A FRESH APPROACH

Gentle Kitchen has entered the UK pet food market with a new range of fresh frozen dog food, designed to meet growing demand for high-quality, nutritionally advanced meals.

The range, created by the UK’s independent, family-run pet care retailer, Pet’s Corner, will be distributed to independent pet retailers through We.pet, a specialist distributor that supports the independent pet sector. Through its established network, Gentle Kitchen products will be made available to stores across the UK.

Developed by a team of pet nutrition experts and veterinary partners, Gentle Kitchen’s meals are formulated to support dogs’ joint health, brain function, and coat condition, while offering value and quality for both retailers and pet owners.

The range is available in four recipes – Rustic Chicken, Hearty Beef, Tender Lamb, and Salmon – with prices starting from an RRP of £3.99 per pack.

MEATY, NUTRITIONAL RECIPES

Each recipe contains 67 percent real meat or fish, positioning Gentle Kitchen as one of the meatiest fresh frozen dog foods available, according to the brand.

The recipes combine premium ingredients with carefully selected vegetables and functional ingredients, including salmon oil and hemp oil. These provide essential omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, adding to each meal’s nutritional profile.

Gentle Kitchen has also focused on digestibility, avoiding ingredients such as red lentils, which can be difficult for some dogs to digest. Instead, its recipes use highly digestible ingredients, including rice and prebiotic-rich chicory, to support digestive health and sensitive stomachs.

The meals are gently cooked at 72°C before being frozen. Gentle Kitchen describes this as the lowest cooking temperature of any major fresh frozen dog food brand in the UK, with the process designed to help preserve more of the natural vitamins, amino acids, and beneficial oils found in the ingredients.

Lucy Marcham, Nutritional Expert at Gentle Kitchen, highlights the combination of gentle cooking and fresh ingredients as central to the proposition, describing the range as an option for pet owners seeking wholesome, highly digestible meals.

“Cooked at just 72°C, the lowest temperature in the category, this gentle process helps preserve more of the natural vitamins, amino acids and beneficial oils in every recipe. The result is a nutritious, delicious meal that supports dogs’ health and wellbeing,” she adds.

SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT RETAIL

The launch comes as fresh frozen dog food continues to gain popularity among pet owners seeking minimally processed nutrition, with Gentle Kitchen positioning its range around fresh ingredients, expert formulation, and convenience.

Pets Corner launched the range in line with its continued focus on stocking innovative, nutritionally focused products that help pet owners make informed choices for their animals.

“As the pet food market continues to evolve, we’re committed to offering the products our customers are increasingly looking for. With fresh frozen nutrition continuing to grow in popularity, we’re delighted to bring a higher quality option to the market,” says Dean Richmond, CEO at Pets Corner.

For We.pet, the partnership with Gentle Kitchen provides an opportunity to bring a differentiated fresh frozen proposition to independent retailers, supported by the distributor’s established retail infrastructure.

Dan Vander, CEO at We.pet, says the range represents the type of innovation the distributor seeks for its portfolio, highlighting the role independent retailers can play in helping consumers navigate the growing fresh nutrition category.

“We’re excited to bring a genuinely differentiated fresh frozen dog food range to the independent trade, supported by the training, resources and service that our retail partners expect from We.pet,” he adds.

We.pet currently supplies more than 700 regular customers across the UK and overseas. Its retail partners have access to dedicated account management, product training, point-of-sale materials, and retailer resources designed to help store teams confidently recommend products.

As Gentle Kitchen enters the independent trade, the partnership brings a fresh frozen proposition to retailers looking to meet evolving expectations around pet nutrition.

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Six Consumer Goods Groups Back PaperFlex Consortium

Six global consumer goods companies have joined forces to develop and scale paper-based alternatives to flexible plastic packaging, targeting applications such as sachets, wrappers and pouches.

The PaperFlex Consortium, convened by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and powered by (RE)SET, brings together founding members Colgate-Palmolive, Mars, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Unilever.

The initiative will focus particularly on markets where flexible plastic packaging is widely used but collection and recycling infrastructure is limited, increasing the likelihood of packaging entering the environment.

Members aim to develop alternatives that can be recycled as collection systems improve while also being biodegradable if they unintentionally enter the environment.

Packaging R&D Targets Performance and Scale

Over the next few years, members intend to shape, fund and conduct collaborative trials covering biodegradable coatings and other technologies designed to provide product protection, shelf life and consumer usability.

Research will also address the performance of paper-based materials on manufacturing lines, a key consideration for food and beverage companies seeking to deploy alternative packaging at scale.

Sander Defruyt, Strategy Lead for Plastics at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “Responsible paper-based flexible packaging solutions don’t yet exist at the performance, scale and cost required.

“This consortium signals strong demand for them – and real ambition from six consumer goods companies to help scale them. We’re inviting other FMCG companies, innovators, suppliers and investors to get involved now – the faster we develop such solutions, the sooner they reach the markets that need them most.”

Food and Beverage Groups Target Packaging Innovation

Nestlé, Mars, PepsiCo and Unilever are among the major food and beverage businesses participating in the initiative.

Gilles Demaurex, Head of Global Packaging Development at Nestlé, said: “Nestlé believes that paper-based flexible packaging can play a valuable role in addressing virgin plastic reduction and minimising flexible packaging waste and pollution. By joining our efforts under the PaperFlex Consortium, promising paper innovations will be developed and deployed responsibly at scale faster and at lower cost.”

