Cirkla, Belmark and Ossid have unveiled an integrated packaging solution combining high-performance fibre trays, resealable lidding film and automated sealing technology. The companies claim the solution is the first to bring resealable lidding film to fibre trays at commercial scale, addressing a longstanding technical challenge around bonding peel-and-reseal film to a fibre substrate without compromising the tray's liner. The packaging system combines Cirkla's moulded fibre trays with Belmark's resealable lidding film and Ossid's automated sealing technology. It is designed for applications including fresh protein, produce and ready meals. The solution is being showcased at The Global Produce and Floral Show in Orlando, Florida, from 14–16 October, followed by Pack Expo in Chicago, Illinois, from 18–21 October. According to the companies, resealable functionality has traditionally been associated with rigid plastic packaging, with the technical challenge of applying a resealable film to a fibre substrate limiting its adoption. The collaboration aims to overcome this barrier by combining the three companies' respective technologies. Cirkla's fibre trays are designed to provide performance comparable with plastic in areas including shelf life, barrier properties and durability, while reducing plastic waste by up to 90%. The company said its trays have been tested and validated on major tray sealers in the US market, including Ossid equipment. The trays are designed as a plug-and-play solution, with no capital investment or production-line modifications required, according to Cirkla. Glenn Divers, vice president of sales at Cirkla, said: “Resealable fibre packaging has been one of the industry's most sought-after innovations and it took the right partners to make it real. When you convert a single-use tray into a resealable, multi-use package without compromising performance, cost or asking brands to change their lines – you remove every reason not to switch.” Belmark's contribution centres on its lidding film technology, which the companies said enables resealable functionality to be integrated with Cirkla's fibre trays at commercial scale. Jason Vandeloo, director of business development at Belmark, said: “At Belmark, we're proud to contribute our leadership in lidding film technology to help bring solutions like this to market." Ossid provides the sealing equipment through its ReeMaster NextGen Automatic Tray Sealer. The system is designed for medium- to large-scale production environments across produce, protein and other food applications. The tray sealer uses servo-driven indexing conveyors and side grippers to position trays consistently during sealing. Its stainless-steel, washdown-ready open-frame design is intended to facilitate cleaning and maintenance. The equipment also features a 12-inch colour touchscreen with recipe management, allowing operators to manage changeovers between packaging formats including top-seal, Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) and Vacuum Skin Packaging (VSP). Andrew Birdwell, vice president of sales at Ossid, said the collaboration had addressed the challenge of combining a fibre tray with peel-and-reseal functionality. “Together with Belmark and Cirkla, we solved a long-standing challenge: pairing a fibre-based tray with a peel/reseal lidding film without damaging the tray's liner,” he said. “The result is a package that performs on the line, stands out on the shelf, and helps our customers reach their sustainability goals.” The announcement comes as Cirkla continues to expand its commercial fibre packaging capabilities. The company said its trays are already being used in real production environments by major US retailers and protein processors. Cirkla's first US manufacturing facility, located in Gainesville, Georgia, is scheduled to begin operations in the first quarter of 2027. The company develops moulded fibre packaging made from renewable plant fibres for applications including fresh protein, produce, ready meals and other consumer packaged goods. Cirkla said it was the first company to bring moulded fibre MAP trays to commercial scale, using its proprietary liner technology. The new resealable format builds on this platform by adding a functionality typically associated with plastic packaging, potentially allowing food manufacturers to combine fibre-based packaging with consumer convenience and automated sealing. The integrated solution will be demonstrated at The Global Produce and Floral Show in Orlando and Pack Expo in Chicago during October.

