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."

Sargento Foods has partnered with Mondelēz International to create a new snack range that pairs Sargento cheeses with Ritz, Triscuit and Wheat Thins crackers. The new Sargento Balanced Breaks Cheese & Crackers Snacks come in four combinations, each containing 7-9g of protein and up to 170 calories per serving. The four varieties include: Pepper Jack and Colby Jack natural cheeses with Ritz Mini Crackers; Gouda and sharp cheddar natural cheeses with Triscuit Mini Original Crackers; Monterey Jack and mild cheddar natural cheeses and Wheat Thins Mini Original Snacks; and low-moisture mozzarella and fontina natural cheeses with Wheat Thins Mini Sundried Tomato & Basil Flavored Snacks. “We want to provide snackers with even more variety and convenience, and we know that fans of both Sargento and our partnership brands will have their taste buds 'wowed' by these new flavour combinations,” said Nikki Mamuric, director of marketing at Sargento Foods. “For more than 65 years Sargento has led innovation in the cheese category and we're excited to add these products alongside existing favourites in our Balanced Breaks product line.” Sargento Balanced Breaks Cheese & Crackers Snacks come in packs of three single-serve snack trays and can be found online and at major retailers in the US. Last year, Sargento Foods expanded its Reserve Series product line with the introduction of a range of cheese slices.

AB InBev’s Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I subsidiary has announced a more than £115 million investment in its two major UK breweries to increase capacity and efficiency. The investment aims to enable the brewer meet the growing demand for beer – which it says reached record sales levels last year in the off-trade – and help drive post-pandemic economic recovery. Budweiser Brewing Group says that the projects at the sites in South Wales and Lancashire will create 55 jobs by the end of the year. The primary focus of the investment will be installing modern and eco-friendly infrastructure at the company's Magor and Samlesbury breweries to increase capacity in brewing, canning and bottling by a total of 3.6 million hectolitres. The Magor brewery in South Wales is receiving a £72 million investment, with improvements already underway. These include a new bottling line, brewery-wide efficiency improvements, eight new fermenting units and an improved wort cooler, which is expected to result in significant energy savings. Meanwhile, the brewer’s Samlesbury facility is receiving a £45 million investment, which will include the installation of a new canning line for sustainable plastic ring-free cans, brewery-wide efficiency and equipment improvements, and modifications in brewing, utilities and logistics to increase brewing capacity. Paula Lindenberg, president, Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I, said: “Like many in the UK, we are focused on a strong recovery of our economy, our communities and our country. By investing in our breweries with new roles and new technology to increase capacity, we’re ensuring that we can brew and deliver great beers for many years to come. “We know the beer industry is hugely valuable to the UK economy, and we believe our investments in our UK operations will be a catalyst for the recovery post-Covid.” Lord Gerry Grimstone, UK Minister for Investment, said: “Budweiser Brewing Group’s investment is great news for South Wales and Lancashire, supporting local jobs and helping the nation build back better from the Covid-19 crisis. “The UK remains extremely attractive to international investors and this £115 million investment is further testament to our fantastic beer industry.” Last year, Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I announced that the barley used for its UK-produced beers is now 100% sourced from British farms.

Flow Alkaline Spring Water has announced the appointment of former Nestlé Waters head, Maurizio Patarnello, to the role of CEO. Patarnello joins the Canadian water company after working over 27 years for Nestlé, spending a large majority of his career in the bottled water business. He served as CEO and chairman of Nestlé Waters from 2017 until the end of 2019, overlooking brands such as Nestlé Pure Life and Perrier. The original founder and CEO of Flow, Nicholas Reichenbach, will take on the new active role as Flow executive chairman. "Just weeks after we announced our intent to take Flow public, it is incredibly energising to have someone of Maurizio’s stature and expertise join the Flow family, and his leadership will help us accelerate our growth, hone our strategy and execution, and scale our business in North America," said Reichenbach. “His experience in the premium bottled water space and his business acumen will be invaluable as we build Flow together into a leading North American mineral spring water and beverage brand,” he added. Incoming Flow CEO, Maurizio Patarnello, said: “Flow has tapped directly into the modern consumer’s desire for high quality sustainable water and functional beverage products and is poised to be a market leader in the space. Accelerating Flow’s growth will be our main goal in the coming years. I expect great things to come.”

US-based aqua-tech company NaturalShrimp has signed a letter of intent to acquire the aquaculture assets of Hydrenesis Aquaculture for $12.5 million.  In January, Hydenesis – which creates technological processes wastewater treatment, desalination and drinking water applications – announced its partnership with NaturalShimp on a $25 million land-based aquaculture shrimp farm in Florida.  “NaturalShrimp has been working with Hydrenesis since 2018 on several solutions for the industry with the team at Hydrenesis,” said Gerald Easterling, CEO of NaturalShrimp. “We currently have trials ongoing in Norway and Australia. The company intends to immediately begin deployment of the technology in our hatchery and nursery systems.” “We also believe that the Hydrenesis technology will have major impacts on disease control in salmon, barramundi, and tilapia farming segments. We expect to file additional patents around the expansion of the application and use of the combined EC and Hydrenesis technology.” David Antelo, CEO of Hydrenesis, Inc added: “We are excited for the next evolution of our relationship with NaturalShrimp. We have been exploring the application of ‘Redox’ water treatment for several years. Our technologies’ ability to affect water chemistry and elevate water quality is proving to have a significant impact on growth and health metrics.” He continued: “Natural Shrimp's bold vision and rapid growth trajectory make them the ideal partner for extending commercialisation of Hydrenesis technologies to additional species applications”.

