Mars Wrigley UK has expanded its Maltesers chocolate brand portfolio with the introduction of new Maltesers Orange Buttons. The new citrus-infused chocolate will hit UK shelves this week and follows the release of an orange variant of the company's Maltesers Bunnylast Easter. Original Malteser Buttons launched onto the market back in 2018 and have since sold 68 million packs in Britain. “We’ve given our hugely popular Maltesers Buttons an ‘a-peeling’ makeover and I know that citrus crazed Brits will love our brilliant new orange flavour,” said Leah Dyckes, Maltesers brand director.  Maltesers Orange Buttons will be available nationwide in four formats: single, treat bag, share pouch and more to share pouch, for an RRP of 63p, £1.19, £2.09 and £2.79, respectively.

Unilever has recorded underlying sales growth of 5% in its second-quarter results but has cut its operating margin outlook to “around flat” amid rising commodity costs. The owner of Ben & Jerry’s, Marmite and Hellmann’s reported turnover of €13.5 billion in Q2 and €25.8 billion in its first half. Meanwhile, underlying sales growth for Unilever’s first half stood at 5.4%. However, the company warned that surging commodity costs would squeeze its full-year operating margin and revised its outlook to “around flat”. In Unilever’s second quarter, the company’s foods and refreshment unit grew its underlying sales by 6.8%, ahead of beauty and personal care (up 4.2%) and home care (up 3.2%). Following a strategic review process announced early last year, Unilever has said that the operational separation of its tea business is “substantially complete” and is due to conclude in October. The next phase for the business is expected to be either an initial public offering, sale or partnership. In the first half of the year, Unilever’s ecommerce business grew 50% and the channel now represents 11% of sales. Ice cream sales grew across both in-home and out-of-home products in the first half, and performed strongly in Turkey, China and India. Out-of-home ice cream in Europe grew double digit with a gradual easing of living restrictions, although sales have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. Overall, Unilever’s food solutions business grew double digit in its first half, with sales in China exceeding pre-Covid-19 levels, while most other markets continued to see adverse effects from out-of-home channel restrictions. In-home foods grew low single digit, even as Unilever lapped a spike in demand in the prior year. Unilever says that it took pricing action across food and ice cream to counter rising input costs. Meanwhile, underlying sales in functional nutrition – which includes Unilever’s vitamins, minerals and supplements brands and nutrition brands Horlicks and Boost – grew high single digit in Q2. Underlying sales grew across Unilever’s Asia/AMET/RUB, Americas and Europe segments in its second quarter, by 5.7%, 4.8% and 4% respectively. In Europe, recovery in out-of-home ice cream in the second quarter, particularly in Italy and Spain, led volume growth in Unilever’s first half. Although renewed restrictions in India impacted the market in Q2, they were less severe than in the same period last year. In Indonesia, large parts of the country have entered lockdown following a sharp increase in coronavirus cases, impacting Unilever’s performance in that market. Unilever CEO, Alan Jope, said: “Unilever has delivered a strong first half, with underlying sales growth of 5.4% driven by our continued focus on operational excellence.” He continued: “Competitive growth is our priority, and we are confident that we will deliver underlying sales growth in 2021 well within our multi-year framework of 3-5%, despite more challenging comparators in the second half. “We have seen further cost inflation emerge through the second quarter. Cost volatility and the timing of landing price actions create a higher than normal range of likely year-end margin outcomes. We are managing this dynamically and expect to maintain underlying operating margin for 2021 around flat.”

The Coca-Cola Company has witnessed net revenues accelerate by 42% in the second quarter, driven by the ongoing recovery from the pandemic in several markets. The global beverage giant posted net revenues of $10.1 billion, with 26% growth in concentrate sales and 11% price/mix growth. Coca-Cola’s second quarter results represent a significant recovery by the business where coronavirus-related uncertainty is easing, and comes after it saw slight recovery in Q1 with 5% growth to $9 billion. The owner of Sprite and Smartwater particularly benefitted from the rebound of its away-from-home channels as restrictions abated in certain markets. As a result, the company has updated its full-year guidance and expects to deliver organic revenue growth of 12-14%, compared to its previous predictions of high single digits. In the quarter, organic revenues went up 37%, while operating income rose by 52%. Global unit case volume benefitted from the recovery and increased 18%, but was still partially offset by the impact of a resurgence of Covid-19 in some markets. Sparkling soft drinks posted 14% growth in the quarter with strong performance in the US, India and Brazil – sparkling flavours went up by 19% driven by both Sprite and Fanta, while the company’s trademark Coca-Cola drink rose by 12%. Coca-Cola’s coffee category increased significantly by 78% due to the reopening of Costa retail stores in the UK. Meanwhile, tea witnessed more modest growth at 19% led by the US, Japan and Brazil markets. The company’s nutrition, juice, dairy and plant-based beverages category grew 25% thanks to strong performance by its Minute Maid and Fairlife brands. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola’s Powerade brand in North America drove the sports drink category to rise by 35%. In Q1, Europe, Middle East & Africa unit case volume grew 21%. The company's Latin American division saw volume go up 12%, 17% in North America, 16% in Asia Pacific, and 25% in its bottling investments segment. “Our results in the second quarter show how our business is rebounding faster than the overall economic recovery, led by our accelerated transformation,” said James Quincey, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. “We are executing against our growth plans and our system is aligned. We are better equipped than ever to win in this growing, vibrant industry and to accelerate value creation for our stakeholders.”

Dole Packaged Foods has added two new functional lines to its US portfolio featuring tropical juices and fruit bowls with no added sugar. The new products form part of Dole’s goal to eliminate added sugar in all of its products by 2025. Dole Fruitify marks the brand’s first line of tropical juice drinks crafted to deliver enhanced nutrition. The beverages are 65% juice and claim to be a good source of vitamin C to help support immunity. With less than 100 calories per can, Dole Fruitify comes in in three flavours: Glow (pineapple and mango juice with turmeric); Replensih (pineapple juice and coconut water); and Energize (pineapple juice with green tea extract). Dole Essentials joins the brand’s portfolio of fruit bowls and features fruit in a 100% fruit juice blend. The functional snacks are high in vitamin C and come in three varieties: pineapple chunks with cucumber and mint natural flavours; mandarin oranges with turmeric; and mixed fruit with green tea extract (offering 45mg of caffeine per serving). "We understand that today's consumer seeks products that are not only good for their health and fit their lifestyle, but also minimise environmental impact," said Orzse Hodi, vice president of marketing, Americas at Dole Packaged Foods. "We are committed to developing innovations that are better for people and the planet. Dole Fruitify juice drinks and the Dole Essentials line of Dole Fruit Bowls deliver on both fronts, with simple, clean ingredients and responsible sourcing and packaging methods." Dole Fruitify juices are available in single flavour four-packs, while Dole Essentials come in packs of two 7oz single-serve bowls – which can be purchased now in grocery stores nationwide.

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."