ADM has agreed to pay $45 million to settle price-fixing allegations levelled against its Golden Peanut division, according to The Wall Street Journal. With the settlement, the company aims to resolve a civil lawsuit filed by around 12,000 US peanut farmers, who have accused leading processors of colluding to keep down prices paid to growers. According to the lawsuit, the two largest US peanut processors – Birdsong Peanuts and ADM’s Golden Peanut unit – jointly handle 80-90% of the country’s peanuts. Olam International is said to handle around 10%. ADM’s peanut-processing division has been accused of coordinating with the other processors to report inaccurate supply and pricing data, keeping prices for growers low over a six-year period. The allegations include that ADM, as well as Birdsong and Olam, overreported peanut inventory totals to make the market appear oversupplied, allowing them to quote low prices. A spokeswoman for ADM, cited by The Wall Street Journal, said that the company denies any wrongdoing in the matter and settled the lawsuit to avoid expending more time and money on it. “ADM has been building strong relationships with farmers since the company’s inception in 1902, and we continue to make farmers the centre of our business,” she said. In separate settlement deals reached late last year, Birdsong and Olam agreed to pay a combined $58 million. Along with ADM, both companies deny the civil litigation’s allegations of wrongdoing, including around pricing and inventory data, and the accusations of collusion and quoting unfair prices. US agriculture giants in other sectors have also recently faced price-fixing allegations, with Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson Foods reaching a deal earlier this year to settle claims made by a group of poultry buyers.

Functional beverage brand Moju has launched a new plant-based prebiotic shot, which it claims supports immune and digestive health. The product is available as a 500ml dosing bottle and as 60ml shot. Designed to be shot daily, Moju says the beverage encourages a healthier, more diverse gut microbiome. Moju’s new shot contains a blend of prebiotics and plant-based fibres, including chicory root inulin, golden kiwi and green banana. Each shot contains 3.7g of plant-fibre and offers the flavour combination of raspberry, lemon and baobab. According to a survey by Moju, over a third of people are looking to prioritise gut health in the next 12 months, highlighting the need for an accessible and convenient prebiotic. “The gut and digestive health category is a really exciting space which has the potential to have a hugely positive impact on consumers’ lives,” said Moju co-founder, Rich Goldsmith. He added: “To date it’s been driven by dairy based probiotic products, but without a diverse menu of food the good bacteria in your gut cannot thrive. We all want to eat a diet full of a wide variety of whole foods but the realities of modern life often make that challenging, so we developed the UK’s first ready to drink product with an efficacious dose of prebiotics and plant fibres in a super convenient, nutrient dense format. “It delivers big on flavour and is free-from dairy, added sugars, sweeteners, gums and preservatives which is an important and significant step forward for the category.”   Moju’s new Prebiotic Shot is available online, in Waitrose stores nationwide and will be launching in Ocado at the end of March.

Young's Seafood has launched a new line of Fish Fillet Strips in three flavours – Southern Fried, Crispy Battered and Salt and Vinegar. Liz Griffin, marketing controller at Young’s, said: “Our new product will appeal to the whole family and is a perfect option for a delicious, healthy meal, and the convenient format is ideal for anyone working at home and looking to upgrade their lunch break”. “We really wanted some new and exciting flavours for families who are wanting to enjoy healthy and tasty fish, and we’ve done exactly that with our Fish Fillet Strips,” she added.  The new products will be packaged using recyclable materials in line with Young’s wider packaging reduction goals.

Oishii, a vertical farming startup based in New Jersey, has raised $50 million during a Series A funding round led by Sparx Group's Mirai Creation Fund II.  The funds will enable Oishii to open vertical strawberry farms in new markets, expand its flagship farm outside of Manhattan, and accelerate its investment in R&D.  “Our mission is to change the way we grow food. We set out to deliver exceptionally delicious and sustainable produce,” said Oishii CEO Hiroki Koga. “We started with the strawberry – a fruit that routinely tops the dirty dozen of most pesticide-riddled crops – as it has long been considered the ‘holy grail’ of vertical farming.” “We aim to be the largest strawberry producer in the world, and this capital allows us to bring the best-tasting, healthiest berry to everyone. From there, we’ll quickly expand into new fruits and produce,” he added.   Oishii is already known for its innovative farming techniques that have enabled the company to “perfect the strawberry,” while its proprietary and first-of-its-kind pollination method is conducted naturally with bees.  The company's vertical farms feature zero pesticides and produce ripe fruit all year round, using less water and land than traditional agricultural methods.  “Oishii is the farm of the future,” said Sparx Group president and Group CEO Shuhei Abe. “The cultivation and pollination techniques the company has developed set them well apart from the industry, positioning Oishii to quickly revolutionise agriculture as we know it.” The company has raised a total of $55 million since its founding in 2016.

