum producer Destilería Serrallés, called La Fusión. The 11% ABV spirit is made with a blend of 3-8-year aged Don Q Añejo rum, as well as loose-leaf oolong and green teas that have been cold-brewed for up to eight hours.  The company says the spirit celebrates "Spanish rum-making traditions that span 155 years and six generations".  Vincent Efferoth, co-founder of Noveltea said: “We are extremely proud of our partnership with Destilería Serrallés and are confident that our latest limited edition spirit is one of our most outstanding innovations to date. Blending Don Q Añejo rum with a perfect match of oolong and green teas creates unique flavours and aromas that can’t be found anywhere else on the market.” He continued: “Sharing the same values and environmental commitments also allows us to mark another step on our quest to become as sustainable as possible as a brand”. Silvia Santiago, senior VP of manufacturing at Destilería Serrallés added: “As an industry leader and pioneer in the rum category, we are always looking for ways to innovate and provide rum enthusiasts with new flavours and blends to enjoy. Our limited edition spirit in collaboration with Noveltea is well-balanced, has subtle aromas, fragrant notes and is slightly sweet on the first sip.” La Fusión is available on Noveltea's website. RRP £39.95 for 70cl.

Manufacturer of renewable packaging solutions, Stora Enso, has invested €97 million to expand board production at its Skoghall site in Sweden.  In addition, the company will also initiate a "pre-feasibility study to convert the second, currently idle, line at its Oulu site in Finland, into a packaging board line".  The investment at Skogall will enable Stora Enso to accelerate growth and profit in end-use segments, including liquid packaging board and coated unbleached kraftliner. The company expects the expansion to increase annual packaging board production by approximately 100,000 tonnes - to over 900,000 tonnes in total.  Meanwhile, following the successful paper to kraftliner conversion in Oulu, Stora Enso will now begin the pre-feasibility study of its second line. The study is set to be completed by early 2022.  "Skoghall is one of our key integrated production sites for eco-friendly packaging materials. The investment strengthens Stora Enso's capability to produce high-quality and cost-competitive consumer board grades within the growing core segments of liquid and food packaging," said Hannu Kasurinen, EVP Stora Enso's Packaging Materials division. She added: "In Oulu, the ramp-up of the first converted production line has been successfully executed, reaching towards full capacity, quality requirements as well as profitability ahead of plan. Through both these growth initiatives, we are demonstrating speedy time-to-market and ability to respond to the increasing demand for more sustainable packaging." The Skoghall expansion is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023.   You may also like to read:  Tetra Pak and Stora Enso invest in complete carton recycling solution Stora Enso expands renewable packaging with barrier boards Stora Enso to invest €80m at Imatra Mills