Powdered food brand Huel has launched a new range of bars to offer consumers a nutritious snack option between meals. The vegan line is available in four flavours: salted caramel, chocolate, chocolate orange and coffee caramel. Huel V3.1 Bars are made using oat flour and rolled oats, pea and brown rice protein, cocoa powder, coconut, date syrup and flaxseed. The brand adds a blend of 26 essential vitamins and minerals to deliver a “balanced and nutritionally complete snack”. Each gluten-free bar contains 200 calories and 12g of plant-based protein. “As Huel continues it’s rapid growth globally, we wanted to put a strong focus into developing our solid food range,” said Julian Hearn, CEO and co-founder of Huel. “We have created a truly unique bar that not only tastes great but provides the important nutrition you need between meals or on the go.” The V3.1 Bars are now available on the Huel website. UK-based Huel was co-founded in 2015 by entrepreneur Julian Hearn and nutritionist James Collier. Last year, the brand released a ready-to-drink meal alternative range, aimed at time-conscious consumers.

Whisky distillery Starward has announced the appointment of a new CEO, expansion plans into new markets and in production capacity, as part of its growth strategy. The Australian distillery has expanded globally in the last year, launching an international distribution presence in the UK, USA, France and Japan.   To meet this international demand, Starward plans to expand its production capacity during the first half of 2020 with a multi-million-dollar investment. Starward founder David Vitale said: “It’s hard to believe it was just three years ago we completed our monumental upgrade from Essendon Fields to Port Melbourne. “Now, we are once again taking a huge leap to meet the rapidly growing, local and global, demand for our whiskies – particularly Two-Fold which has exceeded all of our sales expectations in our first year, winning best Australian blended at the World Whiskies Awards in London.” The Port Melbourne-based company has appointed Simon Marton as its new CEO to oversee these acceleration plans. Marton joins Starward with over 20 years of experience in wine and spirits, and most recently served as global CMO of Treasury Wine Estates. His appointment follows former CEO Andrew Macdonald’s decision to step down from his role. Martson said: “Starward is a brand I have admired for its innovative and unconventional strategy. “I’m excited about the opportunity to propel Starward to be the first globally famous Australian Whisky brand, especially at such a pivotal time when the Australian spirits category is going from strength to strength both in the domestic and international markets.” David added: “We’re all looking forward to working with Simon to pursue Starward’s potential in Australia and abroad. We have every reason to believe that our Starward bound ambition is in the right hands.”

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) is expanding its RTD Espresso Monster range in the UK with a new salted caramel flavour. Featuring a combination of brewed coffee and the Monster energy blend, the beverage will be available in 250ml cans at the end of November. The flavour addition follows on from the launch of the Espresso Monster range earlier this year, which CCEP said is now worth £5.5 million. Salted caramel is the third product to join the line that also includes espresso and milk, and vanilla espresso. “The range delivers a real point of difference for retailers, combining the functionality of an energy drink with cold coffee, two soft drink segments that are delivering strong growth in GB,” said Simon Harrison, vice president, commercial development at CCEP GB. “The salted caramel flavour profile is already popular with consumers in coffee shops and across other food and drink categories. We’re therefore confident that the new great-tasting variant will help to fuel further growth of the Espresso Monster range, delighting Monster’s core fan base whilst also recruiting new drinkers.” The full Espresso Monster range will also be available in a £1.99 price-marked pack option to the independent channel from 2020.

Diageo-owned rum brand Captain Morgan has expanded its range with the release of Gingerbread Spiced rum for a limited time this holiday season.  Captain Morgan Gingerbread Spiced is distilled with the ‘sweet and warming taste’ of gingerbread, as it is infused with ginger, cardamom and cinnamon. The bottle features a snow-frosted cap and a textured label that is supposed to mimic a gingerbread cookie. "The holidays are the time of the year we all gather for a good time with friends and family, and Captain Morgan Gingerbread Spiced captures a really special flavour that adds a little seasonal fun to those get-togethers," said Christina Choi, Diageo’s senior vice president of rum, gin & tequila. With an ABV of 30%, the brand suggests serving the rum as a chilled shot or in a cocktail such as the Captain’s Sleigh Ride Cider, which is complimented with a cinnamon stick or fresh apple. Other cocktail recipes are available on its website. Captain Morgan Gingerbread Spiced is available now for a limited time across the US and UK for an RRP of $14.99 per 750ml bottle.

