Swedish food-tech start-up Millow has closed a €2 million funding round to support the expanded production capacity of its clean-label protein made from oats and mycelium. The round was led by entrepreneur and angel investor Magnus Emilson, joined by Vitamin Well co-founder Jan Enhager, who also becomes a strategic advisor to Millow’s CEO Fredrik Öhrn. Two co-founders of Swedish technology companies with combined exits of more than $2 billion have also joined the round, alongside private investors from the Swedish food sector. The capital will fund an expansion of the company’s solid-state fermentation manufacturing capacity. The technology turns two core ingredients, Swedish oats and mycelium, into a fungal protein with no binders or additives, catering to demand for clean-label and vegan-friendly protein ingredients in the Nordic foodservice sector. According to Millow, its process uses three to four litres of water per kg of product, and its carbon footprint has been independently verified by carbon assessment specialist Rise at 0.3kg per CO2e per kg – around 98% lower than Swedish beef. Alongside the round, the European Patent Office has confirmed that the nine-month opposition period for Millow’s core patent has closed with no oppositions filed. The patent protects Millow’s low-water production method. Millow said it is in talks with major foodservice operators and distributors in the Nordic region, with international interest also growing. The ingredient is designed to be easily handled in the kitchen like formats chefs already use, providing convenience and easy integration for restaurants. CEO Öhrn commented: “This round gives us the capacity and the commercial team to serve foodservice customers at the volumes they need. The job now is disciplined commercial execution, and what matters as much as the capital is who it comes from.” “Jan and Magnus bring experience and a network we would otherwise spend years building. I approach this phase with real humility: the team and the advisers around us matter every bit as much as the technology.”

Oterra has appointed Susanne Arfelt Rajamand as its new chief executive officer, taking up the role on 12 October 2026. Rajamand brings more than two decades of international leadership experience across the food, foodservice and consumer goods sectors. Her previous senior roles include positions at Unilever, McCormick & Company and Fonterra, while most recently she served as Group CEO of Royal Greenland. Oterra Chairman Arnd Kaldowski said: “Her commercial track record and experience leading international, growth-focused organisations make her the right leader to build on Oterra's strong foundation and further accelerate our growth trajectory." A key focus for the incoming CEO will be the US market, where Oterra says it has achieved double-digit growth this year. The company also says its current sales pipeline puts it in a position to double its core US business within the next two years. Rajamand said the continued shift toward natural food colours in the US represents a particularly significant opportunity for Oterra. “Oterra has built a strong position as a global leader in natural food colours, with a talented team, a strong product portfolio and a very exciting growth opportunity ahead,” she said. She added that she looks forward to working with Oterra's leadership team, board and wider organisation as the company enters its next phase of growth. Rajamand holds an MSc in business from Copenhagen Business School and an executive MBA from business school Insead. She currently serves as a non-executive board member of Danish Crown and Protix. Oterra is one of the world's largest suppliers of naturally sourced colours, serving manufacturers across food, beverage, dietary supplements and pet food. The company traces its history in natural colours back to 1876 and has positioned the transition toward natural ingredients as a central part of its growth strategy.

7Up, part of the Keurig Dr Pepper brand portfolio, has unveiled its first brand evolution in more than 15 years, centred around a lime-led reformulation in the US. 7Up Lime Lemon is a new lime-forward formula for the soft drink, designed to strengthen the brand’s distinctiveness and appeal within a traditionally lemon-led carbonated soft drink segment. The reformulation will bring the lime-forward flavour profile to 7Up Regular, 7Up Zero Sugar, Cherry 7Up and Cherry 7Up Zero Sugar, rolling out nationwide from mid-August alongside a new visual identity. According to Keurig Dr Pepper’s State of Beverages 2026 trend report, 72% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z consumers gravitate toward citrus-forward flavours, while 64% prefer bold, intense taste experiences. This research fuelled 7Up’s new flavour refresh, aiming to cater to the growing number of younger consumers seeking bold flavour and ‘personality’ from their soft drinks. Drew Panayiotou, chief marketing and innovation officer at Keurig Dr Pepper, said: “This is a bold reinvention of one of America’s most iconic soda brands for a new generation of consumers – starting with the flavour itself”. “7Up has an incredible legacy, but by giving lime the spotlight, we’re rewriting the rules of the lemon lime category. We are transforming a beloved heritage brand into a modern disruptor – delivering a sharper visual identity, a more refreshing taste experience and a distinct position that attracts new users and deepens brand loyalty.”

