UK savoury pastry brand Ginsters has introduced a new bakes range, which features flavours inspired by American and North African fusion cuisine. The new line is said to be made using British meat and is free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. The bakes can be enjoyed hot or cold. The new Cajun Spiced Chicken Bake features chicken in a Cajun-style spiced tomato sauce, with green peppers, black beans, Cheddar and a hint of wholegrain mustard – all wrapped in puff pastry. Meanwhile, Ginsters’ Philly Cheese Steak Bake features beef in a rich sauce with mozzarella, Cheddar and full fat soft cheese, as well as onion, red and green pepper, and mushroom. The Harissa Spiced Chicken Bake offers a combination of chicken in a Harissa-style sauce, chickpeas, peppers, potato and onion. Suitable for vegetarians, the Mac & Cheese Bake offers macaroni pasta in a creamy cheese sauce, with chives, black pepper and a hint of mustard. Ginsters managing director, Sam Mitchell, said: “Following a raft of successful NPD, including our Ginsters Smoky Steak and Guinness Slice and new plant-based products, the new Ginsters bakes range taps into yet another growing occasion to broaden appeal with younger, pre-family consumers and provide a pick-me-up. “Perfectly portioned as a light bite between mealtimes – whenever that might be – Ginsters bakes provide more opportunity for retailers to reach shoppers across the day.” With an RRP of £1, the new bakes are available in supermarkets across the UK. Ginsters recently launched two new plant-based pasties, as it looked to cater to growing demand for vegan products.

Givaudan has reached an agreement to acquire US-based natural colour company DDW, The Color House. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, DDW has 12 manufacturing facilities around the world. The company offers a range of solutions for food and beverage manufacturers, including caramel colours, natural colours and burnt sugars. “I am excited about the opportunity to bring together the strong heritage and capabilities of DDW in natural colours with Givaudan’s expanded portfolio, which is fully in line with our 2025 strategy,” said Louie D’Amico, president of Givaudan’s taste & wellbeing division. “The combination of both companies will enable us to become a global leader in natural colours and strengthen our ability to create with our customers multi-sensorial food experiences consumers love.” DDW’s chairman Ted Nixon added: “I am very proud of all that DDW has accomplished throughout its more than 150 years as a privately held company and we are confident that we will continue to flourish as part of Givaudan”. “We believe that we have a strong set of shared purpose and values with Givaudan and that this transaction represents a very positive step for DDW’s customers and associates.” The transaction is expected to close in the last quarter of this year. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Givaudan announced it was renaming its flavour division as taste & wellbeing last year, in a move to reflect its expanded product offering.

Asahi Beverages has announced the appointment of Danny Celoni as the next CEO of Carlton & United Breweries (CUB). Celoni will join Asahi Beverages from PepsiCo, where he is CEO of the company’s Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific business. He will assume the CUB chief executive role in February, succeeding Peter Filipovic. “We’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Danny over his time with PepsiCo, one of Asahi Beverages’ key strategic partners,” said Robert Iervasi, group CEO, Asahi Beverages Oceania. “We’ve observed first-hand his ability to understand and deliver great results for his customers, and build exceptional teams.” During a nearly two-decade-long career at Diageo, Celoni served in senior executive roles in Singapore, Korea and Thailand, and as commercial director for Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific. Iervasi continued: “CUB is a great business, with an unbelievable portfolio, and we couldn’t be more pleased that Danny will be running it”. “With Danny’s forward-thinking approach to business, he’s going to make a very significant contribution to building our teams, delivering on our strategies for growth, and forging great relationships with our customers and partners.” Celoni said: “It’s an honour to be given the opportunity to lead CUB and join Asahi Beverages. With its unrivalled beverage portfolio and commitment to innovation, I’m excited by the strategic direction and growth opportunities for the business.” Celoni will also join the Asahi Beverages Oceania executive leadership team, reporting to Iervasi.