Amcor has developed a customised flip-top closure for Spanish sauce brand Choví, designed to improve dispensing functionality and enhance the consumer experience. The new bicolour closure is being used across Choví’s range of sauces for salads, barbecues and snacks, including La Brava, Allioli, Cheddar, Kebab White, Ajonesa, Barbacoa, Ketchup, César, Yogur and Miel y Mostaza. The bespoke closure incorporates a silicone valve designed to control the flow of sauce as it is dispensed from the bottle. The bi-injection closure is manufactured entirely from polypropylene and features a curved shape intended to provide shelf differentiation while supporting ease of use. Amcor said the robustness of the closure is also designed to contribute to the overall user experience. “We have created this unique closure to appeal to the consumer in a variety of ways,” said Mirko Todeschi, sales director at Amcor. “It is a fresh and exciting look for Choví, delivering shelf differentiation against rival sauce brands. Ease of use was key to the design, allowing the user to pour the sauce in a controlled way.” Choví, founded in 1953, is one of Spain’s established sauce brands and has been an Amcor customer for several years. The company selected Amcor for the project based on its expertise in closures and its manufacturing capabilities in Spain. The new closure was developed through a collaborative approach between the two companies, with Amcor highlighting the local production capabilities that enabled the solution to be manufactured in Spain for the Spanish brand. David Moya Aparicio, logistics and purchasing manager at Grupo Choví, said: “Amcor is a trusted partner of ours and the company has delivered a flip top closure that enhances the user experience. A consumer’s first interaction after purchase will be with the closure and it was critical that this flip top version worked smoothly.” The development reflects the growing role of dispensing components in food packaging, where closures can combine practical functionality with visual differentiation on shelf. For sauce and condiment brands in particular, controlled dispensing can help shape how consumers interact with the product. Amcor develops flexible packaging, rigid packaging, cartons and closures for sectors including nutrition, health, beauty and wellness. The company operates approximately 400 locations across more than 40 countries.

Vivify Specialty Ingredients has acquired California-based nutraceutical ingredient supplier AuNutra Industries as it looks to strengthen its position across the growing nutraceutical and supplement markets. Financial terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. Founded in 2003, AuNutra supplies a portfolio of standardised botanical extracts, herb powders, vitamins, amino acids and other nutritional ingredients to the nutraceutical and supplement industries. The acquisition will expand Vivify’s capabilities in nutraceuticals and supplements while broadening its distribution reach across North America. AuNutra is headquartered in Chino, California. Vivify said the combined business will provide customers with a broader product portfolio, technical expertise and an expanded sales and support network. Brian Leen, CEO of Vivify, said:“We are excited to welcome AuNutra to Vivify. This move strengthens our position in the exciting and high-growth markets of nutraceuticals and supplements. AuNutra offers a diverse range of botanical and herbal extracts as well as other speciality ingredients which are a strong complement to Vivify’s strength in natural colour. Our combined teams will support the innovation needs and speed to market that customers in this industry value.” AuNutra's portfolio includes one of the largest collections of herbal ingredients available in North America, according to the company. Alongside standardised botanical extracts, its ingredients are supplied to the functional food, cosmetic and personal care sectors and include herb powders, vitamins, amino acids and other nutritional ingredients. The company also supplies Kosher-certified high-purity botanical extracts and says its ingredients are manufactured under GMP and ISO-9001:2000 quality certifications. The acquisition is expected to combine AuNutra’s botanical ingredient capabilities with Vivify’s existing expertise in natural and synthetic colours and ingredient solutions. Kava Liu, founder of AuNutra, said: “I am proud of what our team has built at AuNutra and am excited about what we can accomplish as part of Vivify. The combination provides additional scale, resources, and capabilities that will allow us to better serve our customers and suppliers while creating new opportunities for our employees.” Liu will remain a significant investor in the combined business and will continue to support its growth strategy. Vivify is a portfolio company of investment firm Gryphon Investors, which said the acquisition represents another step in its strategy to expand the company's product capabilities and presence across specialty ingredient markets. “AuNutra is a highly complementary addition to Vivify and represents another important step in the Company’s growth,” said Tim Bradley, Deal Partner in Gryphon’s Heritage Group. “AuNutra brings differentiated expertise, excellent suppliers and strong customer relationships in the attractive nutraceuticals and supplements end markets.” Genoa Partners LLC acted as the exclusive financial advisor to AuNutra in connection with the transaction. Top image: © AuNutra

