Tetra Pak and Stora Enso have joined forces to boost the recycling capacity of beverage cartons in Central and Eastern Europe, with an investment of €29.1 million. The project will ensure collected cartons are managed in an environmental manner, making full use of the materials resulting from the recycling process. The partnership will see the introduction of a large-scale carton repulping line at Stora Enso’s Ostroleka production unit in Poland, which will triple the annual recycling capacity of used beverage cartons in Poland from 25,000 to 75,000. The increased capacity will enable the recycling of the entire volume of beverage cartons sold in the country, as well as those from neighbouring countries including Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Stora Enso will invest €17 million into the repulping line, while Tetra Pak – along with Plastigram – will invest €12.1 million to build an additional line, which will recover and separately recycle the polymers and the aluminium. The separated materials will be used as raw materials for various end applications: the recycled fibres will be integrated into Stora Enso’s recycled board, while the separated polymers and aluminium will be used to make products such as crates and foils. Both lines will be operational by the beginning of 2023.           “Today, carton packages are recyclable. They are collected and recycled at scale where waste management and recycling infrastructure is in place. But for us, that's not enough,” said Charles Brand, president of Tetra Pak Europe & Central Asia. He added: “We are seeking opportunities across the entire recycling value chain to improve how cartons get recycled and to develop solutions that effectively recycle all packaging components, including polymers and aluminium." Hannu Kasurinen, executive VP of Stora Enso’s packaging materials division, said: “With this development we can advance towards a greater degree of recyclability, a critical factor in enabling a circular bioeconomy. We are delighted to join forces with Tetra Pak in what will be another important milestone towards the fully circular future we expect to realise.”

Molson Coors Beverage Company is expanding its Vizzy Hard Seltzer portfolio with the introduction of a watermelon variety pack. The new offering features four watermelon flavour combinations: blueberry watermelon, kiwi watermelon, passionfruit watermelon and mango watermelon.  Made with real watermelon juice and vitamin C, each 5% ABV variant contains 100 calories and 1g of sugar. “Vizzy continues to bring the most desired flavour profiles to our hard seltzer drinkers,” said Vi Tran, marketing manager for Vizzy Hard Seltzer. “Fans saw this first with the incredible success of our lemonade variety pack earlier this summer, and now we're delivering the crisp summer taste of watermelon – a flavour that is made with real watermelon juice and certainly sets us apart from competitors. We've got a feeling that our fans are going to enjoy this watermelon pack well beyond summer sipping.” The new variety 12-pack will arrive in US stores late this month. The launch follows the introduction of another new Vizzy Hard Seltzer variety pack earlier this year, featuring papaya passionfruit, blackberry lemon, watermelon strawberry and raspberry tangerine flavours.

Eat Beyond Global Holdings has announced the appointment of food industry veteran Michael Aucoin as its new CEO. Aucoin will succeed Patrick Morris, who has served as the company’s CEO since its establishment in 2019. Under his new leadership, Aucoin will explore taking Eat Beyond in a new direction – looking to establish the company as a recognised leader in the plant-based protein market, with a focus on North America and Europe. “We intend to compete in a wide cross-section of plant-protein verticals, as represented by our portfolio companies, with which we will work with closely to accelerate their success from an operational and value creation standpoint," said Aucoin.  "Eat Beyond is committed to leading the future of food and becoming the most successful Canadian plant-based food business operating globally,” he added. The business also intends to focus on technical innovation, research and investments in capacity-building projects. Aucoin will bring with him over 25 years of experience in food sales management and the consumer packaged goods industry. Prior to joining Eat Beyond, Aucoin served as president of the Canadian division of dairy cooperative Agropur. He has also held several senior sales and marketing roles at firms including Hershey and Smuckers. Eat Beyond is a Vancouver-based investment issuer focused on the plant-based and alternative food sector. With the new corporate infrastructure, Eat Beyond plans to accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies that include Eat Just – which received the world’s first regulatory approval for its cultured chicken in Singapore – The Very Good Food Company, Turtle Tree Labs and Nabati Foods. Eat Beyond chairman, Don Robinson, said: "I am pleased to welcome Mr Aucoin to the team as CEO as we chart a new course in the plant-based sector, building a balanced portfolio that can deliver value to our portfolio companies and our investors while pushing the industry forward."

