US company, Belgian Boys, who produce reimagined European treats, has launched 'toaster-ready' brioche French toast. The simple and convenient new breakfast release can be popped in the toaster or pan-fried on the stove. It will join the brand's portfolio of breakfast foods which includes: Original Crêpes, Belgian Waffles and Bite-Sized Pancakes. The fluffy brioche bread is baked with a touch of sugar and is made with premium, non-GMO ingredients with no added palm oil, artificial flavours or preservatives. Anouck Gotlib, CEO of Belgian Boys, said: "At Belgian Boys, we believe that when it comes to indulging, we should indulge well! Our Brioche French Toast takes what used to be a messy, time-intensive weekend pleasure and turns it into a quick and easy any-day breakfast." The launch is available exclusively in 600+ Target stores nationwide across the US and will be available at retail partners this summer. Each box contains four slices of Brioche French Toast and has an MSRP of $4.99.

Salty snacks company Benestar Brands has announced its acquisition of pork rind producer 4505 Meats. Headquartered in San Francisco, 4505 Meats offers keto-friendly and paleo-certified meat snacks that it says are made with humanely raised meats. The company’s range includes pork rinds and sausage sticks. A portfolio company of Highlander Partners, Benestar Brands has operations across the US and Mexico. The company’s roster of brands includes: Mac's, Pörq, Turkey Creek, Pretzilla, Chicas and Cazo de Oro. Jeff Hull, president and CEO of Highlander Partners, said: “When we created Benestar, we established an active M&A platform in the salty snack space targeting brands with exceptional growth prospects, unique products and strong brand equity. 4505 fits these criteria perfectly and we are thrilled to welcome 4505 into Benestar.” 4505 CEO Erik Havlick, who will continue to lead the company, added: “Teaming up with Benestar Brands and Highlander Partners represents an exciting new chapter for 4505 Meats, and is perfectly timed at an inflection point for our brand”. “We believe that joining Benestar Brands will enable 4505 to accelerate even faster as a leader in premium snacks.”

Pladis is adding to its McVitie’s Club biscuit bars range in the UK with the first new flavour in ten years – salted caramel. The salted caramel flavour will join the existing classic flavours of orange and mint. The new flavour features a crunchy biscuit centre and thick layer of milk chocolate, accompanied by a salted caramel cream. David Titman, marketing director at McVitie’s, Pladis UK&I, commented: "McVitie’s Club has been a favourite among biscuit-lovers for many years, so we’re very excited to be able to offer a brand-new flavour for fans to try. The new biscuit has everything people know and love about Club, with its classic chunky chocolate exterior and crunchy biscuit middle, now with a sweet and salty twist. Salted caramel has become a hugely popular flavour over recent years, so we just couldn’t resist!" The new bar will be available for an RRP of £1.00 per pack of seven and £1.70 per pack of eight. McVitie’s Club Salted Caramel is now on sale in Morrisons, Asda and Iceland, with further stores to follow over the coming months.

Hometown Food Company has expanded its Pillsbury portfolio with the introduction of three donut mixes. The Pillsbury's Funfetti Donut Mix range includes Cake, Unicorn Pink Vanilla and Chocolate flavours. The donut mixes are prepared by adding water, milk and eggs, and can be baked, pan fried or air fried. Each pack of Funfetti Donut Mix makes 12 large donuts or 36 donut holes containing candy bits, and includes a pouch of glaze mix. “Donuts are one of the most on-trend baked goods right now, and they continue to rise in popularity,” said Dan Anglemyer, COO of Hometown Food Company. “Gourmet donut chains remain popular, are more well-known, have made their way into the grocery store, and as consumers continue to bake more at home, donuts are a new and enjoyable treat to make.” Pillsbury's Funfetti Donut Mix is available across the US.

