Agropur is expanding its high milk-fat dairy portfolio with the launch of a new 6% M.F. product under its Québon brand in Quebec. The launch follows the introduction of Sealtest 6% M.F. in Ontario in April and Island Farms 6% M.F. in British Columbia in June, extending the company’s 6% M.F. offering to a third Canadian province. Described as a first for Quebec, the new product is designed to respond to evolving consumer needs and create new consumption occasions, while reflecting Agropur’s continued focus on evolving its product portfolio in line with market trends. Québon 6% M.F. dairy product will be available in a 4L format and sold through major retail banners across Quebec. The launch further expands Agropur’s regional brand strategy, bringing the higher milk-fat offering to consumers under the Québon name following earlier launches under the Sealtest and Island Farms brands.

Häagen-Dazs will no longer be sold in Brazil following a decision by owner General Mills to withdraw the ice cream brand from the market as part of a wider portfolio restructuring, according to Brazilian media reports. The move comes months after General Mills agreed to sell its Brazilian operation to coffee company 3corações for R$800 million ($147 million), in a transaction announced in March 2026. The deal included a portfolio of General Mills brands in Brazil, including Yoki and Kitano, as well as manufacturing facilities in Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso. Häagen-Dazs, however, was not included in the transaction and will now leave the Brazilian market. The premium ice cream brand first entered Brazil in 1997, with its first physical store opening in São Paulo the following year. Its departure marks the end of almost three decades of Häagen-Dazs presence in Brazil. The exit forms part of a broader effort by General Mills to reshape its portfolio, streamline its presence in the country and focus resources on its strategic priorities.

UK sourdough brand Jason’s Sourdough has launched its first-ever fibre-focused range, featuring a Seeded Fibre Loaf and Every Day Seeded Fibre Rolls. While the UK government’s Recommended Daily Allowance for adults is 30g of fibre per day, data shows that 96% of UK adults fall short of this target, consuming an average of just 16.2g daily. Jason’s developed the new range in response to this ‘fibre gap,’ aiming to help consumers ‘naturally and effortlessly’ increase their daily intake through staple daily meal options. The Everyday Seeded Fibre Loaf delivers 5g of fibre per average slice. The sourdough is fermented for up to 24 hours and made with no yeast, additives or preservatives. Meanwhile, the Every Day Seeded Fibre rolls deliver 8g of fibre per roll and contain a blend of mixed seeds, such as sunflower seeds, golden linseed, poppy seeds and pumpkin seeds. The range rolls out exclusively at Tesco stores nationwide on 31 August, designed to broaden access to convenient and healthier bakery options without compromising on taste, authenticity or quality. It builds on the strong performance of Jason’s Sourdough’s existing ‘bread with benefits’ range – a line-up of bread products that tap into the growing demand for F&B products with added functionalities and health claims. Following the success of its Protein Loaf, the brand expanded last year with the launch of Everyday Protein Rolls format, centred around convenience. Jason Geary, master baker at Jason’s Sourdough, said: “We’re constantly evolving our range to reflect how people are eating today…By combining innovation with our baking heritage, we’ve created high-fibre recipes with carefully selected seeds that deliver the flavour and quality consumers expect from Jason’s, while fitting seamlessly into modern lifestyles.” Nichola Ludlam-Raine, specialist registered dietician, commented: “Fibre is not a single ingredient with a single job: different fibres support our digestion, gut bacteria and wider long-term health, which is why variety matters”. “A higher-fibre version of a food you already enjoy, such as bread, can make progress feel much more achievable. Switching your usual bread for a genuinely higher-fibre option such as Jason’s Sourdough Seeded Fibre Loaf and Rolls is a small, realistic change that can make a meaningful contribution to your daily fibre intake.” Jason’s is the UK’s number one sourdough brand and the third biggest supermarket bread brand according to Nielsen data. It is known for its range of premium bakery offerings centred around simple ingredients, aligning with increasing consumer interest in ‘clean-label’ options. The new Seeded Fibre Loaf is priced at an RRP of £2.80 per 580g loaf, and the Every Day Seeded Fibre Rolls at £1.90 per 320g pack.