Equinox Kombucha has entered the Christmas market with the launch of its new spiced gingerbread kombucha, a 'first' for the UK market. The festive blend is made with ginger juice, orange peel, aromatic spices including cinnamon, juniper, cardamom and cloves, while combined with burnt sugar. Made using the traditional SCOBY technique, the lightly sparkling drink is 100% raw, low-calorie, low-sugar and suitable for vegans. The Yorkshire-based company claims to offer a “rich yet spicy drink with the added gut benefits of kombucha” that is “ideal for guilt-free Christmas celebrations”. Packaged in Equinox’s UK-made glass bottles, the new product has a 0.5% ABV and acts as an alternative to sugary soft drinks or alcohol. According to Equinox, the naturally fermented drink can help to cure hangovers as the kombucha contains probiotics which can balance a consumer’s gut flora that is affected during drinking. Equinox Organic Kombucha Spiced Gingerbread is available exclusively at Waitrose in stores and online until January, for an RRP of £1.80.

London-based cocktail mixer maker Tipplesworth has introduced a new seasonal product to its portfolio, the Festive Punch. Using a base of orange and apple juice, the drink combines sloes, orange peel and lapsang souchong tea, as well as maple, cinnamon and cloves. The beverage is designed to be mixed with gin and water and served warm. Each 500ml bottle serves five. “We’re so excited to be launching our new Christmassy cocktail, just in time for the party season,” said Tipplesworth founder Frankie Snobel. “Hot gin cocktails are tipped as the drinks trend of the season, and our new Festive Punch means consumers can easily make a great-tasting quality cocktail, from the comfort of their own home.”  Tipplesworth Festive Punch is now available in the UK with a recommended retail price of £6.99. Other mixers in the Tipplesworth range include espresso martini and garden collins. Earlier this year, the brand released a passion fruit martini variant.

The shortlist of finalists for the 2019 World Beverage Innovation Awards has been announced. The winners in all 24 categories will be announced as part of a special ceremony at BrauBeviale in Nuremberg, Germany on 13 November. FoodBev Media senior editor Bryony Andrews said, "In a great year for beverage innovation, we have seen a broad range of diverse categories represented within the entries for the 17th annual World Beverage Innovation Awards. Brands are continuing to find ever-more creative ways to implement trends, and we have been once again struck by the level of creativity shown. From technology and personalised nutrition to new flavours, fusions and functions, the one unifying theme we identified across all categories was a desire to provide consumers with more choice. "The World Beverage Innovation Awards truly celebrate and highlight the most important industry developments, across both established organisations and startups. Our finalists are a fine representation of the what the future holds for beverage innovation.” A full list of finalists in each category follows below.  Best alcohol drink  FJORDING - Fjording Nordic Cream Liqueur Hazelnut Caramel Denomination – Uovo Mallorca Distillery - Palma Gin MORI - Gin & Pink Grapefruit Cocktail Best beverage concept  LifeFuels - Smart Nutrition Bottle Life Water - The Life Water Can Danone - Evian (re)new Earlybirds - Snacking Drink ARDAGH GROUP - Funkin Cocktails Hope & Sesame - Sesamemilk Lýkke drinks - Lýkke sparkling infusion Rock Grace PUNCHY Drinks - 4% Vol & 0% Vol. Spiced Rum Punch Liviko - Re-crafted Crafter`s Best beverage ingredient Inner Mongolia Yili - JINLINGGUAN SEINE MOUILLER Innovfood - Nutrixin Peel Essences Lipofoods a Lubrizol Company - CURCUSHINE microcapsules SōRSE Technology - CBD ingredient supplier Best bottle in glass Mallorca Distillery - Palma Gin Spirits of Virtue & A Northern Type - USKO Ardagh Group - Allure Wein O-I - Tequila Adictivo Best branding or marketing campaign Hendrick's Gin - Portals to the Peculiar Global Brands - All Shook Up Flamingo Colada Pölöskei Syrup – Be There! Best can/alubottle  ARDAGH GROUP - Jupiler’s ‘colder for longer’ embossed can Life Water - The Life Water Can Best carton/pouch  Tetra Pak - Tetra Recart Liquid Intellect - Hydra Pak Best closure Aptar - Flip Lid WSM - LEAN CAP Vessl - Vessl Best craft beer  Berentsens Brygghus - Cloudberry Imperial Gose Jubel - Jubel Coast Beer Wiper and True - Milk Shake Milk Stout Best CSR or sustainability initiative Jetwell GreenTech - Soilable Paper Straw Brew Kombucha - Brew Kombucha Life Water - The Life Water Can Best dairy drink  Arla Foods - Arla Goodness Biotiful Dairy - Strawberry Kefir  Inner Mongolia Yili – GuoGuoXi Best environmentally-friendly packaging  ProAmpac & Nkd - Trek Cardiff Group nv - Ecodraft reusable kegs Garçon Wines - flat, sustainable wine bottle with game-changing transit case AB InBev - PureDraught Best functional drink  DoseBiome – qii Beauty & Go - Beauty Sleep Shot Iris Nova - Dirty Lemon +Retinol Ölgerðin Egill Skallagrímsson - COLLAB Vahdam Teas - Tumeric Classic Latte Mix Best hot beverage The Hashtag Company – CANNACOFFEE OFFBLAK - Down Time (Blueberry & Mint Herbal Tea) Buckwheat Healthcare Products  - BHP Nutraceutical Buckwheat Black Coffee Best infusion or botanical drink  PLANTUS – PLANTUS The Dulwich Spirits Company - Fatty's Organic Pink Grapefruit BIBITA - ACTIVE+ CBD Infused water Rock Grace - Rock Grace Fairy House - Seabuckthorn Enzyme Best juice/juice drink  Tohi Ventures - Tohi Lýkke drinks - Lýkke sparkling infusion  Fulfill Food & Beverages - Karuna Joy-D Juice ALDI - exclusive Simply Nature Organic Coconut Water Pouches  Best low-or-no alcohol drink  Rock Grace - Rock Grace TÖST Beverages - TÖST Elegantly Spirited - STRYYK Spirits of Virtue - Dochus Genius Brewing - Gen!us Craft Lager Best manufacturing/processing innovation AB InBev - PureDraught PepsiCo - Disruptive Dispenser Serac - BluStream for caps  Best new brand/business Jubel - Jubel Beer Cardiff Group nv - Ecodraft reusable kegs OFFBLAK - Generation T Earlybirds - Snacking Drink Hope & Sesame – Sesamemilk Best packaging design/label Garçon Wines - flat, sustainable wine bottle Ecolean - GÜÜD fruit juices ARDAGH GROUP - Jupiler’s ‘colder for longer’ embossed can OFFBLAK - Generation T O-I - Tequila Adictivo Two Keys - Mixers Best plant-based drink  PLANTUS - PLANTUS Three Trees - Organic Nut & Seed Milk Good Hemp - Seed Milk Hope & Sesame - Sesamemilk Best premium/adult drink  Double Dutch Drinks - Pomegranate & Basil Larkfire - Wild water for whisky Spirits of Virtue – Dochus Fairy House - Seabuckthorn Enzyme Best sparkling drink  Lovely Fodder - Benefit Water Lýkke drinks - Lýkke sparkling infusion  BIBITA - ACTIVE+ CBD Infused water Jitterbug Life - Sparkling Apple Cider Vinegar Tonics Best technology innovation  AB InBev - PureDraught PepsiCo - Hydration Platform Cardiff Group nv - Ecodraft reusable kegs PepsiCo - Disruptive Dispenser

