Coca-Cola FEMSA has announced that its Brazilian subsidiary, Spal Industria Brasileira de Bebidas, has reached an agreement to acquire Coca-Cola bottler CVI Refrigerantes for R$632.5 million (approx. $110.9 million).  CVI operated one bottling factory and three distribution centres in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, which serves more than 2.8 million consumers. Its footprint borders Coca-Cola FEMSA's operations in southern Brazil and Uraguay, "bolstering Coca-Cola FEMSA’s leadership position in the region and allowing Coca-Cola FEMSA’s volume to reach 52% of the Coca-Cola System’s volume in Brazil". John Santa Maria, Coca-Cola FEMSA’s CEO said: “We are delighted to announce that we have reached an agreement to acquire CVI. This transaction not only complements our footprint in the south of Brazil, it represents an additional step in our strategy to continue exploring profitable inorganic growth opportunities with the ultimate goal of generating value to our shareholders and a positive impact in the communities where we operate.” The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and approval/clearance of the respective authorities.

Mondelēz International brand Oreo has launched two new cookie flavours, Ultimate Chocolate and Ultimate Toffee Crunch.  Ultimate Chocolate Oreos is a limited edition cookie featuring three different layers of chocolate creme (white, milk and dark chocolate).  Meanwhile, Ultimate Chocolate Oreos will become a permanent fixture in the brand's portfolio. This variant pairs classic chocolate cookies with toffee creme and sugar crystals (for the crunch).  The two latest additions will be available nationwide from January.

Urban farming company Infarm has raised $200 million in Series D funding, as it looks to accelerate the global expansion of its climate-resilient vertical farms.  The round included participation from existing and new investors, including Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Partners in Equity, Hanaco, Atomico, Lightrock and Bonnier.  Infarm will use the investment to scale the deployment of its vertical farms in the US, Canada, Japan and Europe, while supporting its entry into new markets in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.  Infarm has also said it will open its first Growing Centre in Qatar in 2023, where it will produce tomatoes, strawberries and other fruiting crops alongside herbs, salads and leafy greens. Growing Centres connect multiple vertical farming modules and offer "the equivalent of about 110,000ft2 of growing capacity, with a distribution centre that ensures quick delivery to supermarkets".  Erez Galonska, co-founder and CEO of Infarm, said: "The current food system is broken. Vertical farming and the Infarm system provide a sustainable solution to feed a growing population in a way that's much better for the planet and is far more resilient and flexible in the face of climate uncertainty and supply chain disruption." "Building a global farming network of our climate-resilient vertical farms is a core mission at Infarm, which is why we're excited to announce this latest funding round. This strategic investment will support our rapid global expansion and bolster our R&D so that we can grow more varieties of crops close to consumers across Europe, Asia, North America and the Middle East." He continued: "It's another step towards meeting our ambition of growing the entire fruit and vegetable basket in the near future, providing premium products at affordable prices to everyone".

Branston has added three new high-protein vegetarian/plant-based bean meals to its lineup.  Branston Chickpea Dhal features chickpeas, whole brown lentils, onion and red pepper in a "mildly aromatic tomato sauce"; Branston Mexican Style Beans is a five-bean chilli in a rich tomato sauce; and Branston Italian Style Beans combines bortolli and cannellini beans with mixed herbs in a "creamy tomato sauce and a splash of olive oil". Dean Towey, commercial director at Branston Beans, said: “Branston Beans are already a staple within in the kitchen cupboard and we’re thrilled to introduce these new products that we know our customers will love. We’re certain the trio of new products will become firm favourites with consumers.” The new meals are available in UK Sainsbury's stores now. RRP £1.00.

PepsiCo-owned sparkling water brand, bubly, has unveiled a limited-edition seasonal flavour: merry berry bublé.  The new product, named playfully after singer Michael Bublé, features a combination of raspberry, blackberry and strawberry flavours.  “For the past two years, we’ve all enjoyed watching the lengths Michael has been willing to go to, to ‘correct’ the name of bubly. Michael’s love of the holidays has clearly rubbed off on us though, because we couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the season by giving him the gift he has always wanted,” says Zach Harris, VP water portfolio at PepsiCo Beverages North America. He added: “merry berry bublé marks the first time the brand is entering the holiday season with a unique limited-edition flavour that celebrates Michael Bublé -- one of the holiday season’s most iconic voices.” Available in the US nationwide for a limited time.

