US-headquartered Hain Celestial has entered into an agreement to sell its international business to global private equity firm Aurelius, aiming to streamline its portfolio and create a more ‘focused’ North American business. The deal will see Aurelius take over Hain Celestial’s international business operations, and a wide-ranging portfolio of its international brands, for an estimated $323 million in cash. Net proceeds from the transaction are expected to be in the range of $305 million to $310 million, and will be used to reduce Hain Celestial’s debt once the deal closes. Brands sold to Aurelius under the agreement include the Ella’s Kitchen baby and children’s food brand, plant-based beverage brands Joya and Natumi, plant-based food brand Linda McCartney, and the Hartley’s jelly and New Covent Garden soup brands among others. Hain Celestial’s remaining portfolio of North American brands will include Celestial Seasonings, The Greek Gods, and Earth's Best Organic across its flagship categories of tea, yogurt and children’s foods respectively. The company said the agreement reflects its board’s continued work to advance its strategic review and pursue paths designed to maximise value for all stakeholders. It will continue focusing on simplifying its organisation and executive a plan to align its cost structure with the scale of the future North American business. In a media release, Hain Celestial said it has developed ‘detailed cost reduction plans’ and is ‘moving with urgency’ to deliver these actions. Last year, the company revealed plans to ‘aggressively’ streamline its portfolio as part of an ongoing turnaround plan after the company reported a net loss of $531 million in its fiscal year 2025 financial results. The sale of its North American snacks business – including Garden Veggie Snacks, Terra chips and Garden of Eatin snacks – to Canadian manufacturer Snackruptors followed in February 2026. Hain Celestial said the deal enabled it to focus on its more core North American categories and markets, with stronger margin and cash flow profiles to drive growth. This latest sale to Aurelius comes as Hain Celestial reports its fiscal year 2026 results, published yesterday (14 September 2026). The company reported net sales of $1.35 billion, down 13% year-over-year, but narrowed its losses to $305 million. Hain Celestial acknowledged that it remains in discussions with lenders regarding an amendment to its credit agreement to extend the maturity date beyond 22 December 2026, with the sale to Aurelius conditional upon the company securing this within 30 days of signing. Alison Lewis, CEO and president of Hain Celestial, said: “Completing the transaction announced today would advance our strategy to simplify our portfolio and enable us to focus our resources on further reducing the company’s debt”. “The resulting North American business would feature leading brands in attractive categories with a more streamlined operating model and greater focus on core growth opportunities.” Commenting on the financial results, Lewis described fiscal 2026 as a “pivotal year” fo the company, adding: “We simplified our portfolio, reduced debt, significantly improved free cash flow and exited the year with improving momentum across the business.” “Assuming we successfully complete the transaction announced today to sell our international business and that we reach an agreement with our lenders to extend of our December debt maturity, we would expect to become a more focused North American company with leading brands in attractive categories and a streamlined operating model.”

UK plant-based brand Symplicity has debuted its new Cranberry & Sage Roast at Waitrose stores, described as an indulgent centrepiece with ‘deep umami flavour’ built through slow fermentation. The product is made with cranberries, fragrant sage and crunchy seeds, developed by chef Niel Rankin, who built his name running ‘meat-focused’ restaurants in London. Rankin said years of ‘live-fire, whole-animal cooking’ left him convinced of our need to consume less meat, focusing on fermentation as ‘the flavour unlock needed to convince people to change their diets’. Like all of Symplicity’s products, the new roast centrepiece starts with slow fermentation to build ‘deep flavour complexity,’ lacto-fermenting vegetables using the same, centuries-old, traditional technique used to make kimchi. Mushrooms, onion and beetroot are slowly fermented then combined with butter beans, sweet cranberries and sage in the development of the product, finished with sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds to add texture and bite. The finished product is described by the brand as ‘rich, deeply savouring and satisfying,’ with sweetness from the cranberries and a golden finish perfectly suited to seasonal Sunday lunch occasions and Christmas celebrations. Rankin commented: “Roasts are already predominantly vegetables, but the protein or centrepiece has always been a blind spot for professional cooks and home cooks. I’m not excited by dry nut roasts – and heavily processed mimics always feel to me like a bad imitation that, while clever, never quite hits the mark.” He added: “I believe in simple cooking, great ingredients and in fermentation, which gives vegetables the depth and richness you actually crave.” Each 150g serving of the ‘non-UPF’ roast contains 29g of protein, rivalling traditional meat roasts, alongside 9g of fibre. The roast also contains 11 ‘plant points’ – different varieties of plant-based ingredients – with plant diversity and minimal processed foods now widely recognised as supportive of a healthy gut microbiome. Symplicity Cranberry & Sage Roast is available in all Waitrose stores from 10 September 2026, priced at an RRP of £7.95 and launching with £6 as an introductory price per 300g pack.

