Danone North America has added to its So Delicious Dairy Free portfolio in the US with a new line of Oatmilk Yogurt Alternatives. Created using gluten-free oats, along with live and active cultures, the range is available in four flavours: triple berry, spiced pear and fig, strawberry rhubarb, and sweet mango. Each variant is dairy-free, nut-free, soy-free, certified vegan, certified gluten-free and Non-GMO Project verified. "We couldn't be more excited to expand our portfolio and bring Oatmilk Yogurt Alternatives to consumers from coast to coast," said Joshua Cook, brand manager of plant-based yogurt for So Delicious Dairy Free. "Oat milk's creamy texture is the perfect base for a yogurt alternative, and each of our artisanal flavours have been thoughtfully chosen to excite taste buds. The new Oatmilk Yogurt Alternatives are perfect for a morning breakfast, an on-the-go snack or as an ingredient in other delicious dairy-free delights." Now available at Whole Foods stores in the US, So Delicious Oatmilk Yogurt Alternatives retail for a suggested price of $1.89 per 5.3oz cup. The new offerings join the current So Delicious yogurt alternatives made from coconut milk. The So Delicious Dairy Free portfolio consists of a range of dairy-free creamers, yogurts, frozen desserts and beverages. Earlier this year, a line of Oatmilk Frozen Desserts was launched. So Delicious Dairy Free was acquired by Danone in 2016 as part of its $12.5 billion takeover of WhiteWave Foods. It was previously bought by WhiteWave for $195 million in 2014. Last year, Danone revealed plans to triple the size of its plant-based business by 2025 by combining its position in the dairy industry with the high plant-based growth potential.

Royal DSM has launched new cheese culture Delvo Cheese CH-120, a range of phage robust cultures for young cheddar and barrel cheese. This new series aims to allow cheesemakers to increase production efficiency, whilst ensuring consistent quality, taste and texture during the long production runs demanded by today’s large, cost-driven cheese diaries. The Delvo Cheese CH-120 range consists of six rotations and carefully selected culture strains to resist phages. This new range offers excellent durable phage protection and a consistent performance. It also creates young cheddar and barrel cheese with the typical neutral flavour and firm, resilient texture of cheddar cheese that the market expects. “We designed the new Delvo Cheese CH-120 cultures with cheese producers’ needs in mind,” commented Evandro Oliveira de Souza, business lead for Cheese at DSM. “We know that reliability, consistency and efficiency are essential to helping them produce high-quality, great-tasting cheddar cheeses faster and more effectively, while also prioritizing robust protection against phages.”

Nestlé has created a new chocolate made entirely from the cocoa fruit, using the beans and pulp as the only ingredients and not adding any refined sugar. The company has developed a new approach, which allows it to extract the pulp and use it in chocolate. Until now, chocolate has been made with the addition of refined sugars. This patented innovation is said to deliver a "great-tasting chocolate" using just the cocoa fruit. The first product featuring the innovation will be a 70% dark chocolate KitKat bar, which will go on sale in Japan later this year. Further products in other countries will follow next year, through some of Nestlé’s most popular confectionery brands. “We’re proud to bring chocolate lovers a new chocolate made entirely from the cocoa fruit without adding refined sugar,” said Patrice Bula, head of strategic business units, marketing and sales at Nestlé. “This is a real innovation which uses the natural sweetness of the cocoa pulp to provide a pure, novel chocolate experience." According to Nestlé, some of the cocoa pulp of the cocoa fruit is used in the fermentation of the cocoa beans after they are harvested, but a significant proportion is usually removed and the value is lost. Until now it has not been used as an ingredient to naturally sweeten chocolate, the company said. Last year, Nestlé became the first company to sell a product made from ruby chocolate after introducing a ruby version of its KitKat bars in Japan and South Korea.