Gay Lea Foods is investing more than $200 million to significantly expand its Clayson Road dairy manufacturing facility in Toronto, as part of a move to increase production of cottage cheese and other high-protein dairy products. The investment is the first major milestone in Gay Lea Foods’ approximately $450 million Network for Growth strategy, a multi-year programme focused on strengthening and modernising the co-operative's Canadian manufacturing network. The expansion comes as demand for cottage cheese continues to grow among Canadian consumers seeking nutritious products aligned with health and wellness trends. According to the company, the additional capacity will help address the current national cottage cheese shortage while supporting growth across its wider dairy portfolio. Suzanna Dalrymple, president and CEO of Gay Lea Foods, said: “This investment reflects our confidence in the future of Canadian dairy and in Gay Lea Foods’ role in helping shape it. The future will be built on Canadian dairy farms and in modern processing facilities equipped to respond to evolving consumer preferences.” The Clayson Road project will introduce advanced processing technology and modern manufacturing capabilities designed to increase production capacity, improve productivity and provide greater operational flexibility. Gay Lea Foods said the investment will enable it to respond more effectively to changing market requirements while creating opportunities for its farmer members and employees. The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2028 and is expected to create up to 75 new positions at the facility. Founded in 1958, Gay Lea Foods produces dairy products and ingredients under brands including Gay Lea, Nordica, Salerno, Ivanhoe and Bothwell Cheese.

Capri-Sun has initiated legal proceedings against its UK manufacturer, Princes Group, in connection with a contractual dispute concerning the manufacture and supply of its products. In a statement, the drinks brand said the latest proceedings follow earlier court action after Princes suspended production of Capri-Sun products in the UK. Capri-Sun subsequently obtained an injunction requiring production and supply of its products to continue while the dispute between the two companies was being addressed. The company did not disclose further details of the current proceedings, including the specific contractual issues at the centre of the dispute. According to court documents cited in a The Telegraph report, Capri-Sun is suing the manufacturer for more than £2 million for failing to make enough of the juice drink to fulfil supermarket orders. The report states that Princes had committed several breaches of the agreements, including through a “unilateral suspension of production and delivery” in January this year. Princes reportedly produced around 1.3 million fewer cases than required in 2024 and 2025, with a shortfall of around 800,000 expected this year, according to Noel Casey KC, representing Capri-Sun, in the court documents. A spokesperson for Capri-Sun said: "Our priority remains ensuring a reliable supply of Capri-Sun products to our customers and consumers". Princes Group is a major UK food and drink manufacturer and supplies products across multiple categories. In a statement to FoodBev, a spokesperson from Princes Group said: "Princes fully disputes the claims made by Capri-Sun and does not accept the allegations as presented". Both Capri-Sun and Princes said they would not provide further comment while the legal matter is ongoing.

Plant-based nutrition brand Kate Farms has expanded its High Protein Nutrition Shake range with a new vanilla flavour, targeting consumers looking for convenient plant-based nutrition with a higher protein content. The new creamy vanilla shake contains 25g of protein, 6g of fibre and 160 calories per carton. It is made with organic pea protein and is designed to provide a convenient option for consumers looking to increase their daily protein intake. The launch adds a sweeter flavour profile to Kate Farms’ High Protein Nutrition Shake portfolio, with the company positioning the product around both taste and nutritional functionality. The shake is dairy-free and gluten-free, while being designed for easy digestion. The product is made with organic pea protein, providing a plant-based alternative for consumers seeking high-protein nutrition without dairy. The company is targeting a range of consumption occasions, including busy lifestyles, everyday protein intake and supporting muscle health. The vanilla launch forms part of Kate Farms’ wider focus on making plant-based nutrition more accessible through convenient ready-to-drink formats. The new Vanilla High Protein Nutrition Shake is available to purchase from Kate Farms, with the company also selling its products through major US retailers including Walmart and Target. It is priced at $55 per case of 12 cartons, available online.

Rxbar is expanding its seasonal portfolio with a new Nut Butter & Oat Apple Pie protein bar, marking the brand’s first new seasonal flavour in more than four years. Launching nationwide in August for a limited time, Rxbar Nut Butter & Oat Apple Pie is designed to tap into growing consumer interest in nostalgic autumn flavours, with the brand positioning apple as an alternative to the increasingly established pumpkin spice trend. The new bar combines wholegrain oats, cashews, egg whites and wildflower honey, with flavour notes of cooked apple, cinnamon and pastry. Each bar contains 10g of protein and is a source of fibre. Rxbar said the launch reflects the growing popularity of apple as a seasonal flavour and offers consumers another way to engage with familiar autumn taste profiles. Regina Cabrera, senior brand manager at Mars Snacking, said: “With new Rxbar Nut Butter & Oat Apple Pie and the return of Rxbar Pumpkin Spice 12g Protein Bar, we set out to capture that sense of warmth and nostalgia in these satisfying snacking options made with simple, recognisable ingredients.” The new Apple Pie flavour will be joined by the return of Rxbar Pumpkin Spice 12g Protein Bar, which first launched in 2015 and has become one of the brand’s established limited-edition seasonal products. The pumpkin spice bar contains cinnamon, pumpkin, cloves, egg whites, dates and nuts, delivering 12g of protein per serving. Both products will be available across US retailers from August while stocks last. Rxbar Nut Butter & Oat Apple Pie will be sold as individual bars with an MSRP of $2.79 and in five-count boxes priced at $11.99. Pumpkin Spice will be offered in the same formats and at the same recommended prices. The Apple Pie launch expands Rxbar’s Nut Butter & Oat range, which currently includes Honey Cinnamon Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter and Blueberry Cashew Butter.