Estonian biotechnology start-up Äio has teamed up with research organisation TFTAK (Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies) to launch a three-year R&D project focused on microbial oil production. Äio develops fermentation technologies that transform low-value, organic side-streams from the food, agricultural and wood industries into high-value oils and fats with applications across food, cosmetics and other industries. These can provide alternatives to conventional ingredients such as tropical oils and animal fats, reducing dependence on agricultural land, climate conditions and volatile supply chains. The project, DigiFoundry 2.0 – Bioprocess Efficiency Increase via Digitalisation (DF2.0), has received €1.94 million in funding through the Applied Research Programme of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency (EIS). With a total budget of approximately €2.53 million, the initiative was ranked first among the applications approved in the programme’s 10th funding round. DF2.0 builds on the results of the original DigiFoundry project, an existing collaboration between Äio and TFTAK that ran from 2023 to 2026. The first project focused on creating a prototype platform for automated microbial strain design and establishing a Design-Build-Test-Learn cycle to accelerate the development of microorganisms capable of producing specialised fats through precision fermentation. It also included pilot-scale precision fermentation, sensory analysis and techno-economic assessment of the production process. Äio said DF2.0 goes further by connecting biological development with improved fermentation, automation and digital process control. It aims to establish the technological foundation for efficient, scalable and cost-competitive production of Äio’s microbial oils while reducing development and manufacturing costs and enabling faster new ingredient development. According to Äio, its company data shows that its fermentation process can reduce land use by up to 97% and water consumption by up to 90% compared with conventional production methods. Petri-Jaan Lahtyee, co-founder and COO of Äio and professor at Tallinn University of Technology, said: “Our goal is to make microbial oil production not only sustainable, but also highly efficient and economically competitive at an industrial scale”. “By combining improved fermentation with automation and data-driven process development, we can learn faster, optimise faster and ultimately produce better ingredients with fewer resources.” TFTAK is a privately owned Estonian research organisation focused on accelerating food and biotechnology innovation. It works across bioprocess optimisation, food research, analytics and product development, supporting projects from laboratory research and pilot-scale development through to testing in industrial production. In the original DigiFoundry project, TFTAK contributed to developing the Design-Build-Test-Learn workflow and methods for evaluating microbial products, including sensory analysis and identification of unwanted flavours and aromas. In DF2.0, it will continue contributing its synthetic biology expertise, precision fermentation and bioprocess development to help connect strain engineering with automated and data-driven production. Steven van der Hoek, scientific lead at TFTAK, said: “By integrating synthetic biology, fermentation and digital tools, we can generate much more information from every development cycle and use that knowledge to make the next cycle better. This collaboration allows us to build technologies that are scientifically ambitious but, importantly, designed from the beginning with industrial application in mind.”

Pillsbury is making homemade-style croissants more accessible with the launch of two new freezer-to-oven products: Butter Grands! Croissants and Chocolate Grands! Croissants. Joining the brand’s permanent line-up, the new products are designed to remove the time and preparation associated with making croissants from scratch. Both varieties come pre-shaped and can be baked directly from frozen, with no thawing required. Each croissant features 48 layers, with the Butter Grands! Croissants made with real butter for a classic flavour profile. The Chocolate Grands! Croissants, meanwhile, are made with real Belgian cocoa, offering a sweeter alternative for chocolate lovers. Each pack contains eight large pastries, which can be baked individually or as a full batch, giving consumers flexibility to prepare fresh-from-the-oven pastries for different occasions. The launch sees Pillsbury tap into demand for convenient bakery-inspired products that offer consumers an easier route to freshly baked treats at home, while eliminating the rolling, shaping and lengthy preparation traditionally associated with croissant-making. With Butter Grands! Croissants and Chocolate Grands! Croissants joining the permanent portfolio, the brand is positioning the new range as an accessible option for consumers looking to bring a little more bakery-style indulgence to the table.

Hotel Chocolat is expanding its autumn range with a new limited-edition Spicy Maple drinking chocolate, tapping into the growing appetite for sweet-and-spicy flavour combinations. The new £11.95 drink combines sweet maple with habanero heat, translating a flavour profile already used in the chocolatier’s filled chocolate range into a new format. It will be joined by the return of Pumpkin Spice Drinking Chocolate, also priced at £11.95, as well as three limited-edition seasonal Selectors. Spicy Maple reflects the continued momentum behind “swicy” flavour profiles, bringing a combination of sweetness and heat to the drinking chocolate category. Pumpkin Spice, meanwhile, returns with a blend of cinnamon, ginger and pumpkin, targeting consumer demand for warming and nostalgic seasonal flavours. Yiotis Panagiotou, Specialty Chocolatier at Hotel Chocolat, said: “Food innovation is increasingly about identifying what's already resonating with customers and finding new ways to deliver it. Spicy Maple started life as one of our filled chocolates, and we saw an opportunity to translate that into a completely different format, pairing the sweetness of maple with habanero heat to bring a ‘swicy’ twist to drinking chocolate.” The autumn line-up will also extend across multiple consumption occasions. Consumers can prepare the drinks at home using a Velvetiser, steam wand or hob, while Hotel Chocolat’s Velvetiser Cafés will serve the recipes as hot chocolate, choc shakes and mochas. Alongside the drinking chocolates, the brand is reintroducing three seasonal limited-edition Selectors: Nuts for Praline, Rustle & Crunch and Pumpkin Pie, with the latter featuring spiced pumpkin ganache, almond praline and a crunchy corn-flake crust.