Jasper Wyman & Son (Wyman's) has acquired the wild blueberry assets of Ellsworth, US-based Allen's Blueberry Freezer. The transaction includes 2,800 acres of wild blueberry land, ‘substantial’ freezing capacity and more than 50,000 square feet of cold storage. Based in Milbridge, Maine, Wyman's is a US grower, processor and marketer of wild blueberries, supplying the retail, ingredient and foodservice channels. Wyman's – which offers blueberries in frozen, juice, powdered and dried form – claims to have seen a significant increase in demand in recent years. The acquisition of the Allen's assets is the latest in a series of moves to increase the company’s wild blueberry supply. “Roy Allen and his team have been strong leaders in the wild blueberry industry for decades and they've built an excellent team that we're excited to welcome into the Wyman's family,” said Tony Shurman, president and CEO of Wyman's. Former Allen's Blueberry Freezer president, Roy Allen, added: “When evaluating this opportunity for our company, Wyman's was a logical choice. The company would be in the hands of good people, who live and work in Maine, treat their employees well, care about Maine's wild blueberry heritage and its industry, and who have a business that is poised for continued growth. Wyman's checked all the boxes for us.” The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Kellogg-owned Rxbar has expanded into the breakfast cereal aisle with the release of a new Rx Cereal line made with plant-based protein.   Inspired by the brand’s top-selling protein bars and classic cereal flavours, the range comes in three varieties: chocolate almond, vanilla almond and strawberry. Rx Cereal is made with a mix of brown rice, pea protein, almonds and fruit, and features no artificial colours, flavour or ingredients. Each serving contains 11-12g of plant-based protein and 3-4g of fibre. According to the brand, the cereal offers a “deliciously satisfying crunch” and is suitable as a wholesome breakfast or convenient snack. Rx Cereal marks the brand’s second new product made with plant-based protein to launch this year, following the release of Rxbar Plant. "We're strong believers in taking an honest, straightforward approach to food and using simple ingredients and protein to help fans fuel their day," said Jason Moraff, VP of marketing at Rxbar. "That's why we created Rx Cereal, to bring that approach to a category that needs more wholesome, convenient options that not only taste amazing but are made with real ingredients people recognise." Rx Cereal is available now online and in Walmart stores, with more nationwide retailers to come.

Sensient Technologies has acquired Flavor Solutions, a New Jersey-based provider of flavours and flavour technologies to the food, beverage and nutraceutical markets. The deal – which was made for an undisclosed sum – will see Sensient expand its traditional flavour offering.   Based in Piscataway, Flavor Solutions is a custom product and flavour development company which serves producers of prepared foods and beverages, as well as the foodservice and nutraceutical industries. As part of the deal, Sensient will also gain access to the firm's savoury reaction flavours, natural shelf-life extender technologies and sweetness enhancing and salt reduction taste-modulation technology platforms. Flavor Solutions’ portfolio includes SweetTech, MicroFresh, Tenderseal and Tenderbake. “The acquisition of this business will allow Sensient to expand its flavour portfolio and add key technologies to strengthen its technical solution capabilities,” said Paul Manning, chairman, president and CEO of Sensient Technologies. “I am excited to welcome the Flavor Solutions team to Sensient and to support the strong customer relationships that the team has built,” he added. The acquisition continues Sensient’s efforts to create a more focused portfolio of food and pharmaceutical colours, flavours, extracts and natural ingredients. As part of this refocus, the company divested assets related to the production of its yogurt fruit preparationsproduct line to Frulact last year.

