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Bacardi, Manchester Distillery expand alcoholic beverage portfolios with new product launches

Mar 31, 2021Mar 31, 2021 Editor

EUROPE – Alcoholic beverages giant Bacardi and its much smaller rival Manchester Distillery have introduced new products to expand their respective alcoholic beverage portfolios. Bacardi which is one of the one of the largest privately held, family-owned spirits company in the world has introduced three new ready-to-drink (RTD) offerings, expanding its Martini portfolio. These include Martini Fiero & Tonic and Bacardi, Martini Non-Alcoholic Vibrante & Tonic, and Martini Non-Alcoholic Floreale & Tonic. Martini Fiero & Tonic is described as a “perfectly balanced” drink featuring vibrant citrus notes of Murcia orange…

Diageo to expand US RTD operations as Heineken launches Pure Piraña hard seltzer across Europe

Mar 22, 2021Mar 22, 2021 Editor

US – UK-based alcoholic beverages giant Diageo is expanding its US ready-to-drink (RTD) operations as part of efforts to support its growth strategy in the rapidly expanding category. Consiquently, Diageo’s new Plainfield, Illinois site will be expanded to a tune of US$80 million. According to a statement from Diageo, the expansion project will include the installation of two high-speed can lines with the capacity to produce over 25 million cases of RTDs per year. Products to be produced at the Plainfield site include Smirnoff seltzers and Diageo’s newly-launched spirits-based RTD…

Nestlé joins EU cage-free egg call as Nespresso expands Swiss facility to meet rising demand for coffee

Mar 18, 2021Mar 18, 2021 Editor

SWITZERLAND – Swiss food manufacturing conglomerate Nestlé is now using only cage-free eggs in all its food products in Europe, as part of its wider commitment to animal welfare. To accelerate industry wide adoption of the practice, the company has now joined a call for the European Union to outlaw cages in animal farming, starting with laying hens. Nestlé says the call was inspired by the results of the European Citizens’ Initiative ‘End the Cage Age’ which calls for the end of cages in animal farming across Europe. In 2018,…

DS Smith to invest in two new packaging facilities as Belvac boosts can development capabilities

Mar 17, 2021Mar 17, 2021 Editor

EUROPE – British multinational packaging company, DS Smith has announced a £100 million (about US$139 million) investment in two new packaging sites in Europe to meet increased customer demand. One of the planned facilities will be located in Belchatov, Poland while the other will be situated in Castelfranco Emilia, Italy. Construction works at the sites are expected to begin in earnest with operations anticipated to start within the next two or three years. The facilities will be dedicated towards to the production of sustainable paper-based packaging. DS Smith projects that…

Czech online grocer Rohlik secures funding to accelerate expansion into more European markets

Mar 3, 2021Mar 3, 2021 Editor

CZECH – Rohlik, a leading European online grocer based in the Czech Republic, has raised €190 million (about US$229.62 million) in funding to accelerate the growth of its online grocery business. The round was led by Partech and joined by Index Ventures, with participation from EBRD, Quadrille Capital, J&T Banka, R2G and existing investor Enern Miton. Founded in 2014, Rohlik currently operates its online grocery delivery service in Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria. For its 2020 financial year, the company says it will record revenue of about US$362.56 million, representing…

Zeus Packaging makes it biggest acquisition yet in aggressive European expansion

Feb 14, 2021Feb 14, 2021 Editor

ITALY – Irish-owned, Zeus Packaging has agreed to acquire Sirap Group’s German and Austrian business in an effort to accelerate its expansion in Europe. The acquisition – which was made for an undisclosed sum – will further expand and strengthen Zeus Packaging’s geographic presence across 12 countries in Western, Central and Eastern Europe. The deal comes shortly after Faerch acquired the Sirap food packaging business in Italy, Poland and Spain. Following completion of the transaction, Sirap Group will maintain control over its business in the UK and France, with a…

EU food safety authority approves yellow mealworms as safe for consumption

Jan 18, 2021Jan 18, 2021 Editor

EUROPE – European citizens might soon have yellow mealworms at their plates following an approval by the European Food Safety Authority declaring the insects safe for consumption. This follows a positive safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (ESFA) of an application from Agronutris, a French insect-based protein producer. The approval is a significant regulatory hurdle as the yellow mealworms will become the first insect to be identified as safe for consumption. Analysts believe that this landmark approval may hasten similar progress for other species and their related product…

US flavor and color manufacturer Gold Coast unveils certified organic flavors for EU market ahead of new regulations

Jan 5, 2021Jan 5, 2021 Editor

EUROPE — Gold Coast Ingredients, a US-based flavor and color manufacturer, has unveiled its latest certified organic flavors a year ahead of the implementation of new EU-Regulation. The new legislations are in response to an ever-growing demand for organic food products on a global scale and a matching need to regulate organic products. Following the legislation, only natural x flavorings (95/5) or flavoring preparations are allowed to be incorporated in organic food. Gold Coast Ingredients says in an effort to align with the new regulations, its Research and Development team…

Berlin Packaging makes two acquisitions to expand product portfolio in Southern Europe

Dec 18, 2020Dec 18, 2020 Editor

EUROPE – US-based supplier of packaging services, Berlin Packaging has announced the acquisitions of Repli and Pentapackaging, as it looks to strengthen its plastic offering in southern Europe. Berlin says that the purchase of the two plastic packaging companies will significantly expand its product portfolio for several end markets, including food and beverage. According to company, its two acquisitions – Repli and Pentapackaging – also bring over 9,000 square metres of additional warehouse space in Spain and Italy, where they are respectively based. In a joint statement, Marc Bartomeus, CEO…

New PET bottle recycling capacities in France and Poland a major boost to EU’s move towards circular economy

Nov 30, 2020Nov 30, 2020 Editor

FRANCE – Europe’s move towards a circular economy has received a major boost following reports that Thailand-based company Indorama Ventures is planning to build a new recycling plant in France and a further expansion of two facilities in Poland. The installations and expansions are aimed at boosting the company’s PET recycling and are inline with the company’s plans to invest US$1.5 billion globally to expand its recycling facilities. Indorama Ventures has a target of processing a minimum of 750,000 metric tons of rPET globally by 2025. The new plant in…