St Pierre is expanding its UK bakery portfolio with the launch of Chocolate & Hazelnut Filled Croissants, securing listings across four of the country’s major supermarket and convenience retailers. The new six-pack product will reach more than 2,200 stores nationwide this autumn, giving the continental bakery brand a significant retail footprint as it targets demand for convenient premium bakery products. The 45g croissants combine laminated pastry with a chocolate and hazelnut filling and are individually wrapped to support freshness and on-the-go consumption. Each six-pack carries an RRP of £2.50. St Pierre is positioning the new croissants around two key bakery consumption occasions: breakfast and snacking. According to the brand's consumer research, the product achieved an 86% appeal score and an overall preference score of 78%. The research also points to potential demand beyond the traditional breakfast occasion. Sixty per cent of consumers surveyed said they would eat the croissants for breakfast, while more than half said they would choose them as an on-the-go snack. The individually wrapped format is intended to support this versatility, allowing the product to be merchandised for both at-home consumption and portable snacking. Gill Riley, global VP marketing at St Pierre Groupe, said the launch had been developed around the continued opportunities presented by breakfast and snacking. She added that the combination of chocolate and hazelnut with the brand's premium positioning was designed to give retailers a proposition capable of driving consumption across multiple occasions. The latest launch forms part of a wider innovation programme for St Pierre, which has been increasing its presence in the UK bakery market through new formats and expanded distribution. Earlier this year, the brand introduced its Croissant Loaf and All Butter Croissant Rolls, extending its offering across breakfast and brunch occasions.

David Protein has entered the ready-to-drink (RTD) category with the launch of its first Protein Milkshakes. The new milkshakes are made with ultrafiltered milk and contain 30g of protein per 12oz bottle, alongside 140-150 calories and less than 1g of sugar. The range launches with two flavours: Vanilla and Chocolate. The Vanilla variant contains 140 calories, while Chocolate contains 150 calories, with both delivering 30g of protein and less than 1g of sugar per bottle. David is positioning the products as a protein-focused alternative to conventional milkshakes, with a thick and creamy texture designed to replicate the indulgence of a traditional milkshake while delivering a significantly higher protein content. The launch gives David a presence in a fast-growing area of the functional beverage market, where brands are increasingly developing convenient formats that combine nutritional benefits with familiar food and drink experiences. RTD protein beverages have expanded beyond traditional sports nutrition into mainstream consumption occasions, including breakfast, post-exercise recovery and everyday snacking. The milkshakes launched on 8 September through David's website and selected stores in New York City. The RTD launch represents the latest step in David's expansion beyond its original protein bar proposition. The company introduced David Frozen Dessert in June, with each pint providing 30g of protein and between 210 and 260 calories, depending on flavour. The desserts contain between 1g and 2g of sugar per pint. Its existing bar portfolio includes David Gold bars, which provide 28g of protein for 150 calories, and David Bronze bars, which contain 20g of protein for the same calorie count.