Flipz has partnered with Dunkin' to launch a limited-edition pumpkin spice pretzel snack in the US. The new Flipz Pumpkin Spice Donut Covered Pretzels combine the brand's chocolate-covered pretzel format with flavours inspired by Dunkin's Pumpkin Cake Donut. Each pretzel is coated with notes of pumpkin, warming spices and cake donut, pairing the seasonal flavour profile with Flipz' signature sweet-and-salty crunch. Shivani Arora, marketing director at Pladis Americas, Flipz's parent company, said: “Pumpkin spice has evolved from a seasonal trend to a cultural phenomenon”. She added that the collaboration brings together the two brands to offer consumers a new way to enjoy the flavour during the autumn season. Brian Gilbert, vice president of retail business development at Inspire Brands, said Dunkin' customers look forward to its pumpkin range each year, with the partnership extending the flavour of its Pumpkin Cake Donut into the snack aisle. The limited-edition pretzels are available across the US until October at selected retailers, including CVS, Wakefern, Kroger, Five Below, Albertsons, Dollar General and Stop & Shop.

Celsius Holdings has announced a series of senior leadership changes as it continues to develop its multi-brand energy drinks portfolio. Tyler Bohannon has been appointed chief commercial officer, effective 10 August 2026, succeeding Tony Guilfoyle in the commercial leadership function. Bohannon, who has served as executive vice president of North American sales since February 2025, will oversee field sales, key retailer accounts, direct-store-delivery operations and revenue growth management across the company's portfolio. He has played a key role in strengthening Celsius Holdings' partnership with PepsiCo and supporting the integration of Alani Nu and Rockstar Energy. Bohannon has more than 20 years of beverage industry experience, with previous roles at Nestlé Waters, Coors Brewing, Rockstar Energy and PepsiCo. Meanwhile, Guilfoyle has moved into the newly created role of chief business transformation officer, effective 1 July 2026. In the position, he will lead company-wide initiatives focused on operational execution, cross-functional working, AI adoption and capability development as Celsius Holdings continues to scale its portfolio. Guilfoyle joined Celsius Holdings in 2020 and became chief commercial officer in 2024 before being appointed chief customer officer in February 2026. Prior to joining the company, he spent more than a decade as executive vice president of sales at Rockstar Energy Drink. The leadership changes also include the departure of president and chief operating officer Eric Hanson, who joined Celsius Holdings in early 2025. During his tenure, Hanson supported the company's strategic partnerships and the integration of recent acquisitions. John Fieldly, chairman and chief executive officer of Celsius Holdings, said: “Together with our board, we continue to take action to ensure our leadership structure evolves alongside the priorities and opportunities of the business". He continued: “Strengthening our commercial organisation and enterprise capabilities is an important part of our long-term strategy to grow our scaled portfolio of leading brands, and these actions have been evaluated and discussed over the past several months.” "Tyler and Tony have each played important roles in helping Celsius scale. Tyler has helped build a strong commercial organisation and deepen our partnership with PepsiCo, while Tony has helped strengthen operational execution and will now lead enterprise-wide initiatives focused on execution and capability building." "We are confident that together they are well positioned to support the continued growth of our total energy portfolio and capitalise on the growing consumer demand for Modern Energy. We also want to thank Eric for his contributions to Celsius and wish him all the best in his future endeavors."