Allison Lin, Global Vice President of Healthy Planet and Chief Circularity Officer at Mars, said: “The consortium challenges the traditional mindset of innovating on our own, demonstrating that partnership – structured with legal oversight, clear guardrails on permissible topics, and an independent third-party convenor – can accelerate the development of more sustainable packaging in ways that no single company could achieve alone.”

Pablo Costa, Head of Packaging, Digital and Transformation, R&D at Unilever, added: “At Unilever, we have made significant investments in packaging innovation. Our dedicated teams are accelerating the development of next-generation paper-based packaging that can be scaled while delivering the experience consumers expect. Through the consortium, we are helping bring together the expertise, investment and shared learning needed to accelerate innovation and support a responsible transition at scale.”

Tackling Flexible Plastic Packaging

The initiative follows an Ellen MacArthur Foundation report examining the potential role of paper-based flexible packaging in tackling small-format plastic pollution in markets with high leakage rates.

The report, endorsed by 48 businesses, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), investors and academics, identified responsibly designed paper-based alternatives as one potential part of a broader strategy.

The consortium’s work will be guided by six design criteria, including recyclability, biodegradability and responsible sourcing and production, while maintaining food safety, product quality, consumer protection and regulatory compliance.

Frank Gana, CEO and Co-Founder of (RE)SET, said: “Our track record in running R&D consortia shows how they can speed up the path to solutions. While participation in this consortium is voluntary and each member makes its own packaging decisions, this approach lets us develop and scale solutions faster and at lower cost – benefiting consumers, the environment, and the entire industry.”

The PaperFlex Consortium is also inviting other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies, innovators, suppliers and investors to participate as it seeks to accelerate the development and commercial scaling of paper-based flexible packaging.

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Coca-Cola Targets USD$10 Billion Infrastructure Investment

The Coca-Cola system is planning USD$10 billion of investment across its US production and distribution network over the next five years.

Investment between 2026 and 2030 will cover new and expanded production, distribution and office facilities, with projects previously announced in locations including California, Colorado, Indiana, Alabama, Michigan, Minnesota, Florida and New York.

The plans come as The Coca-Cola Company publishes an independent assessment of the economic contribution generated by its US operations and network of 61 bottling partners.

Conducted by Steward Redqueen and based on 2025 activity, the study estimates the Coca-Cola system contributed USD$85 billion to US GDP – equivalent to approximately USD$10 million in economic activity every hour.

Coca-Cola Supports Nearly One Million US Jobs

The study found the system supported nearly one million jobs across the US. This includes direct employment, jobs supported through Coca-Cola’s purchasing of goods and services, and employment at retailers and restaurants selling its beverages.

The Coca-Cola system spent approximately USD$37 billion with US suppliers during 2025, including businesses involved in agriculture, ingredients, packaging and beverage transportation.

According to the study, 98 cents of every dollar spent on Coca-Cola beverage products remains in the US economy through local sourcing, employment, production and distribution.

Its economic contribution exceeded USD$1 billion in 25 states, while the production network includes more than 70 facilities and hundreds of distribution centres.

John Murphy, President and Chief Financial Officer at The Coca-Cola Company, said: “This assessment reinforces what we see every day: the Coca-Cola system is deeply rooted in America and continues to deliver meaningful value for the people and communities we serve.”

“Through a strong production network, local jobs, supplier partnerships and community investments, we are building on more than a century of impact while reinforcing the resilience of our system and communities across America.”

Bottling Network Underpins US Operations

Coca-Cola’s US operating model combines The Coca-Cola Company with a network of independent bottling partners responsible for producing and distributing beverages across local markets.

Coca-Cola Consolidated is the system’s largest US bottler by consumer reach and operates across 14 states.

Dave Katz, President and Chief Operating Officer of Coca-Cola Consolidated, said: “We live and work in the same communities we serve, so the impact of our business is personal.”

“It’s about the people who show up every day to make, move and sell our products, the customers who count on us, and the communities that welcome us. That connection is what makes our impact real and what has allowed our business to grow alongside communities for generations.”

The Coca-Cola system also reported USD$177 million in contributions to US community programmes alongside The Coca-Cola Foundation and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, including USD$60 million directed towards education and economic empowerment.

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CONNECTING AGRICULTURAL EXPERTISE  

PepsiCo has brought together members of its global agricultural network for the 2026 Global Agro University in Hannover, Germany. 

The event welcomed more than 140 growers, suppliers, agronomists, and agriculture experts representing more than 35 countries. Designed as a forum for knowledge exchange, the gathering gave participants an opportunity to learn from international industry specialists and share practical solutions and emerging innovations aimed at improving productivity, quality, and efficiency across potato farming operations. 

Global Agro University forms part of PepsiCo’s wider approach to building agricultural capabilities. The company connects growers with technical experts, practical resources, and fellow farmers through digital learning platforms, expert forums, face-to-face training, and study tours. 

With PepsiCo’s agricultural operations dependent on more than 50 crops and ingredients cultivated across over 60 countries, the company views initiatives such as Global Agro University as a way of making agricultural knowledge more accessible and applicable throughout its farming network. 