Ultra-premium ice cream company Serendipity Brands has launched a new pint, Central Perk Almond Fudge, inspired by the TV show Friends .  Serendipity has partnered with Warner Bros Consumer Products to release four pints inspired by 'fan-favourite' series and films. The first in the line, inspired by Friends , features chocolate covered almonds and fudge swirls, creating a mocha almond ice cream.  Other releases will include flavours inspired by The Goonies (available this month), Caddyshack and A Christmas Story .  " Friends is a pop culture classic that we couldn't be more thrilled to create a special flavour for! Our Central Perk Almond Fudge flavour is nostalgia in a pint that makes you feel like you're with your six best friends indulging in a sweet treat at a coffee shop," said Sal Pesce, president and COO of Serendipity Brands. All flavours will be available at the suggested RRP of $5.99 in local supermarkets, convenience stores and other food retailers across the country and online.

Mondelēz International has announced the acquisition of Australian premium cracker company Gourmet Food Holdings, for an undisclosed amount.  The move to purchase Gourmet Food, which includes brands such as OB finest, Olina’s Bakehouse and Crispbic, aims to strengthen Mondelēz's position in the premium biscuit and cracker category.  Gourmet Food currently supplies Australia and New Zealand with on-trend products that span the health and wellness categories.  “This is a great strategic asset for us in a very important market,” said Dirk Van de Put, chairman and CEO of Mondelēz. “With our iconic biscuit brands such as Oreo and belVita, as well as our leadership in chocolate with Cadbury, this acquisition will accelerate our broader snacking leadership in Australia and New Zealand.” Oliver Flint, current COO of Gourmet Food, has been appointed as the company's managing director. Meanwhile, co-founder and CEO Todd Wilson will remain with the business as an advisor. A statement from Mondelēz said that the company will provide Gourmet Food with "resources to accelerate growth while leveraging its manufacturing, research and development capabilities". “With fast-growing premium and wellbeing products, strong customer relationships and agile, local manufacturing, these brands will be a great complement to our local portfolio,” said Maurizio Brusadelli, EVP and president, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, Mondelēz. “We are excited to welcome Oliver, Todd and the entire Gourmet Food team to our organisation.” Gourmet Food’s prepackaged seafood business, including the Ocean Blue brand, are included in the transaction.   Mondelēz has highlighted its intentions to strengthen its position in the high-growth snacking sector, with recent acquisitions including Hu Master Holdings ,  Give & Go  and Perfect Snacks . The transaction of Gourmet Foods is expected to close in April.

Diageo’s Crown Royal whisky brand has released a new collection of ready-to-drink cocktails ahead of summer. The range includes three flavours: Washington Apple, featuring Crown Royal whisky, apple and sparkling cranberry flavours; Whisky & Cola, combining Crown Royal whisky with cola; and Peach Tea, with Crown Royal whisky, peach flavour and brewed tea. “There’s an increasing interest in ready-to-drink products and there’s a real desire from our drinkers to enjoy the cocktails they’ve always loved at the bar,” said Nicky Heckles, vice president of Crown Royal. “Whether you’re relaxing in front of the TV or enjoying time in the backyard, Crown Royal ready-to-drink cocktails are perfect for those who want to celebrate with ease, but not compromise on the premium whisky and flavours we all know and love.” Crown Royal's new cocktails are available nationwide for an SRP of $14.99 for a four-pack of a single flavour and an SRP of $3.99 for a single can.

Soreen has brought back its Chocolate & Orange Spring Mini Loaves, with a vegan edition. The malt loaf brand claims that its new offering has "50% less sugar and also 64% fat that the average Easter cake bar". Mark Simester, managing director at Soreen commented: “We have been working hard to launch a full vegan range, ensuring to retain that squidgy texture and treat-like taste that Soreen is notorious for. "The results from our taste panel sessions have been a huge success and we’re pleased to be able to offer an even wider range of vegan products this year, including our firm family favourite Chocolate & Orange Spring Mini Loaves,” he continued. Soreen's loaves come in multipacks of five and will be available in Nisa, Iceland, B&M, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Co-Op, Spar, Morrisons and Aldi for a limited time only. RRP £1.