Israeli food-tech company Amai Proteins has appointed Doug Brown as chief executive officer as it moves to accelerate the commercial development of its sweet protein ingredient, Sweelin. Doug Brown Brown took up the role on 1 September 2026, bringing extensive experience across the food, beverage and dietary supplement sectors in the US and Europe. His appointment comes as food and beverage manufacturers continue to explore alternatives to conventional sugar and high-intensity sweeteners, driven by consumer demand for lower-sugar products as well as regulatory and nutritional pressures. Amai says its lead ingredient, Sweelin, can enable up to 70% sugar reduction in food and beverage formulations while aiming to maintain taste, cost and sustainability performance. Brown joins Amai from Sirio Pharma and Best Formulations, where he most recently served as chief commercial officer and head of global account management. He previously held the position of chief commercial officer at UK-based Clasado Biosciences and headed business development for Nutritional Lipids at DSM Nutritional Products in Switzerland. His career spans multinational businesses and scale-up companies, giving him experience across commercial development, business-to-business relationships and international market expansion. Brown said his immediate focus would be helping Amai move into its next phase of growth, describing Sweelin as well positioned for what he called the “GLP-1/peptide era”. Amai's Sweelin is a monellin-based sweet protein inspired by the serendipity berry. The company says it is approximately 3,000 times sweeter than sugar by weight. The ingredient is produced using precision fermentation, a technology increasingly being explored by food-tech companies as a means of producing proteins and other functional ingredients at commercial scale. Unlike traditional sugar-reduction approaches that can require blends of sweeteners, bulking agents or taste-masking technologies, Amai is positioning Sweelin as a protein-based alternative designed to deliver sweetness at very low inclusion levels. The company says the ingredient has been developed for stability, affordability and compatibility with industrial food processing. Potential applications include beverages, confectionery, chewing gum, condiments and dietary supplements. Amai's latest leadership move signals a shift towards commercial scale-up following a period of development and strategic refocusing. The company thanked outgoing CEO Dr Amir Guttman for leading the business through that period. Guttman will remain involved as an executive board member.

Jose Cuervo is expanding its ready-to-drink (RTD) offering in the UK with the launch of new Sparkling Margarita cans, as demand for convenient cocktail formats continues to grow. The 250ml single-serve cans combine Jose Cuervo tequila with citrus flavours and a light carbonation, delivering a pre-mixed Margarita at 4.5% ABV. The new product will be available in the UK from September, with an RRP of £2.55 per can. It will initially launch through WHSmith and independent off-licences. The launch comes as the Margarita gains momentum within the UK drinks market. According to NielsenIQ data for the 52 weeks ending 12 July 2025, demand for ready-made Margarita drinks increased by more than 150% year on year, according to Jose Cuervo. The cans are designed to be served chilled directly from the fridge or poured over ice, making them suitable for occasions including festivals, social gatherings, picnics and informal at-home drinking. The product is also suitable for vegetarian and vegan consumers. The launch comes as tequila continues to gain ground within the spirits category, while RTDs provide brands with an opportunity to broaden consumption beyond traditional at-home cocktail preparation or on-trade serves. The launch extends Jose Cuervo's presence beyond traditional tequila and Margarita mix products into the fast-moving RTD segment. The brand, which traces its history back to 1795, is part of Proximo Spirits' portfolio, alongside brands including Bushmills Irish Whiskey, The Kraken Black Spiced and 1800 Tequila.

