International Delight has partnered with Post Pebbles cereal to launch Pebbles coffee creamers in two new flavours: Fruity and Cocoa. Inspired by the much-loved cartoon, the Flintstones, the new coffee creamers celebrate Pebbles' 50th birthday and are available for a limited time only.  "At International Delight, we are always looking to give our fans innovative, can’t-get-it-anywhere-else flavours to enhance their coffee,” said Marie Dobson, marketing director for International Delight. She continued: “We want to make that first cup of joe a delicious and fun experience – which is why we are excited to partner with Pebbles cereal to bring these favourite flavours from your bowl to your cup. We hope coffee lovers everywhere shout ‘Yabba Dabba Doo!’ with every sip!”

General Mills and got milk? have teamed up to debut limited edition packaging, with cereal box characters featuring the iconic got milk? moustache.  The company's popular Big G cereal box characters will all don the milk moustache, in a bid to combine fun with essential nutrition.  “We believe in the power of cereal and milk to be an easy, affordable and delicious way to deliver the nutrients people need with the taste they love,” said Amy Cohn, senior nutrition manager at General Mills. “And for kids who eat cereal, 53% of their daily milk consumption comes from pouring cereal and milk together. "So, while General Mills cereal and milk have been a perfect pairing for a long time, we’re thrilled to officially come together to share this important message through our iconic characters,” Cohn continued.  The limited-edition milk moustache boxes of Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Trix are now available nationwide.

Sustainable ingredients company, EverGrain, has now launched its nutrient-rich barley ingredients with the backing of AB InBev .  EverGrain utilises saved grain from brewing and transforms the barley into protein and fibre-based ingredients, enabling them to be used in a variety of food and beverage products.  After five years of R&D, the team – with support from AB InBev – is now ready to showcase its range of barley ingredients and products.   “Our unique barley ingredients will transform plant-based products , delivering better tasting and more nutritious options to consumers who seek a healthier and more sustainable future,” said founder and CEO of EverGrain, Greg Belt. “EverGrain’s innovative and circular approach, which we’ve honed over the past five years, offers a scalable, local and reliable solution for the global food industry to help address the world’s food security and sustainability challenges,” Belt continued.  By committing to a circular economy, EverGrain hopes to partner with some of the world's leading organisations to encourage and support them to turn barley into an essential ingredient.   “AB InBev is proud to support such a remarkable, purpose-driven venture with a mission to create incredible ingredients to nourish the world through the transformative power of circularity,” added Tony Milikin, chief sustainability and procurement officer, AB InBev. “EverGrain marks an important milestone in our ultimate goal of building a better world as we look to the next 100 years and beyond.” With this launch, the ingredients company will commercialise its first-generation of ancient-grain products to market, EverPro and EverVita. EverGrain ingredients can be found in products such as Take Two plant-based barley milk, with product launches planned in the US and Europe in the first quarter fiscal year 2021.

PepsiCo’s has expanded its Mountain Dew portfolio with the addition of a new watermelon flavour in both original and zero sugar varieties. Mountain Dew Major Melon is now available nationwide in the US and marks the latest addition to the brand’s permanent flavour line-up, the first in more than a decade. The beverage joins Mountain Dew varieties such as diet, Code Red (cherry), Voltage (raspberry citrus flavour and ginseng) and a zero sugar version of its original drink, which was launched this time last year.   "Watermelon is a truly transportive taste, evoking feelings of freedom and nostalgia," said Nicole Portwood, vice president of marketing at Mountain Dew. She added: "We found watermelon to be the number one choice of flavours tested amongst our fans, and Mountain Dew Major Melon is our answer for those who are looking for a refreshing charge to keep them invigorated all day long." Mountain Dew Major Melon and Major Melon zero sugar are available now nationwide at retailers and online in a variety of single and multipack sizes.

