Brazil's JBS has finalised its acquisition of Rivalea, an Australian pork production company, from Singapore-listed food company QAF. Rivalea is a market leader in hog breeding and processing in Australia, accounting for 26% of the hogs processed in the country. The company owns two pork processing facilities, located in Melbourne and Corowa. The acquisition was originally announced back in June last year for a proposed enterprise value of AUD 175 million ($135 million). With the purchase, JBS hopes to strengthen its position in Australia and become the leader in pork processing in the country. The deal adds a number of brands to JBS's portfolio and is expected to strengthen the company's export platform. “With the acquisition of Rivalea, JBS becomes a leader in pork processing in Australia. We will add important brands to our portfolio to create strong conditions to accelerate the growth of the value-added and branded businesses in the country, in addition to strengthening our export platform,” said Gilberto Tomazoni, JBS global CEO, in a statement released back in June.

Primo Water Corporation has announced the acquisition of Sip-Well (SipWell), a Belgium-based distributor of water solutions. According to Primo, SipWell is well-positioned for future growth, and the acquisition will help to strengthen its own presence in Western and Central Europe. "SipWell offers high-quality water solutions and delivers superior customer service that aligns with our mission of inspiring healthier lives through better quality water," said Primo's CEO, Tom Harrington. "The addition of SipWell makes Primo the leading provider of sustainable drinking solutions in Belgium, expanding the Primo footprint and furthering our vision of providing pure-play water solutions whenever, wherever and however our customers want them." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The news follows Primo subsidiary Primo Water North America's acquisition of two water businesses in the US.

Bel Group has expanded its Babybel portfolio with the introduction of a vegan variant. Offering a ‘smooth and creamy’ texture, Babybel Plant-Based is made using a blend of coconut oil and starch. The latest addition to the Babybel snacking cheese range is free from artificial colours and preservatives, and a source of calcium and vitamin B12. Ollie Richmond, brand manager at Babybel, said: “We’ve seen overwhelming demand for the development of a vegan-friendly Babybel over the years, and with the plant-based market continuing to grow substantially, the new launch is perfectly timed to meet this consumer appetite”. Babybel Plant-Based is sold in a fully recyclable paper outer bag. Each portioned snack is individually wrapped in a green variant of the brand’s signature wax shell. With an MRSP of £2 per pack of five, Babybel Plant-Based is available in Sainsbury’s.

AB InBev-owned beer company Corona is launching its innovative non-alcoholic beer which contains added vitamin D. Corona Sunbrew 0.0% boasts 30% of the daily value of vitamin D per 330 ml serving in Canada and contains 60 calories. The new release was developed from Corona Extra by extracting the alcohol and then blending the non-alcoholic beer with vitamin D and natural flavours to reach the final recipe. The non-alcoholic beverage delivers a refreshingly crisp finish and a clear and pale golden color that is enjoyed with a slice of lime. Felipe Ambra, global vice president for Corona, commented: "As a brand that was born on the beach, Corona embraces the outdoors in everything we do, because we believe that outside is where people best disconnect and relax. The feeling of the sun is one of the things that people love most about the outdoors and the Corona brand is always innovating to remind them of that feeling. Now, we're excited to offer consumers Corona Sunbrew 0.0%, the first non-alcoholic beer with vitamin D, reinforcing our desire to help people reconnect to nature, anytime." The brand will first launch Corona Sunbrew 0.0% in Canada before extending the product offering in the UK followed by key markets across the rest of Europe, South America and Asia.

