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LATEST ARTICLES
Canada’s Drizzle Honey gobbled up
Wisdom Natural Brands, parent company of the SweetLeaf® brand of natural sugar substitutes, has acquired Canada-based Drizzle Honey, a provider of sustainably sourced raw and superfood honey products.
The transaction adds a complementary line to Wisdom’s natural sweetener portfolio and opens the door for U.S. distribution of Drizzle products at a time of strong growth in the honey category.
Drizzle produces 100% pure, unprocessed, bee-friendly honey sourced exclusively from beekeepers who place their hives away from synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers.
Products include white raw and golden raw honeys; raw honey infused with organic superfoods such as ginger, turmeric, cacao and berries; and craft products such as cinnamon-spiced honey and hot honey infused with spicy crushed chilies – all free of allergens, added sugar, preservatives, artificial ingredients and GMOs.
The Drizzle line is currently distributed in 1,200 retail stores in Canada and through the company’s online store. Wisdom’s acquisition will extend the brand’s reach to the U.S. market, where more than 11,000 Whole Foods, Sprouts, Kroger, Safeway, Walmart, Publix, Amazon and other locations carry SweetLeaf stevia, monk fruit and other natural sweeteners.
The addition of a honey brand to Wisdom’s portfolio aligns directly with the company’s focus on providing healthy alternatives to refined sugar while also expanding its footprint into one of today’s highest-growth natural sweetener categories.
According to Nielsen sales data, honey sales exceeded $1 billion in 2023, marking strong dollar sales growth for the second consecutive year. Organic and raw honey logged double digit dollar sales gains during 2023, and raw honey accounted for 35% of category volume compared to 18% for conventional honey over the same 12-month period.
“Honey fits perfectly into our line of natural sweeteners, and Drizzle Honey adds bonus wellness and environmental benefits by providing raw honey that retains more of its natural nutrients, line extensions with health-boosting superfoods, and sustainable beekeeping practices that are critical to maintaining pollinator populations,” said Michael May, CEO of Wisdom Natural Brands. “It’s an ideal addition to the options we offer to consumers looking for natural ways to sweeten their food.”
Drizzle is a female-founded business that donates 1% of profits to pollinator research and protection and achieved Certified B Corporation status in 2019. It was founded by former environmental scientist and ‘Queen Bee’ Aja Horsley, who launched the company as an offshoot of a rooftop beekeeping project.
“We’ve spent the past eight years building Drizzle into a solid presence in Canada, and we knew it was time to expand to the U.S.,” Horsley said. “With its decades-long commitment to natural sweeteners and established distribution of its SweetLeaf products in both natural and mainstream groceries, Wisdom is perfectly positioned to introduce our honey and its unique health and sustainability benefits to U.S. consumers as well as to continue growing our market share in Canada.”
Mimica wins London Food Chain Innovation Challenge with dynamic food expiry labels
Lineage, the global temperature-controlled warehouse REIT, has announced the winner of its pioneering initiative, the Food Chain Innovation Challenge London.
After a full day of pitching at the Science Museum to an esteemed judging panel, Mimica, the brand behind dynamic food expiry labels, was crowned regional champion and walked away with the $5,000 prize.
The competition invited students and startups to develop and pitch innovative solutions aimed at tackling one of the world’s most pressing issues: food waste. Mimica’s winning solution, Bump, helps to reduce unnecessary waste from overcautious expiry dates. Available as a cap or tag, it shows the true longevity of food and drinks by responding to temperature changes and becoming bumpy when the food or drinks actually spoil.
Solveiga Pakštaitė, Founder and Director of Mimica, said: “It’s fantastic being selected as the winner today. As a business in the early stages of its journey, events like Lineage’s Food Chain Innovation Challenge, are vital. They support businesses like Mimica but also help to foster innovation that will genuinely help to solve issues like food waste.”
Along with Lineage’s Claire Walters, RVP of Lineage, the judging panel was made up of Simon Millard, Director of Food at FareShare; Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP; and Alexis Eyre, from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainable Leaders at Cambridge University.
ReLondon, an organisation focused on promoting and enabling circular economy practices in London also partnered with Lineage’s Food Chain Innovation Challenge to provide valuable insights and coaching as applicants refine their pitches.
Mimica now has the chance to battle it out on a global stage to win an additional $50,000 and take part in Lineage’s tailored incubator programme to help them scale their solution. The grand final will take place virtually on December 2nd 2024 and will include the winners from London, Amsterdam and San Francisco.