California craft beer pioneer Stone Brewing is set to cut 220 jobs and exit three locations in Escondido, California, as its new owners restructure production following the brand’s sale by Sapporo USA. The changes follow Sapporo USA's sale of Stone Brewing to Firestone Walker Brewing Company and Duvel Moortgat USA, completed on 15 May 2026. Under the new ownership structure, production of the Stone portfolio will gradually move to Firestone Walker’s brewery in Paso Robles, California and Duvel USA’s Boulevard Brewery in Kansas City, Missouri. The restructuring will also bring an end to operations at Stone Brewing World Bistro and Gardens in Escondido, a venue known for its food offering alongside the brewery’s beer. Despite the closure of the Escondido brewery, Stone Brewing’s beer portfolio will continue under its new ownership. Firestone Walker and Duvel USA said they expect to hire a significant number of Stone employees across hospitality, sales and marketing as the business transitions to its new operating structure. Firestone Walker will take responsibility for distribution in California, the western US, Texas and national accounts, while Duvel USA will oversee distribution east of the Rocky Mountains. The Escondido restructuring comes amid a challenging period for independent craft brewing in California, with changing consumer demand, increased competition and the longer-term impact of the pandemic placing pressure on breweries and hospitality businesses. Sapporo USA acquired Stone Brewing in 2002, before subsequently agreeing its sale to Firestone Walker and Duvel Moortgat USA. The acquisition did not include all of Stone’s former facilities. Four hospitality sites, including the beer garden at Liberty Station in San Diego and taprooms in San Diego, Oceanside and Pasadena, were included in the transaction. Top image: © Stone Brewing

A US federal judge has dismissed major portions of a lawsuit brought by Ben & Jerry’s against its former parent company Unilever, according to reporting from Reuters. US District Judge Kevin Castel in Manhattan dismissed seven claims and part of an eighth from a 10-count complaint filed by Ben & Jerry’s and several members of its independent board. The ruling also means Magnum Ice Cream Company, the Amsterdam-based company that has owned Ben & Jerry’s since its separation from Unilever last year, will replace Unilever as the primary defendant in the case. The claims dismissed by Castel largely concerned the way Ben & Jerry’s is governed and operated. Two claims relating to alleged missed payments by Unilever will continue in full. The legal dispute stems from Unilever’s acquisition of Ben & Jerry’s in 2000, which preserved a number of unusual governance arrangements for the ice cream company, including an independent board and the ability to pursue its social mission and charitable activities. The relationship between the two companies deteriorated significantly in 2021 after Ben & Jerry’s announced that it would stop selling its products in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Ben & Jerry’s subsequently accused Unilever of breaching the terms of its original merger agreement by restricting its ability to express political and social views. The company alleged this included attempts to suppress statements relating to the war in Gaza and criticism of US President Donald Trump. The lawsuit also alleged that Unilever sought to weaken Ben & Jerry’s independent board and removed a chief executive who supported the brand’s social activism. Unilever has denied censoring Ben & Jerry’s and said the former chief executive resigned voluntarily. The two claims that remain in full centre on payments that Ben & Jerry’s says Unilever failed to make under a 2002 settlement concerning the sale of Ben & Jerry’s trademark rights in Israel. According to the complaint, Unilever allegedly failed to pay $2.5 million to Ben & Jerry’s and a further $2 million intended to support Palestinian almond farmers. Unilever and Magnum have agreed that these claims can proceed. Castel ruled that the original merger agreement did not give Ben & Jerry’s Class I directors or the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation the right to bring certain claims on behalf of the company, including challenges concerning the appointment and removal of directors. However, Reuters reported that the judge said the directors could challenge new eligibility requirements for board membership. He also ruled that the directors could pursue claims relating to the missed payments on their own behalf, rather than on behalf of Ben & Jerry’s. The Magnum Ice Cream Company reportedly welcomed the ruling, saying it had significantly narrowed the case and that the Ben & Jerry’s brand was continuing to perform strongly. Unilever and The Magnum Ice Cream Company are also seeking the dismissal of a separate defamation lawsuit filed in San Francisco by Anuradha Mittal, who was removed as chair of Ben & Jerry’s independent board in December 2025. Mittal has alleged that the companies attempted to discredit her over her support for Palestine.