“Some of the most valuable agricultural innovations come from the experiences growers gain in their own fields. Global Agro University creates an opportunity for farmers, agronomists, suppliers, and industry experts from around the world to access leading expertise, explore practical solutions, exchange experiences, and strengthen capabilities across the potato value chain,” says Marcelo Stefani, Executive Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer for PepsiCo.  

STRENGTHENING POTATO PRODUCTION  

The 2026 programme placed particular emphasis on the fundamentals of potato production, with sessions examining how growers can improve yield, quality, storage performance, and operational consistency. 

Across the week, attendees took part in lectures led by experts alongside practical demonstrations covering the different stages of potato production. Contributors came from industry, academia, strategic partners, and PepsiCo, giving participants access to knowledge and experience that may not typically be available within their local markets. 

The programme covered a broad range of subjects, including seed selection, field preparation, irrigation scheduling, plant nutrition, pest management, harvesting, and storage optimisation. Participants also explored developments in digital agriculture, crop monitoring, and precision farming, including how these technologies and practices can support more informed decision-making in the field. 

LEARNING IN THE FIELD  

Hands-on learning was a central component of the event, with participants visiting field and storage sites to see agricultural techniques demonstrated in practice. 

Demonstrations covered soil preparation, crop scouting, harvester optimisation, precision application technologies, storage management, and quality monitoring. The practical approach allowed attendees to engage directly with technical experts, observe established techniques, and consider how they could be adapted to their own farming operations. 

The programme also featured 10 case studies from markets around the world. These highlighted how PepsiCo teams, growers, and industry partners are working across borders to address agricultural challenges and share expertise. 

Examples included efforts to improve water-use efficiency through drip irrigation in China, strengthen grower capabilities in Vietnam, increase the adoption of mechanisation in Thailand, and improve potato supply and quality in India. 

A MORE LOCALISED LEARNING MODEL  

Alongside its global programme, PepsiCo also runs regional Agro University initiatives, bringing the learning model closer to local growers and agricultural priorities. 

In Latin America, the company recently hosted an Agro University programme attended by almost 250 people, including nearly 140 farmers from across the region. Over four days, participants explored subjects including artificial intelligence (AI), efficient irrigation, and regenerative agriculture. 

The programme brought together learning sessions, expert discussions, field visits, and technology demonstrations. Its focus was on strengthening capabilities, connecting digital tools and AI with practical field requirements, and creating opportunities for producers, specialists, and technology partners to exchange experiences and solutions with local applications. 

BUILDING A CONNECTED FARMING NETWORK  

PepsiCo works with approximately 300,000 farmers across its direct and indirect supply chains, making collaboration and knowledge-sharing important elements of its agricultural approach. 

Through initiatives such as Global Agro University, the company is supporting connections between growers, technical specialists, and partners across its agricultural value chain. By facilitating access to practical knowledge and encouraging collaboration, PepsiCo aims to strengthen capabilities throughout its global farming network whilst supporting productive and resilient farming systems for the future. 

The post PepsiCo Assembles Global Potato Expertise in Germany   appeared first on Food & Beverage Outlook.

FIBRE FORTIFICATION

A global leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, Tate & Lyle PLC (Tate & Lyle) has set a new target to address consumers’ daily fibre gap by delivering an additional 15 grams (g) of fibre to individuals’ diets each day. The company’s ambitious goal is to reach 35 billion daily fibre equivalent servings by 31 March 2030, which aligns with Tate & Lyle’s 2030 purpose targets.

Whilst the global recommended intake of fibre is approximately 30 g per day, research has shown that the average daily intake of an adult falls short by nearly 15 g. This is known as the ‘fibre gap’, meaning that the majority of consumers would feel real benefits if they increased their fibre intake to the recommended levels.

“Our purpose is at the heart of our business. It helps us navigate an uncertain and constantly changing world, and address some of society’s major challenges. By adding a new fibre fortification goal, we are recognising the important role that fibre plays in improving people’s diets and overall health. We are committed to delivering on this new target, and our other purpose targets by 2030,” states Rowan Adams, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer at Tate & Lyle.

Between April 2020 and March 2026, the company worked to improve consumer nutrition by providing 18.3 billion daily fibre gap equivalent servings of 15 g of fibre in food and beverages, bringing the company one step closer to its goal of 35 billion servings in the next four years.

IMPROVING CONSUMER NUTRITION

Tate & Lyle’s long-standing reputation within the food and beverage industry is supported by its 165-year history of ingredient innovation, partnership with customers to provide healthier and tastier choices, and millions of consumers across the globe who use products that contain the company’s ingredients and solutions every day.

With leading expertise in sweetening, mouthfeel, and fortification, Tate & Lyle develops ingredients and solutions to reduce sugar, calories, and fat, whilst adding fibre and protein. The company provides texture and stability to food and drink in categories such as beverages, dairy, bakery, snacks, soup, sauces, and dressings. The company boasts approximately 5,000 employees across 70 locations in 37 countries, serving customers in more than 120 countries.

The company is steadfast in the belief that it can successfully grow the Tate & Lyle business and have a positive impact on society, and is working towards this purpose by supporting healthy living, building thriving communities, and caring for the planet.

The company’s fibre fortification goal has been added to its long-term purpose targets, measuring how Tate & Lyle is living its purpose. Its purpose targets, which were originally set over a five-year period to 2025, have been extended to cover 10 years from April 2020 to March 2030, with strong progress already being made.