A shocking 1.05 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally every year. This is enough to feed billions of hungry people. While millions go hungry, our planet also suffers from the environmental impact of food waste. The Food Chain Innovation Challenge underscores Lineage’s commitment to driving innovation in the global food supply chain while also helping to address food waste and promote sustainable development.
Claire Walters, RVP of Lineage, said: “At Lineage, we recognise the critical role our industry plays in addressing the food insecure and waste issue. It was an honour to serve as a judge for the UK’s inaugural Food Chain Innovation Challenge, an initiative established to champion the most promising talent and forward-thinking solutions in our field.
“Today’s participants exemplified our vision, presenting innovative solutions that align with Lineage’s mission to reduce food waste and drive sustainable practices.”
Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP, shared: “The quality of today’s applicants has been so inspiring. We have seen solutions that can impact every part of the food chain, from the warehouse and packaging through to AI powered tools to help farmers or the public in their home.
“Food waste is such a major issue and while it’s on all of us to make a difference, it is positive to see large organisations like Lineage actively backing solutions. While there could only be one winner, I am certain that many of the individuals and solutions we have seen today will shape the future of food including cutting food waste.”
Arla Foods Ingredients moves ahead with acquisition of Volac Whey Nutrition business
Arla Foods Ingredients is moving forward with its acquisition of Volac’s Whey Nutrition business, after it was approved by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority. The regulator’s go-ahead followed an agreement between the two companies, which was signed in April 2024.
The business is built around a processing facility at Felinfach in Wales, which handles large volumes of whey and specialises in the production of whey protein isolate (WPI). The site will now become a cornerstone of Arla Foods Ingredients’ global production facilities, with further investment and expansion planned in the coming years.
The acquisition gives Arla Foods Ingredients a significant additional quantity of whey, helping it meet a growing market need. There is particular demand for WPI in the health and sports nutrition sectors, which grew by a CAGR of 9% between 2010 and 2023. Arla Foods Ingredients now projects that its sales of WPI will rise significantly over the next five years. The facility will also produce whey fat concentrate and lactose.
Luis Cubel, Group Vice President and Managing Director of Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “Our acquisition of Volac Whey Nutrition brings together two major manufacturers of whey ingredients, and consolidates our position as a leader in the space.
“Having Volac’s experts – and its network of trusted supply partners – as part of our team gives us several strategic advantages. It expands our market reach, helping us serve even more customers, and strengthens our global supply chain at a time when demand for whey is growing.”
He added: “Furthermore, these are two companies with shared values and a joint commitment to quality, sustainability and innovation. We look forward to learning from our new colleagues and partners and harnessing our respective strengths to meet the evolving needs of manufacturers and consumers, especially in the sports nutrition space.”
Guinness launch range of sous vide slow cooked meat dishes into Asda
Guinness is launching a new range of sous vide slow cooked meat dishes for home cooks – a first for Guinness.
Partnering exclusively with Asda for the initial three month launch, the three-strong range will be available in 266 stores nationwide from mid-November, just in time for consumers seeking comforting dinners and cosy mealtimes this winter.
Working in partnership with The Flava People and Pilgrim’s Europe to bring the new products to life, the mission was to capture the unique, complex and robust flavours Guinness brings to the table, and deliver them in a simple-to-cook and enjoyable format.
Using well-loved flavours which have been used in classic comfort food dishes by professional chefs for generations, the vision for the new range is to bring big brand flavour, fun, and vibrancy to home dinners – allowing home-cooks to level-up, without the hassle or time investment normally needed to create sensational slow cooked meats.
The three new Guinness Slow Cook products include Guinness BBQ Chicken Wings, Guinness Beef Casserole, and Guinness Chipotle Pulled Pork.
Declan Hassett, Licensing Manager at Diageo, said: “Established over 250 years ago, Guinness has a long history of being drunk with food and used as an ingredient within food. It’s particularly popular as an ingredient in slow cook and casserole formats that help to elevate the flavours of our own roasted barley, providing depth, umami and a complex but iconic flavour profile. Working with The Flava People, they have really hit the nail on the head when it comes to expanding the Guinness proposition into the slow cooked category.”
Working on the new range for 11 months, The Flava People wanted to ensure the range strategically aligned with the long-term vision by Diageo for the Guinness brand to ensure product longevity, whilst also leveraging the brand power to bring excitement and innovation to the category.