Ball Corporation has announced plans to boost its beverage packaging capabilities with a new aluminium end manufacturing facility. Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the plant will supply aluminium ends to regional and national customers, and aims to support growth in the Midwest aluminium beverage packaging market. The company says that it plans to expand the facility – which is scheduled to begin production in early 2022 – over a number of years with the installation of additional end modules. “Our new Bowling Green, Kentucky, facility will provide aluminium end supply to Ball's expanding North American network of beverage can manufacturing plants,” said Colin Gillis, Ball's president, beverage packaging, North and Central America. The facility will join Ball's network of more than 20 North American plants, including two new beverage can manufacturing plants currently under construction in Glendale, Arizona, and Pittston, Pennsylvania. Ball chose Bowling Green as the location for its new end facility because of the city's proximity to main distribution routes and existing supply chain partners, among other factors.

Food technology start-up, Air Protein , has announced a $32 million Series A funding round led by  Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), with participation from Barclays and GV (formerly Google Ventures).  Air Protein, which produces meat made from elements of the air, will use the funding to launch an R&D lab and accelerate its product development and commercialisation.   Led by founder and CEO Dr Lisa Dyson, the start-up's unique technology can be used to produce protein in sustainable, vertical farms that can be built virtually anywhere on Earth. Air Protein meat can be produced in days, making it scalable and planet-friendly.   “With this funding, we will be able to accelerate our work towards providing innovative, environmentally-friendly, highly nutritious alternatives that will play an important role in meeting the growing global demand for alternatives to animal protein,” said Dr Dyson. “We are commercialising a novel technology platform that is capable of scaling to large-scale production to help feed the world’s 10 billion people by the year 2050, in the most sustainable approach available today.” Darren Streiler, managing director of ADM Ventures (ADM's corporate venture capital arm), added: “It’s essential to explore a variety of alternative solutions and options to help meet the growing global population’s demand for protein. "ADM is a global leader in alternative proteins, and we are excited to help leverage our vast experience with fermentation solutions to help bring Air Protein’s innovative new ideas to the market.”

Kellogg has expanded its Pringles portfolio with the addition of a new Sizzl’n range that aims to ‘amplify’ well-known Pringles flavours with an extra kick of spice. The three new variants – which contain no artificial colours or flavours – include: kickin’ sour cream (medium), spicy BBQ (hot), and cheese & chilli (extra hot). “We’re really excited to introduce our new range of flavours, Pringles Sizzl’n,” said Pringles UK activation brand lead, Rebecca Worthington. “We know demand for spicy flavours is growing, so this is the perfect addition to our portfolio to drive category growth. We can’t wait to see how many of our Pringles fans can handle the most intense heat.” The Pringles Sizzl’n flavours are available in the UK for an RRP of £2.99. In the US, Kellogg recently introduced a new Scorchin’ range, which includes spicy cheddar, BBQ, and chili & lime flavours.

Hershey has announced that it plans to launch a new selection of Valentine's and Easter-inspired products for 2021.  For Valentine's day, the confectionery giant will launch Hershey's Kisses milk chocolate Meltaway Roses, Hershey's milk chocolate Bear, Hershey's Hugs & Kisses Heart Box, Reese's Peanut Butter Rose and Reese's Big Box O' Love. "Whether you are a hopeless romantic or a last-minute Cupid, these new offerings are the perfect treat to make Valentine's Day extra special," said Erin Crawford, brand manager, holiday. "Our team took our classics – Kisses candies, Hershey's chocolates, Reese's cups – and added new seasonal masterpieces that you'll want to stock up on for the entire year." As part of its Easter offering, Hershey will release the brand new Reese's Mallow-Top Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey's milk chocolate Pip Bunny, Hershey's milk chocolate Build-A-Bunny and Ice Breakers Strawberry Lemonade Duckling.  "This Easter, our star is the Reese's Mallow-Top Peanut Butter Cup," said Michael Reese, senior brand manager, holiday. "We've reimagined the classic Reese's Cup by combining the top Easter flavours, milk chocolate, marshmallow and delicious Reese's peanut butter, all into one amazing cup. Yes, it's as good as it sounds." Hershey's Kisses Lava Cake, Kit Kat Raspberry Creme and Reese's Peanut Butter Hearts will also return, as will egg-inspired chocolates including Cadbury Creme Eggs, Reese's Pieces Shake N' Break and Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs during these holidays.  All products will be available in stores nationwide for a limited time only.

