Danone North America has expanded its Silk portfolio with the introduction of a new multi-serve beverage containing plant-based protein. A source of calcium, Silk Ultra is available in creamy chocolate, unsweet and original flavours, and can be enjoyed straight out of the carton, in a smoothie or over cereal. The brand says that the beverage is geared towards athletes and offers 20g of complete plant-based protein per serving. Silk Ultra is also a source of vitamins A, D, B2 and B12. “Fitness enthusiasts know that protein plays a critical role in supporting muscle performance, and serious athletes are incorporating more plant-based options into their diets and training regimens,” said Andrew Hartshorn, senior vice president, plant-based food and beverages for Silk. “As the experts in developing delicious plant-based beverages for over 30 years, Silk saw a real consumer need for a great-tasting plant-based beverage in the protein space. Silk Ultra delivers complete plant-based protein and truly delicious taste, so athletes don't have to compromise.” Silk Ultra is available in multi-serve cartons, for an MSRP of $4.99 per 59oz product, from grocery stores nationwide in the US. Last year, Danone North America added to its Silk portfolio with a new range of Almondmilk Mix-Ins Yogurt Alternatives.

Thailand-based SCG Packaging has closed its acquisition of UK foodservice packaging solution provider, Go-Pak, initiating a first payment of £77.5 million. The deal was first announced on 2 November 2020, which saw SCG Packaging subsidiary SCGP Solutions Singapore agree to purchase a 100% stake of Go-Pak from its existing shareholders. Headquartered in Bristol, Go-Pak also operates production facilities in Southern Vietnam. The company predominately manufactures packaging for the ready-to-eat and takeaway food and beverage business in the UK, European and North American markets. Go-Pack has an annual production capacity of 4 billion units and over 250 products categories. The firm posted full-year revenues of £68.7 million at the end of Q3 2020. Meanwhile, SCG Packaging offers fibre-based packaging, performance and polymer packaging for a range of products including food service, with over 40 facilities across Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Following the transaction, SCG Packaging says Go-Pak will expand its foodservice packaging portfolio, while enabling it access to a customer base in the UK, Europe and North America. It will also strengthen its production and distribution capabilities to grow its position in the ASEAN market. A first payment of £77.5 million will be issued by SCG Packaging, while a second and third payment will be based on Go-Pak’s incremental financial performance for the next two financial years, which will range from £30 million to no more than the total of £56 million. At the time of the initial deal, Wichan Jitpukdee, CEO of SCG Packaging, said: “The transaction is in line with the strategy of expanding the client base who are manufacturers of food and consumer products and increasing the capability for downstream packaging production to reinforce the company’s strength as the leader in integrated packaging solutions provider.” Adam Anderson, Go-Pak managing director, said: “Joining the SCG family of businesses is a very exciting prospect for Go-Pak. Not only does this mean a continuation of the great service for our customers, but being part of such a large integrated packaging group will enable us to offer further international support and a wider product range for our current and future customers in the UK, Europe and US.”

Australian cultured meat company Vow Food has secured $6 million in a seed funding round to further develop its exotic lab-grown meats. The start-up claims to be the first company in the world to produce a food product from the cells of an undomesticated animal, with its Kangaroo Dumpling in 2019. Since then, Vow has expanded its portfolio to include 11 different animals including standard livestock such as pork and chicken, but also more exotic fare like alpaca and water buffalo. The oversubscribed funding round was led by Square Peg Capital and joined by existing investors Blackbird Ventures and Grok Ventures, as well as new investor Tenacious Ventures. Vow has recently completed a new food design studio and laboratory in Sydney and has grown its team from five to 22 people in less than a year. “There’s no doubt that cultured meat is becoming available and will soon be mainstream, as evident earlier this month with the world’s first cultured meat product approved for sale in Singapore,” said George Peppou, co-founder and CEO of Vow. With the funding, Vow is looking to outperform meat instead of replacing it. “This is about so much more than an alternative to animal agriculture, it’s about a category of products totally distinct from, and better than, what animals are capable of producing,” added Peppou. Tim Noakesmith, Vow’s co-founder and chief commercial officer, said: “We believe that the only way to change the behaviour of billions of people is to make many products that are simply better than what we have today.” James Tynan at Square Peg Capital said: “In Vow, we found a team with the most audacious vision for the future of food. They’re tackling one of the biggest problems on the planet and have delivered results with less than 1% of the resources of its competitors. We’re thrilled to help them make this vision a reality.”