Michelle Rowley, Brand & Product Director at The Flava People, added: “Guinness is truly having its time in the limelight, and it’s thrilling to be part of this journey as the brand reaches a whole new generation of fans.
“The distinct, rich flavours and textures of Guinness are not only iconic but also incredibly well-suited to food, translating beautifully into dishes that bring a real depth of flavour to the table. We wanted to capture that unique essence and make it easy for home cooks to enjoy a taste of Guinness in a way that feels both elevated and accessible.
“Working with Pilgrim’s and Diageo has been an incredible experience, and together, we’ve created something that is genuinely special – and certainly had some fun along the way. We’re all immensely proud of how the teams have come together to deliver a product range that’s both delicious and disruptive – a true collaboration and celebration of Guinness’s character.
“This range brings newness and excitement to a category that’s often dominated by own-label offerings, with the potential to shake up the category and shift perceptions. By harnessing the popularity of Guinness, we’re not just launching new products; we’re bringing innovation and energy into the slow-cooked aisle, drawing in new shoppers who might not have previously explored it.
“We’re excited to see the impact this launch will have in Asda, as it embodies the best of what a trusted, beloved brand like Guinness can bring to modern mealtimes.”
Luca Delrio, Buying Manager – Pork, Plant based & vegetarian, Meat, Fish & Produce Business Unit in Commercial Food, Asda, said: “Working together on delivering this project has felt truly collaborative, fun and exciting. Guiness is everywhere at the moment – from sport, to shops, to TV programs. It’s understandable considering the incredible flavours – that is speaking as a Guinness drinker myself.
“At Asda we believe there is a definite opportunity in the category to explore how brand-led innovation can drive incremental shoppers and attract customers who wouldn’t usually shop the aisle, and that’s why we moved as fast as we could to launch this range. On shelf, we’re confident the brand will be eye-catching and draw people in.
“With Guinness starting to over index with younger consumers, we’re interested to see how it’ll affect our product launch, anticipating the launch will excite shoppers and provide a halo effect to the category, making new shoppers more likely to shop the fixture again and trial some of our existing core products.”
Sam Reader, Innovation & Product Director at Pilgrim’s Europe, said: “What an incredible moment – the whole team at Pilgrim’s Europe cannot wait to see the product on shelf for the first time. This partnership has been truly one-of-a-kind, smooth and collaborative at every stage of the process.
“For us, it’s crucial that we can marry our quality meats with sauces and seasonings which will coax and draw out maximum flavour, and through these products we believe we have done not only this, but really brought them to life.
“The iconic, malty, rich and roasted flavour of Guinness combined elevated flavours with innovation to deliver a warm hug in a dish. With aspiration from us all to expand this partnership further, we believe this collaboration will enable us all to deliver an exciting pipeline of NPD in the near future. Watch this space.”
The three new Guinness Sous Vide products will be available in 266 Asda stores nationwide from 18th November 2024, RRPs: Guinness Beef Casserole £6.50, Guinness BBQ Chicken Wings £5.50, and Guinness Chipotle Pulled Pork £6.00.
IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Awards 2025 open for entries
The IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Awards are back for a second year in association with the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST) to recognise innovation in the food ingredients industry.
With a ceremony taking place during IFE Manufacturing, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, on 17-19 March 2025 at Excel London, the awards will celebrate excellence in new technologies, sustainability, solutions for nutritious foods and new ingredients.
IFE Manufacturing Event Manager Federico Dellafiore comments: “The launch of the IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Awards in 2024 was a huge success, giving innovative startups and trailblazers in food science a chance to be recognised and to have their hard work and dedication validated by a judging panel of respected industry leaders.
“Next year’s awards will be even bigger and better, with new categories like ‘Innovative Solutions for Nutritious Foods’ and a new category for an overall winner to be recognised with ‘Innovation of the Year’.”
Deborah Kendale, Business Development Director at IFST, adds: “IFST is delighted to partner again in 2025 with IFE Manufacturing to showcase and celebrate the pioneering ingredient innovators driving improvements in food manufacturing.
“In 2024 we saw a highly successful launch of the awards with a great number of high-quality entries across the five initial judging categories. We can’t wait to see what ingredients producers have been working on to produce exciting innovative and sustainable products to enhance nutrition and food quality.”