Kellogg’s is to extend financial and agronomic support for British wheat farmers through a new five-year regenerative agriculture programme covering 100% of its UK wheat supply on a mass-balance basis. The programme will see Kellogg’s work with agricultural specialist Soil Capital and 25 wheat growers farming almost 4,000 hectares across the UK. Kellogg’s sources more than 20,000 tonnes of British wheat annually for use in its cereal portfolio, including Special K. The new initiative is intended to encourage the adoption of farming practices focused on soil health, water management and biodiversity, while improving the resilience of the company's agricultural supply chain. Under the partnership, participating growers will receive guidance and financial incentives to adopt regenerative farming practices. Soil Capital and Kellogg’s will also provide access to digital tools combining field data, soil measurements and satellite monitoring. The intention is to give farmers a clearer picture of how changes in farming practices are affecting selected indicators over time, while providing a commercial incentive for making those changes. Kellogg’s says agriculture accounts for approximately two-thirds of its Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, putting farming practices and agricultural sourcing at the centre of its efforts to reduce value-chain emissions. The company says investment in on-farm practices will contribute to emissions reductions within its agricultural supply chain while supporting farmers in adopting more sustainable production methods. Initial data from the 2025 harvest suggests participating farmers are already increasing adoption of some regenerative practices. Direct drilling, the process of establishing crops with minimal soil disturbance, rose by 13.84% across the participating farms' total cultivated area. On the wheat area specifically, adoption increased by 56.06%. The programme's participants have also reported benefits from changing input and soil-management practices. West Oxfordshire wheat farmer Nick August said the financial support had helped him assess changes suited to the particular conditions of his farm, while making improvements more commercially viable. For Kellogg’s, the approach reflects an attempt to balance environmental objectives with the practical realities facing farmers, rather than imposing a uniform production model across its supply base. The partnership comes as UK farmers contend with increasingly unpredictable weather alongside pressure to maintain productivity and manage input costs. That combination presents a challenge for food manufacturers reliant on domestic agricultural commodities. Disruptions to yields, soil degradation and weather-related volatility can ultimately translate into greater procurement risks and costs further along the supply chain. Kellogg’s has worked with UK wheat growers for more than a decade. The latest initiative builds on that relationship by linking procurement with measurable on-farm practices. Dean O'Brien, UK General Manager at Kellogg’s, said supporting growers to improve the resilience of their farms was particularly important given the challenges facing British agriculture. The company has also highlighted the connection between domestic farming and its manufacturing operations. At its Wrexham factory, around two million bowls of Special K are produced every hour, with UK wheat forming part of the cereal's supply chain. The partnership with Soil Capital reflects a wider shift in corporate sustainability programmes from commitments and targets towards mechanisms designed to change farming practices at field level. Chuck de Liedekerke, CEO and co-founder of Soil Capital, said the organisation's role was to combine agronomic insight and measurement with financial incentives for farmers. Kellogg’s says progress under the programme will be monitored through agreed data and indicators, with its climate-related objectives informing the approach.

The Magnum Ice Cream Company (TMICC) has commissioned a new production line for Ben & Jerry’s ice cream pints at its factory in Heppenheim, Germany, as part of an ongoing €30 million expansion programme. The investment brings additional European manufacturing capacity closer to consumers and aims to ‘support the next chapter of Ben & Jerry’s growth as an integral part of the TMICC portfolio’. Heppenheim is the largest factory in TMICC’s European network, spanning 100,000 square metres. The company said the new pint line reflects growing demand for the brand in Europe and will see the site working alongside other existing Ben & Jerry’s ice cream production hubs in Europe including Hellendoorn, Netherlands, and Gloucester, UK. TMICC’s Heppenheim site serves as a key manufacturing and distribution hub for domestic and neighbouring European markets. Alongside the new Ben & Jerry’s line, other local investments include logistics, cold warehousing and energy infrastructure upgrades. Nikolaus Huber, general manager DACH at TMICC, said: “Our team in Heppenheim has been making ice cream for 66 years. This expertise, combined with the site's central location in Europe, made Heppenheim the natural choice for expanding Ben & Jerry’s production for the European market.” He added: “Producing premium pints with large chunks and swirls is technically demanding and building this capability at Heppenheim strengthens our ability to bring innovative products to consumers across Europe in the years ahead”. Ben & Jerry’s