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Gerber Products Company and Nestlé USA, its parent company, alleging that consumers were misled about the safety and testing of Gerber baby food products that contained potentially dangerous levels of heavy metals. The lawsuit, filed under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (DTPA), claims Gerber represented its products as safe, pure, rigorously tested and recommended by medical professionals, while internal testing allegedly identified elevated levels of arsenic, lead and cadmium in ingredients used in its baby food. According to the Texas Attorney General’s Office, Gerber used 67 batches of rice flour between 2017 and 2019 that contained arsenic levels more than nine times the federal limit for arsenic in bottled water. The petition also alleges that carrots used by Gerber contained cadmium levels of up to 17 times the bottled-water limit, while sweet potatoes contained lead levels approaching 10 times that limit. The Attorney General further claims that Gerber rarely tested its products for mercury and, for much of the period covered by the lawsuit, tested selected ingredients rather than the finished products consumed by infants. A Nestlé spokesperson told FoodBev: "We want to reassure parents that Gerber foods are safe and nutritious. We believe the allegations are without merit. We have engaged constructively and in good faith with the Texas Attorney General and have provided extensive information addressing the questions raised during the investigation." The lawsuit follows a wider investigation into the US baby food sector launched by Paxton's office in 2025 over concerns surrounding heavy metals in products marketed to infants and young children. The investigation covers arsenic, lead, cadmium and mercury, all of which can occur naturally in agricultural ingredients but can pose health risks at elevated concentrations. The Attorney General's Office alleges that Gerber's own testing identified heavy metals in its ingredients, but that the company continued to market the products without issuing a recall or warning relating to heavy metal contamination. The petition also references testing conducted by Alaska's state laboratory in 2021, which reportedly found two samples of Gerber rice cereal exceeding the federal arsenic limit. According to the Attorney General's Office, Gerber has previously recalled products for issues including plastic contamination and choking hazards, but the lawsuit alleges that it has not issued a recall specifically over heavy metals. The lawsuit also takes issue with Gerber's current approach to communicating heavy metal testing information to consumers. Gerber now provides testing results through a QR code on its packaging. However, Paxton's office argues that providing access to test results does not address the alleged discrepancy between the information available to consumers and the safety claims made on product packaging. The petition argues that consumers could be misled by safety claims on the front of packaging even where additional testing information is available through the QR code. Paxton said: "Gerber promised parents its food was safe and rigorously tested. Its own tests showed toxic metals in the food. When a company makes promises about what parents feed their babies, I will hold it accountable to ensure those promises are kept.” In a statement, Nestlé said: "Heavy metals are commonly found in the environment and can be absorbed by certain fruits, vegetables and grains in trace amounts as they grow. While heavy metals cannot be completely eliminated from the food supply, Gerber has long been committed to reducing their presence through careful ingredient sourcing, supplier requirements, testing and quality controls." The case comes shortly after Paxton's office reached an agreement with Plum Organics following its wider investigation into the baby food industry. Under the September agreement, Plum committed to strengthened testing and limits for heavy metals, including following FDA guidance for lead and adopting applicable EU guidance for cadmium and inorganic arsenic where US action levels are absent. The company also agreed to an internal 10 parts per billion limit for mercury and to publish applicable testing results for covered products sold in Texas. The agreement was described by the Attorney General's Office as the first of its kind for a US baby food manufacturer and as a potential model for other companies operating in the sector. Paxton's office said its wider investigation remains ongoing and has called on Gerber and other baby food manufacturers to introduce stricter testing standards and greater transparency around heavy metal levels. Nestlé emphasises that all Gerber baby foods meet FDA requirements and applicable state and federal regulations, stating: "Every Gerber product undergoes rigorous testing of more than 500 toxins and contaminants, quality checks and safety standards that meet – and often exceed – US regulatory benchmarks. Gerber strongly supports the FDA’s Closer to Zero Action Plan and continued science-based efforts to further reduce children's exposure to environmental contaminants."