Ultimately, as a global leader in soluble fibres and with a NutraStrong™ prebiotic verified portfolio, Tate & Lyle has positioned itself well to improve health for consumers across the globe by adding fibre to everyday food and beverages, closing the fibre gap in a sustainable, healthy manner.

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A NEW LOOK FOR A FAMILIAR RANGE  

Twinings – a leading well-being drinks brand – is introducing a packaging refresh across its Green Tea and Infusions range, launching new individual string and tag teabags and more compact packs. 

The update has been designed to enhance the tea-drinking experience whilst retaining the blends, weight, number of teabags, taste, and quality consumers already know. 

The refreshed packs have already begun appearing on supermarket shelves, following consumer research and in-home testing that highlighted their ease of use and premium feel. 

SHAPED BY CONSUMER INSIGHT  

Consumer feedback played a central role in developing both the new teabags and the updated packaging. 

Research with Green Tea and Infusions drinkers identified easier storage and a more intuitive experience as important considerations. In response, Twinings has moved to individual string and tag teabags alongside a redesigned box. 

The new tags also feature messages inspired by consumer insights. Reflecting the different rituals associated with making tea – whether preparing for the day ahead or taking a moment of calm – the messages are intended to add a thoughtful and relatable element to each cup. 

CONVENIENCE MEETS SUSTAINABILITY  

Alongside the updated design, Twinings has retained a focus on the disposal of its packaging. The home compostable teabags, including the string and tag, can be disposed of through home compost or food waste collections, whilst the outer box remains recyclable. 

The changes form part of Twinings’ wider packaging innovation programme, which aims to enhance convenience, accessibility, and the overall consumer experience. 

Gill Close, Marketing Director for Twinings UK and Ireland, said: 

“We know enjoying a cup of tea is about more than what’s in the cup – it’s about the whole experience. That’s why this update has been developed with the full consumer experience in mind. Our more convenient, premium string and tag teabags make it even easier to enjoy a moment with Twinings, bringing a simple sense of ritual to every cup, whilst protecting the same blends, quality, and taste people know and love. 

PACKAGING INNOVATION  

The latest refresh follows other packaging developments across the Twinings portfolio, including the introduction of Accessible QR (AQR) codes. 

The company says the ongoing programme reflects its efforts to evolve packaging around convenience, accessibility, and the wider consumer experience. 

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BEHIND THE BREW

Heineken sells over 24 billion liters of beer each year. For a customer picking up a cold bottle at a bar in Auckland or a corner store in Santiago, that scale is not visible.

In practice, this involves managing paperwork, specifically, conducting recipe tests, organizing bottling runs, arranging hops and aluminum shipments, finalizing supplier deals, and creating local marketing partnerships.

Each task begins as a contract that must be written, negotiated, and signed.

STREAMLINING SALES

For years, sales contracts lived nowhere in particular.  

“Pre-Ironclad, it was a real challenge. Every operating company had a totally different way of working, totally different places where their contracts lived, different ways of getting from start to finish — limited visibility into the status of an in-flight contract or the actual details of a contract after signature,” Houston comments.

Unfortunately, if a stakeholder wanted to check the status of an agreement, no dashboard was available; they had to call the legal department, which often couldn’t answer any faster than the person asking.

Procurement faced a similar issue. Schutte needed a way to transform Heineken’s extensive contract database into a usable resource that provided insights, rather than just serving as a static repository. “That was the missing part,” he says.

UNIFYING PRACTICES

In fact, Heineken operates more than 80 companies, each with unique regulations, languages, and customs.

Heineken required a solution that could support a unified global system while being flexible enough to accommodate hundreds of different templates and approval processes, without compromising the unique local characteristics that enabled each market to thrive.

“The reason we chose Ironclad was the flexibility the tool offered. Extract the right level of detail, the right information, and elevate those contract terms and conditions to be more proactive in the actions we take with our suppliers,” Van de Weert says.

Schutte points to the same thing from procurement’s side, as it lets his team “extract the right level of detail, the right information, and elevate those contract terms and conditions to be more proactive in the actions we take with our suppliers.”

Whereas the Global Head of Digital & Technology at Heineken saw it from the technology side.

That fragmentation made it harder for Heineken to function as one company.

HEINEKEN’S JOURNEY WITH IRONCLAD

Heineken’s proof of concept was Brazil, one of the largest and most complex operating companies.

“Normally you wouldn’t start with your largest operation, but looking back, that actually helped us. It was a proof of concept: Ironclad will work anywhere within Heineken if we can get it to work in Brazil,” Houston informs.

The results came fast. Cycle time for sales contracts in Brazil dropped by roughly 50 percent, and legal’s need to be directly involved in those deals fell by a similar margin – not because legal cared less, but because the process no longer depended on someone chasing it manually. “It allows the business to move faster,” he adds.

By early 2026, Ironclad was operational in approximately 40 companies across 45 countries, covering areas such as sales, legal, finance, and IT. The platform is currently managing various contracts, including a refrigeration loan in Panama and a lease agreement in Cambodia, as well as higher-stakes deals in Brazil.

The company estimates that Ironclad has already generated considerable financial value by enabling faster revenue realization, improving contract terms, reducing non-compliance fees, and eliminating the time spent searching for missing signatures.

TURNING DATA INTO A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE

Ask people at Heineken what they’re proudest of; it’s an interesting note that a number isn’t usually the first thing they mention.