Coca-Cola-owned Topo Chico has unveiled a new Ranch Water seltzer in the US. Topo Chico Ranch Water Hard Seltzer features tequila, lime and sparkling water. The Ranch Water flavour is available across nine US states, including California, Texas and Oklahoma. The new SKU comes in a single-flavour, 12-pack of 12oz slim cans and contains 4.7% abv and 100 calories. The brand has also announced the expansion of its original Topo Chico Hard Seltzer variety pack nationwide. Topo Chico Hard Seltzer is available in four flavours: Strawberry Guava, Exotic Pineapple, Tangy Lemon Lime and Tropical Mango. In late 2020, Molson Coors entered into an exclusive agreement with Coca-Cola to manufacture, market and distribute Topo Chico Hard Seltzer in the US. "Between launching Ranch Water Hard Seltzer regionally and nationally distributing our variety pack, we're hitting the ground running in the new year with a new flavour proposition and new markets across the country for drinkers to enjoy Topo Chico Hard Seltzer," said Matt Escalante, senior director of hard seltzers at Molson Coors.

Dairy co-operative Darigold has announced the retirement of president and CEO Stan Ryan, who will be succeeded as chief executive by Joe Coote. Ryan, who joined Darigold in 2016 after spending 25 years at Cargill, is said to have led efforts to modernise and globalise the co-op. He will retire at the end of the company’s fiscal year ending 31 March. “Leading Darigold for the last six years has been a tremendous honour. I’m proud to be associated with this enterprise and its enduring commitment to success,” said Ryan. “When I arrived, I found an organisation with a rich legacy in the dairy industry and immense potential for competitive leadership in the future. I am confident that I am leaving the co-op with a solid foundation of capabilities and the internal team to deliver that bright future, especially with Joe at the helm.” Coote, who currently serves as president of Darigold’s global ingredients division, has been promoted to CEO under the company’s succession plan. Prior to joining Darigold in November 2020, Coote is said to have served in various leadership roles with ‘one of the world’s largest dairy companies’. Allan Huttema, chairman of Darigold’s board of directors, said: “We brought Joe into our company with succession in mind, and as a candidate to replace Stan. He brings extensive experience leading international organisations, including 14 years in senior leadership positions in global and domestic dairy. “In his time at Darigold, Joe has made significant impacts in our global ingredients division, building strong relationships with customers and throughout the value chain, advancing commercialisation, and growing revenues. He is the right leader to help us on our journey to lead dairy forward from the very solid foundation Stan has put in place.”

SIG has agreed to acquire Pactiv Evergreen's Asia Pacific fresh operations (Evergreen Asia) for an enterprise value of $335 million. Evergreen Asia supplies filling machines, cartons, closures and after-sales service to its customers in the fresh segment, mainly within the milk category, and has production facilities in mainland China, South Korea and Taiwan. The company is starting to develop in other Southeast Asian markets, where SIG is already well-established in the aseptic segment. The acquisition will enable SIG to strengthen its position with existing customers and to expand into a new customer base. SIG also plans to use its local R&D presence and innovation capabilities, as well as its marketing expertise, to produce more innovative packaging formats in the fresh dairy market. Lidong Fan, president and general manager in Asia Pacific North, said: "In China, milk is increasingly seen as an important source of protein and as good for health, representing an attractive growth opportunity for fresh as well as aseptic milk. The Evergreen Asia business adds fresh milk cartons to our strong liquid dairy portfolio which, until now, has been mainly focused on single-serve packs and on-the-go consumption. As fresh milk is mainly consumed at home, this acquisition broadens our range with an increase in family-sized packs." As part of the transaction, SIG will be entering into a new coated carton board purchase agreement with Pactiv Evergreen.