has reported growth through ‘new flavours, formats and consumption occasions’ in Germany, with around 40% of sales in the country occurring through the winter months. The ice cream brand, founded in the US in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, is known for its premium ice cream range with swirls and inclusions, and its social activism work. It was acquired by Unilever in 2000 and is now under the portfolio of TMICC, Unilever’s demerged ice cream unit, which now operates as a standalone business. The brand has been involved in an ongoing legal dispute with parent companies Unilever and TMICC in recent years, regarding its governance and the social mission commitments that were made as part of the $326 million acquisition in 2000. Co-founder Jerry Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's in 2025 amid escalating tensions between Unilever and the brand's two co-founders.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced its new Orbitrap Isora Mass Spectrometer and Orbitrap Isora Pro Mass Spectrometer, the company’s first Orbitrap instruments with a dedicated isotope ratio analysis mode. Together with the company’s Vanquish Duo UHPLC System and new Isotope Discoverer Software, the instruments form an integrated workflow designed to make molecular-level isotope ratio analysis accessible to more laboratories and researchers worldwide. Isotope ratio analysis helps researchers across food authenticity, as well as environmental science and other disciplines, determine a compound’s origin and the molecular processes that shaped it. These insights can help researchers confirm food and beverage authenticity, trace the source of contaminants more effectively, or understand how the body uses nutrients at the molecular level. Thermo Fisher noted that access to these insights has largely been limited to specialised isotope laboratories until now. While traditional isotope ratio techniques require samples to be converted to a simple gas, the Orbitrap Isora workflow measures isotope ratios directly at the molecular level. This provides a more detailed picture of a sample’s history, Thermo Fisher said. Meanwhile, the workflow simplifies an analysis that traditionally requires multiple script-based tools and complex manual data processing. According to the company, Orbitrap Isora delivers results in ‘hours instead of days’ and makes isotope analysis more practical for a broader range of laboratories. In food and beverage manufacturing, the technology can help to distinguish synthetic ingredients from natural ones and help confirm whether a product matches its label, detecting adulteration before it becomes a recall. The workflow includes the Orbitrap Isora MS and Orbitrap Isora Pro MS, which combine electrospray ionisation (with high-resolution accurate-mass (HRAM) detection to measure isotopologues and isotope ratios directly from intact molecular ions. The instruments capture multiple isotopes in a single run and offer researchers different levels of analytical capability, with up to 240K maximum resolution (at m/z 200) on Orbitrap Isora MS and up to 480K maximum resolution (at m/z 200) on Orbitrap Isora Pro MS. It also includes the Vanquish Duo UHPLC System, which automates the introduction of samples and reference materials using known standards to help ensure accurate, reliable isotope ratio measurements. Finally, the Isotope Discoverer Software turns the resulting isotope data into usable results by extracting isotope ratios, filtering data and applying corrections. Dieter Hofmann, VP and general manager of Applied Analytical Technologies at Thermo Fisher Scientific, said: “Isotope ratio analysis can answer questions few other techniques can address”. “By bringing these capabilities to a familiar Orbitrap platform and simplifying what has traditionally been a highly specialised workflow, we can put powerful isotope insights in the hands of more scientists and help accelerate discoveries across human health, the environment and our planet.”

New York Bakery has launched a range of three Stuffed Pizza Bagels into Tesco, marking the brand's first move into the frozen category. The products arrived in 497 stores nationwide on 8 September 2026. New York Bakery is part of Grupo Bimbo UK, the UK arm of one of the world's largest bakery businesses, with the range being developed through a licensing partnership with Food Brands Now (FBN). The bagels are being released in three variants, which each take their names from neighbourhoods in Manhattan: Little Italy Margherita, Brooklyn Deli Ham & Mozzarella, and Manhattan Pepperoni Melt. New York Bakery bagels are made by boiling and then stone baking, a process the brand says produces the characteristic texture of its products (chewy exterior, soft interior). The pizza bagels apply that same base format to a stuffed, frozen product designed for meal and snacking occasions. Stephen Jones, UK sales director at Grupo Bimbo UK, which holds the New York Bakery brand, said the move into frozen was intended to introduce the brand to new eating occasions while "continuing to innovate and drive excitement around the wider bagel category." Oliver Gilding, sales & licensing director at Food Brands Now, said: "Our ambition was to create a range that remained true to the brand's New York heritage whilst delivering something genuinely innovative for the frozen aisle." The launch retail price is £3.50, with a Tesco Clubcard promotional price of £2.75 running until 28 September 2026.

