Infant and toddler nutrition start-up, Mamamade, has raised £1.5 million in crowdfunding, marking the "largest-ever crowdfund for a baby food start-up". The oversubscribed fundraise took place on Seedrs. The brand received investments from Allplants, Made.com, Heals, Design my Night, Bulb and Xexec. Mamamade offers nutrient-dense, plant-based food products designed by nutritionists and chefs, in order to meet strict organic requirements. The UK company is a direct-to-consumer business that aims to supports parents during their child's growth and development. The brand offers one-to-one coaching, online resources and stage guides. Sophie Baron, founder of Mamamade, commented: "As a female founder in the infant and plant-based space, it hasn’t been the easiest journey, as from the outset, the door was shut to a large number of investors. However, the unprecedented support from our growing community was our inspiration and in fact, many of them are now investors. We are delighted to have secured the funds to take Mamamade to the next level and bring our mission to a wider number of people in the UK and beyond." All Mammade products are made in-house in a new dedicated facility and meals are free from the big eight allergens, including milk, soya and peanuts.

International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has announced the appointment of Frank Clyburn as CEO and member of the board of directors, effective 14 February 2022. Clyburn, who will step down from his position as executive VP and president of human health at Merck & Co, succeeds current IFF CEO Andreas Fibig. Clyburn has experience in R&D, mergers & acquisitions, and brings with him the ability to connect with customers and stakeholders on numerous levels. Clyburn said: “I am honoured to serve as IFF’s next CEO. This is an iconic company and industry leader with tremendous opportunity to deliver outstanding customer experience and long-term, sustainable growth. The purpose and vision of IFF is very closely linked with accelerating global trends of nutrition, wellness and sustainability, which means that together, colleagues around the world can deliver significant value for both customers and shareholders. Working with IFF’s world-class talent, unrivalled offerings and impressive innovation platform, I am excited to bring my approach to executional excellence to capitalise on IFF’s bright future.” “Frank is the best executive to lead IFF into its next chapter at the pace we need. His strong operating experience plus his hands-on approach and customer-centric perspective will accelerate the execution of IFF’s strategic and operating priorities,” added Dale Morrison, IFF director. The company has also announced that it will separate its CEO and chairman roles. Morrison, long-standing IFF director, will assume the position of non-executive chairman of the board, also effective 14 February.

US energy drink brand Zoa, which is owned by Molson Coors, has added two new flavours to its portfolio: white peach and tropical punch. The carbonated beverage flavours feature zero sugar, antioxidants, a blend of vitamins, and natural caffeine from green tea and green coffee. Zoa beverages also contain turmeric, camu camu, which includes 100% of the daily value of vitamin C, as well as B vitamins. “We’ve always been mindful about what we put into our bodies and constantly fine tune what will maximise our performance, not only in the gym but in all aspects of life,” said Zoa founder, Dwayne Johnson. “Creating a better-for-you energy drink that consists of powerful ingredients with essential vitamins and natural caffeine was deeply important to us – and we’ve dedicated our time and passion to making it happen.” The new variants join Zoa's other flavours, including original, super berry, lemon lime, wild orange and pineapple coconut. Zoa can be found at Speedway, Circle K, EG America and many other stores in the US. RRP $29.98 for a 12-pack.

C.H. Guenther & Son (CHG), a provider of branded and private label food products, has acquired Minnesota-based Baldinger Bakery and Canada-based Sons Bakery (Baldinger-Sons) for an undisclosed sum. Founded in 1888, Baldinger is a speciality bakery with operations in North America. It manufactures hamburger buns, rolls, bagels and other bakery items for multinational quick-service (QSR) restaurant brands. CHG hopes the deal will help expand its bakery manufacturing capabilities and strengthen its relationship with QSR consumers. The transaction will also enable CHG to grow its manufacturing footprint with Baldinger's recently renovated production facility in Minnesota, as well as Sons facilities in Canada. “I am very pleased to welcome the Baldinger and Sons bakeries to the CHG family,” said John Buckles, president and CEO of CHG. “The company’s highly sophisticated manufacturing facilities and longstanding partnerships with blue-chip QSR customers are a great fit as we grow our combined company. I am confident the addition of Baldinger-Sons’ talented team will strengthen CHG’s leadership position in our markets and enhance our product offering for our customers.” Steve Baldinger, CEO of Baldinger-Sons, added: “It was very important for us to find a partner who shares our values and vision for the future while providing the strength and stability to help propel our organisation for years to come. I believe we have found that partner with CHG. Both Baldinger-Sons and CHG are rooted in entrepreneurial, innovative businesses. I am excited to work with Dale, John and their team to create an even brighter future for our newly combined organisation.” CHG is owned by Pritzker Private Capital.