Hotel Chocolat has expanded its Halloween portfolio for 2026 with a range of new chocolate products designed for seasonal hosting, sharing and gifting. The collection includes new Skull Lick, Oozy Eye Selectors and Fright Night Selectors, alongside returning products including Grim Treater Skulls, Halloween Nice Slice and Boo Boxes. The products are available in-store and online. The Grim Treaters (£12.95) features four chocolate skulls in two designs and flavours. One combines milk chocolate with hazelnut praline, caramel éclat and feuilletine, while the other pairs high-cacao caramel chocolate with pecan praline, dark chocolate with hazelnut praline, caramel éclat and feuilletine. The Boo Boxes (£9.95) contain 16 individually wrapped chocolate characters, with options including milk chocolate Carvin the Pumpkin, solid caramel-milk Cryptopher the Vampire and dark chocolate Wingston the Bat. Also joining the range is the Frightful Bites Halloween Box (£17.95), containing 14 seasonal recipes spanning caramels, pralines and solid chocolates. The selection includes Oozy Eyes made with either 36% white or 40% milk chocolate and filled with molten red caramel. For seasonal gifting and display, the Yumpkin (£6.95) is made from 40% milk chocolate and is ribbon-tied, while the Grim Treater Chocolate Lick (£2.95) features a Grim Treater in 40% milk chocolate. The Fright Night Chocolate Selector (£4.65) features white peanut pralines and 50% milk chocolate ganache, while the Oozy Eyes Halloween Selector (£4.65) comprises 36% white chocolate filled with molten red caramel. Hotel Chocolat has also extended the Halloween occasion into its Velvetiser Cafés with the Cherry Scary Sundae (£7.50), available from 2 October. The dessert combines sour cherry-flavoured ice cream with cherry sauce, milk crisp pearls and a Halloween-themed chocolate. The launch forms part of Hotel Chocolat's wider premium chocolate offering. The company, founded in 2004, operates across the cacao-growing, manufacturing and retail stages of its supply chain, including a cacao farm in Saint Lucia and a chocolate manufacturing facility in Cambridgeshire, UK.

From concept to final product: VOG Products develops custom fruit blends in collaboration with the customer. Blends are one of the most versatile offerings from VOG Products: these fruit blends – based on fruit purees, juices and various combinations of other ingredients – are developed in collaboration with customers to meet the technical and sensory requirements of the finished product. Formulations can range from simple combinations to more complex compositions that pair apples with a wide variety of fruits, including more exotic varieties. For specific applications, blends can also be developed with plant-based ingredients where required by the application. Blends developed for specific applications In the industrial sector, VOG Products’ expertise translates into the development of blends tailored to the requirements of the final application. The blend is custom-developed, taking into account the recipe, volumes, and raw materials involved, and fine-tuning aspects such as flavour profile, texture, colour, fruit content and the product’s functional properties. “Our product development process begins, first and foremost, with a dialogue with the customer,” explains Hannes Werth, CEO of VOG Products. “Our knowledge of raw materials and the expertise of our Research & Development department enable us to develop customised formulations and guide the customer in defining the solution best suited to the final product.” Thanks to their versatility, these blends can be used in numerous areas of the food and beverage industry. In the beverage sector, they can be used to produce juices, nectars, smoothies, functional and plant-based beverages, cocktails and solutions for the HoReCa channel. In the food industry, puree-based formulations can be used as ingredients for yogurt and desserts, ice cream and sorbets, baked goods and fillings, jams, fruit-based sauces and snacks, infant foods, and refrigerated or shelf-stable purees. Customised development from recipe to packaging With VOG Products, customisation is not limited to the formulation of the recipe. Thanks to its experience in the sector, VOG Products can also support customers with production and packaging solutions, identifying packaging formats and solutions suited to the product, production volume and target market. All processes are managed in accordance with high-quality standards and the specifications agreed with the customer. VOG Products will be showcasing its solutions at SIAL Paris, from 17 to 21 October 2026, at stand 5B N001. VOG Products, a producer organisation based in Laives (Bolzano, Italy), brings together two South Tyrolean producer organisations (VOG and VIP) and 16 fruit cooperatives. Every year, the company processes between 300,000 and 400,000 tonnes of fruit from integrated and organic farming into juices, purees, frozen fruit, solid-pack products and FMCG solutions. VOG Products generates around 90% of its turnover on international markets and is present in around 50 countries worldwide. Find further information here.