T. Hasegawa USA has acquired Mission Flavors & Fragrances, a manufacturer of flavour solutions for the food and beverage industries. According to T. Hasegawa USA, the deal aligns with its strategy to broaden its flavour portfolio within the dairy, bakery, plant-based alternatives, fruit-filling and confectionary categories. Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Mission Flavors & Fragrances also offers solutions for health and wellness, meat, and prepared meal applications, among others. “The acquisition of Mission Flavors & Fragrances expands our technical capabilities and overall flavour portfolio so we can better serve our customers,” said Tom Damiano, CEO of T. Hasegawa USA. “We welcome their entire team, which is well known for its customer service excellence and aligns with our customer-centric focus." Patrick Imburgia, president of Mission Flavors & Fragrances, added: “The collaboration of resources, talent and innovation will be a tremendous recipe for success, expanding upon our existing capabilities. We know that T. Hasegawa USA's leading-edge technology, flavour modulation, reaction and thermal processing will benefit our customers.” The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.

Molson Coors has partnered with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Dany Garcia, Dave Rienzi and John Shulman to launch a new energy drink, Zoa. The healthy energy drink contains clean, natural caffeine from green coffee and green tea, antioxidants from camu camu and acerola, as well as a unique blend of vitamins and nutrients that support immune function and elevate energy levels. Molson Coors will be the exclusive distribution partner for all retail locations, as the company looks to expand its portfolio beyond beer. The company will enable Zoa to tap into vast distribution and retail channels, and offer beverage expertise and marketing support. “I’m very passionate about Zoa. I’m humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve our eager consumers with Zoa..,” said Johnson. “My co-founders and I spent the last 18 months formulating this healthy and great tasting product that we could all use now more than ever.” “Ensuring we packed it with the critical vitamins and immune support we ourselves consume daily. Zoa is the world’s first and only healthy energy drink that contains our unique combination of 100% vitamin C, 100% vitamins B3, B5, B6, and B12, and vitamin D, along with other vital ingredients. Johnson continued: “Zoa includes a host of nutrients that work to support our immune systems and provide us with a healthy dose of the caffeinated edge we need for focus, balance and success throughout our day. It’s truly our privilege to bring it to market for consumers to enjoy.”

Krispy Kreme has launched a line of mini doughnuts in the US this week, inspired by familiar desserts.  The limited-edition mini doughnuts collection features the following varieties: Lemon Bar, Strawberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Birthday Cake.  “Coming off 2020, celebrating any and all wins – including small ones – is a way we can keep each other’s spirits up,” said Krispy Kreme's chief marketing officer, Dave Skena. “Our Mini Dessert Doughnut Collection is a great way to celebrate the little wins to bring out the big smiles that keep us going.”

Alfa Laval has acquired Sandymount – a US-based beverage technology company with a unique and patented membrane technology to concentrate beer.  The Swedish company, which deals with heat transfer, centrifugal separation and fluid handling, will help to open up new business opportunities for Sandymount, and enable a more sustainable beer-delivery supply chain.   "Sandymount's patented membrane technology, Revos, in combination with Alfa Laval's extensive product range for beer production, will enable beer producers to deliver high-quality beer in concentrated form," a press release said.  This solution will help to address the issues surrounding the transportation of beer supply. "This new technology is a valuable complement to Alfa Laval's portfolio of brewery solutions which will enable us to deliver processes for high-quality concentrated beer," said Nish Patel, president of the Food & Water Division. "Innovative and validated solutions like this will improve our customers' supply chains and thereby have a positive impact on both their bottom line and the environment." Ronan McGovern, founder of Sandymount, added: "The Revos technology has been verified and validated by major breweries and I am excited to see it become part of Alfa Laval and leverage the organisation's experience and global footprint in solution delivery". The newly acquired company, with its founder and employees, will be integrated into the Business unit Food Systems in the Food & Water Division.

Orkla Care's Health and Sports Nutrition Group subsidiary has acquired Norwegian sports nutrition brand Proteinfabrikken for an undisclosed sum. Proteinfabrikken sells a range of sports nutrition products such as protein bars, drinks and whey protein powders under its PF brand, and also sells and distributes a variety of other sports nutrition, food and fitness equipment brands and products. In 2019, Proteinfabrikken registered turnover of NOK 82 million ($9.6 million), with most of the sales to customers in Norway. Around half of the company's sales are made through the firm's own online store. Orkla Care was previously the second-largest shareholder in the company, as it acquired a 16.7% minority stake in Proteinfabrikken in 2014. As part of this new agreement, Orkla's Health and Sports Nutrition Group unit has now acquired 100% of the shares in Proteinfabrikken, including Orkla Care's initial interest. Johan Görgård, CEO of Health and Sports Nutrition Group said: “Health and Sports Nutrition Group holds a strong position in Sweden, while Proteinfabrikken has a strong presence in Norway. "Together, the companies will be a good fit, both in terms of their product portfolios and by giving us a solid base in Scandinavia.”

