Two of Unilever’s largest investors have called for major changes at the company, according to a report by the Financial Times (FT). The news comes in the wake of a failed takeover attempt for GlaxoSmithKline’s consumer health business, which saw Unilever make multiple bids for the division. Bert Flossbach, founder and chief investment officer at top-ten Unilever shareholder Flossbach von Storch, wants the company to consider splitting itself. “Unilever should seriously think about splitting the company,” he said, cited by the FT. “Talk of synergies between different businesses is usually theoretical and designed to keep the status quo, and smaller than the efficiency gains that you would get from a split.” Flossbach continued: “If you’re a food manager, you're thinking differently from a household products manager or a beauty manager. If you run these businesses under one structure, capital allocation can become a problem. And you’re very diverse in a negative sense because you don’t know precisely what you stand for.” Flossbach suggests one possibility would be to keep the food business under the Unilever name and spin off other divisions. Meanwhile, another shareholder has reportedly called for the removal of the company’s chair Nils Andersen, amid concerns that the board he heads allowed CEO Alan Jope to make increasing bids for the GlaxoSmithKline division. The “top-20 shareholder” believes that Andersen’s replacement should come from outside the board. These calls follow news – reported by the FT – that Nelson Peltz’s activist fund Trian Partners has built a stake in Unilever, and further increase the pressure on the company’s leadership. Trian has yet to detail its demands. Unilever has also announced a reorganisation that entails axing 1,500 management positions and subdividing the company into five business groups.

Dutch spirits producer Lucas Bols has completed the acquisition of Tequila Partida from the Shansby Trust and Edrington USA. Lucas Bols announced its intention to acquire the ultra-premium tequila brand in December last year. The purchase price consists of a fixed component of $10 million and a smaller variable component that can be earned over a two-year period. With the purchase, the company is looking to tap into growing demand for tequila, which it says has been the fastest growing spirits category in the US since 2000. Lucas Bols’ portfolio already spans categories including gin, sambuca, passion fruit-flavoured liqueur and ready-to-drink cocktails. The Tequila Partida portfolio is currently transitioning to distribution by the Lucas Bols USA platform in the US.

US dairy brand Chobani is expanding its portfolio with two new milk releases – Ultra-Filtered Milk and Half & Half. Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk is a lactose-free and protein-packed ultra-filtered milk. According to the brand, it also has half the sugar and 2.5x more protein than traditional milk. The milk is available in Whole, Reduced Fat 2%, Fat Free and Chocolate variations. Chobani Half & Half Plain is available in both Plain and Lactose-Free options. The product is made from farm-fresh milk and cream. Peter McGuinness, Chobani president and chief operating officer, said: "With our lactose-free, reduced sugar and protein-packed Chobani Ultra-Filtered Milk, we’re making dairy accessible to more people and giving consumers a great option to trade up to a more advanced, functional and delicious product. We’ve seen incredible consumer love for our coffee creamers and they asked us to bring the same craft and quality to dairy-based half and half while offering a lactose-free option as well". Both new releases are made from locally sourced milk. They are available nationwide across the US.

US spirits supplier Heaven Hill has purchased Samson & Surrey, which owns a number of premium craft spirit brands, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition of Samson & Surrey includes its portfolio of six premium brands – including Bluecoat, Few Spirits and Mezcal Vago – and its facilities. The purchase further expands Heaven Hill’s portfolio, and Samson & Surrey will continue to operate as an independent division of the company, led by founders Robert and Juan. "Throughout our 86-year history, our focus has been building a business with a portfolio of great brands sold through a great team," said Max Shapira, president at Heaven Hill Brands. "The Samson & Surrey portfolio strategically enhances our portfolio with emerging brands in strong growth categories. Together with their team, Heaven Hill is poised to leverage the tremendous potential of these exciting brands."

FoodBev Media’s Lauren Ford rounds up this week’s food and beverage news, including: KP Snacks warns of delivery delays after cyber attack – Better Retailing; Nestlé Health Science to buy stake in nutrition company Orgain; SIG acquires packaging solutions company Scholle IPN; and more. You’ll find all this and more in this week’s podcast – click here to subscribe.

Carlsberg has reported full-year results “well above the pre-pandemic levels of 2019,” but forecasts organic growth in operating profit this year to fall short of 2021’s level. The Danish brewer posted 13.8% sales growth – on a reported basis – to DKK 66.63 billion ($10.26 billion approx.) for 2021. Volume growth, meanwhile, stood at 9.3%. In the last quarter, revenue reached DKK 15.2 billion ($2.34 billion approx.), exceeding the DKK 14.7 billion figure estimated by analysts in a company poll, cited by Reuters. Carlsberg expects organic operating profit growth of 0-7% in 2022, compared with 12.5% last year. CEO Cees ’t Hart said: “The significantly higher input costs and continued impact from Covid-19 will pose challenges in 2022, but we’re well prepared”. The company aims to offset increases in input costs in the coming year through higher prices – but says that this may have a negative impact on beer consumption. In 2021, revenue grew by 17.9% in Carlsberg’s Western Europe region, which the company says “had a very volatile year”. The first half was impacted by pandemic-related on-trade restrictions in most markets; while the brewer benefitted from the abandonment of restrictions in the second half. In Asia, Carlsberg saw significant variation between markets. Beer volumes grew organically by 12.3%, mainly driven by China and India. The company’s other beverage volumes grew by 10.6%, driven by the performance of soft drinks and energy drinks in Cambodia. Meanwhile, the company’s Central & Eastern Europe unit delivered “solid results” with organic beer volume growth of 4.9% and organic volume growth in other beverages of 20.3%. Cees ’t Hart added: “We’re very satisfied with the Group’s 2021 performance. Although our business was significantly impacted by Covid-19, we delivered strong top- and bottom-line growth and free cash flow”.