JBT Marel has launched Sta-Fresh Flowable Wax 4000, a concentrated pineapple coating designed to simplify operations and help more fruit reach the market in sellable condition. Unveiled at the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) Global Produce and Floral Show, the new formulation is positioned as an easier-to-handle alternative to paste-style waxes used to protect pineapples. With a 77% concentration, Sta-Fresh Flowable Wax 4000 is designed to eliminate the need to scoop, scrape, weigh and intensively mix paste-style waxes. JBT Marel said the higher concentration provides more usable product per drum, reducing water storage requirements and inventory footprint while supporting more efficient transportation and storage. The company said testing of the flowable wax demonstrated improved shelf-life extension following cold storage and improved DPA control compared with its Sta-Fresh 2952 coating. The formulation can also be paired with JBT Marel’s ProDose Pineapple Wax Dosing Machine, which provides automated dosing, Brix monitoring, concentration control and data logging. JBT Marel said the new coating was developed in response to producers seeking a more efficient way to protect marketable yield and reduce fruit waste. Fernando Edagi, site director and product line director at JBT Marel, said: “By eliminating the labour-intensive mixing process and increasing product concentration, we aren't just delivering a product; we're streamlining daily operations, extending shelf life, and helping our partners maximise their bottom line." The launch forms part of JBT Marel’s wider portfolio of food processing technologies focused on improving food yield and efficiency while reducing waste and resource use across the food supply chain. JBT Marel showcased Sta-Fresh Flowable Wax 4000 at booth 3419 at the IFPA Global Produce and Floral Show. The company also presented its Fresh’n Squeeze brand at the event, with the Fresh’n Squeeze 3300 Citrus Juicer on display at booth 2127. The recently released floor-standing citrus juicer features a touchscreen interface and can produce up to 90 ounces of juice per minute. JBT Marel said it can deliver up to 50% more juice yield per fruit compared with traditional cut-and-press methods.

Emma Curtis As tomorrow's World Food Day 2026 highlights the importance of innovation in food systems, Emma Curtis, managing director of Strong Roots, argues that changing what we eat is a powerful lever for building a more sustainable and resilient future. But that doesn’t require radical new consumption habits. One of the biggest opportunities lies in improving the foods consumers already know, love and buy every week. This year’s World Food Day theme, 'Innovate today. Nourish tomorrow.', raises an important question for the food industry: what innovation will deliver the changes we need at scale? Food systems face scaling challenge Climate change is increasing pressure on agricultural production; natural resources are under growing strain and changing consumer priorities are rising across many markets – the need for change is pressing. Research from the EAT-Lancet Commission has highlighted the importance of shifting toward more plant-forward diets and transforming food production systems to build a healthier, more sustainable future. Equally, organisations such as Tilt Collective have pointed to the need for practical interventions that can shift consumption patterns towards more plant-forward choices at scale. However, much of the conversation around the solutions to these problems centres on breakthrough technologies, novel ingredients and entirely new categories of food. While these innovations have an important role to play, there is a risk that we overlook a simpler and potentially more scalable opportunity: improving the nutritional and environmental profile of the foods people already eat every day. However, the challenge is finding realistic pathways to get to the destination. Innovation only delivers impact when people embrace the products it creates. The overlooked opportunity: More vegetables on more plates One of the clearest opportunities lies in helping consumers eat more vegetables, more often. We already know that diets richer in vegetables can support better health outcomes while helping reduce pressure on food systems, yet awareness has often proved easier to build than behaviour change. Most consumers are not making food choices based on health or sustainability alone. They are balancing affordability, convenience, taste, habit and nutrition, often all at once. For manufacturers, that reality should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a barrier. If we want to encourage more sustainable diets, we need to make those choices more appealing and more accessible within existing eating habits. Making better choices easier The food industry often talks about changing