Tetra Pak has created a new paper straw that can be used with its cartons, as it increases efforts to deliver a package made entirely from plant-based materials. Made from FSC-certified paper and recyclable with the rest of the package, the new paper straw will be available initially for two small carton packages commonly used for dairy and beverage products for children: Tetra Brik Aseptic 200 Base and Tetra Brik Aseptic 200 Base Crystal.​ Tetra Pak customers have started field testing the straws for beverage products in Europe. The company said it intends to publish and share its innovations on paper straw developments to support industrial collaboration on the alternatives to single-use plastic straws for beverage cartons. “We are pleased to have developed a paper straw that is fully functional and meets internationally recognised food safety standards,” said Adolfo Orive, president and CEO, Tetra Pak. “This is an important step in our vision to deliver a package made entirely from plant-based packaging materials, contributing to a low-carbon circular economy. “We have decided not to apply for patent protection on the numerous technical improvements we have made on the equipment and the materials, and instead put our innovations into the public domain. “For the industry to achieve its common goal of driving towards a low-carbon circular economy, the entire supply base for paper straws must expand and grow quickly. We invite all suppliers and customers to use our knowledge and join forces with us to ramp up production as quickly as possible.” The field testing​ of the paper straw is beginning with limited volumes while Tetra Pak increases production capacity at its straw plant in Lisbon, Portugal. The company also announced it is working to explore biodegradable options such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a polymer derived from plant-based materials which is also biodegradable.

DuPont has inaugurated a new probiotics fermentation unit at its facility in Rochester, New York, as part of a $100 million investment to expand its probiotics capacity. The facility is now producing probiotics for the dietary supplement and food and beverage industries. DuPont said the unit features an automated system of sensors and monitors that helps maintain optimal growing conditions, removing the need to take traditional manual samples. It also has bacteria freezing technology for safe storage of the probiotics. "The investment in our Rochester probiotics operation furthers our strategy to provide health and nutrition science solutions to this growing market," said DuPont CEO Marc Doyle. In addition to the company's capital investment, construction of the fermentation unit was supported by a grant provided by Empire State Development.  "We deeply appreciate the support from the state of New York as we launch this industry-leading endeavour," said Matthias Heinzel, president of DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences. "We're proud to be part of the Rochester community and to expand our footprint at the Eastman Business Park. This investment represents our deep commitment to driving innovation through probiotic research and manufacturing." In 2016, DuPont said it would invest around $100 million to expand its probiotics production capacity in the US. In May, the company announced the creation of DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, which combines its Nutrition & Health and Industrial Biosciences divisions into one unit.

Asian food brand Kelly Loves has launched to market in Europe, with a brand and packaging identity by London studio Without. Kelly Loves has been created by Korean food entrepreneur Kelly Choi, founder of KellyDeli and Sushi Daily, in a bid to bring wholesome Asian food to Western supermarket shelves and tap into the grab-and-go sector. The range consists of snack products such as wasabi peanuts, roasted edamame, chilli rice crackers, wasabi peas, and crispy nori snacks. The Without team has aimed to create a brand identity that offers Western shoppers easy access to Eastern flavours. Kelly Choi said: “We source the highest-quality ingredients, and what we produce is 100% authentic. It was very important that our new off-the-shelf range was brought to market in a way that would be attractive to the modern Western palate, while staying true to its roots. “We’d seen Without’s considerable body of work in the food and beverage sector and felt they were the perfect fit for us.” Roly Grant, creative director, Without, said: “Kelly Choi has such integrity and passion, and we wanted to get that across. We decided upon the 'Kelly Loves' name as it is completely adaptable and celebrates the fact that founder Kelly is a chef, mum and provider who wants to look after her customers. “During the collaboration process, Kelly frequently mentioned that she would only sell what she was happy to feed her young daughter, so this became a central tenet of our approach. We developed Asian-inspired line drawings of a mother and daughter interacting to bring the brand to life and provide cohesion across the range. The two characters allow us to demonstrate different product attributes – light, healthy, balanced, for example – in an engaging, friendly way.” The Kelly Loves range is now available in supermarkets in France, Belgium and the Netherlands, and will go on sale from September in the UK, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Sweden and Denmark.