Dairy products manufacturer Food Union has released two new ice cream flavours based on cocktail favourites under its Ekselence brand. Ekselence Caramel Piña Colada ice cream is launching in Latvia, while Ekselence Orange Spritz will be available in Norway and Latvia via national retail. Ekselence ice cream is made with Latvian milk and cream and the new products aim to “capture the essence of a cocktail on a stick”. The Piña colada-inspired product features a coconut and pineapple ice cream with a caramel sauce. Meanwhile, the orange spritz ice cream is coated in a thick layer of white chocolate. Normunds Stanevics, CEO of Food Union Europe, said: “These new ice creams were developed at our innovation centre in Riga, Latvia to perfectly fuse the art of mixology with our ice cream know-how. “By putting a modern twist on traditional dairy products enables us to broaden our consumer appeal and give our existing consumers the opportunity to explore new, tantalising flavours.”

DSM has announced plans to build a new global head office in Maastricht, the Netherlands, which is expected to be ready by the end of 2023. The company is moving its head office from its current Heerlen location – which has been the home base of DSM since 1902 and its dedicated headquarters since 1985 – to the Limburg province capital. The new Maastricht plot currently features two buildings – a historic monument and cinema – which will be combined, renovated and refurbished to create the new head office. DSM says the new office will be a “true visualisation” of its culture and will reinforce the company’s hybrid working principles, which will form the basis of the design alongside user experience. The firm also intends to implement the highest sustainability standards (BREEAM) in the design and construction of the office, which it says will be energy neutral. Meanwhile, DSM revealed that the Sittard office will close permanently. Geraldine Matchett and Dimitri de Vreeze, co-CEOs of DSM, said: “DSM’s new head office is more than a new building: it’s an inspiring, healthy and open place that will be stylishly integrated in the environment and the community around it. “We’re looking forward to providing a positive working environment for employees and visitors, with wellbeing and sustainability at the heart.” De Vreeze recently took on the role of president and CEO of DSM Nutritional Products (DNP) following Chris Goppelsroeder’s retirement. The municipality of Heerlen has expressed its disappointment with DSM’s decision to relocate, with mayor Roel Wever adding: "For more than a century, DSM has been a beacon of trust for our city and the entire mining region. “The company, for which Heerlen residents have rolled up their sleeves for years under very difficult circumstances, remained Heerlen as location is always faithful and that was something to be proud of. Frankly, we find the fact that this band is now being broken is very disappointing."

DSM has expanded its Dairy Safe cheese biopreservation portfolio with a new range of phage-robust culture rotations. DSM has added four new culture rotations to the portfolio to offer a more robust system, which it claims will help manufacturers effectively manage bacteriophages (phages) and overcome spoilage issues in cheese. Insufficient management of phages can lead to fermentation delays and production slow-down, which can contribute to increased food loss and have a detrimental impact on cheese flavour, yield and texture. The cultures are used in a rotation system with several phage alternatives, which the company says ensures consistent quality and performance among all rotations, while also delivering acidification, flavour and assured bioprotection against late blowing and spoilage. The cultures – which are suitable for all types of milk – protect cheeses without the need for preservatives, enabling manufacturers to meet clean label and sustainability demands. Dairy Safe has been on the market for more than 30 years and joined DSM's cheese cultures portfolio of biopreservation solutions after it acquired CSK Food Enrichment in 2019. Christian Hemmer, business manager of cheese at DSM, said: “The expansion of our high-quality cultures comes at a time when the industry is actively seeking phage alternatives to build a robust rotation system that ensures consistency of supply and consistent quality and performance among all rotations. “Our cultures also help the dairy industry towards its sustainability goals by reducing waste through late blowing defects. The easy-to-use cultures – combined with DSM’s end-to-end expertise and “one-stop-shop” portfolio of solutions – mean our customers can produce delicious, high-quality cheese that meets diverse consumer preferences.”