consumer behaviour. A more useful question may be how we can work with existing behaviour instead. Research demonstrates that, when forced to, most will prioritise value and simplicity above all else. The most successful food innovations, therefore, tend to reduce those trade-offs rather than reinforce them. That means focusing on products that fit naturally into people's lives. Foods that consumers already recognise, enjoy and regularly buy often provide a far more effective route to impact than entirely new categories that require people to rethink the way they shop, cook or eat. Food manufacturers should therefore judge innovation by its impact, and ask how familiar foods can be improved through better ingredients, better production methods and better agricultural practices – such as incorporating regenerative farming and sustainable sourcing. Reinventing familiar foods By improving foods that already have a place in consumers' shopping baskets and freezer aisles, consumers aren't asked to abandon familiar favourites. As part of the wider McCain Foods family, we see first-hand how food-system resilience depends on both how food is grown and produced. Regenerative agriculture practices can strengthen the long-term resilience of food production, while continuing to bring innovation to how familiar foods are made more sustainably. It is a reminder that meaningful change can happen across the entire food system, from the way ingredients are grown to the way everyday foods are produced and enjoyed. The broader lesson is that innovation does not always require entirely new categories. Sometimes the biggest impact comes from improving the ones that already exist. Health, sustainability and innovation at scale As World Food Day prompts reflection on the future of food, it is worth remembering that resilience is not built through technology alone, it is built through adoption. Too often, food innovation is discussed through a single lens, whether health, sustainability or technology. In reality, successful innovation combines all these priorities, alongside taste and convenience. A healthier product that fails to deliver on taste is unlikely to achieve widespread adoption, while a sustainable product that is inconvenient to prepare may struggle to fit into busy lives. The most effective innovations are often those that fit seamlessly into people's lives, helping them eat more vegetables and make better choices without demanding entirely new behaviours. Building a more resilient food system is unlikely to depend on asking consumers to reinvent their lifestyles. More often, it will depend on reinventing the foods they already love.

The Ministry of Future Affairs has launched a new regulatory learning platform aimed at helping novel-food developers navigate the EU authorisation process and informing future pre-submission advice. The New Foods RegLab, announced on 15 October 2026, will bring together novel-food applicants, regulatory experts and policymakers to identify gaps in how companies interpret and apply existing guidance. The initiative forms part of the Ministry of Future Affairs’ first Future Prototype, Building on Draghi: Regulatory Learning With The New Foods RegLab, which proposes greater collaboration between EU Member States, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Commission. The organisation argues that expanded pre-submission advice under the proposed Biotech Act I could provide greater support to individual applicants, but says a broader system for sharing regulatory learnings could help improve the process across the sector. The New Foods RegLab will therefore operate as a cross-border regulatory learning platform, with anonymised findings from participating companies intended to inform discussions around the future design of pre-submission advice. The statutory timeframe for the EU pre-market authorisation process for novel foods is 18-24 months. However, the Ministry of Future Affairs said the process takes an average of two and a half years in practice, with some applications taking more than five years. An independent analysis of 292 applications cited in the paper found significant variation in authorisation timelines. Administrative procedures during the validation stage and requests for additional data during scientific evaluation were identified as contributors to extended timelines. According to the Ministry, these delays are linked in part to knowledge transfer and process design rather than the underlying authorisation rules. It said applicants, consultants and national authorities are currently learning similar lessons independently, while there is no institutionalised mechanism for transferring knowledge gained at national level to EU regulators. The organisation also highlighted a decline in specialised novel-food expertise among Member States. The proposed regulatory learning model