Campbell Soup Company has agreed to offload Denmark-based Kelsen Group to Ferrero affiliate CTH Invest for approximately $300 million, as the company continues its debt reduction strategy. Based in Nørre Snede, Denmark, Kelsen is a producer of baked snacks, and its primary brands include Kjeldsens and Royal Dansk. Kelsen had net sales of approximately $157 million in the last 12 months. Belgian-based CTH Invest has said it will assume control over Kelsen’s two production facilities in Denmark and add new biscuits assortments to its portfolio in future. Kelsen is part of the Campbell International division, which also includes Arnott’s biscuits, Campbell’s simple meals businesses in Australia, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan, and manufacturing operations in Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia. Last year, Campbell outlined its plan to divest both its Campbell Fresh and Campbell International businesses and launched a portfolio review in August 2018, as the company aims to significantly reduce debt and boost its balance sheet. As part of the portfolio review, Campbell completed the full divestiture of its Bolthouse Farms arm to private equity firm Butterfly in April for approximately $510 million, in a deal which completed the full divestiture of the company’s Campbell Fresh division. The company claimed that the sale of the Campbell Fresh businesses allowed the company to reduce its debt by approximately $570 million. According to a statement from Campbell's, the process to divest the remainder of Campbell International, including Arnott’s, is still ongoing. Mark Clouse, Campbell’s president and CEO, said: “The sale of Kelsen Group supports our strategy to focus on North America where we have iconic brands and strong market positions, while reducing debt. "Throughout the divestiture process, we have considered many options for our valuable international assets. "Selling Kelsen separately from the rest of our international business generates the greatest possible value for Campbell. We are committed to the divestiture of the remainder of our international operations and will remain disciplined as we move forward.”

Large-scale US grain merchants Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) have reached a deal to swap a number of their grain elevators in the US Midwest, according to a report published by Reuters. Both companies, among the largest grain merchants in the world, said the swap would increase efficiency and fit both companies’ long-term strategies, Expected to close later this summer, the deal includes the sale of Cargill’s Mount Vernon and Evansville, Indiana, elevators on the Ohio River to ADM. In return, ADM is set to sell its Beardstown, Naples and Keithsburg, Illinois, elevators along the Illinois River to Cargill. Following a global glut of grain, ADM and Cargill have been cutting costs and restructuring operations in recent years. The deals would effectively reduce the number of buyers competing for farmers’ crops in some areas. ADM and Cargill did not release financial terms of the deal.

Arla will trial automated 3D imagery systems on several of its UK farms, as the company aims to speed up the identification of animal welfare issues in order to improve the wellbeing of cows on Arla farms. Called Herdvision, the 3D imagery system has been developed by dairy consultancy Kingshay, who worked in partnership with the Centre for Machine Vision in the Bristol Robotics Lab at the University of the West of England and AgsenZe to develop the technology. According to Arla, the system replaces measurements that currently have to be made subjectively by the human eye, and instead uses visual monitoring, data recording and automated intelligence to assist in managing cow welfare. This system would speed up the process of identifying changes to the physical wellbeing, mobility and weight of dairy cows before they are visible to the naked eye. While there are already other scanning technologies on the market, Arla claims that the main benefit of the new Herdvision technology is that the system doesn’t require the cow to stand still, meaning it is easier to use and gives much greater accuracy in the results. The Herdvision scanner is currently being trialled on ten Arla UK 360 farms, and the trial will continue "until an evidence-based decision can be made about the proven benefits of this type of technology." Duncan Forbes, dairy research director of Kingshay said: “Much like humans reacting differently if we know there is a camera filming us, cows do the same. "Studies show that cows behave differently if they think they are being watched, affecting the way they walk or move. It is ingrained primitive behaviour not to show weakness and even though cows have been domesticated for thousands of years, the mindset of best foot forward still seems prevalent in today’s animals. "Overcoming that issue, and with artificial intelligence built into the system, this system will measure and identify changes to cow health based on each individual cow’s own health record.” Graham Wilkinson, agricultural director of Arla Foods added: "Arla farmers are already in tune with the wellbeing of their cows, but digital advances in farming bring the opportunity to revolutionise cow health management. "When we launched Arla UK 360 we set out a vision to bring together physical and behavioural wellbeing monitoring to create the Happy Cow measure. The Herdvision technology could be a gamechanger in automating the measurement of the physical components to deliver this.”