Bühler Group and Belgian technology supplier Vyncke have formed a strategic partnership to offer integrated solutions that reduce carbon emissions in food plants. The collaboration aims to transform biomass side stream products into clean process energy while reducing the carbon footprint of customers. A statement from Bühler said: "The dependency on fossil fuels – and with this, CO2 emissions – can decrease from 20%-100%, depending on the raw material and side stream products". “This partnership is a key element in our strategy to massively reduce CO2 in the value chains of our customers,” said Johannes Wick, CEO of Bühler Grains & Food. “Many industries rely on our solutions to reduce their fossil fuel consumption. With Bühler, we now aim to also become the standard to reduce the CO2 footprint of the food industry,” commented Peter Vyncke, owner of Vyncke. “Together, Bühler and Vyncke can now offer integrated and optimised solutions where economic and ecological benefits go hand in hand.” Vyncke added: “Today, we are far from exploiting the full potential of recovering energy from side stream products. Our goal is to reduce the energy consumption of a food plant by up to 70%. The beauty of our solutions is that sustainability and economic criteria go hand in hand. Today, we are already enabling our customers to reduce emissions by 2.5 million tons of CO2 annually. By partnering with Bühler, we can further improve and scale these solutions in an integrated approach to create a much larger positive impact.” The partnership will initially focus on the segments of cocoa, oat and malt processing. One joint project will be the expansion of a malt production plant for Bühler's long-time business partner, Malteria Oriental S.A. in Montevideo, Uruguay. Vyncke will recover thermal energy from biomass, a by-product of malt production. "Vyncke will build a turn-key 20-megawatt superheated water boiler with dual combustion systems which will burn internal barley husks and plant rejects, completed by externally sourced wood chips," Bühler's statement explained. "This will save 35,000 tons of CO2 emissions each year compared to standard operational practices in Uruguay." “By working closely together, we aim to execute projects with less coordination effort for our customer. Our joint innovative strength will drive us into the future and our customers will have even better and more efficient solutions at their disposal,” said Wick.

Kellogg’s Pringles brand has partnered with Halo to introduce a new Moa Burger flavour, inspired by a dish from the video game’s universe. With a ‘thick wavy texture’, the Pringles Wavy Moa Burger crisps feature a blend of flavours, including garlic, sweet ginger and savoury beef, finished with a slight heat from chilli and red peppers. The new offering aims to bring the flavour of the Moa Burger – a fictional dish made from Halo’s bird-like Moa creatures – to life.  “The Halo-verse has one of the greatest fan bases within the gaming world, so we had to create a flavour that would deliver on a taste fans could previously only imagine — the famous ‘Moa Burger’,” said Gareth Maguire, senior director of marketing for Pringles. “We pride ourselves in creating insanely accurate flavour combinations, and this was a fun one to develop. While Moa Burger has a flavour that appeals to everyone, we expect this to be enjoyed – and maybe even collected – by Halo fans.”     The limited-edition Pringles Wavy Moa Burger crisps will be available from Walmart starting this month. Last year, Kellogg added a new Scorchin’ range to its Pringles portfolio.

Performance nutrition brand Grenade has added three new flavours to its Grenade Energy line of drinks.  With confirmed listings in Tesco, Motor Fuel Group, GAP and Amazon, new flavours include Cherry Bomb (sour cherry), Sun of a Beach (tropical pineapple, orange & coconut), and Berried Alive (strawberry & blueberry flavour).  The caffeine used to power the drink is derived from natural coffee beans, and the beverages are free from preservatives and artificial colours and, according to the company, "packs the same punch as two espressos".   Grenade Energy features zero sugar, zero calories and contains plant-based BCAAs, plus electrolytes and B vitamins.  “With bold on-trend flavours, these three new additions fit seamlessly into the Grenade product portfolio, perfect for keeping people powered, no matter what life throws at them,” the team said.  Grenade Energy will retail from £1.99, first launching online on 15 March, and on Amazon, Motor Fuel Group and GAP in April. Tesco will offer select lines from the end of May.

US agribusiness Bunge has launched a new programme to monitor soybean crops from its indirect supply chain in the Brazilian Cerrado region, an area at high risk of deforestation.  The programme aims to support grain dealers and producers by utilising monitoring systems, such as satellite and farm-scale imaging services, and fostering large-scale action in the Cerrado area to identify and track indirect purchases of soybeans.  The company says it hopes to reach 100% traceability and monitoring of its indirect soybean purchases by 2025 – Bunge currently traces and monitors 30%.  "We recognise the important role we can play in our industry. This unprecedented initiative is a way for Bunge to share with its supply chain the best practices we use to build value chains that are traceable and verifiable," said Rob Coviello, Bunge’s chief sustainability officer and government affairs. "We value our partnership with dealers and producers to make our supply chains increasingly productive and sustainable and we believe that solutions at-scale and with long-term impacts are only possible when all partners in the value chain, from farmers to customers, are involved and engaged," he continued.   Through the initiative, Bunge will share its knowledge, methodologies and tools with partner dealers looking to implement or improve the social environment evaluation of their suppliers.  The pilot will be carried out in collaboration with Brazilian agricultural company Agrícola Alvorada. "Bunge's support and expertise in monitoring and tracking is critical to the overall improvement of our supply chain. It accelerated our adaptation to market demands," Jarbas Weis, managing director of Agrícola Alvorada, added. Roberto Marcon, Bunge's origination director, emphasised the importance of such monitoring systems: "Grain dealers play an important role in our industry by giving market access to small and medium-sized farmers. By helping them implement traceability and monitoring systems and tools, we are doing our part to contribute to the entire sector."