The categories this year are:
- New Technologies in Ingredient Applications
- Achieving Sustainable Solutions
- New Ingredient Launch from a Start-up Company
- Simplified Ingredient Lists for Clean Labels
- Innovative Solutions for Nutritious Foods
- Innovation of the Year
Baileys Chocolate launches new truffle varieties to range
Baileys Chocolate is launching two new varieties to its successful truffle range, designed for the festive season and beyond. The Baileys Chocolate Assorted Truffles and Baileys Chocolate Mint Truffles are both infused with Baileys Irish Cream and cater to a range of gifting or personal consumption occasions.
The new Baileys Chocolate Assorted Truffles carton contains four best-selling Baileys Truffle flavours: Original Baileys Irish Cream, Strawberries and Cream, Birthday Cake, and Salted Caramel. Each truffle features a hint of Baileys Irish Cream.
Baileys Chocolate Mint Truffles is a new flavour variety for the brand, featuring a milk chocolate shell and a mint-chocolate truffle centre with a touch of indulgent Baileys Original Irish Cream. Mint flavours are synonymous with Christmas and are currently a popular flavour trend in chocolate confectionery.
Alison Robson, marketing manager for Baileys Chocolates, said: “The launch of these truffle varieties aligns with our strategy of expanding our product range for both festive and year-round occasions. These new flavours reflect our commitment to offering premium products that capture the essence of Baileys in new and innovative ways.
“With these additions to the existing truffle range, there really is something for everyone to provide the finishing touch for festive celebrations or quiet moments of self-indulgence.”
ULMA Packaging UK appoints new regional sales manager
Packaging machinery manufacturer, ULMA Packaging UK, has appointed Sam Robinson as sales manager NW (Non-Produce). Sam will cover North West England in his new role, extending from Cumbria down to Wolverhampton, across to Western Wales and up to the Scottish border. He will report directly to James Couldwell, ULMA Packaging UK’s managing director.
With over 16 years of industry experience, Sam brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in various packaging solutions. His background includes roles in vertical bagging, weighing and vision counting, turnkey systems and horizontal form, fill and seal applications across multiple markets. Most recently, he managed sales across the UK and Ireland, focusing on horizontal flow-wrapping and automated systems.
In his new position, Sam will be responsible for overseeing and expanding ULMA’s presence in the region. His role includes managing and nurturing existing customer relationships while driving new business development in all of ULMA’s core markets.
“We are thrilled to welcome Sam to the ULMA team,” said James Couldwell. “His extensive experience across various packaging applications and markets will be instrumental in driving our growth in the north west. Sam’s commitment to excellence and his passion for innovation aligns perfectly with ULMA’s values and I’m confident he will make a significant impact in supporting our customers.”
Sam Robinson added: “ULMA offers a one-stop solution for all flexible packaging machinery needs, with installations across leading manufacturers in the UK and worldwide. I am delighted to join such a talented team of professionals at ULMA and am eager to contribute to the company’s continued success.”
Drinks business toasts export success with £4.5m deal
A premium drinks producer based in Cheltenham has secured £4.5 million in financing to support their global export of bespoke drinks packages, including to Asia.
Provided by HSBC, the package combines a receivables finance facility of £3 million and a trade finance facility of £1.5 million, the latter guaranteed by UKEF, the government export credit agency.
Founded by two friends, Gravity Drinks already exports to markets including USA, Canada, Scandinavia, Taiwan, Japan, and New Zealand, selling its premium spirit and liqueur brands to large overseas retailers.
Seasonal demand for its drinks means that the business requires additional working capital to ramp up production in the run-up to Christmas, New Year and other seasonal celebrations.
UK Export Finance helped to secure HSBC financing with a guarantee offered through its General Export Facility (GEF) product – this helped UK exporters to access over £576 million in working capital loans in the last financial year.
Gravity has already been able to use the financing to make Christmas shipments, producing 35,000 units of Costco’s annual “Whisky Tour of the World” advent calendar, which has been a sell-out in 2024.
The business has also used the finance to launch a number of other new products and white labelling for international customers in Asia.
This has supported Gravity in continuing its year-on-year revenue growth since it was founded in 2018, with a total order value of just under £8 million booked in 2024.
New financing also supports the business’s efforts to invest in new equipment and create new roles at its offices in Cheltenham.