“With the Ironclad implementation, I’m most proud of the trust that we managed to build between teams. With that trust and collaboration, we basically made everything possible. Ironclad made it possible to have one truly global contracting process that is standardized and, at the same time, allows localization for our markets,” Todorovska says.

As a result, that structure changed what the data could do for the business.

“When contract data is structured and searchable, you can make better decisions. You can answer questions in minutes rather than days. You can identify risks, and you have more opportunities for the business,” she continues.

In addition, Van de Weert sees a broader shift in what legal can now offer the rest of the company.

“It changed the perception of what legal can provide. The next frontier is: you’re using the tool, you’re capturing a lot of data. How do you use those data insights to help the business win in the market?” he states. 

Meanwhile, Schutte acknowledges that the first step on this path is clear: implementing AI and the obligations, risks, and deadlines it entails.

“Especially with AI emerging in the procurement space, being able to utilize data points and put them to work — instead of asking people to dig into every contract — makes all the difference.” 

Ultimately, every supplier agreement, lease, and local partnership is ultimately paperwork. However, at Heineken, this paperwork has become a foundational and strategic infrastructure – the system that allows a 190-market business to operate as one.

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ENACTING CHANGE IN EDIBLE OILS

As a trusted global leader in oilseed extraction, CPM|Crown provides advanced technologies, processing equipment, services, and solutions for industries including food, feed, aqua, energy, industrial, and specialty products. 

More specifically, these markets focus on oilseed processing, including the extraction of soybeans, canola, sunflower, and other oilseeds; green energy and renewable fuels, such as biodiesel and renewable diesel; food, feed, and aquaculture, comprising food-grade processing, specialty proteins, animal feed, and aqua feed; and chemical and pharmaceutical applications, which utilize specialized solid-liquid separation, refining, and specialty processing across many diverse products. 

The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of oilseed processing and refining solutions. Prior to refining, oil must be extracted from the oilseeds, which involves seed preparation, solvent extraction, and desolventization processes.  

Seed preparation includes cleaning, dehulling, conditioning, cracking, and flaking, each critical to enabling effective extraction.  

Next, the extraction process uses a counter-current flow where prepared flakes and liquid solvent wash in opposite directions inside an efficient and reliable, patented Crown extractor. The liquid stream yields a rich mixture of oil and solvent called miscella, alongside the solvent-wet solid meal.   

The meal is desolventized and toasted for use as a feed ingredient, while the miscella is pumped to the distillation process to separate the solvent from the crude oil. The solvent is subsequently reused in the process. Meanwhile, the oil undergoes a stripping process to remove any residual solvent – making it available as crude oil feedstock for further refining. 

In the oil refining process, the first step involves degumming the oil to remove phospholipids and other components. From there, neutralizing steps remove free fatty acids and bleaching removes color bodies and residual impurities, creating a lighter appearance.  

Deodorizing strips volatile compounds to secure a stable, palatable flavor profile, while also improving the color. Finally, crude filtration and winterizing involve the removal of solid impurities and wax fractions, respectively.   

“This detailed refining process ensures the customer can provide high-quality products on a consistent basis,” opens Bill Morphew, VP Sales – Liquids Segment. 

CPM’s vast global structure is supported by over 1,700 employees from its international headquarters and Global Innovation Center in Blaine, Minnesota, as well as worldwide locations such as the UK, Netherlands, Argentina, Brazil, and China. 

FEEDING A BETTER WORLD

Increasing biofuel demand, feedstock volatility, tighter quality standards, and evolving sustainability expectations are continuing to shape the edible oil refining sector in North America.  

As a result, food applications remain essential, while other sectors such as renewable diesel, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuel compete for soybean oil, canola oil, used cooking oil, animal fats, and other feedstocks. 

This restricted supply environment is pushing refiners to improve yield, flexibility, uptime, and feedstock optionality, and adapt to changing products, where oil has gained strategic importance, and the food produce markets move more independently.   

Within this landscape, CPM|Crown plays a key role.  

Crown is a brand division of the CPM organization whose systems support core refining steps such as degumming, neutralizing, bleaching, deodorizing, winterizing, dewaxing, enzymatic degumming, hydrogenation, fractionation, and fat modification.  

By helping refiners process variable crude oils, remove key impurities, protect yield, and maintain product stability, CPM|Crown supports the industry’s move toward more flexible, efficient, and sustainable refining capacity.   

“CPM|Crown’s full suite of solutions positions the company as a strategic partner in a market where food, fuel, and sustainability priorities increasingly overlap,” Morphew outlines. 

SUSTAINABLE AND ECONOMICAL

In October last year, CPM|Crown launched Monarc Clean Oilseed Processing™ (Monarc™) – a revolutionary alcohol-based solvent extraction technology.  

Monarc™ provides customers with a competitive advantage because it solves the central trade-off that has limited the clean oilseed processing sector for decades.  

“Processors have wanted safer, more sustainable, clean-label alternatives to petroleum-derived hexane, but alcohol-based systems historically struggled to match hexane’s economics at commercial scale. Monarc™ changes that by combining a patented ethanol-based extraction process with the scale, economic viability, and familiar plant configuration customers expect from modern Crown crush and protein plant offerings,” highlights Marc Ulery, Global Product Director – Monarc™.  