Unilever plans to launch chocolate orange flavoured products through its brands Magnum, Carte D’Or and Viennetta, in a move to boost sales in its ice cream category during winter. “Chocolate and orange is a classic combination at Christmas time, and has been a festive family favourite for years,” said Andre Burger, VP of ice cream and snacking at Unilever UK and Ireland. Burger added: “But over the past couple of seasons, searches for chocolate orange products have increased by a whopping 55%! To help retailers get in on the act, we’ve brought the classic flavour to three fun and festive ice cream products that are sure to be a sell-out this season.” For its first time, Magnum is extending its miniature range with a chocolate and orange flavour. Magnum Mini Chocolate & Orange will be available in retailers in boxes of six for an RRP of £3.93. Following its trial over Christmas 2018, Viennetta Limited Edition Chocolate & Orange is returning to retailers for an RRP of £1.84. Available in 560g tubs, Carte D’Or Chocolate & Orange is available for an RRP of £4.12.

Aldi has announced plans to trial reusable bags for loose fruit and vegetables in its stores in Scotland, as part of its efforts to cut single-use plastics. From the end of November, all 250 Aldi stores in Scotland, the North of England and the Midlands will offer reusable bags as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastic. Made from recycled plastic bottles, the drawstring bags will be sold for 25p each. The move to reusable bags is the supermarket’s latest efforts in working towards its sustainability commitment of reducing plastic packaging by 25% by the end of 2023. According to Aldi, if the reusable bags are introduced nationally, the initiative will remove the equivalent of 113 tonnes of single-use plastic from circulation each year. Fritz Walleczek, managing director of corporate responsibility of Aldi, said: “We are committed to cutting the amount of plastic that Aldi and our customers use, particularly excess or single-use plastic like produce bags. “We are hopeful that our customers in Scotland will embrace these new reusable produce bags whenever they’re buying loose fruit and veg and, together, we will be able to take more than 100 tonnes of plastic a year out of circulation.” The supermarket chain claims that it is on track to have all its own-label packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2022.