UK meat-free brand Quorn has introduced a new frozen food offering as part of its Takeaway range, Hot & Spicy Bites, launching into retail this month. The bites are described as ‘packing a fiery punch and satisfying crunch,’ designed for recreating takeaway occasions at home with minimal effort. Ready within ten minutes in the air fryer, the bites are described as high-protein and offering a good source of fibre while being low in saturated fat. Hot & Spicy Bites launch in Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Waitrose in September, followed by Morrisons in October. The launch is accompanied by a new look for the Takeaway packaging, featuring bold and ‘foodie-focused’ branding across the portfolio – which also includes Quorn Crunchy Fillet Burgers, Quarter Pounders and Salt & Pepper Tenders. Lucy Grogut, marketing director at Quorn Foods, said: “Quorn continues to grow ahead of market, seeing particularly strong growth in frozen meal centres, with our delicious Takeaway range driving that success”. “Hot & Spicy Bites will be the first innovation to launch in the new look, filling a fiery gap in frozen meat-free and delivering the triple win shoppers are looking for: big flavour, convenience and better-for-you credentials – plus all the satisfaction of a takeaway.” In addition to the new launch, Quorn has extended its No Artificial Ingredients range with the addition of Quorn Chilled Pieces. The pieces are now made from just three ingredients and with no artificial additives, catering to clean-label demand. This follows the addition of Quorn Chilled Mince earlier this year, and expands the clean-label range to seven frozen and chilled SKUs. Grogut commented: “The response to our No Artificial Ingredients frozen range demonstrates that clear ingredients, strong nutritional cues and convenience resonate with shoppers”. “Bringing Quorn Pieces into chilled gives retailers another familiar and versatile product that answers demand for quick, nutritious meal solutions. It also gives shoppers more choice across the store and creates a further opportunity to recruit consumers into meat-free.”

UK supermarket Tesco has restricted the use of 114 additives across its own-label range as the company steps up efforts to respond to growing consumer concern around ultra-processed foods (UPFs). The move represents a significant expansion of the retailer’s existing additive policy, with the number of restricted additives rising from 65 last year. Tesco said the issue of UPFs had become “much more than just a trend” and that it wanted to work with consumers and suppliers to address growing health concerns while continuing to prioritise food safety, quality and affordability. Alice Ritchie, head of healthy and sustainable diets at Tesco, said: "We’re working hard to reformulate our products to make them healthier and more nutritious and we provide clear guidance to our Own Brand suppliers on the use of additives. As part of this, we have restricted the use of 114 additives in our Own Brand products.” Tesco said the 114 additives covered by its policy include ingredients that are either banned outright from its own-label products or subject to additional restrictions, innovation requirements and supplier engagement. Examples of additives Tesco said are banned outright include artificial colours, aspartame and monosodium glutamate (MSG). The retailer stressed, however, that its approach is not focused solely on removing additives. Its own-label suppliers are required to use additives only where they are considered necessary for food safety, shelf life or quality, and then at the minimum amount required. The expansion of the policy forms part of a broader reformulation programme that Tesco said has been under way since 2018. The retailer also said it was increasing transparency around UPFs in response to customer demand for simpler, more recognisable ingredients on packaging. Tesco said it would continue to monitor scientific evidence, industry best practice and policy developments as the debate around UPFs evolves. The supermarket has also introduced a dietary and lifestyle filter on its online platform, allowing customers to identify products without additives. The move comes as food manufacturers and retailers face increasing scrutiny over the role of processing, additives and formulation in consumers’ diets. Tesco said its strategy remained aligned with the Eatwell Guide and its support for healthier diets lower in foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). At the same time, it said it remained committed to making whole-food choices, including fruit and vegetables, whole grains, beans and pulses, affordable and accessible to consumers. The retailer added that its work would continue to focus on making healthier choices “simple and accessible”, rather than relying solely on the removal of individual ingredients.