Meatless Farm has appointed plant-based and food industry veteran, Dior Decupper, as global CEO.  Decupper has spent the last two years as regional general manager at Upfield, a producer of brands such as Flora, Stork, Elmlea, Bertolli, Violife and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.  In this new role, Decupper will strive to achieve the company's goal of creating a sustainable global food system. She will lead Meatless Farm's global growth strategy and marketing execution.  Meanwhile, Meatless Farm's founder, Morten Toft Bech, will focus on the company's long-term sustainable impact agenda and investment. He said: “Dior is a refreshing leader and has a deep understanding of the plant-based category. The company has grown to a size, which needs someone with Dior’s experience and ability to lead multiple territories. I am extremely excited and can’t wait to work alongside her. Next year will be an important stage in our growth. He added: “I founded Meatless Farm to create a more sustainable food system and challenge intensively farmed meat. Importantly, Dior and I share that deep sense of purpose. ” Decupper commented: “Joining Meatless Farm feels like more than a job. You feel the mission of the business in every corner. It’s open and transparent that it is on a journey, has a sense of creative urgency and importantly it has a sense of humour. The ingredients are here to build the brand and business into not just a market leader but a world changer. I’m very much looking forward to working with Morten and the team to fight for that status."

Sustainable packaging start-up Notpla has closed a £10 million Series A financing round, led by Horizons Ventures.  Founded in 2014 by Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez and Pierre-Yves Paslier, Notpla develops innovative packaging solutions. The company is well-known for its 'Ooho' solution - an edible and fully biodegradable packaging made from seaweed.  Notpla's products can be easily biodegraded in nature in 4-6 weeks without the need for industrial composting or special conditions.  The funds will support further development of Notpla's seaweed fibre paper, which requires 30% less wood pulp than traditional paper and is made from the byproduct of the company's industrial process.  The round also included participation from Astanor Ventures, Lupa Systems and Torch Capital. Wayne Cheng, portfolio curator at Horizons Ventures, said: "We are excited to join Notpla's journey to make packaging disappear. Conscious of the urgency to act on single-use plastic pollution, we've been impressed by the innovative solutions offered by this team of ambitious entrepreneurs. We believe Notpla is revolutionising the packaging industry with seaweed as a raw material." Pierre-Yves Paslier, Co-CEO of Notpla added: “We are delighted to accelerate the pace towards a zero single-use plastic future. This new round coupled with soon-to-be-announced commercial partnerships is the perfect opportunity to put seaweed on the map of packaging solutions. At Notpla we believe that 'nature knows best,' and we only use naturally occurring materials that have had millions of years to adapt with the rest of the environment." He continued: "Our new films and seaweed paper are great examples of this principle and are the most sustainable solution in their categories. We’re excited to see traction in the foodservice industry and are looking forward to moving into the cosmetics and fashion markets very soon.”

Lucas Bols has announced its intention to acquire the ultra-premium Tequila Partida brand from the Shansby Trust and Edrington USA.  According to a company statement, Tequila Partida is the "world's highest-rated ultra-premium tequila brand," sold predominantly in the US and Mexico.  The acquisition will help to strengthen Lucas Bols' tequila portfolio, and includes Partida's La Familia and Roble Fino product ranges. Huub van Doorne, CEO Lucas Bols, commented: “We are delighted to welcome the Tequila Partida brand to our portfolio. Personally, I am very excited to work with a tequila brand again, the spirits category I know well from the time I worked in Mexico. We look forward to the opportunity to further build this fantastic brand. "Complementing our portfolio with the ultra-premium Tequila Partida brand provides Lucas Bols with the opportunity to tap into one of the hottest segments in spirits. We see ample opportunities to grow this brand, not only in its home markets the United States and Mexico, but also in select other markets around the world. We have a strong track record of successfully adding brands to our platform and growing them from there, as evidenced by Passoã, Nuvo and Pallini." He continued: "With our strong distribution capabilities in the United States I am confident we can grow Tequila Partida beyond pre-Covid-19 levels. We are inspired by how Gary Shansby and his team set up the brand in 2005 and developed it from there, and we will continue their journey in the same spirit.” Gary Shansby, founder of Tequila Partida, added: “I am delighted with this fantastic opportunity for Tequila Partida to reach its full potential under the stewardship of Lucas Bols. The strong US distribution network, especially in the on-trade, Lucas Bols’ excellent brand-building capabilities and the synergy with the unique Bols Cocktails brand will greatly contribute to the development of the Partida brand. I look forward to working together with the Lucas Bols team, who combine almost 450 years of heritage with a true entrepreneurial spirit.” The acquisition is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.