Hitesh Patel, Export Finance Manager for London at UK Export Finance, said: “It has been a pleasure working with Jim Denoon’s team to understand the financial and insurance needs of the business. Immersed in local markets, Gravity Drinks has taken the time to really understand local seasonal celebrations globally and tailored drinks solutions to capture their audience.
“The overwhelming majority of UKEF’s deals support smaller businesses like Gravity, ensuring that entrepreneurs from all over the country can benefit from international trade.”
Jim Denoon, Director at Gravity Drinks, said: “With continued demand from our customers in the UK and overseas having the right partners in place to help finance our growth is crucial to our business. UK Export Finance have been supportive of us from the early days of Gravity.”
Campbell Chisholm, HSBC UK Relationship Manager, added: “As a global bank, HSBC UK can offer comprehensive support to businesses that trade internationally, so we’re excited to see Gravity Drinks taking its fantastic products to new markets.
“It is a privilege to also support the production of new products for UK customers and I am delighted that the company’s growth is supporting the local economy through the creation of new jobs.”
Kingsmoor Packaging expands in-house design and toolroom capabilities with 3rd CNC machine investment
Kingsmoor Packaging has further increased its in-house capabilities by investing in a third state-of-the-art CNC machine from Somerset-based supplier, YMT Technologies. The move highlights Kingsmoor’s ongoing commitment to advancing its design and toolroom facilities, ensuring superior production efficiency to meet increasing customer demand.
The new CNC machine will seamlessly integrate with the company’s existing machines via a unified Heidenhain interface and program software. The alignment helps streamline Kingsmoor’s operations, optimising workflow and upscaling productivity. With features such as a 28-holder automatic tool carousel and advanced swarf conveyor systems, the new CNC can run unmanned for extended periods, including nights and weekends. This operational flexibility allows Kingsmoor to increase output, reduce tool change times, and deliver faster turnarounds for sample and tool production.
Beyond operational efficiency, the new CNC machine’s speed, high-quality finish and versatility are invaluable as Kingsmoor’s workload grows. Designed for demanding production environments, the machine’s automated features allow it to operate autonomously, ensuring consistent output and high precision even under pressure. This investment also complements Kingsmoor’s recent advancements in SolidWorks and SolidCam software, which are fully integrated with the CNC machines, amplifying KPL’s design and pattern-making capabilities.
Commenting on their ongoing partnership, Tom Hillard, sales director at YMT Technologies, said: “We are delighted to support Kingsmoor’s journey in further enhancing their manufacturing capabilities. Our CNC machines are designed with precision and reliability in mind and it’s fantastic to see Kingsmoor maximise these features. Our proximity to their site also means we’re always on hand to provide technical support, which has further strengthened our relationship with James (MD) and the team.”
“This latest CNC investment allows us to maintain higher machining times and respond faster to customer demands,” added Dan Glover, product development supervisor at Kingsmoor Packaging. “The compatibility between all of our CNC machines has also been invaluable, enhancing efficiency across the board. And with this latest model, we can separate working materials effectively, preserve tool life and minimise cleaning time – benefits that streamline our operations.”
Kingsmoor Packaging remains focused on future investments that drive efficiency, keeping them competitive in a fast-evolving industry. With its latest CNC machine in place and additional upgrades under consideration, Kingsmoor is well-positioned to continue delivering high-quality, fast-turnaround solutions for its customers.
Find out more about Kingsmoor Packaging here.
EXBERRY® color supplier GNT awarded gold medal for sustainability
GNT has earned its first EcoVadis gold medal for environmental and ethical activities, ranking the company among the top 3% in the food manufacturing industry.
GNT creates EXBERRY® colors from fruit, vegetables, and plants and has set out a commitment to lead the food coloring industry on sustainability. It has used EcoVadis, a globally recognized provider of business sustainability ratings, to verify its performance and identify areas for improvement since 2017. After achieving a silver medal last year, GNT has now secured a gold ranking for the first time. EcoVadis awarded a total of 78 out of 100 points, placing GNT in the 97th percentile among food manufacturing businesses to have undertaken the evaluation. EcoVadis assessed GNT’s performance across four key areas. It gave the highest scores for Environment and Labor & Human Rights and also increased its ratings on Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. The key factors in the gold ranking included:- Transparent reporting, including an independent Greenhouse Gas Verification Statement
- New initiatives to support employee training, health and safety, and working conditions throughout the value chain
- A new Code of Conduct and policy to support whistleblowers