UK retailer Sainsbury's has announced that it will launch its first plant-based own label tea bags later this year. Currently, Sainsbury’s own label teabags are composed of 75% natural fibres and 25% polypropylene sealing material. This sealing material ensures the teabag remains intact and that tea leaves don’t seep into the cup. However, the new plant-based tea bags will be made from polylactic acid (PLA), sourced from the sugars in cornstarch, cassava or sugarcane. According to Sainsbury's, the introduction of the new PLA tea bags in June 2021 will see the retailer move over 815 million individual teabags a year from using oil-based plastic to plant-based plastic, as part of its efforts to halve its use of plastic packaging by 2025. The PLA teabags will be industrially compostable, and Sainsbury's recommends that they are disposed of in kerbside food or garden waste bins. As well as introducing the new PLA tea bags, the retailer has also announced that it will remove the outer plastic wrapping from 11 products, equating to 16.2 tonnes of plastic. Claire Hughes, director of product, packaging and innovation at Sainsbury’s, said: “This extensive rollout of our new tea bags, is another example of how we are looking to implement new innovative products that will reduce the impact our business has on the environment. "Our move towards plant-based teabags has required significant time and multiple trials to ensure that our customers receive the same great quality teabag and we look forward to the roll out in stores this year.”

Nestlé has announced that its Rowntree's brand will expand its confectionery offering with the release of new Dessert Pastilles in February. Each pack of the new Rowntree's Dessert Pastilles will feature mango sorbet, blueberry pie, cherry bakewell and apple crumble flavoured pastilles. As with the rest of the Rowntree's range, the new Dessert Pastilles are vegan-friendly, as they do not include gelatin. The new formulation was introduced by Nestlé last year, with the company reportedly trialling 30 new formulations in order to find a recipe which removed gelatin yet retained the 'soft chew' associated with the brand's sweets. Meg Miller, brand manager for Rowntree’s said: “There has been an incredible response to our slightly softer, vegan-friendly Fruit Pastilles and we’re delighted consumers agree that the chew remains as fabulously fruity as ever. "Now we are introducing an innovative twist on our classic pastilles with four on-trend flavours that evoke the taste of some of the nation’s best-loved puddings." Rowntree's Dessert Pastilles will be available nationwide across the UK and Ireland from the beginning of February in 139g sharing packs, with a suggested retail price of £1.39 per bag.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched an inquiry into Diageo's purchase of British gin and vodka maker, Chase Distillery, due to competition concerns. Diageo's agreement to purchase Chase Distillery for an undisclosed sum was initially announced in October 2020. Chase Distillery's spirits portfolio is composed of seven gins, four vodkas and an elderflower liqueur, and Diageo pursued a deal for the firm to expand its position in the premium spirits category. The CMA announced that a Phase 1 investigation has been launched into the merger, whereby the CMA will consider whether the deal constitutes a "relevant merger situation" under the provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002. The investigation aims to determine whether the merger will result in a “substantial lessening of competition within any market or markets in the UK for goods or services”. Comments from interested parties are invited by the CMA and should be provided to the competition watchdog by 21 January 2021. The CMA will announce whether it has decided to refer the merger for a Phase 2 investigation on 4 March 2021.

Flexible packaging company ProAmpac has acquired Rapid Action Packaging (RAP), a manufacturer of cellulose-based food packaging products. Gijs Voskamp, CEO of Ludgate Investments, which has exited its investment in RAP, said that Ludgate was “delighted to have been an integral part in the development of RAP as the leading manufacturer of sustainable food packaging solutions”.  Based in the UK, RAP makes sustainable packaging for fresh prepared foods sold at retail, including sandwiches and salads. The company will join the ProAmpac brand and will maintain operations at its production facilities in Ireland and London. Cincinnati-based ProAmpac’s acquisition of RAP expands its manufacturing capabilities to produce primary packaging for ready-to-eat and fresh prepared foods. The company, which is owned by Pritzker Private Capital along with management and other investors, also aims to broaden its sustainable product offering for retail food markets. “RAP is an excellent addition to the ProAmpac family. We are excited to add RAP’s focus on research and development for fresh prepared food packaging to our portfolio," said Greg Tucker, CEO of ProAmpac. “Together with RAP, we are extending our product reach in foodservice to now include a ready-to-eat portfolio, and we will continue to bring innovative ideas and products to a growing customer base.” Chris Trick, investment partner at Pritzker Private Capital, added: “This acquisition extends ProAmpac’s capabilities into the fresh prepared and ready-to-eat retail market, an important strategic growth opportunity for the company.” The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. In 2019, ProAmpac unveiled several new sustainable packaging ranges that were created as part of the company’s commitment to create increasingly sustainable flexible packaging solutions.