Pladis has expanded its McVitie’s portfolio with the introduction of new flavours to its Jaffa Cakes line. The cherry and passion fruit variants join the original tangy orange Jaffa Cakes, as well as a pineapple flavour introduced in the UK last year.  The zesty additions feature the brand’s signature light sponge and flavoured centre, coated in dark chocolate. Emma Stowers, brand director for McVitie's at Pladis UK&I, said: “We’re really excited to reveal our two new Jaffa Cakes flavours – ‘cheeky’ cherry and ‘party’ passion fruit – for everyone to enjoy. What better way to bring a fruity and tangy new twist to an afternoon pick me up, or some added zest to your day?” With an RRP of £1.20 per pack, the two new flavours are available in recyclable sharing boxes of ten cakes from supermarkets in the UK and Ireland. Pladis has released a number of new formats and flavours across the Jaffa Cakes range in recent years, including Pocket Packs for on-the-go consumption.

With the industry’s technology capabilities becoming more impressive every day, 2020 saw its fair share of innovative discoveries. FoodBev takes a look back at the top research stories and industry-impacting discoveries made throughout the past year. Scientists discover enzyme which breaks down PET plastic ‘in hours’ In April, scientists working for industrial chemistry firm Carbios discovered an enzyme which can reportedly break down PET plastics for recycling into food-grade material in hours, rather than weeks. The team claims that the new enzyme can break down PET plastics into their individual chemical components in as little as ten hours, allowing the creation of new high-quality, food-grade PET packaging. If successful, Carbios says that the proprietary process could represent a “paradigm shift” in the way that PET is recycled, and could pave the way towards a circular economy for plastics. With strategic partnerships made with firms including PepsiCo and Nestlé, the company said that it would conduct a trial in 2021 to test the “industrial and commercial potential” of the process. Scientists discover beetle larvae that can biodegrade plastic Along similar lines of plastic waste, a research team at Pohan University of Science and Technology claimed to have identified a species of darkling beetle larvae found in Korea that can digest and decompose polystyrene in their gut. The scientists reported that the larvae of the beetle Coleoptera (P. davidis), indigenous to East Asia, can consume polystyrene and reduce both its mass and molecular weight. One of the authors of the study, Professor Hyung Joon Cha, said: “If we use the plastic-degrading bacterial strain isolated in this study and replicate the simple gut floral composition of P. davidis, there is the chance that we could completely biodegrade polystyrene, which has been difficult to completely decompose, to ultimately contribute to solving the plastic waste problem that we face.” US researchers turn waste bread into added-value/Students create ‘innovative’ sweet treat using surplus bread Throughout the year, two groups have discovered solutions to help combat the battle of bread waste. Back in June, US researchers claimed they had developed a bioprocess that converts glucose from bread waste into value-added products, such as ascorbic acid (vitamin c). In July, a University of Nottingham student-led social enterprise – Foodprint – devised a novel way to turn bread that had exceeded its best before date into a sweet treat based on the traditional Indian dessert ‘Gulab Jamun’, which substitutes flour for the surplus product. Scientists develop 3D printing method for milk-based products In Singapore, researchers developed a method to perform 3D printing of milk-based products at room temperature, while maintaining their temperature-sensitive nutrients. Typical 3D printing methods are not always compatible with foods with temperature-sensitive nutrients such as milk. To tackle such limitations, the research team changed the rheological properties of the printing ink and demonstrated direct ink writing 3D printing of milk by cold-extrusion with powdered milk. The scientists believe that the method offers potential in formulating nutritionally controlled foods customised for individual requirements.