British cheesemaker Wyke Farms has unveiled the "world's first" carbon-neutral branded cheddar, named Ivy's Reserve Vintage Cheddar. Ivy’s Reserve is matured for 18 months under wood to bring out a "rounded" flavour profile which is slightly sweet and nutty. The carbon-neutral status builds on Wyke Farms’ work in improving environmental performance across the core areas: farming, production, conservation and offsetting. The cheese is made using 100% green energy, with electricity and gas sourced from Wyke Farm’s own self-generated solar power and from biogas generated from farm and dairy waste. Rich Clothier, managing director at Wyke Farms, said: "This has been a 12-year journey for us. We started our 100% green strategy in 2010 when we made a commitment to energy independence and generating all of our gas and electric from renewables." He continued: "Since then, we have invested in our knowledge base across this business and on-farm driving environmental improvement year on year. Ivy’s Reserve is a world first and an industry shake-up. This will continue to be our focus in the years ahead as we push for more net positive improvements." Ivy’s Reserve is now available online in the UK for an RRP of £15 for three 250g blocks. It is also available in branches of Costco in the US.

The Kraft Heinz Company has completed its acquisition of an 85% stake in Just Spices, with the remaining 15% stake being retained by its founders. Just Spices is a German start-up with over 170 products in its portfolio, including spice blends, salad dressings, easy-to-prepare “In Minutes” blends and organic offerings. The company's growing business sells approximately 70% of its produce directly to consumers, with remaining sales distributed in major grocery retailers throughout Germany, Spain, Austria and Switzerland. Rafael Oliveira, president of international markets at Kraft Heinz, said: "With Just Spices, we will leverage Kraft Heinz’s scale and agility to accelerate the business in the fast-growing taste elevation market beyond the company’s current German base and its recent market entries in Spain, Austria and Switzerland. We also see tremendous potential to further strengthen and enhance Kraft Heinz’s own direct-to-consumer operations and go-to-market expansion." The initial deal was announced back in December last year.

Organic alcohol platform Flying Embers has closed a multimillion-dollar Series C funding round, led by Beam Suntory. The company raised $20 million during the round, which will be used to accelerate the growth of Flying Embers' current brand portfolio as it scales its operations and searches for premium hand-crafted natural and organic drink options. In addition, Flying Embers will invest in the growing hard kombucha and hard seltzer categories, and further support its sales infrastructure for wholesale and retail partners. The round also included follow-on investments from Power Plant Ventures, Quadrant Capital, Monogram Cap, and Beechwood Capital. “We are starting the year with strong momentum behind our platform of breakthrough premium brands. Our total business grew over 93% last year as we focused on expanding our placements in key accounts. Hard kombucha continues to scale nationally, outperforming general alcohol trends as early adopting markets and retailers have bet big on beyond-beer categories,” said Bill Moses, founder and CEO of Flying Embers. He added: “Our organic hard seltzers alone have grown by more than 284% this year. Despite what seems to be a category shakeout, consumers continue to seek out sophisticated flavour combinations and quality plant-based ingredients. We are poised to expand our existing kombucha and differentiated seltzer brands through our robust national distributor network, while continuing to test innovations in 2022. With this latest round of funding, Flying Embers is well-positioned to further disrupt beyond-beer categories and scale the business nationally in 2022 and beyond.” In November 2019, Fermented Sciences, the maker of hard kombucha brand Flying Embers, closed a $25 million Series B funding round.