DS Smith has agreed to divest its De Hoop paper mill in the Netherlands to De Jong Packaging for €50 million, as it continues to shift its focus on light-weight fibre-based packaging.  The current mill produces 370,000 tonnes of mainly heavier grades of recycled paper per year. The sale forms part of DS Smith’s strategy to have a ‘short paper’ position in Northern Europe, where it says there is a greater amount of external capacity available to the group. It marks a step forward in its plan to align its internal paper production with its priorities in light-weight fibre-based packaging solutions for FMCG and ecommerce customers. Under the terms of the deal, DS Smith will continue to purchase from and supply to the paper mill a certain amount of containerboard and fibre to support a smooth transition.   Upon completion of the transaction, De Hoop will be the sole internal paper mill for De Jong's packaging business, which serves the fresh produce and industrial markets. DS Smith says it will use the proceeds to partly offset investments made in its packaging capacity this year, including two new corrugated box plants in Italy and Poland and a significant expansion of its Arnstadt packaging facility in Germany. Miles Roberts, DS Smith CEO, said: "We are pleased to have reached this agreement for the De Hoop Paper mill. While this represents another step to further realign our network of paper mills with the needs of our FMCG and ecommerce led sustainable packaging strategy, we have also found a good home for De Hoop in De Jong Packaging.” The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to be completed in the second quarter of DS Smith's full-year 2021/22.

Canadian pizza business General Assembly Pizza has secured its first dedicated facility for the production of its frozen pizzas, in an effort to meet increased retail demand. Located in Vaughan, Ontario, the facility will produce GA Pizza’s par-baked, naturally leavened freezer-to-table pizzas. Prior to this, the company was manufacturing its frozen pizzas from its flagship restaurant. Shifting consumer packaged goods production to this new facility will enable GA Pizza to ramp up its restaurant operations and reopen its flagship location for dine-in and off-premise in the third quarter. GA Pizza has signed a seven-year lease with Pure Industrial, giving it possession of the 42,060 square-foot facility. The facility will undergo a full renovation and phased development of a production line, including an initial line that is expected to increase daily production capacity by 150% to 5,000 units per day by the end of Q3 2021. GA Pizza plans to ramp up to 10,00 units per day by year end. GA Pizza’s new facility is expected to be fully operational in 2022, with an expected production capacity of 50,000 units per day – representing a 2,400% increase from its current capacity. The Ontario site will house production, refrigerated storage, retail warehousing and wholesale distribution, as well as office space and an R&D hub called The Dough Lab.   According to GA Pizza, the production facility will expand its wholesale partnerships across Canada. The company anticipates that more than 50% of its future production will be allocated to retail and wholesale sales, compared to 20% year-to-date. “In our current model – producing our frozen pizzas from our flagship restaurant – capacity has been constrained with demand greatly outpacing supply, so the timing couldn’t be better,” said Ali Khan Lalani, CEO and founder of General Assembly Pizza. “The master production facility will allow GA Pizza to scale production significantly and meet our growing wholesale and consumer demand – not to mention the benefits of operating at scale and reactivating our restaurant and off-premise channels.” Earlier this year, GA Pizza raised around $10 million in a Series A financing round, with the aim to scale up its pizza subscription service across Canada.

Nestlé is introducing a new limited-edition salted caramel popcorn flavoured KitKat Chunky bar across the UK market. The new bar features the brand’s classic wafer with a layer of salted caramel popcorn filling, covered in KitKat’s trademark milk chocolate. Salted caramel popcorn is the latest addition to the KitKat Chunky line-up and follows innovative flavour launches such as peanut butter, hazelnut, coconut, salted caramel fudge and New York cheesecake. Callum Smith, assistant brand manager for KitKat said: “We think our newest Chunky is unlike anything else currently on the market, making it a fun and exciting proposition for shoppers to try. “It not only delivers on taste and texture, but with its retro red and white striped packaging, it looks great too. Whether it’s for a special afternoon treat, a trip to the cinema or simply to put a smile in your break, we believe this is one of our best KitKat Chunky flavours yet – and we hope consumers agree.” The limited-edition chocolate bar will be available to purchase in a range of UK retailers from 2 August for an RRP of 70p. Earlier this year,Nestlé introduced a vegan KitKat variant in the UK.