Historically, hexane became the industry standard because of its efficient, high-volume, and affordable oil extraction qualities. However, Monarc™’s use of ethanol maintains these attributes while also ensuring cleaner production, with a process that is on par from both a capital investment and an operational cost perspective.  

This allows Monarc™ to be positioned as much more than a niche sustainability upgrade, but a commercially viable platform for mainstream oilseed processors.  

The technology’s aforementioned characteristics also make adoption easier for processors, investors, and engineering teams because it does not ask them to choose between sustainability and economics. 

Moreover, the design and operation of Monarc™ oilseed processing facilities are very similar to Crown’s existing crush or protein plant systems. This makes the solution more familiar to customers evaluating retrofits, brownfield improvements, or greenfield construction and presents it as an evolution of established extraction infrastructure rather than a risky departure to an unfamiliar processing platform. 

“Crown provides the process know-how needed to make ethanol extraction economically viable while leveraging established and well-known technologies. This combination reduces perceived technology risk and improves our ability to win strategic projects,” Ulery points out.

CLEAN-LABEL MOVEMENT

The clean-label movement continues to permeate the food and beverage industry, with consumer awareness around food production processes growing, and the edible oil sector playing a key part in this increased focus. Fortunately, Monarc™ closely aligns with the consumer-driven shift.  

“As expectations on food manufacturers continue to rise, Monarc™ creates a market-facing advantage by supporting the production of high-value clean-label ingredients and products, including the potential for organic labeling, which are permitted by supply chain and regulatory compliance,” Ulery says.  

The technology’s use of ethanol, which is already associated with food and beverage applications, gives processors a more consumer-aligned processing story compared to petroleum-derived hexane. 

This also supports the goals of brand owners and ingredient suppliers as they seek to communicate simpler processing, cleaner ingredients, and more responsible production.   

Such advantages extend across a broad range of markets, including oils, meals, white flakes, protein concentrates, animal nutrition products, and biofuel-related value chains, all of which can benefit from a hexane-free processing narrative. 

“The potential for clean manufacturing strengthens CPM|Crown’s value proposition beyond equipment sales by giving customers a scalable route into premium, differentiated markets and helping them advance broader growth strategies tied to cleaner, more responsible manufacturing,” he expands. 

CIRCULAR CARBON MODEL

As a clean oilseed processing technology, Monarc™ also offers a meaningful environmental step forward by enabling ethanol extraction as an alternative to petroleum-derived hexane.  

Because ethanol can be produced from plant-derived renewable sources, the technology enables processors to better align extraction operations with corporate sustainability goals, renewable energy strategies, and broader industry decarbonization commitments, while also being more scalable, efficient, and economical.  

Renewable ethanol additionally supports a departure from fossil-based extraction solvents in favor of a more circular carbon model.  

“Alcohol-based extraction can draw on agricultural or bio-based ethanol supply, reducing exposure to fossil-carbon inputs while allowing producers to maintain scale. Rather than introducing additional petroleum-derived solvent demand into the production chain, alcohol extraction draws on an agricultural-based ethanol supply, helping processors reduce exposure to fossil-carbon inputs,” explains Ulery.  

This ultimately supports decarbonization while allowing producers to maintain the processing scale their businesses require.  

Monarc™’s alcohol-based approach also creates practical advantages for permitting and environmental review. 

In the US, hexane appears on the Environmental Protection Agency’s List of Hazardous Air Pollutants. Ethanol is not identified as such, making it better-positioned for facilities facing tighter air emissions targets, regulatory uncertainty, or heightened community scrutiny.   

Furthermore, for producers located in populous areas or markets where permitting timelines and public acceptance can influence project viability, using ethanol can support a smoother path through environmental approvals and reduce the perceived risk associated with new extraction capacity.

SAFETY ADVANTAGES

Monarc™ also offers myriad workplace safety advantages, helping customers transition from petroleum-based hexane exposure risks to an alcohol-based process, which has more favorable safety and handling properties.  

“By eliminating toxic hexane exposure concerns, the technology can improve plant safety profiles and essentially remove the risks of processing with hydrocarbons, which are traditionally used to strip or clean any residual hexane from the oil,” Ulery tells us.  

On top of this, ethanol is non-toxic and not classified as a carcinogen, thus reducing worker health risks during operations, maintenance, material handling, and storage. 

It also provides an added fire safety advantage because the chemical’s   autoignition temperature of 363 degrees Celsius (°C) is significantly higher than hexane’s at 223°C, creating a wider margin against unintended ignition.   

Furthermore, since water is miscible in ethanol, sprinkler or deluge systems can both cool and dilute it, while water applied to hexane can only provide cooling and cannot dilute the solvent.  

These advantages support customer goals around worker safety, operational risk reduction, and responsible manufacturing.   

As such, for processors facing growing expectations around safety, the operating profile of Monarc™ can become a meaningful project driver.   

“By enabling safer, more confident day-to-day operations, the technology creates an opportunity for increased employee engagement, stronger safety culture, and improved conditions for successful plant performance,” Ulery notes.

CONNECTING INNOVATION AND EXECUTION

CPM|Crown’s Global Innovation Center provides a low-risk path to develop, validate, scale, and commercialize new products and processes.  

Located at its Blaine headquarters in Minnesota, the 15,000-square-foot pilot plant, analytical lab, and training facility replicate production environments while providing expert support, confidential testing space, and full-scale processing insight.   

