Lindt & Sprüngli has released a new limited-edition dark strawberry chocolate truffles under its Lindor brand, launched in the US ahead of Valentine’s Day. Available nationwide, the new Lindt Lindor dark strawberry chocolate truffles, which comes in Valentine's Day-themed packaging, combine strawberry filling encircled in a thin layer of dark chocolate. Lindt's master chocolatier, Ann Czaja, said: "For this year's new Valentine's Day limited-edition truffle, our chocolatiers were inspired by the unique flavour pairing found in chocolate-dipped strawberries and created the decadent Lindt Lindor dark strawberry chocolate truffle." In addition, Lindt is also bringing back its seasonal Lindt Lindor strawberries and cream white chocolate truffles, which features a white chocolate shell wrapped around a strawberry cream.

Upfield has taken a minority stake in Alternative Foods London, which operates via its egg alternatives and vegan bakery brand, Oggs. Launched in 2019, Alternative Foods offers a range of products through its Oggs brand, including: baked goods; aquafaba (chickpea water which can be used to replace egg in recipes); and an egg substitute that can be scrambled. The new partnership will see the companies work together to accelerate the growth of Oggs’ plant-based egg products with the help of Upfield’s distribution network and foodservice channel, Upfield Professional. The partnership will also utilise Upfield’s Food Science Centre for research and development within the liquid egg alternatives and plant-based protein categories. “This partnership takes us into a new category of plant-based protein, enables us to offer even more options, and we expect strong, sustainable growth,” said David Haines, group CEO for Upfield. “We have been aware of the innovative technology that Oggs has been perfecting and we’re excited to become part of that and help drive the plant-based egg category forward through the combination of our global footprint and growing foodservice sector.” Hannah Carter, founder and CEO of Alternative Foods, added: “With Upfield as a partner, we can scale up distribution and awareness of our Oggs egg alternative range, aquafaba and Scrambled Oggs, and create positive change faster than we can achieve on our own.”

Halo Top is expanding its portfolio with the launch of a new limited edition flavour – Devil’s Food Cake – for Valentines Day. The new release features Halo Top's regular frozen pint-style dessert made with chocolate light ice cream, a white icing swirl and chocolate cake pieces. The ice cream contains 360 calories and 19g of protein per pint. The limited edition flavour will join the brand's range which includes Birthday Cake, Blueberry Crumble, Candy Bar and Caramel Macchiato. Devil’s Food Cake has an SRP of $4.99 per pint and is available now through the end of April in the frozen aisle of US grocery stores nationwide.

Latvian dairy company Food Union has appointed Arturs Čirjevskis as its next Europe CEO, following the resignation of Normunds Stanevics. Food Union owns dairy brands including Ekselence, Dzintars, Lakto and Premia. Čirjevskis has been with the company since 2015 and has more than ten years of experience in general management and operational finance. Food Union's board of directors has already approved the new appointment. Food Union’s commercial strategy and business development across Denmark, Norway and Romania will be guided and supported by Aivar Aus, CEO of Estonian ice cream producer, Premia TKH.

Madhava is expanding its Cocomels portfolio with the introduction of <1g Sugar Chocolate-Covered Sea Salt and Crispy Bites. The vegan and keto-friendly offerings are made with dark chocolate that is sweetened with the natural sugar alternative allulose. Both products are free from dairy, gluten, corn syrup, palm oil and artificial ingredients, and contain less than 1g of sugar and 100 calories per serving. The Crispy Bites feature coconut milk caramel coated in dark chocolate and crisped quinoa, while Cocomels’ other new offering is made with a hint of sea salt to balance the coconut milk caramel. Cocomels founder, JJ Rademaekers, said: “We pride ourselves on using high-quality ingredients, like our vegan, low-sugar coconut milk caramel and chocolate sweetened with all-natural allulose, so consumers can enjoy a great-tasting sweet treat without the high sugar intake”. The new offering will be available via the Cocomels website and Amazon, as well as at Sprouts Farmers Market stores, with a further rollout planned for later in the year. The launch follows the introduction of dark chocolate toffee bites last year.

Formo Bio and Brain Biotech have formed a partnership to scale up production of animal-free milk proteins, advancing Europe's animal-free innovation. Berlin-based start-up Formo develops bioidentical milk proteins with specialised microorganisms. The collaboration will see the company scale up its milk protein production using Brain Biotech's genome editing technology. The strategic alliance aims to optimise Formo's microorganisms to further expand its protein production through precision fermentation, and will leverage Brain Biotech's expertise and proprietary Brain-Engineered-Cas (BEC) platform. Britta Winterberg, co-founder and chief scientific officer at Formo, said: "We are proud to be partnering with Brain, such a renowned company with which we share our passion for biotechnology and the mission to foster sustainability using precision fermentation so we can remove the cow from the dairy supply chain, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 91% to 97%".