Heineken has reached an agreement with The Coca-Cola Company and the Coca-Cola System in Brazil to redesign their long-standing distribution partnership in the country. The redesigned partnership – which the companies claim will allow them to better serve consumers and customers in the Brazilian market with a wider portfolio – is expected to come into effect from mid-2021 until at least the end of 2026. The companies have agreed to an automatic renewal for another five-year term, subject to terms of the agreement. As part of the new agreement, the parties will begin a smooth transition of the Heineken and Amstel brands to Heineken Brazil’s distribution network. Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola System in Brazil will continue to offer Kaiser, Bavaria and Sol; while taking on Eisenbahn and other international brands. Under the terms of the deal, the Coca-Cola System in Brazil will be able to produce and distribute alcoholic beverages and other beers in Heineken’s portfolio; while Heineken will be able to explore further opportunities in the non-alcoholic segments. “I am very pleased to redefine our distribution partnership with the Coca-Cola System in Brazil. Through a dual route to market, we will be able to reach and better serve our consumers and customers with our broad portfolio, leveraging two strong distribution systems,” said Mauricio Giamellaro, managing director of Heineken Brazil. As a result, the parties have agreed to end existing litigation between them relating to previous distribution agreements. Back in 2017, Heineken announced it wasending its distribution contract with Coca-Cola Femsa in Brazil, following its €665 million acquisition of Kirin’s struggling Brazilian business. However, in 2019, Heineken and Coca-Cola Femsa ended their dispute, agreeing that beverages produced by Cervejaria Kaiser will continue to be distributed by Coca-Cola bottlers in Brazil until 2022. Ricardo Mello, president of the association of Coca-Cola Bottlers in Brazil, added: “This new agreement is positive news not only for the parties involved but for our Brazilian clients and consumers as well.” Last March, Heineken announced an investment of $183 million to expand its brewery in Ponta Grossa, Brazil , according to a report from Reuters .

The Kellogg Company has announced that it plans to shut down two production lines at its Mariemont, Ohio, plant, in a bid to strengthen its salty snacks business.  The company will meanwhile add a new line and reconfigure another in Jackson, Tennessee, as part of its broader Deploy for Growth strategy.  Kellogg Spokesperson, Kris Bahner, said: “As Kellogg advances our Deploy for Growth strategy, we must position our salty snacks business for continued success. To support the growth, we need the right manufacturing capacity to better meet our current and future production needs, and the evolving needs of our customers.” He continued: “We recently announced a planned investment in capability and capacity with a new line and the reconfiguring of an existing line in Jackson, Tenn, where we already make a number of our salty snacks. These changes would allow for future growth in crackers, while providing cost savings to our business.” “This planned change would include shutting down two lines at our Mariemont, Ohio plant. While this would be the right thing to do for the business, it is never an easy decision to make when people are impacted. When the planned changes are complete, the plant will continue to produce a number of Kellogg cracker brands.”

Plant-based group The Very Good Food Company has completed its acquisition of The Cultured Nut, an artisan vegan cheese producer in Canada, for an aggregate price of CAD$3m (approximately US$2.4m).  The Cultured Nut, which sells its products through several online and grocery platforms such as Whole Foods, creates products including block-style cheese, cream cheese, as well as plant-based butter, among other products.  The acquisition will enable Very Good Food to capitalise on the growing dairy alternatives market, which is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% between 2020-2027 to reach US$44.9 billion by 2027.  Very will rebrand Cultured Nut's line under a new name, The Very Good Cheese Company, which is expected to launch in Q2 2021 through the company's ecommerce and wholesale distribution networks.  Very also hopes to scale Cultured Nut's existing production facility to over 100,000 units per month this year and in 2022. “The acquisition of Cultured Nut allows Very to efficiently enter into the dairy alternatives space,” said Mitchell Scott, CEO of Very. “This is a significant milestone in the realisation of our long-term strategy of owning several brands under the banner of the Very Good Food Company in all major food categories providing consumers fun, innovative and healthier plant-based alternatives to everyday animal-based products.”

PepsiCo 's latest innovation comes in the form of Neon Zebra, a non-alcoholic mini-can mixer containing real juice and no artificial sweeteners.  Available in four flavours – Margarita Mix, Strawberry Daiquiri Mix, Mojito Mix and Whiskey Sour Mix – this release aims to position PepsiCo as a key player in the cocktail mixer category.  "With at-home cocktail consumption on the rise, we saw an opportunity to build and disrupt this fast-growing category with a product that meets consumers' needs for convenience – to cut out time and mess without compromising on quality and taste," said Emily Silver, VP of innovation & capabilities, PepsiCo Beverages North America. She continued: "Neon Zebra adds a new level of personality in the cocktail mixer category with its bold flavours and colours and easy-to-use, recyclable mini-can format. We're thrilled with this new venture and all of the opportunities to come in the mixology category."