Metsä Group is investing approximately €25 million in a new production line for its Muoto fibre-based food packaging in Finland, while abandoning plans for a commercial Kuura textile fibre mill amid worsening global market conditions. The new Muoto production line will be built at Metsä Group’s mill site in Äänekoski, Finland, alongside the company’s existing Muoto demonstration plant. Supplied by technology company Valmet, the line is scheduled to start up in 2028 and will have a nominal capacity of more than 100 million products a year. Developed by Metsä Group’s innovation company Metsä Spring, Muoto is a fibre-based packaging solution made directly from wet wood pulp. The technology eliminates intermediate processing steps and produces lightweight products designed to combine stiffness and functionality. The company says the packaging is intended for applications where fibre-based alternatives need to meet more demanding performance requirements, including serving and food packaging. Niklas von Weymarn, CEO of Metsä Spring, said: “We’ve developed a competitive product and production concept for Muoto packaging that responds to the growing demand for fossil-free packaging solutions. Muoto supports Metsä’s ambition to develop new packaging innovations in collaboration with companies in the packaging value chain.” Metsä sees growing demand for alternatives to plastic in selected food and packaging applications as a potential market opportunity for Muoto. Von Weymarn said the products also meet the strict requirements of the European Union’s recently introduced Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which the company expects to support demand for fibre-based packaging alternatives. The new production line was originally planned for Rauma, Finland, but Metsä has opted for Äänekoski because of the site's existing infrastructure, the presence of the Muoto demonstration line and lower investment costs. The investment represents another step in Metsä Spring’s efforts to commercialise new products based on wood fibre and expand into markets beyond traditional pulp and paper applications. At the same time, Metsä Group has decided not to proceed with its planned Kuura textile fibre mill in Kemi, Finland. The project was designed to produce man-made cellulosic fibres for the textile industry. However, Metsä says significant global overcapacity has emerged in the market in a short period, particularly as new production capacity has been added in Asia. The resulting pressure on prices has weakened the competitive position of responsibly produced, higher-quality fibres. Metsä also says there are currently too few customers prepared to pay a premium for responsibly produced textile materials. As a result, the company does not believe the Kuura project has the prerequisites to continue in its current form. While the commercial investment will not proceed, Metsä says the expertise developed through the Kuura project remains valuable and that it is exploring ways to make use of the technology and capabilities developed in textile fibres. Metsä’s other innovation projects, including development of its lignin product and carbon capture technologies, are continuing as planned.

Yoplait is tapping into the global popularity of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters with a new limited-edition range spanning kids’ yogurts, desserts and drinking yogurt, as brands look to capitalise on the back-to-school shopping period. The collaboration will see characters from the hit animated film appear across three Yoplait products, with Frubes leading the launch from 15 August across all flavours in major grocers, Ocado and Iceland. The range will be supported by two new products: a KPop Demon Hunters chocolate dessert and a strawberry drinking yoghurt. The chocolate desserts will enter the £3.8m desserts category from 9 September, with a four-pack of 100g pots carrying an RRP of £2. Made with almost 80% whole milk and Fair Trade-certified cocoa, the products are HFSS compliant and will initially launch in Tesco, Iceland and Morrisons. Meanwhile, the 180g strawberry drinking yogurt bottles will feature four different designs showcasing characters from the film. Launching on 14 September in Tesco and Iceland, the four-pack will retail at £2.50. The new products will also carry Yoplait’s existing calcium and vitamin D fortification, with the company positioning the range as a way to combine family-friendly entertainment with the nutritional benefits of dairy. Antoine Hours, general nanager at Yoplait UK, said: “Back-to-school is the biggest moment in the year for kids’ yogurts and being able to bring the phenomenon that is KPop Demon Hunters to lunchboxes, snack & dinner time is going to get playgrounds buzzing." The launch reflects the continued growth of portable consumption occasions within yogurt. Yoplait says the kids’ portable segment is growing by 9.5% year-on-year, creating an opportunity for brands to target lunchboxes and on-the-go snacking as families return to school routines.

Actus Nutrition has completed a major expansion and infrastructure modernisation project at its Fond du Lac, Wisconsin facility, adding 40 million pounds of annual whey powder production capacity. The multi-million-dollar investment is designed to strengthen the company’s ability to meet growing demand for its dairy nutrition ingredients, while increasing manufacturing efficiency and operational scalability. The expansion incorporates next-generation robotics and automation systems, alongside process improvements across the facility. Upgrades have been made to drying operations, liquid management capabilities and carbohydrate processing systems. David Lenzmeier, CEO of Actus Nutrition, said: “By combining advanced automation technologies with critical infrastructure improvements, we are increasing our capacity to serve customers while strengthening our long-term competitiveness." The project is also expected to create several new full-time positions and provide additional leadership and career advancement opportunities for existing employees. More than 100 contractors worked alongside Actus Nutrition employees and project partners during the expansion. Lenzmeier added that the investment would provide a foundation for the company’s future growth by creating a “more efficient, scalable operation”. The Fond du Lac facility, originally built in 1918, has more than a century of dairy processing history and has developed into North America’s largest whey protein isolate manufacturing site, according to Actus Nutrition. The facility produces a range of whey-based ingredients, including whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates, hydrolysates and sweet whey powder, as well as specialty ingredients such as lactoferrin. The expansion comes as demand for protein ingredients continues to drive investment across the dairy nutrition sector, with manufacturers seeking to increase processing capacity and improve production efficiency. Founded in 1945, Actus Nutrition is a vertically integrated manufacturer of nutritional ingredients for health and wellness products and a co-manufacturer for household brands. The company also supplies ingredients to the pet and livestock feed sectors.