Daiya Foods has unveiled a new flavour addition to its recently reformulated plant-based cream 'cheeze' line: Roasted Garlic & Herbs. The dairy-free spread is made with pieces of roasted garlic, as well as herbs and coconut cream. The new offering comes in a recyclable tub and is free from gluten, soy, peanuts and many other common allergens. "Our most spreadable cream cheeze recipe ever unites garlic lovers everywhere and invites consumers to discover new recipes and usage occasions," said Dan Hua, VP of marketing at Daiya. "Just in time for vegans or plant-based explorers to celebrate something new this Veganuary, we're excited to deliver more delicious taste, robust flavour and dairy-like texture through a wide variety of flavours and products." Daiya also recently launched a Classic Mozza Style Block, which can be shredded, sliced, grated or snacked on. Last year, the company reformulated its plant-based Blocks – which are now made with oats and chickpeas – to achieve a “superior dairy-like performance”.

Vertical farming company Kalera has entered into a definitive merger agreement with special purpose acquisition company, Agrico Acquisition Corp. Kalera's current management team and interim CEO Curtis McWilliams will continue to operate the business, which is looking to further expand its network of vertical farms and currently has six facilities under construction. At the closing of the transaction, Kalera equity holders will own just over half of the issued and outstanding common stock of the combined company. The deal will result in Kalera becoming a publicly listed company on the NASDAQ stock market and delisting from Euronext Growth Oslo exchange. Brent De Jong, chairman and CEO of Agrico, said: “Kalera is already positioned as a leader in the vertical farming industry with its ten facilities operating or construction nearly complete and Vindara, its seed business dedicated to controlled environments”. “The proposed merger with Agrico positions Kalera to be the first leafy green vertical farm company to have a national footprint in the US and be able to reliably supply a national off-take contract while still being local. “The Agrico team and its scaling experience will supplement an already strong Kalera management team and board of directors." The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of this year. The deal remains subject to approval by Agrico and Kalera shareholders, as well as other customary closing conditions.

Indian dairy company Healthways Dairy & Foods has opened a new milk plant in Gorakhpur, in a move to make fresh dairy products more easily accessible to people in the region. According to the company, the launch of the Gorakhpur plant will "cut down the journey of milk and make fresh, hygienic milk and dairy products easily accessible for the people of Gorakhpur and neighbouring areas". The new facility houses technology to manufacture and pack milk among other value-added products. The plant joins Healthways' other manufacturing sites in Gulaothi and Sandilla. "Healthways' 'no compromise' philosophy reflects at every stage of its value chain, from sourcing healthy feed for healthy cattle, providing veterinary support, paying competitive prices to farmers, running beneficial schemes for their upliftment, applying cutting-edge technology to manufacture, to delivering healthy products fresh at retail outlets," said Healthways' managing director, Narendar Nagar.

SIG Combibloc has entered into an agreement to acquire packaging solutions company, Scholle IPN, for an enterprise value of €1.36 billion. US company Scholle IPN produces and distributes packaging systems and solutions for liquids, such as bag-in-box packaging and spouted pouches. The business currently has an estimated 2,100 employees globally. The deal will expand Scholle IPN's portfolio into the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa markets – where SIG has a well-established presence. The acquisition will enable SIG to build on its capabilities in aseptic technology and expand its use in both pouches and bag-in-box. The combined company will employ almost 8,000 people in 69 sales and manufacturing sites across the globe. The partnership will also strengthen the research and development capabilities of the two companies. Samuel Sigrist, CEO of SIG, said: "The acquisition of Scholle IPN cements SIG's position as a global leader in innovative and sustainable packaging for food and beverages. It is consistent with our strategy of geographic and category expansion accompanied by share gains in key markets. By delivering clear benefits for customers, consumers and the environment, we will drive value for shareholders." The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year, subject to customary closing conditions.

