This week, Nestlé is bringing Japanese flavors to the UK this summer with the launch of KitKat Green Tea Matcha, while its Nesquik brand is now available within the Nescafé Dolce Gusto coffee pod system. Hershey’s debuted a limited edition offering of its original milk chocolate bar, transforming each piece to include an emoji. Lavazza and PepsiCo entered a new strategic partnership to launch Lavazza Iced Cappuccino, a ready-to-drink iced coffee, in the UK this summer.

In brief: New product launches
Nestlé is bringing the flavor of Japan to the UK this summer with the launch of KitKat Green Tea Matcha. The flavor isamong the most popular of the 350+ KitKat varieties that have been available in Japan over the years and follows requests from chocolate lovers to make innovative KitKat flavors available to consumers outside Japan. Matcha is a traditional drink made from powdered green tea that has been enjoyed for centuries in Japan, often as part of an elaborate tea ceremony. In KitKat Green Tea Matcha, it is combined with smooth white chocolate to give a sweet and fragrant flavor. KitKat Green Tea Matcha is made with no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives using Matcha green tea from Japan and China. Originally launched across Europe earlier this year, this green-colored “four-finger” treat is now available exclusively in Tesco in the World Foods aisle and in One Stop and Booker Retail Partners starting this week.

Hershey’s has come up with a new way to satisfy love for emojis. As a limited edition offering, the brand is changing the look of its original milk chocolate bar and transforming each piece to include an emoji. The new Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Emoji Bars will feature 25 of the most popular emojis across six different emoji packaging designs – all designed to collect, share and eat. The new bars are set to launch this summer, US-wide, for a limited-time, in both standard and snack size bars. “By adding an emoji design to each pip of chocolate, we hope that parents and kids are inspired to share a chocolate emoji and make a connection with someone new,” says Kriston Ohm, Senior Manager at Hershey’s.

In addition, Nestlé’s Nesquik is the latest brand available within the Nescafé Dolce Gusto coffee pod system, which also offers the classic Chococino and Chococino Caramel hot chocolates. Each serving of Nescafé Dolce Gusto Nesquik hot chocolate provides a source of calcium and also offers a generous foam top, giving drinkers a unique and indulgent experience, the company states. Earlier this year, Nestlé welcomed the iconic American Starbucks coffee brand to Nescafé Dolce Gusto, bringing coffee shop favorites like Starbucks Caramel Macchiato and Starbucks Americano House Blend Medium Roast, into home brewing. In addition to introducing customer favorites, Nescafé Dolce Gusto has also embraced the origins trend with its Colombia Sierra Nevada Lungo, Peru Cajamarca Espresso, Honduras Corquin Espresso and Mexico Chiapas Americano drinks, offering a “world-class, premium, organic origin” coffee experience.

Lavazza and PepsiCo have entered a new strategic partnership to launch Lavazza Iced Cappuccino, a ready-to-drink iced coffee, in the UK this summer. The tie-up is planning further product launches in the European market aims to leverage Lavazza’s reputation as a coffee specialist to capitalize on the growing demand for premium iced coffee options. The drink features a blend of Lavazza coffee and milk, and is available in a 100 percent recyclable, premium can.

In brief: New investments
California-based artisanal food brand 4th & Heart, widely known for their gourmet flavored line of products featuring grass-fed ghee (clarified butter), have closed a US$7.6 million series C funding round led by Harbinger Ventures, a leading growth equity investment firm focused on scaling early-stage, female-led companies. The latest funding will allow 4th & Heart to bolster its innovation and distribution channels, expanding the brand’s reach and furthering its status as a household name. The company is currently planning its first expansion into mass retail, with its shelf-stable items set to be available in Target’s SuperTarget and PFresh stores nationwide in September. In addition to growing its presence on existing retailers’ shelves, the company is expanding its portfolio with the upcoming launch of Woke, a line of grass-fed collagen-free ghee protein and energy bars.

In brief: New corporate hires
Premium fruit and vegetable ingredients supplier SVZ has appointed former corporate responsibility consultant of Sligro Food Group, a Dutch leader in foodservices, Inge van Disseldorp as its new sustainability manager. With over a decade of experience in corporate sustainability, Inge will build on SVZ’s commitments to environmentally conscious business and focus on implementing the company’s plans to achieve 100 percent sustainable sourcing by 2030. “The potential to make a tangible difference by working closely with farmers and promoting sustainable production right from the source is one of the key factors which attracted me to the position at SVZ,” says van Disseldorp.

Color and additives supplier Chroma Color Corporation has appointed Bishop Beall as Vice President Sales and Business Development. During his most recent role as Director, Global Business Development at Technimark, a Germany-based rigid plastics solutions provider, Bishop was instrumental in executing new go-to-market strategies and growth platforms for consumer packaging and products, resulting in more than US$200 million in new business for the company. “Our team is confident that Bishop’s previous accomplishments and three decades of experience will translate into significant new business for our company in 2019 and beyond,” states Tom Bolger, CEO of Chroma Color Corporation.