Danone North America has expanded its Dannon Light + Fit yogurt range in collaboration with women's nonprofit, Dress for Success Worldwide. The new Greek nonfat yogurt releases include two new flavours – Lemon Cream and Orange Cream – and will join the range's 20 other flavours. Surbhi Martin, vice president of Greek Yogurt & Functional Nutrition at Danone North America, commented: "Danone North America, Light + Fit and Dress for Success share a commitment to equity in the workplace and helping women in the US thrive at work and in life. Through our partnership, we are proud to support the work Dress for Success does to help women achieve economic independence." The new Light + Fit yogurts contain 12 grams of protein, 7 grams of total sugar, 0 grams of fat and are a good source of calcium. Each flavour has 80 calories per 5.3 oz serving. The releases will be available at select US retailers nationwide starting this month for an RRP of $3.99 per four-pack.

KaTech Ingredient Solutions has invested to boost the capabilities of its pilot plant in Lübeck, Germany, as it strengthens its focus on plant-based product development. The company, which was acquired by Ingredion last year, has introduced new equipment that can be used in the development of meat and fish alternatives. The new machinery allows KaTech to replicate industrial processes and develop textural ingredient solutions for plant-based substitutes. Alexander Maeße, head of technical at KaTech, said: “So far, the equipment in our technical centre has been extensively used to provide our customers with the right product developments. However, with an ever-increasing demand for plant-based product development…it was time to invest. “We are pleased that this investment will enable us to support our customers even better in the production of plant-based textural ingredient solutions for their individual alternative meat and fish products at a high quality that they can bring quickly and effectively to market.”

Functional beverage brand Buzzed has launched a new energy tonic water, powered by natural caffeine, pure blossom honey and stevia. The UK company uses 100% naturally retrieved caffeine extracted from natural plant sources and, according to the brand, the drink boasts more caffeine per 100ml than the UK’s leading energy brand. The energy tonic is also sweetened with only pure blossom honey and stevia and contains only 17kcals per can. Louise Lloyd, Buzzed founder, said: "There is a well-established consumer occasion for spirits and an energy drink, but there is no premium brand in this space offering a clean, natural solution which doesn’t compromise on flavour. Our research has shown that many people choose this kind of drink combination despite the taste, not because of it, simply to get a pick me up. Buzzed was created to quite simply lift your spirit – not overpower it." The beverage can be consumed alone or used as a mixer for spirits and low/no alcohol alternatives. Buzzed is available in Selfridges in cases of eight with an RRSP of £5.50.

Tropicana Brands, a recently formed joint venture between PAI Partners and PepsiCo, has appointed former Mondelēz vice president Glen Walter as its CEO, effective 2 March. Tropicana Brands, which was formed following PAI’s acquisition of Tropicana, Naked and other juice brands, markets, manufactures and distributes juice products across North America and Europe. The company is headquartered in Chicago and PAI has a controlling stake. Glen Walter commented on the appointment: "I am thrilled to be leading Tropicana Brands Group at this pivotal time working alongside the existing team that has built great momentum for these storied and iconic brands. I look forward to hitting the ground running and developing and executing our growth plans with our retail partners, customers and suppliers." Glen Walter joins Tropicana Brands from Mondelēz International, where he served as executive vice president and president in North America.

UK functional tea brand Kaytea has released an organic cold brew iced tea that is inspired by the flavours of rosé wine. The beverage, named Sparkling Rosay, features "a subtle fizz and hints of pink guava that morph into well-balanced notes of roses". The release is made from natural, vegan-friendly ingredients and contains 94% rose tea infusion, as well as concentrated sweet potato, radish, apple and cherry. The drink is both caffeine and alcohol-free but can work as either an alcohol alternative or a botanical mixer. Sparkling Rosay Organic Cold Brew Tea is available for an RRP of £29.99 for 24 bottles on the brand's website.

The Great British Porridge Co has announced the launch of a high-protein and low-sugar instant porridge. The new product is aimed at consumers “looking for functional breakfast options with low natural sugars”. The porridge is vegan, high in fibre and naturally sweetened with dates. Meanwhile, the high protein content comes from a combination of three different types of nuts: almonds, hazelnuts and cashews. Jacqueline Barleycorn, founder of The Great British Porridge Co, said: “For our latest launch, we wanted to focus on the functionality and give our health-conscious consumers something that tastes great, whilst also packing in a whole range of benefits”. “The mix of three delicious nut varieties provides a massive 20% protein per serving, which we are hoping will appeal to gym bunnies as well as gymophobics alike. “At a time of year when people are particularly health conscious and watching what they eat, we hope this new flavour will tick all the boxes.” The new offering joins flavours including classic chocolate, blueberry & banana, red berry & pumpkin seed, strawberry & peanut butter and caffè latte as part of the brand’s range.