Ireland-based yogurt producer Nomadic Dairy has introduced a new limited-edition addition to its Yogurt & Oat Clusters range. The new Honeycomb and Chocolate variation features a combination of honeycomb pieces and chocolate oat clusters, paired with a separate pot of Nomadic’s live yogurt. This will be the first limited edition flavour release which is part of Nomadic's planned distribution of limited edition flavours throughout the year, although it could also become a permanent addition to the range. Bethan Miles, brand manager at Nomadic Dairy, said: "Our Yogurt & Clusters range has been a runaway success for years now, but our market research recently found that customers wanted to see new flavours. It therefore made sense to create this deliciously indulgent limited edition - especially given the high demand for such flavours across all food categories." The release will be available for an RRP of £1.55 per 169g in nationwide retailers such as Boots, Costcutter, Nisa, Sainsbury's and Spar.

Swedish better-for-you snacks brand Nick's has announced the release of six new light ice cream pints in the US. Nick's new flavours include: Rocky Fjord, which contains chocolate ice cream, nuts and marshmallows; Campfire S'mörgs, a marshmallow ice cream with chocolate chunks and graham crackers; Swedish Munchies, a vanilla and chocolate ice cream with chunks of cookie dough and brownies; Raspbär Swirl, a vanilla ice cream swirled with tart raspberries and chocolate; Hazelnöt Kram, a hazelnut ice cream mixed with chocolate chunks; and Strawbär Cheesecake, a cheesecake ice cream mixed with strawberries and graham crackers. Nick's light ice cream contains fewer net carbs, no added sugar and around 260 - 420 calories per pint. Last year, Nick's raised $100 million in a Series C funding round to expand its portfolio and distribution.

Vintage Wine Estates has acquired US winery Meier’s Wine Cellars (doing business as Meier’s Beverage Group), as it looks to expand its ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage production. Founded in 1895 in Silverton, Ohio, Meier's produces, bottles, imports and markets speciality alcohol and non-alcohol products. The company, the oldest and largest winery in Ohio, owns a bonded winery, brewery and distilled spirits plant with processing and bottling capabilities, which include three bottling lines and a beverage canning line that produces over 800,000 cases annually. Meier's generated around $18 million in revenue last year, and the acquisition was valued at approximately eight times more than Meier's adjusted EBITDA. Pat Roney, CEO of Vintage Wine Estates, commented: “Vintage Wine Estates has a longstanding relationship with Meier’s and has been a spirits client for many years. We know their operation to be among the most well-managed in the business. We are particularly excited about their expertise in RTD wine and beverage alcohol production and plan to expand our RTD production, including Ace Cider products, at their facility.” Meier’s president, Paul Lux, added: “We were attracted to the opportunity to join Vintage Wine Estates because we expect the combination to accelerate cash flow growth from stronger operating leverage while also expanding our capabilities and market reach. Meier’s brings technical strength, increased capacity, and deeper Midwest geographic access to the broader brand equity and scale of Vintage Wine Estates.”

Coca-Cola has unveiled its newest variation to add to its extensive Coca-Cola Flavours range, with the release of Coffee Mocha. The newest launch incorporates the Coca-Cola taste infused with a rich coffee flavour. The Coca-Cola with Coffee Mocha release will join the already available Dark Blend, Vanilla, Caramel and Vanilla Zero Sugar offerings. The addition will be debuted alongside Coca-Cola Flavour's new look which features vibrant coloured cans and a bold logo positioned at the top of the packaging that "brings a modern edge to the same great tastes". The rollout of the new flavours packaging includes all Coca-Cola and Coke Zero Sugar Flavours and variants, including Coca-Cola Cherry, Coca-Cola Vanilla, Coca-Cola Cherry Vanilla, and their zero sugar and calorie-free counterparts.

Swiss vending and automation company, Invenda Group, has raised CHF 7 million (approx. $7.59 million) in a funding round, which will support growth in sales and development. Available in 14 countries, Invenda develops software and hardware for vending machines, smart kiosks and digital signage. The funding round was led by former Emmi CEO Walter Huber and financial specialist Gregor Greber. Invenda says the funding will bolster confidence among core investors in both its corporate culture and global expansion plans. "Our goal was to collect 3 million francs by the end of 2021, but now the amount is more than double," said Invenda's founder and CEO Jon Brezinski. “We are changing the way customers are engaged, creating smarter ways to manage inventory and maintenance, and using our imaginations to expand the entire industry.”