Spirits companies and producer organisations have joined forces in Geneva for the formal creation of the World Spirits Alliance (WSA), an international trade association dedicated to representing the views and interests of the spirits sector at the international level.  Members decided to set up a dedicated organisation to act as the common global voice for the distilled spirits sector. The organisation’s membership includes trade associations such as SpiritsEurope, Association of Canadian Distillers and The Scotch Whisky Association as well as major spirits companies, including Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Brown-Forman, Rémy Cointreau and Campari. WSA plans to carry out “ambitious strategies” to combat illicit alcohol and will aim to pursue the elimination of “discriminatory” taxes. “Many of us have been working together for nearly two decades, hence setting up a formal trade association to act as a united global voice on the integrity and social responsibility of our spirits industry is a natural and important step forward,” said Marie Audren, who will act as secretary general for the WSA.  “Distilled spirits are a vibrant and highly dynamic sector with a unique diversity of products and producers across the world.” Rodolfo González González (Camara Nacional de la Industria Tequilera), who has been elected as first president of the WSA, said: “The aims of the WSA are to create a common platform for exchange and have a representative body that will allow us to comment on issues of global relevance, particularly in the areas of trade and regulatory policy, and help develop a positive environment for the sustainable success of the sector.” Amrit Kiran Singh (International Spirits & Wines Association of India), who has been named vice president, added: “Distilled spirits are celebrated and responsibly enjoyed around the globe and generate jobs, economic growth and tax revenue in the countries where they are produced.  “At the same time, in many markets around the world, distilled spirits are heavily taxed and regulated, and we face trade barriers that are only applicable, or applied more excessively, to distilled spirits. This situation needs to be reviewed and addressed.”

UK-based drinks brand Cawston Press has released a new sparkling orange flavour, which the brand claims is a 'grown-up' take on the classic fizzy orange drink. Made with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no concentrates, Cawston Press Sparkling Orange is made with squeezed oranges, bitter orange extracts, Seville orange puree, sparkling water and pressed apple juice. The drink joins Cawston’s Sparkling range, which includes Rhubarb, Cloudy Apple, Elderflower Lemonade and Ginger Beer flavours, which are available in most major UK retailers. Cawston Press managing director, Steve Kearns said: “For many of us, the words fizzy orange bring back happy childhood memories. But to our adult palates, most of them taste syrupy and cloying. "By swapping out the added sugar and fake stuff, and balancing sweet against bitter, we’ve given fizzy orange a much-needed makeover.” Last year, Cawston Press decided to overhaul its range of drinks to include less sugar prior to the introduction of the UK Sugar Levy in 2018. As part of this reformulation strategy, the brand committed to exclusively using pressed fruit to flavour the new range, claiming that this move reduces the average amount of sugar in the range by 31% compared to the brand’s previous recipes.

PepsiCo recorded a 2.2% increase in its second-quarter net revenue compared to the same period last year, as it continues to be boosted by snack sales in North America.   The maker of Doritos, Mountain Dew and Gatorade recorded net revenue of $16.45 billion in the 12 weeks to 15 June. Operating profit was down 9.9% to $2.73 billion. In PepsiCo beverages North America, the firm’s largest unit, net revenue was up 2.5%. However, volumes in the division were down 2%, driven by a 3% decline in carbonated soft drink volume and a 1% decline in non-carbonated beverage volume. In Frito-Lay North America – which includes PepsiCo’s branded food and snack businesses in the US and Canada, and represents the company’s second largest division – net revenue grew 4.5% and volumes were up slightly. Volume growth reflects low-single-digit growth in Cheetos and Doritos products. Ramon Laguarta, who replaced Indra Nooyi as PepsiCo CEO in October, said: “We are pleased with our results for the second quarter. While adverse foreign exchange translation negatively impacted our reported net revenue performance, our organic revenue growth was 4.5% in the quarter.” He added: “We are also pleased with the progress on our priorities to make PepsiCo a faster, stronger and better company by building new capabilities, strengthening our brands, adding capacity to grow and transforming our culture. “Our performance for the first half and the progress we are making on our strategic priorities give us increased confidence in achieving the 2019 financial targets we communicated earlier this year.” During the quarter, PepsiCo announced plans to invest approximately $4 billion over 2019-2020 to significantly expand its operations in Mexico, its second largest market worldwide. Last week, the company formed a strategic partnership with Lavazza, which will see Lavazza launch its first ready-to-drink iced coffee product in the UK. For its 2019 full year, PepsiCo expects organic revenue growth to be at 4%.