The company’s world-class value comes from combining production capability with deep technical expertise. With systems for preparation, extraction, and liquids refining, customers can progress from feasibility work to continuous pilot-plant testing with data representative of commercial operations. 

The Global Innovation Center operates 24 hours a day, five days a week, enabling scale-up testing under real-world production conditions.  

It offers a complete innovation ecosystem with an analytical lab, engineering, fabrication, piloting, and R&D teams translating results into process designs, equipment selections, and return on investment (ROI) analysis for efficient implementation. 

Through the Center, CPM|Crown combines forward-thinking, proprietary technology, engineering knowledge, aftermarket experience, and full-scale support to help customers anticipate megatrends, improve continuously, and bring products to market with confidence.    

The facility also strengthens workforce readiness through classroom and hands-on training in controlled environments that mirror plant realities while reducing risk and disruption.  

“The Global Innovation Center connects innovation with execution. It gives producers a state-of-the-art production plant for innovation, real-world testing before implementation, engineering, ROI analysis, confidential product sampling, and workforce training,” surmises Alex Danelich, CCO. 

ADDITIONAL PRIORITIES

With Monarc™ moving from the development stages into commercial execution, the first commercial plant contract was awarded to Elian in Barcelona, Spain in August last year.  

CPM is supplying equipment for Elian’s commercial-scale facility expansion to produce soy protein concentrate at the Port of Barcelona, supporting clean-label, plant-based protein production capacity using Monarc™’s alcohol-based extraction system. 

Elsewhere, the company is continuing to advance equipment innovations that improve reliability and optimization in oilseed processing plants.  

For example, Crown’s Flexible Control Tray™ Oil Stripper maximizes active tray areas while reducing the risk of fouling and plugging that can lead to costly shutdowns.   

Initially focused on stripping hexane from crude oil, the technology is expanding into additional applications where improved stripping performance, uptime, and energy efficiency are priorities.   

“Compared with conventional disc-and-donut style systems, it can deliver a 35 percent or greater reduction in energy requirements while maintaining or improving residual hexane performance, and its adjustable orifice layout provides flexibility across different plant conditions and operational rates,” details Danelich.  

With customers looking to purify and pretreat renewable oil feedstocks for sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel production, CPM|Crown’s projects demonstrate how it is positioning its technologies to support both conventional oilseed processors and emerging renewable fuel markets.  

EXCITING NEW ERA

Looking ahead, Rosebank Industries’ recent acquisition of CPM marks an important new chapter for the company, bringing a renewed focus on long-term growth, commercial discipline, and the customer experience across the full plant lifecycle.  

“As CPM becomes part of Rosebank Industries, the transition is an opportunity to strengthen its core commitments. The coming year will be defined by a clearer emphasis on helping customers maximize the value of their equipment well beyond the original sale with practical support that keeps their operations running confidently, reliably, and efficiently,” says Kris Knudson, President. 

The acquisition will be most visible in the company’s aftermarket support – comprising service, parts, components, technical expertise, rapid downtime response, and refurbishment – which will lead to clearer processes, stronger parts planning, and reduced lead times. 

Utilizing Rosebank Industries’ resources, CPM will strengthen its delivery across key markets by combining local expertise with its broader engineering, technology, and technical network to help customers extend equipment life, improve uptime, and reduce unplanned downtime. 

Customers will also benefit from a stronger CPM that has a greater ability to support equipment performance over time. The organization’s future priorities are aimed at extending equipment life, improving uptime, and delivering more predictable support through better processes and planning.  

“With Rosebank Industries’ backing, CPM is positioned to combine commercial focus, local service, global resources, and technical expertise in a way that reinforces its commiorces its commitment to long-term customer value,” Danelich concludes.

The post CPM|Crown : Enacting Change in Edible Oils appeared first on Food & Beverage Outlook.

SHAPING THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE

Virginia Tech is the commonwealth’s most comprehensive university and leading research institution, with around 38,000 students and 280 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

As a core part of daily life at the university, Virginia Tech Dining Services (Dining Services) makes a meaningful impact on the student experience.

“Every innovation, enhancement, and interaction contributes to creating memorable dining experiences for our students,” introduces Brian Grove, Director.

“Being part of an organization that helps shape campus life through food, hospitality, and community engagement is what makes this work so rewarding.”

Dining Services is an award-winning dining program spanning nine distinct buildings that offers an unparalleled variety of culinary experiences through 36 unique retail dining concepts, ranging from national brands to chef-driven.

Complementing its retail portfolio are two all-you-care-to-eat dining centers featuring 19 diverse dining concepts, delivering an exceptional array of cuisines, flavors, and experiences.

“Together, these venues create a dynamic foodservice program widely recognized for its quality, variety, innovation, and commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our campus community,” Grove outlines.

TRUSTED TO LEAD

Grove himself started out as a student employee at Dining Services in January 1988, working his way up to Associate Director by April 2007.

Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the department’s operations pivoted and Grove was made Senior Associate Director by Ted Faulkner, who was Director of Dining Services at the time.

“I was trusted to lead the department out of the final stages of the pandemic and completely humbled and honored that Ted and others had full faith in me,” recalls Grove.

“He became my greatest mentor prior to and during this period of my career. When I moved into my new office, there was a handwritten note – “Wishing you great success in your new role!… The keys to the finest automobile are yours.” – I share this because it’s really where I thought about what my legacy would be for Dining Services and Virginia Tech.”

