20 Oct 2023 --- In industry news this week, Coca-Cola and Pernod Ricard are introducing Absolut Vodka & Sprite in 2024, a ready-to-drink premixed cocktail, while Layn Natural Ingredients announced new features to its Botanical Ingredient Library. IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients joins OSI Group.

New product development
The Coca-Cola Company and Pernod Ricard joined forces to launch Absolut Vodka & Sprite as a ready-to-drink premixed cocktail in 2024. The premixed cocktail will be available in versions with Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar. The premixed cocktail will be available in versions with Sprite and Sprite Zero Sugar, with the initial launch planned for selec European countries in early 2024, including the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Germany. The global benchmark for alcohol beverage volume (ABV) is 5% but will vary depending on the market. 

Dutch family company Schouten Europe introduces its latest snack, Vegetable Bites. The snacks are designed for retail, out-of-home, and the food industry and target an audience that is increasingly looking for plant-based snacks.

Dawn Foods announced the launch of the Dawn Balance Vegan Sponge Cake Mix. The development draws on the success of Dawn’s existing vegan American Mixes, providing a vegan option for its consumers.

Business moves
Dairy companies Hochwald and FrieslandCampina are collaborating to streamline milk collection, aiming to reduce transport distances and lower CO2 emissions. The multi-year agreement between the two companies is aimed at long-term benefits and sustainability.

RAPS, a spice manufacturer with a majority stake in BIOVA, has acquired Salz Centrale Hamburg’s table salt business. This acquisition allows RAPS to expand its portfolio with a range of natural salts and grow its global supplier network.

Dalan Animal Health announced it has received market authorization from the Canadian Center for Veterinary Biologics under the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for its honeybee vaccine for American Foulbrood, a devastating honeybee brood disease caused by the bacterium Paenibacillus larvae.

IQI Trusted Petfood Ingredients joined OSI Group, a supplier of value-added food products. Through the partnership, IQI will benefit from a larger supply chain network to reach new customers, expand its product portfolio, and create innovative pet food ingredients.

Other highlights
Layn Natural Ingredients announced an upgrade to its Botanical Ingredient Library. This upgrade introduces a new feature that allows users to search by Active Compound, aiding product development, formulation and ingredient sourcing.

The latest consumer price inflation figures in the UK show food prices fell 0.2% on the previous month, leading to the first decrease in food prices in two years, with notable reductions in items like cheese, margarine, pasta, and chocolate. This decline in food prices is caused by retailers’ competition, cost-cutting efforts, and decreasing global commodity prices.

Applications are closing soon for the 2024 evoke Startup Program, an agri-food tech event in Perth, Australia. The event will provide start-ups and scaleups with the opportunity to connect with potential producers, investors, and corporations.

Veg Power, a UK not-for-profit alliance, has launched a public health campaign called “Simply Veg” to improve families’ diets. The initiative is developed with the input of experts in nutrition, child psychology, neurodiversity, food education, culinary, and children’s entertainment. This campaign aims to make positive dietary changes by encouraging parental role modeling to influence children’s eating habits.

The second edition of the World Food Forum’s Science and Innovation Forum, which opened at FAO’s headquarters in Rome, focuses on climate technologies, innovative practices and local knowledge in agri-food systems.

The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is offering US$3.64 million in funding to set up multidisciplinary networks aimed at developing new approaches to tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This funding is part of UKRI’s tackling infections strategic theme and aims to encourage researchers to address the issue.