Beverage development company Flavorman has broken ground on the site of its new beverage facility expansion in Louisville, US.  The 28,000-square-foot expansion will bring 30 new jobs to the area and enable Flavorman to attract global business to the city.  “With more than 125 food and beverage companies located regionally, businesses can take products from concept to consumer all in one place – Louisville, Kentucky – and Flavorman is a key player in that ecosystem," said mayor Greg Fischer, who attended the ceremony. He added: "Whether a company wants to find just the right balance of flavours to entice consumers, or someone wants to learn about the art of distilling, Flavorman is where they turn”.  The $8.5 million investment will allow Flavorman to scale up its state-of-the-art 'Beverage Campus' and better meet the demand for its custom beverage development services.  The new site will connect to the company's main laboratory and, once complete, will boost production capacity, expanding its blending/canning, processing and bulk storage capabilities.  The Campus will house a fully equipped education distillery, state-of-the-art classroom, production facility with a custom bottling line, extensive sensory library and a beverage innovation laboratory.  “This expansion is an incredible opportunity for our city,” says David Dafoe, Flavorman founder and CEO. “When I started Flavorman almost 30 years ago, I did it out of a passion for the craft. I’m proud of the role Flavorman and Moonshine University continue to play in establishing Louisville as the epicentre for not just Bourbon, but the beverage industry overall.” Construction of the campus expansion is due to be complete in autumn 2022.

Diageo and The Flava People have collaborated on a new product launch: Guinness Cooking Paste.  The new paste features a blend of Guinness, honey and soy, and is designed to provide the "secret ingredient" to a variety of meals. It can be used as a stir in or a rub for meat and vegetables, for example.   Olivia Parkes, brand manager for Guinness at The Flava People, said: “Guinness is a beer with a unique standing in the world of food and has been associated with hearty home cooking for a long time now. This new paste is designed to expand shoppers’ relationship with Guinness and food – providing a more premium and versatile experience, while remaining easy to use.” She continued: “Now we are looking for more meaningful foodie experiences in our homes to bring people together; from restaurant cook-a-longs to preparing meals from scratch for friends and family, dining in is the new dining out. Consumers are braver than ever with flavour and are always looking for new ways – and products – to take their dine-at-home experience to the next level.” This latest innovation is part of a wider partnership between The Flava People and Diageo, which will see the launch of 10 new products over the next six months.  The Guinness Cooking Paste comes in a 200g recyclable glass jar and is available in Tesco stores. RRP £3.00.

The latest innovation from Ben & Jerry's is a limited batch flavour called Change is Brewing.  Featuring a combination of cold brew coffee ice cream, marshmallow swirls and fudge brownies, the company says its latest addition aims to "transform the nation's approach to public safety to one that prioritises community needs". The coffee used in the latest product is from BLK & Bold, the "first black-owned nationally distributed coffee company" that gives 5% of its profits to initiatives that support youth in need. Additionally, the brownies are from Greyston Bakery.  The design features the work of black multidisciplinary artist Laci Jordan.  A portion of the sales from Change is Brewing will go to grassroots groups working to transform public safety in the US. RRP $4.49-5.69.

AAK, a Sweden-based producer of vegetable oils and fats, has partnered with Nestlé and palm oil corporation Musim Mas to address deforestation outside of palm oil concession areas in Aceh, Indonesia.  The five-year programme aims to support around 1,000 independent smallholders in Aceh - a priority area that is home to 87% of the Leuser Ecosystem, an area of forest that is important for biodiversity and carbon storage.  "This partnership is an important part of AAK's sustainable sourcing approach," said Anne Mette Olesen, chief strategy and sustainability officer at AAK. "Engaging with partners and other stakeholders in the supply chain is fundamental, and only together can we make the global palm oil industry fully transparent and sustainable." Initially, AAK and Nestlé will provide funding for the first two years. The project will take a "train the trainer" approach, which will see government extension officers trained in best agricultural practices. In turn, the officers will train palm oil smallholders.  Caroline Westerik-Sikking, global manager Sustainable Oils at AAK added: "Engaging with stakeholders in the most sensitive landscapes and focusing on deforestation outside concession areas is crucial. We believe that this partnership can significantly contribute to the protection and preservation of an important landscape and have a positive impact on the livelihoods of the smallholders involved." The partnership comes on the heels of two more initiatives set up by AAK to support smallholders with palm oil, including Forever Sabah in Malaysia; and a programme in Mexico in collaboration with Solidaridad.

Plant-based dairy company Ripple Foods has raised $60 million in a Series E funding round led by Rage Capital, Ajax Strategies and S2G Ventures. Headquartered in California, Ripple Foods uses protein from yellow peas to create dairy alternative products such as plant-based milk, protein shakes and frozen desserts. The company’s Series E round was also backed by OurCrowd, GV, Prelude Ventures, Euclidean, Fall Line Capital and Tao Capital Partners. Commenting, Ripple Foods CEO Laura Flanagan said: “This capital raise will enable us to accelerate innovation and growth across product categories, and expand into new channels and global markets”. "It allows us to further achieve our mission of making plant-based foods that are better for people, and better for the planet, on an even larger scale," she added. Chuck Templeton, managing director of S2G Ventures, said: "Our investment with Ripple supports its continued growth and success in the milk aisle and its upcoming innovation in new product categories". "Ripple is a clear leader in plant-based dairy alternatives, and we are excited to support this team of proven industry veterans as they continue to scale the business."