US medical nutrition company Solace Nutrition has acquired all of the assets of R-Kane Nutritionals. R-Kane Nutritionals is a company specialising in high-protein meal replacement products to support weight loss management. Solace Nutrition's CEO, Thomas Clough, said: "R-Kane Nutritionals has a long and rich history of promoting products that help people seeking significant weight loss, including supporting medically-supervised weight loss programmes". He continued: "This acquisition offers Solace growth into an adjacent nutritional management market and allows us to leverage the core competencies that we've developed in manufacturing and distribution over the years to R-Kane customers. Bringing R-Kane Nutritionals into Solace will create synergies and help accelerate growth in both brands." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Primo Water Corporation subsidiary, Primo Water North America (PWNA), has bought two water businesses in the US for an undisclosed sum. PWNA says that it has acquired 'substantially all of the assets' of Arkansas-based Clear Mountain Refreshment Services and of the Mountain Valley distributor business of North Texas Mountain Valley Corporation, which operates five locations in Texas. Primo's CEO, Tom Harrington, said: "With a combined customer count that exceeds 17,000 and an area that includes a population of nearly 20 million residents, these companies will fit seamlessly into the Primo family and align with our mission of inspiring healthier lives through better quality water". He continued: "Along with the continued distribution of Primo's Mountain Valley premium water brand and our full suite of water product offerings, customers should expect the same great level of service they've been accustomed to. The acquisitions expand the Primo footprint and further our vision of providing water solutions whenever, wherever and however our customers want them." Both businesses are independent distributors of Primo's Mountain Valley water brand. In late-2020, Primo acquired Mountain Valley Water Company of Los Angeles.

Mondelēz International has launched a new plant-based variation of its Philadelphia cheese in the UK. Philadelphia Plant Based features a blend of oats and almonds, which Mondelēz says “creates the creaminess of Philadelphia without the dairy”. The soft cheese alternative – which is said to have been two years in the making – comes in recyclable packaging and is available exclusively through Tesco. Louise Stigant, UK managing director of Mondelēz International, said: “We’ve worked hard to make sure new Philadelphia Plant Based really delivers the same great taste and creaminess that people love and expect from Philadelphia, and we’re delighted that there’s now a Philadelphia product for everyone”.

JD's Vegan, the dairy-free ice cream brand owned by music producer Jermaine Dupri, has added three new flavours to its range of plant-based frozen desserts. Created in partnership with Big Innovations Group, the new additions include: Chocolate My Way, made with dark chocolate, cocoa butter and vanilla bean; Key Lime Pie, which combines tangy citrus and sweet coconut cream with crunchy graham crackers and specks of key lime zest; and (404) Cookies & Cream, a cream-filled vegan chocolate cookies. The new variants join the brand's existing product line, including Welcome to Atlanta, Peach Cobbler, Apple Butter and Strawberry Sweetheart. "Giving people the chance to experience their favourite traditional ice cream flavours in a healthy, 100% dairy-free format is major," said Dupri. The full JD's Vegan portfolio are available for purchase at Walmart across the US.

Private equity firm MidOcean Partners has acquired Casper’s Ice Cream, a manufacturer and distributor of frozen novelty and ice cream products. Headquartered in Cache Valley, Utah, Casper’s sells its products through the FatBoy, Jolly Llama and ChurnBaby brands. The frozen novelties producer – which operates three manufacturing facilities – also offers co-packing services. Available across the US, the company’s offerings include ice cream sandwiches, cones, bars, sticks, cups and other formats. Founded in 1925, Casper’s was owned by the Merrill family for more than 95 years. Daniel Penn, managing director at MidOcean, commented: “MidOcean has been evaluating opportunities in the branded food category for a number of years, with a specific focus on the highly attractive frozen novelty category”. “We are honoured to be a part of the Casper’s family and look forward to being great stewards of the legacy built by the Merrills over the last 95+ years.” MidOcean operating partner Steve Spinner, who will serve as chairman of the Casper’s board, said: “Casper’s offers a wide variety of delicious products for its customers with numerous avenues for continued growth via expanding into new geographies, channels and product lines. We look forward to executing this strategic plan by working closely with the Casper’s team.” Paul Merrill, a third-generation family member, added: “Having grown up in this business, I’m honoured to follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, Casper Merrill, in pursuing the next phase of growth for Casper’s...I could not be more excited to see where the FatBoy brand can go with additional resources and talented people at the table.” The financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. The deal marks MidOcean’s second investment in branded food in the last six months, following the firm’s acquisition of Louisiana Fish Fry last year.