would seek to address these gaps by creating a mechanism through which applicants and national authorities can share insights and experiences, helping regulators better understand the practical challenges involved in preparing novel-food applications. The Future Prototype proposes an opt-in approach involving willing Member States. Under Biotech Act I, the Ministry suggests a targeted provision that would enable Member States to establish joint regulatory dialogue and learning platforms covering emerging biotechnologies, including food biomanufacturing. Biotech Act II could subsequently provide a longer-term legal and funding framework for shared tools, cross-border training and structured reporting of findings. Potential funding routes could include Horizon Europe or the European Competitiveness Fund. The proposed model would also establish a formalised regulatory learning loop. Participating Member States would report their findings, with the European Commission publishing the learnings and facilitating cross-border exchange so that insights could also reach countries not directly participating in the platforms. The Ministry said the approach would build on existing opt-in models within EU legislation, including national AI regulatory sandboxes established under the AI Act and the European Forum for Innovation Facilitators in financial services. Participation in the proposed regulatory learning platforms would be voluntary and would not provide authorisation or create new regulatory powers. The Ministry said safety standards would also remain unchanged. The first cohort of the New Foods RegLab is scheduled to take place in Brussels in January 2027. Up to 10 non-competing companies will participate, covering different product categories and company sizes. The programme is open to companies preparing to bring a novel food to the EU market, including businesses established outside the EU that are preparing to enter the region. Participants will take part in a two-day programme with food-safety regulatory experts who have more than 15 years’ experience of taking novel-food dossiers through the EU authorisation process. The programme will examine participants’ regulatory positions and strategies, identifying potential gaps and next steps. It will also include a policy session focused on the introduction of pre-submission advice under Biotech Act I and II. Companies will not need to have completed an EU dossier or developed a fully formed regulatory strategy to participate. The workshop will be led by Atova Regulatory Consulting on behalf of the Ministry of Future Affairs and will operate under the Chatham House Rule. Anonymised findings will subsequently be shared with EFSA and the European Commission as part of policy recommendations relating to expanded pre-submission advice. Applications for the first cohort close on 30 November 2026. The Ministry said improving the predictability and efficiency of novel-food authorisation could have wider implications for European food innovation, investment and supply-chain resilience. It argued that although Europe continues to invest in food research and innovation, technologies and companies can move overseas before reaching commercial scale, particularly to the US. The paper also links novel-food regulation with the EU's strategic autonomy, citing the region's growing dependence on imported inputs critical to its food supply, many of which are manufactured in China. The Ministry said an efficient approval process is therefore important not only for individual food-tech companies but for the wider agrifood value chain. It also highlighted the role of public investment in developing European manufacturing capacity. Manufacturing infrastructure supported through initiatives such as the biotechnology IPCEI for food and feed could deliver greater value if operators and assessors have a shared understanding of what is required for an efficient novel-food authorisation process. Anna Handschuh, founder and managing director of the Ministry of Future Affairs, said: “The EU wants to introduce a much broader pre-submission advice for novel-food applicants. However, this would only help one applicant at a time. Shared cross-border learning platforms as enhanced collaboration mechanisms can inform a whole system and support food safety, competitiveness and strategic autonomy.” Handsuh added that the UK's regulatory sandbox for cultivated meat demonstrated how regulatory learning could help regulators keep pace with scientific development while maintaining food-safety standards. She said Biotech Act I and II could provide a framework for regulatory learning without changing existing safety requirements. The New Foods RegLab is being run by the Ministry of Future Affairs in collaboration with Atova Regulatory Consulting, with support from the Dutch Province of Zuid-Holland, LIOF and ROM-Nederland.