Iceland and The Food Warehouse have partnered to introduce a new loaded fries range which includes a variety of indulgent toppings. The range includes three fully loaded meals. Fully Loaded Hoisin Duck Fries consists of shredded strips of duck breast, mozzarella, sweet hoisin sauce and spring onions. Fully Loaded Philly Cheese Steak Fries has tender beef strips, melted stringy cheese, fried onions and green peppers. Fully Loaded Double Cheeseburger Fries is complete with minced beef and melted mozzarella mixed in with gherkins, spicy mustard and ketchup. Each product has an RRP of £3 per 510g pack. These are available online and in-stores now, with a two for £5 deal currently on offer until 15 February.

Intersnack-owned KP Snacks has fallen victim to hackers in a ransomware attack that could cause delivery delays until the end of March. According to Better Retailing, which first published news of the attack, a letter from KP Snacks was sent to store owners on 2 February, and detailed that its systems had been “compromised by ransomware” and that it “cannot safely process orders or dispatch goods”. The company, which owns snack brands such as Hula Hoops, KP Nuts, Butterkist popcorn and Nik Naks, revealed that the cyber attack wiped out its IT and communications systems beginning 28 January. A KP Snacks spokesperson, cited by Better Retailing, commented: "On Friday 28 January we became aware that we were unfortunately victims of a ransomware incident. As soon as we became aware of the incident, we enacted our cybersecurity response plan and engaged a leading forensic information technology firm and legal counsel to assist us in our investigation. Our internal IT teams continue to work with third-party experts to assess the situation. We have been continuing to keep our colleagues, customers and suppliers informed of any developments and apologise for any disruption this may have caused." Messages, reportedly sent by Nisa to partnered stores on 1 February, told local stores to “expect supply issues on base stock and promotions until further notice” and that this could go on “until the end of March at the earliest”. This is the latest IT attack in a string of ransomware events, including Spar wholesaler James Hall's forced temporary closure of hundreds of stores in December due to hackers.

Nestlé is moving ahead with plans to close its confectionery factory in Fawdon, UK, with the loss of 474 jobs. The future of the Newcastle factory had been in doubt since last year, when Nestlé announced a set of proposed changes to its UK confectionery manufacturing, which included the closure of the site. Nestlé says that the majority of production currently in Fawdon will move to Halifax, West Yorkshire. Smaller portions of production will move to factories outside of the UK. The Fawdon site produces popular confectionery products such as Fruit Pastilles and Toffee Crisp. A Nestlé spokesperson said: “The consultation around the changes we proposed in April 2021 is still ongoing. We said from the outset that we wanted to provide adequate time and space for these discussions and it is only right that they are held directly with our employees and trade unions and not in public. “It remains a priority to support our people and their families through this process and we thank everybody for their patience. We will provide an update once the consultation is complete.” Ross Murdoch, national officer for the GMB union, said: “Closing this profit-making site and shifting production to Europe is completely unacceptable”. GMB, along with Unite, will now speak to members in Fawdon “to discuss next steps”.

Nestlé Cereals has expanded its UK offering with the introduction of Shreddies The Honey One, which contains whole grain as the number one ingredient. The new cereal is said to provide a high-fibre breakfast option that is made with real honey, fortified with vitamins and iron, and free from artificial colours and flavours. Shreddies The Honey One is classified as non-HFSS (non-high in fat, salt or sugar) according to the UK government’s nutrient profiling model. “At Nestlé Cereals we’ve been committed to improving the nutritional profile of our cereals and making breakfast better for over 18 years,” said Toby Baker, regional marketing director UKA – Nestlé Cereals. “The launch of Shreddies The Honey One, which is categorised as non-HFSS and contains whole grain as the number one ingredient, further demonstrates our commitment to doing just that.” The new offering is available at Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose and Ocado. Last year, Nestlé Cereals introduced Shreddies The Simple One, which features just four ingredients: whole grain wheat, fruit puree, date syrup and a pinch of salt.

Incredi-Bowl has launched a new low-sugar, grain-free cereal that is high in protein and designed for consumers on the keto diet. The new cereal comes in three varieties – Chocolate Crunch, Frosted Flakes and Honey Nut Hoops – designed to mimic childhood cereal classics. Each serving of Incredi-Bowl's cereal contains 16g of protein, 7g net carbs, 2g total sugars and 9g total fat. Stephen Spaulding, marketing director at Incredi-Bowl, commented: "With the rise in popularity of the keto diet and keto-friendly lifestyles, it’s time to rethink how we eat breakfast. As a result, the grain-free ready-to-eat cereal category has grown exponentially in the last three years." He continued: "What we found when testing other grain-free, keto-friendly options is that they all came in traditional flavours, but only one form, which is one of the best parts of the cereal eating experience! We’re excited to be the first to introduce three flavours and familiar forms backed by delicious taste and smart nutrition." The releases are available through the Incredi-Bowl website as well as in US grocery stores and e-commerce retailers nationwide.

Eastside Distilling has announced the resignation of Paul Block from his roles as CEO and chairman of the company's board. The spirit producer named Paul Block as chief executive in 2020. Following his resignation on 1 February, the company has appointed Geoffrey Gwin as interim CEO, and Elizabeth Levy-Navarro as chairman. "We thank Paul for the passion and commitment he has brought to Eastside Distilling," said Elizabeth Levy-Navarro, chairman of Eastside Distilling. "We are moving ahead, supporting the executive team during a transformational year for the company. The team made great strides in transforming the company over the past year and we expect more progress this year." Eastside Distilling has also announced the appointment of Amy Lancer as chief commercial officer of spirits. Geoffrey Gwin said: "I am excited to be working with seasoned spirits executives such as Amy Lancer and congratulate her on her new role".