Mondelēz International reported a 1.1% increase in third-quarter net revenue, boosted by a strong performance in emerging markets. In the three months to 30 September, the maker of Oreo cookies and Trident chewing gum posted net revenue of $6.36 billion. Earnings stood at $1.42 billion, up from $1.2 billion in the year-ago quarter. The Illinois-headquartered company said it has reached “the next level of distribution in China”, where its biscuits and gum products are now sold by 1.5 million and 1 million stores respectively. Within emerging markets, organic sales for the quarter rose 6.6%. As a result of the positive figures, the firm now expects organic net revenue growth for 2019 of over 3.5%, up from the previous estimate of over 3%. "We are pleased to report another quarter of strong top-line growth, continuing the momentum of the first half, enabling us to further increase our outlook for the year,” said CEO Dirk Van de Put. “Our strategy to accelerate growth by focusing on the consumer, driving operational excellence and unlocking the potential of our local business units is delivering good results from both local and global brands.” Earlier this year, Mondelēz acquired a majority interest in Perfect Snacks , a US maker of refrigerated nutrition bars. The company believes Perfect’s range of nut butter-based protein bars and bites are a “great addition” to its portfolio of brands such as Cadbury, Milka and Belvita. As part of its SnackFutures innovation and venture hub, Mondelēz has this year invested in functional food brand Uplift Food as well as the company behind snack brand Hu Products .

Tetra Pak has announced the opening of its €25 million site in Poland, in a move to boost cheese production solutions and help its customers meet the growing consumer demand. The new centre has full scale engineering facilities, including cheese making process design, mechanical, automation and electrical engineering. The site also offers facilities for sales and for the manufacturing of process solutions itself. Tetra Pak claims its investment in the 12,000 square foot facility will double its cheese-making solution capacity in the country and allow extensive equipment testing. Located in Olszytn, north-eastern Poland, the cheese production centre will employ over 350 workers across engineering, production and business management. Ola Elmqvist, executive vice president of Processing Solutions & Equipment at Tetra Pak said: “As the only company able to deliver a completely seamless integrated solution for cheese production, this investment demonstrates our commitment to help customers meet rapidly changing consumer demands and capture emerging growth opportunities.” According to Tetra Pak, the overall global cheese market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 2.3%, largely due to semi-hard cheese and mozzarella demand. With its new centre, Tetra Pak aims to support customers in their development of new production methods and processes that meet trends for cheese as an ingredient, on-the-go snack and high protein diet addition. Elmqvist added: “One of the main reasons we chose Olsztyn is its excellent location in the heart of a region with a great dairy tradition and excellent food engineering talent base. This means we’re perfectly placed to serve not only our customers in Poland but also wider Europe.” As part of its commitment to environmental sustainability and goal to minimise its environmental footprint, the site has a fully automatic ‘weather control’ system that manages ventilation and sunlight, and a rainwater collection system that supplies water for site maintenance. Earlier this year, Tetra Pak opened an aseptic carton packaging factory in Vietnam following an investment of €120 million.

Tetra Pak has joined the European Commission Graphene Flagship project as the exclusive representative from the packaging industry to explore possible future applications of graphene in food and beverage manufacturing. Graphene is a carbon-based material that is around 200 stronger than steel. It is an excellent conductor of heat, electricity and has a wide range of light absorption abilities. As part of the programme, packaging material innovations are being examined to see how graphene could offer coatings to reduce carbon footprint in the packaging supply chain. Tetra Pak said that with the development of smart packaging, graphene’s ultra-thin flexible sensors can be integrated to packages as data carriers for producers, retailers and consumers. Graphene sensors can also be smaller, lighter and less expensive than traditional sensors. The company will also look into how graphene composites can be used to make equipment lighter and more energy-efficient. “Tetra Pak’s involvement with the European Graphene Flagship is one example of our ambition to drive innovation to the next level,” said Sara De Simoni, VP equipment engineering, Tetra Pak. “It is a privilege to be the only representative from our industry in this research initiative and puts us at the cutting edge to address challenges through multidisciplinary research and development together with our industry partners.” Prof Konstantin Novoselov, physicist and Nobel Prize winner, said: “Graphene has the potential to revolutionise a range of processes and industries. Since Graphene’s first isolation in 2004, we have seen tremendous success and marketplace application of the material within electronics and automotive industries, I’m looking forward to the next phase of the Graphene Flagship and exploring potential innovations in the packaging industry.”