A US federal court has dismissed a lawsuit brought by precision fermentation company Onego Bio against The Every Company, bringing an end to the latest legal dispute between the two companies over patents covering the production of ovalbumin. The companies are among a growing number of businesses developing animal-free egg proteins using precision fermentation, a technology that uses microorganisms to produce specific proteins without relying on conventional egg production. The US District Court for the District of Delaware ruled that Every had not made a patent infringement claim against Onego Bio and declined to issue the declaratory judgment sought by Onego. The court did not rule on the validity of Every’s US Patent No. 12,096,784, nor did it determine whether Onego Bio infringes the patent. The dispute centres on the production of ovalbumin, the primary protein found in egg white, through precision fermentation. Every produces ovalbumin using yeast, while Onego Bio uses the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei. Onego, a spin-out of Finland’s VTT Technical Research Centre, filed the lawsuit in September 2025 seeking a declaration that its technology did not infringe Every’s patent. It also argued that the patent was invalid and unenforceable. Onego had argued that statements made by Every to investors created uncertainty over whether it could face an infringement claim and that the company had indicated Onego would need a licence to use its technology. However, the Delaware court found that Every had not taken an affirmative step indicating that it intended to sue Onego or assert the ’784 patent against it. According to Onego, the court stated that Every had “never singled-out the ’784 Patent or accused Onego of infringing it”. The court also characterised Every’s reported statements to investors, even if they had been made, as “forms of puffing rather than actual threats”. Onego said it had sought the declaratory judgment as a precautionary measure to protect technology developed through decades of research at VTT and provide greater certainty for customers and companies operating in the precision fermentation sector. The company added that its Trichoderma production technology is fundamentally different from EVERY’s approach and that Every’s patent does not disclose how to produce ovalbumin using the organism. Following the ruling, Onego Bio CEO and co-founder Maija Itkonen said the company would focus on commercialising its Bioalbumen product in the US. “We welcome the decision that there is no infringement claim against Onego, no challenge to our freedom to operate, and no litigation between us anymore,” she said. “Our team is busy shipping metric tons of Bioalbumen and selling to US customers, and the response has been incredible.” Itkonen added that there was room for multiple companies in the precision-fermented egg protein market, arguing that increased competition could help expand the category and give customers greater choice. The latest ruling follows the dismissal of a parallel case in Wisconsin in May 2026 on jurisdictional grounds. With the Delaware case now closed, Onego said there is no ongoing litigation between the two companies.

Following Beyond Meat's expansion into the beverage category, the company has launched Beyond Immerse Energy, a sparkling beverage combining plant protein, fibre, antioxidants, electrolytes and caffeine. The new drink is available in Cherry Berry and Watermelon Strawberry flavours and is launching exclusively through Beyond Meat’s website in the US. Beyond Immerse Energy contains 20g of protein and 5g of fibre per serving, alongside vitamin A from beta-carotene and electrolytes. The beverage is made without dairy or GMOs. The new product also provides 160mg of caffeine per serving, sourced from coffee beans. Beyond Meat said the launch is intended to combine the energy boost associated with traditional energy drinks with nutritional attributes including plant protein and fibre. Ethan Brown, founder and CEO of Beyond Meat, said: “Energy shouldn’t mean choosing between a boost and good nutrition. Beyond Immerse Energy brings caffeine from coffee beans together with plant protein, fibre, antioxidants, and electrolytes in one refreshing drink.” Alongside the energy drink launch, Beyond Meat has introduced three new flavours to its existing Beyond Immerse sparkling protein drink range. Watermelon Strawberry is available now, while Limoncello Ginger and Yuzu Grapefruit are set to launch soon. The new flavours join the existing Peach Mango, Strawberry Lemonade and Cherry Berry variants, bringing the Beyond Immerse range to six flavours. The company said the wider portfolio is designed to provide consumers with plant protein, fibre, antioxidants and electrolytes in a convenient sparkling format, with Beyond Immerse Energy adding caffeine for occasions when consumers are seeking an energy boost. Beyond Immerse and Beyond Immerse Energy each provide 20g of protein and 5g of fibre per serving. The drinks are also made with electrolytes and contain vitamin A from beta-carotene.

Trubar has launched Trubar Pro, a new range of plant-based protein bars now available in Target stores nationwide in the US, targeting consumers seeking high-protein snacks with simplified ingredient profiles and dessert-inspired flavours. Each bar contains 18g of plant protein and 12g of fibre, with a protein blend made from brown rice and pea protein. The range is sweetened with monk fruit and formulated without gluten, dairy, soy, sugar alcohols or seed oils. The launch comprises three flavours: Chocolate Pea-nut Job, Caramel But Make It Salty and Cake It 'Til You Make It. The collection aims to combine higher protein content and fibre with flavours inspired by familiar sweet treats. Trubar Pro enters a protein bar category in which brands are increasingly seeking to balance nutritional composition, ingredient preferences and taste. Its plant-based formulation also positions the range for consumers looking for alternatives to dairy-based protein products. Alongside its nationwide Target launch, Trubar Pro is available through CVS, Wegmans, Big Y, Lowe's Grocery, the brand's direct-to-consumer website and Amazon.