As food and beverage players continue to up their sustainability commitments, packaging innovation remains high on the agenda. FoodBev takes a look back at some of the developments in 2020 that could help shape the future of the packaging that houses the everyday goods we rely on. Frugalpac debuts paper-based bottle for wine and spirits In July, packaging manufacturer Frugalpac introduced a fully recyclable paper-based bottle for wine and spirits. The Frugal Bottle is made from 94% recycled paperboard with a food-grade plastic liner to hold the liquid. Weighing just 83g, the paper-based bottle is ‘five times lighter than a normal glass bottle’, according to Frugalpac. An independent Life Cycle Analysis by Intertek found the Frugal Bottle to have a carbon footprint up to six times lower than a glass bottle and more than a third less than a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic. Diageo unveils ‘world’s first-ever’ 100% plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle Fresh on the heels of the Frugalpac announcement, Diageo unveiled a 100% plastic-free paper-based spirits bottle, an innovation the company said was a world first. Set to debut with Johnnie Walker whisky in early 2021, the bottle is said to be made entirely from sustainably sourced wood and is expected to be fully recyclable in standard waste streams. The paper-based innovation was developed by Pulpex, a sustainable packaging technology company launched through a partnership between Diageo and venture management firm Pilot Lite. Pulpex has also established a partner consortium of FMCG companies in non-competing categories, each of which plans to launch their own branded paper bottles based on Pulpex’s design and technology. Kellogg’s Pringles brand unveils paper can trial in UK Also putting paper at the centre of its sustainable packaging innovation, Kellogg announced in September that it was trialling new easy-to-recycle paper packaging for its Pringles brand. Made using a combination of foil, paper board, metal and plastic, the current Pringles tube can be difficult to recycle through household recycling channels. The new can is made from recycled paper and has been trialled with two kinds of lids, one paper and one plastic, as part of a partnership with UK retailer Tesco. Commenting at the time the scheme was being launched, the company said that if successful, it could roll out the new packaging across Europe. Bacardi to launch 100% biodegradable spirits bottle In October, Bacardi announced plans to launch a new biopolymer spirits bottle by 2023, which it said would biodegrade in 18 months without leaving behind harmful microplastics. Developed by Danimer Scientific, Nodax PHA is a biopolymer derived from the oils of plant seeds such as palm, canola and soy. Bacardi plans to roll out the material to replace single-use plastic across its entire supply chain and its 200 brands and labels, starting with Bacardí rum bottles. Bacardi currently produces around 80 million plastic bottles across its portfolio of brands every year.

Frontline meat and poultry workers should be included in the next phase of large-scale coronavirus vaccinations in the US, according to guidelines approved by a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) advisory committee. The committee recommendations include food and agriculture employees in a category of 30 million frontline essential workers that should receive priority in the second round of vaccinations, alongside firefighters, police and teachers. Such workers were deemed “essential to the functioning of society and at substantially higher risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2”. According to the report, half of the mentioned essential workers are older than 40 years. Those aged 75 years and older are also included in phase 1b of the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Employees at meat processing plants will therefore be first in line to be vaccinated after health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities, who started receiving the vaccines last week. The recommendations come after a number of outbreaks at meat processing plants during the spring, resulting in shutdowns and temporary meat shortages. These included the likes of Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and Cargill. During this period, US president Donald Trump issued an executive orderto force meat processing plants to stay open in a bid to protect the US food supply, however he received backlash voicing concerns that workers would face greater risk from the virus. Since then, the North American Meat Institute says $1.5 billion in Covid-19 preventions and supports have been implemented – such as personal protective equipment, health and temperature screening and enhanced air sanitation and ventilation – and have reversed the virus’ impact on meat and poultry workers. Nevertheless, US states can still set their own priorities for vaccination tranches. The North American Meat Institute called the recommendation a critical step for the long-term safety of employees and urged state governments to follow CDC’s decision.