An industry group has warned that the carbon dioxide (CO2) shortage in the UK risks resulting in imminent meat supply issues, according to Reuters . A sharp rise in gas prices has forced a number of domestic energy suppliers out of business and shut multiple fertiliser plants, which produce CO2 as a by-product. The meat processing industry's lobby group has warned that companies will start running out of CO2 within the week and could be forced to halt production, disrupting supplies to retailers.  According to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA), "CO2 gas plays a critical and irreplaceable role in the food and drink manufacturing process and businesses can grind to a halt if they cannot secure an adequate supply". CO2 gas is used for a variety of purposes, including to stun animals before slaughter, vacuum pack products to increase shelf life and add fizz into alcoholic and soft drinks. CO2 is also used in its solid form – dry ice – in food deliveries. Cited by Reuters,  BPMA CEO Nick Allen told Sky News: "We're struggling to keep our plants running, we're struggling to keep the food supply chains running and this is going to be quite challenging for us". "We're two weeks away from seeing some real impacts on the shelves," he said.

PepsiCo is expanding its Mountain Dew offering in the US with the introduction of a new apple variant. Combining citrus and apple flavours, Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple will arrive in stores from 13 September in 20oz bottles and 12oz 12-pack cans. The new offering will be available exclusively from the Kroger family of companies – including Kroger, Baker's, City Market and others – in store and online. “Dew is thrilled to introduce Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple in partnership with Kroger, a long-standing partner who has embraced bold Dew flavour innovations,” said Pat O'Toole, vice president, marketing Mountain Dew. “With the perfect combination of tart and sweet, Thrashed Apple is a refreshingly bold drink that only Dew could deliver. We have created Mountain Dew Thrashed Apple with the confidence that it will become a quick favourite amongst Dew Nation.” PepsiCo, in collaboration with The Boston Beer Company, recently developed a hard seltzer product called Hard Mountain Dew, to be launched in the US early next year.

PepsiCo has announced a £24 million investment in its Walkers factory in Lincoln, UK, to meet growing demand for its Quavers snacks. The investment will see the company replace existing machinery at the site with new equipment, such as a compact packaging machine that will help PepsiCo to remove packaging from its supply chain. The project will also increase the factory’s capacity for Quavers – which PepsiCo claims are now bought by nearly one in three households in the UK – as well as make space for new production lines. The new equipment will be installed at Lincoln in the middle of next year, with initial work now underway. Meanwhile, more than £1 million has been committed to Walkers’ Coventry factory – which produces snacks such as Doritos, Wotsits, French Fries and Cheetos – for additional equipment to maintain production during the work at Lincoln. “For decades, our Lincoln factory has brought much-loved Quavers snacks to consumers up and down the country, and with this state-of-the-art technology, we’re confident that the site will continue to serve the nation for many years to come,” said Nigel Beilby, Lincoln site operations manager, PepsiCo. UK Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng added: “This investment will help to deliver on our plan to spread opportunity across the Midlands by future-proofing the jobs of the factory’s outstanding employees by training them to use state-of-the-art equipment, and further bolstering the workforce through their apprenticeship scheme”. In the US, PepsiCo's Frito-Lay division recently announced a $200 million investment to further expand its Rosenberg site in Texas, which produces more than 117 million pounds of snacks per year.

Yasso, which creates frozen Greek yogurt bars, has released a birthday cake variant in celebration of its ten-year anniversary.  "When Yasso launched in 2011, we saw a white space to deliver great-tasting desserts with superb nutritionals and quality ingredients within the frozen aisle and we are proud and grateful, to still be here progressing that mission forward," said Yasso co-founder, Drew Harrington. He continued: "We wanted our newest flavour to commemorate Yasso's 10th birthday and be symbolic of the milestone itself - an awesome celebration of delicious fun". Co-founder, Amanda Klane, added: "While the mission behind Yasso has remained the same over the past 10 years, the products and branding have evolved to give consumers the best experience possible. We've continued to improve formulas, expanded categories and have created a way to give back to our community through our Game On! Foundation. We look forward to continued evolution over the next 10 years." The birthday cake variant is filled with rainbow sprinkles and chunks of cake dough, and features just 90 calories per bar, 5g of protein and no artificial ingredients.  The new flavour is available online and will roll out to selected Target stores from October.