Scientists from the University of Nottingham’s School of Biosciences in the UK have obtained stem cells from livestock, a discovery they claim paves the way for "manufacturing cell cultured meat and breeding enhanced livestock". The researchers – in collaboration with the Universities of Cambridge, Exeter, Tokyo and Meiji (Japan) – have developed a stem cell line from pigs, sheep and cattle without the need for serum, feeder cells or antibiotics.  A company statement said: "The technical disadvantages to using serum include its undefined nature, batch-to-batch variability in composition, and the risk of contamination so this new chemically defined approach provides greater consistency and safety, making it an ideal solution for manufacturing new lab-grown food products." The research, titled “Pluripotent stem cells related to embryonic disc exhibit common self-renewal requirements in diverse livestock species,” was published in the  Development journal, and received funding from BBSRC, EU (ERC), MRC and Wellcome Trust.  Research lead, Ramiro Alberio, said: “The ability to derive and maintain livestock stem cells under chemically defined conditions paves the way for the development of novel food products, such as cultured meat. The cell lines we developed are a step change from previous models as they have the unique ability to permanently grow to make muscle and fat.” The stem cell lines can differentiate into multiple cell types, which can then be genetically manipulated using the Crispr/Cas9 gene editing tool. The technology could help expand research into gene editing animals to improve productivity, adaptation to climate change, diet modifications and the environmental impact of livestock production.   Alberio added: “Gene editing in this way makes modifications that could happen naturally over a long time but in a selective a rapid manner to customize specific traits. This can accelerate the pace of genetic selection of livestock and cultured meat to improve productivity and creation of healthier foods. With a growing population to feed in a changing climate finding reliable and sustainable food is vital. This research offers potential solutions that the food industry could use at scale.”

Flavour manufacturer Symrise has opened an innovation lab at Colworth Science Park in the UK.  The fully-equipped lab will support UK customers with their bakery, beverage, dairy and flavour development requirements.  The 140 m² site will house office space and a co-creation area, aimed at creating taste solutions that meet consumer trends and customer expectations.   “Our state-of-the art labs and offices will make our Colworth site the perfect location to strengthen our collaboration with the British food and beverage industry, championing a new mindset and way of working,” said Frank Hoeving, managing director at Symrise UK business unit savoury. He added: “It will strengthen our local development to support UK food and beverage manufacturers and producers. Also, it will enable speed and agility to align with fast pace consumer market demands.” The new location bolsters Symrise's commitment to partner with suppliers, customers, academia and research institutions to improve the future of food and support the company's growth.

Organix has launched a lower-sugar baby weaning biscuit, called Little Ruskits.  The "grabbable, munchable, mashable" biscuit can be mixed with a baby's usual milk (for aged six months+), or served whole as finger food (eight months+).  The company says the ruskits are designed to introduce a baby to solid foods in their mashable form, and then later as finger food during their development.  Organix claims Little Ruskits feature 33% less sugar than other branded baby rusks and biscuits.  Each biscuit portion is made with no artificial colours or flavours and features organic, vegetarian ingredients. They are made with a blend of wheat flour, milk and grape juice and flavoured with vanilla extract.  Little Ruskits are available at Tesco, Sainsbury's and online. RRP £1.75 for a ten-pack.

Gravity Drinks has launched light-up liqueur baubles for the festive period.  Each 5cl bauble is filled with winter berry-flavoured gin liqueur and contains 23 karat gold leaf.  The gin is said to be sweet, with notes of redcurrants, blueberries and cranberries.  Each bauble features a festive "snow globe" scene and can be used as a Christmas tree decoration. A button on the base turns on the light, which will automatically turn off after ten minutes.  The gin liqueur baubles, which come in a set of six, are available from Costco, Harvey Nichols and online.