US snack brand Crisp Power is expanding its Protein Pretzels range with the launch of Honey Mustard, combining a sweet and tangy flavour profile with a high-protein, high-fibre format. Designed as an alternative to conventional sweet protein snacks, the new pretzels pair honey mustard seasoning with the brand's baked, crunchy texture. The launch targets consumers looking for familiar savoury snacks with an enhanced nutritional profile. Each 1.75oz (50g) bag contains 26g of protein and 10g of fibre, with 6g of net carbohydrates and 210 calories per serving. The product contains no added sugar and no artificial flavours. Gilad Zilberberg, founder and CEO of Crisp Power, said: “[We] built Crisp Power to compete directly with traditional crunchy, salty snacks, but with dramatically higher protein and fibre. Honey Mustard continues that mission by delivering a bold flavour in a format that supports modern eating habits.” The launch comes as protein continues to feature prominently in snack innovation, with consumers increasingly seeking products that combine convenience with satiety and macronutrient benefits. Crisp Power positions its pretzels as a savoury alternative to protein bars and shakes, targeting consumers seeking high-protein and high-fibre snacks in a familiar crunchy format. The brand also points to changing snacking habits among consumers using GLP-1 medications as a factor driving interest in more substantial snack options. The Honey Mustard launch follows Crisp Power's opening of a $15 million manufacturing facility in Stafford, Texas. The new site marks a move from overseas production to domestic US manufacturing, with the company stating that the facility will increase production capacity, shorten supply chains and allow it to respond more quickly to demand. The investment follows what Crisp Power describes as triple-digit year-on-year growth since entering the US market in 2024, alongside an expanding retail distribution network. Honey Mustard joins an existing portfolio of Protein Pretzel flavours including Cheddar, Flamin' Crunch, Cinnamon Crunch, Everything, Sea Salt and Sesame. The new flavour will be sold in 1.75oz single-serve bags, with distribution planned through Crisp Power's direct-to-consumer channels, Shopify, The Vitamin Shoppe, Amazon and TikTok Shop.

Strategic Beverage Services has acquired the US operations of beverage processing specialist BevZero, creating what the companies describe as the largest dealcoholisation service provider in the United States. The Santa Rosa, California-based Strategic Beverage Services said the acquisition will expand its capacity and geographic reach as demand for low- and no-alcohol beverages continues to grow across the US market. The combined business will serve wineries, distilleries, cider producers and functional beverage companies, bringing together Strategic Beverage Services' existing operations with BevZero-US's dealcoholisation technology, technical expertise and industry experience. Patrick Morgan, chief operating officer of Strategic Beverage Services, said the acquisition would strengthen the company's ability to provide dealcoholisation services at scale. The deal also positions the combined business to compete in what Morgan described as the fastest-growing segment of the beverage industry. BevZero-US is headquartered in California and employs winemakers, distillers and food scientists supporting beverage producers from product development through to commercial production. Its services include regulatory guidance, equipment and technical expertise, alongside processing capabilities designed to help producers develop low- and no-alcohol products. The company has built its reputation around dealcoholisation, using processes designed to remove alcohol while retaining the aroma and flavour characteristics of the original beverage. The acquisition comes as beverage producers across wine, spirits and cider increasingly explore alcohol-free and reduced-alcohol formats in response to changing consumer preferences. The transaction follows a strong showing for BevZero-US and its customers at the third annual International Non-Alcoholic Competition in New Jersey in June 2026. Alongside dealcoholisation, the combined business offers a range of beverage processing services, including co-packing and production, alcohol adjustments, concentration and cross-flow filtration. It also provides high-proof spirits for sanitation or blend adjustment, SO2 removal, stuck fermentation and volatile acidity removal, as well as wine destruction and disposal. BevZero has been a specialist in alcohol removal since pioneering vacuum distillation for dealcoholization in 1991. The business has since expanded into low- and no-alcohol and functional beverage processing across wine, cider and spirits. Strategic Beverage Services said the combination with BevZero-US will give producers access to greater processing capacity and a broader range of services as brands seek to develop and scale products for the expanding alcohol-free and reduced-alcohol market.