The Organic Snack Company has announced that its owner, Bruce Thaler, has purchased 82 acres of land in Bedford, Pennsylvania, through the development entity BT Snacks II. The food manufacturing company – which is the exclusive producer of Kate’s Real Food – intends to use the land to expand this summer. Plans include the construction of additional manufacturing and warehousing space, with a total build of up to 750,000 square feet. With the total investment expected to exceed $75 million, the project could create 500 or more jobs in the community. Mark Thaler, CEO of The Organic Snack Company, commented: “The acquisition of this land is an incredibly exciting moment in time for The Organic Snack Company and for the Bedford community. There has been an increasing demand from consumers for quality, organic snack offerings made with clean ingredients and this monumental expansion effort for our company will be key in keeping up with that demand.” The company plans to make an announcement regarding what the land will be used for in the coming months.

Austrian hydration company Waterdrop has raised €60 million in a Series B funding round led by Temasek. Waterdrop – which was founded in 2016 – claims to have created an entirely new product category with its Microdrink line. The company’s flagship innovation is a compact sugar-free cube that dissolves in water and enriches it with fruits, plants and vitamins. The cube – which weighs less than 3g and can enrich up to around 1 litre of water – results in plastic and transport-related emission (CO2) savings compared with bottled drinks. “Our approach to the water business is to develop ecological solutions to promote responsible consumption of tap water and avoid the outdated idea of having to bottle and ship unsustainable and mostly unhealthy beverages,” said Martin Murray, founder and CEO of Waterdrop. “It’s encouraging to align with one of the world’s leading investment firms on our vision for a new revolutionary era in the beverage industry.” In addition to Temasek, the round included participation from existing shareholders Bitburger Ventures and Founders Future. According to Waterdrop, the funds will support its research and development efforts, as well as the expansion of the company globally. The brand says that it reached revenue of $100 million last year. The company has also just entered the beverage tech category with the release of Lucy, a smart cap capable of filtering water through a UV-C system. Murray continued: “We are growing strongly across Europe and just entered the US mid-last year. In the next few years, we will pursue our expansion mainly in the US and then via Southeast Asia to China.”

Kellogg’s has announced the launch of new limited-edition Hazelnut Choc Flavour Coco Pops in the UK. The new cereal – which is free from artificial colours and flavours – will be available for one year only. According to Kellogg’s, the new Coco Pops variant turns milk chocolatey hazelnut-flavoured. The launch follows the release of limited-edition Strawberry & White Choc Flavour Coco Pops last year. In 2018, Kellogg’s reduced sugar in its original Coco Pops by 40% to help British consumers make healthier breakfast choices. The company claims that the new Hazelnut Choc Flavour Coco Pops contain 30% less sugar than other chocolate-flavoured toasted rice cereals. Sophie Daniels, brand manager at Kellogg’s, said: “We are so excited to bring out a new limited-edition Coco Pops flavour and we hope that kids and grown-ups alike enjoy it as much as we do”. “We know that our fans enjoy eating their Coco Pops with hazelnut milk alternatives, so we’re hoping this new Hazelnut Choc flavour is a hit.’’ Kellogg’s Hazelnut Choc Flavour Coco Pops are launching into Asda and Iceland this week before rolling out to other major supermarkets.

UK kombucha brand Hip Pop, formerly known as Booch & Brew, has launched a new range of CBD-infused flavoured kombucha drinks. The new plant-based offerings are available in three flavours – Passionfruit & Guava, Cherry & Blackberry and Blood Orange & Grapefruit. Each can is fortified with one billion live bacteria and contains 20mg of active CBD. The release will join the brand's portfolio of organic kombucha drinks, which are available in flavours such as Blueberry Ginger, Ginger Yuzu and Strawberry Pineapple. Emma Thackray, co-founder of Hip Pop, said: "Our CBD kombucha cans contain all the benefits of our original kombucha, with the added bonus of 100% plant-based CBD which is novel foods compliant and pure 100% cannabidiol. The public are becoming increasingly aware of the calming benefits of CBD, but there’s a growing body of evidence showing the wider potential for CBD including benefits to gut health and that’s why this feels like a logical next step for the brand." Hip Pop’s CBD Kombucha is available to purchase from the brand's CBD website and will also be distributed by Suma Wholefoods from April.