A new optical sorting system developed by schmiede.one is using industrial camera technology from IDS Imaging Development Systems to automate potato grading, helping farms address rising quality requirements and labour shortages. The Farmsort.one precision sorter combines size grading and quality inspection in a single pass, enabling potatoes to be separated into up to five grades without the need for manual re-sorting. The system is designed for small and medium-sized agricultural businesses and can be integrated into existing sorting lines. At the heart of the system is a 1.5-metre inspection section, where each potato is captured multiple times as it moves along a controlled conveyor. Depending on the configuration, two or three IDS industrial cameras monitor the product flow from different angles. Rather than relying on a single inspection point or requiring each potato to rotate freely, Farmsort.one assesses produce through repeated inspections along the defined inspection path. This approach is designed to provide consistent results even when potatoes are unwashed or carry soil and other foreign material. The system uses IDS U3-3270CP Rev. 2.2 USB3 Vision cameras to classify potatoes and identify quality issues during processing. One camera detects foreign objects, including stones, as well as defects such as wireworm holes, while another tracks individual potatoes as they travel along the conveyor. Combined with a rotary encoder, the tracking system can determine the position of individual potatoes, allowing produce that is damaged or outside specification to be selectively removed. Integration is carried out using the IDS peak SDK, supporting camera configuration, mounting and focus adjustment. The conveyor-based system is fully electric and is designed to provide controlled product handling while reducing wear and energy consumption compared with pneumatic sorting mechanisms. Farmsort.one can process both washed and unwashed potatoes at throughput rates of up to two tonnes per hour. Rather than simply separating acceptable and defective potatoes, the system combines quality and size grading. Defective potatoes can be removed through the first outlet, oversized produce through the second, while Grade A potatoes remain in the main product stream. According to the case study, real-world farms achieve throughput of around 1.4 to 1.7 tonnes per hour, while as many as 73% of users have eliminated manual re-sorting altogether. This can reduce reliance on manual labour while delivering market-ready produce directly from the sorting line. The modular design also allows farms to expand their systems over time, with additional sorting outlets or cameras able to be added as requirements develop. Remote monitoring is available as an option, allowing sorting parameters to be adjusted and optimised remotely. Farmsort.one was developed within the Grimme Group and is already in use on more than 50 farms. The technology is intended to provide a scalable approach to automated sorting while supporting continuous operation during critical harvesting periods.

Constellation Brands is to invest an additional $100 million over the next five years to support farmers in Idaho, Montana and North Dakota, as the company seeks to strengthen the domestic agricultural supply chain underpinning its beer business. The investment will include increased purchases from US farmers and initiatives aimed at improving the resilience and long-term sustainability of farming operations in the three states. Constellation, whose beer portfolio includes Corona Extra, Modelo Especial and Pacifico, said the programme comes as US growers face mounting pressure from declining acreage, changing demand, higher input costs and weather-related challenges. Barley, corn and hops are critical raw materials for the US brewing industry, supporting a supply chain spanning farmers, maltsters, brewers, distributors, retailers and logistics providers. As part of the programme, Constellation will establish Constellation’s Farmers Future, a grower-led advisory committee bringing together farmers, trade organisations and community leaders. The committee will help identify opportunities for investment in agricultural resilience and the domestic supply chain, with areas of focus including farm resilience, market access, sustainability and the economic vitality of farming communities. Nicholas Fink, president and CEO of Constellation Brands, said US barley, corn and hops farmers were “foundational to our business”. “Their work supports communities, drives economic activity across the supply chain, and makes it possible for our products to reach consumers across the country,” he said. Fink added that the company had “deep respect” for growers following several challenging years for US agriculture and remained committed to supporting the farming communities on which its business depends. The new commitment comes on top of more than $750 million that Constellation said it already invests annually with American farmers and suppliers. The company purchases approximately 80% of all US barley exports, underlining the importance of domestic grain production to its beer operations. Across its wider US operations, Constellation said it invests more than $4.2 billion annually through employee wages, capital expenditure and US taxes, while supporting more than 100,000 American jobs across its supply chain. The company said the additional investment would be developed in partnership with growers and agricultural organisations, with the aim of creating stronger markets and greater resilience for producers. Idaho, Montana and North Dakota are significant agricultural states, with barley production playing an important role in their rural economies. Idaho Governor Brad Little welcomed the investment, saying the state was proud to be one of the country's leading barley producers and that the partnership recognised the contribution of growers to the state and wider US economy. North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong described the state's barley industry as having a “long and proud history” and said the investment would help farmers continue contributing to the US beverage industry. Agricultural groups also welcomed the commitment. The Idaho Barley Commission, Montana Wheat and Barley Committee and North Dakota Barley Council said strong markets and committed end users were critical to the future of US barley production. The Montana Grain Growers similarly highlighted the importance of investment that expands opportunities for US-grown barley and strengthens rural communities. Constellation said its latest commitment reflects its broader position as an agriculture-based company and its aim to operate sustainably while investing in the communities connected to its business.