Grove became Director of Dining Services in January 2024 and now oversees and heads the department.

His vision is for Dining Services to be the leader in collegiate dining by delivering exceptional food, innovative facilities, meaningful programs, and outstanding service that enriches the student experience.

“I firmly believe we can achieve this by continuously adapting to student needs, creating welcoming spaces that foster connection and belonging, investing in student and employee development, and embracing innovation that enhances convenience, sustainability, and operational excellence,” Grove sets out.

After more than 35 years with Dining Services, Grove recognizes his role today is as much about preparing for the future as it is about leading the present.

“I want to leave the organization stronger than I found it by developing future leaders, modernizing our facilities and programs, and creating a culture that embraces innovation while staying true to our commitment to students,” he affirms.

“My goal is to ensure that 10 years from now, Dining Services is still recognized as a national leader – not because of any one person, but because we have built an organization that continuously develops its people, adapts to changing student needs, and creates exceptional dining experiences that strengthen the Hokie community.”

LEAVING A LEGACY

People are the first of three focus areas for Dining Services, creating opportunities for professional growth, leadership development, and succession planning so the next generation of leaders is prepared to continue advancing its mission.

The department’s success has always been driven by its talented and dedicated employees, of which there are 2,200, so ensuring it cultivates future leaders is essential.

“My goal is to foster a culture of leadership development, continuous improvement, and empowerment that prepares the next generation of Dining Services leaders for success,” Grove emphasizes.

“If our team is stronger, more capable, and better-positioned to thrive because of the investments we make today, then we will have built a solid foundation for the future.

“Our operation serves as a living-learning environment where students gain leadership, customer service, teamwork, and professional skills through employment opportunities. We should continue investing in training, mentorship, and leadership development programs that prepare students for success beyond Virginia Tech,” he tells us.

As well as student staff, Dining Services offers the same type of training and professional development for its full and part-time staff, preparing them to take the next step in the organization as supervisors and management.

Second is the continued evolution of the department’s facilities and dining environment. Today’s students have different expectations than they did even a few years ago, and those will continue to change.

By strategically planning renovations, new concepts, and flexible dining spaces, its facilities will remain relevant, welcoming, and supportive of student engagement.

The third and final focus area is Dining Services’ commitment to fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

“I want us to remain proactive rather than reactive – embracing change, testing new ideas, and consistently seeking ways to enhance the student experience,” urges Grove.

“I hope to leave Dining Services with a strong foundation that balances tradition with innovation. While we should continue to evolve and adapt to changing student needs, we must also preserve the values that have made us successful – our commitment to excellence, hospitality, teamwork, and the student experience.

“If my legacy is that I helped to develop future leaders, strengthen our culture, and position our staff and organization for continued success, then I would consider that my greatest accomplishment,” he prides.

PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE SUCCESS

While Dining Services has built a strong foundation, several opportunities and challenges will shape its future.

Workforce development remains a top priority; recruiting, developing, and retaining talented and dependable employees is essential to the department’s long-term success.

“We will continue investing in leadership development, employee engagement, and succession planning to ensure we have a strong team prepared to meet future needs,” Grove confirms.

At the same time, there are ongoing financial pressures facing the industry to navigate, including rising costs for food, labor, utilities, and supplies.

Maintaining operational efficiency and sound financial stewardship will be critical as Dining Services delivers the high-quality dining experiences its students and guests expect.

“Today’s customers expect exceptional food quality, convenience, technology-driven solutions, and strong value. We will continue enhancing the dining experience through customer-focused service, expanded technology offerings, and flexible dining options that meet the changing needs of our campus community,” assures Grove.

Health, wellness, and sustainability will also remain important areas of focus, with students increasingly seeking fresh ingredients, allergen-friendly options, locally sourced products, and environmentally responsible practices.

This is exemplified by the introduction of a certified top nine allergen-free dining concept in D2 at Dietrick Hall, opening in fall 2026. A new menu, alongside existing favorites, will be served by committed and trained staff, with all recipes tested and reviewed by students.

“The concept reinforces our commitment to students self-identifying with food allergies and promotes success, well-being, and a sense of belonging on the Virginia Tech campus,” Grove highlights.

Innovation and continuous improvement, meanwhile, will be central to the department’s future success.

“Whether through consumer waste technology, robotics, data-driven decision-making, new dining concepts, facility enhancements, or operational efficiencies, we will continue looking for ways to evolve and improve,” he states.

As one of the largest auxiliary enterprises on campus, Dining Services also plays an important role in student satisfaction, community engagement, and the overall Virginia Tech experience.

“We will continue to strengthen that impact by providing welcoming spaces and meaningful connections for students and the broader campus community,” closes Grove.

The post Virginia Tech Dining Services : Shaping the Student Experience appeared first on Food & Beverage Outlook.

Food Supply Chains Face Recall Readiness Gap

UK food and beverage businesses are highly confident in their ability to manage product recalls despite widespread gaps in supply chain traceability, according to new research from Balloon One.

The Trace Against Time study found that 93 per cent of businesses believe they could manage a live product recall quickly and accurately. However, 78 per cent believe recalls and withdrawals are becoming more frequent.

Businesses estimate it would take an average of four hours to identify every affected batch, stock location and customer destination during a recall. Almost a quarter – 24 per cent – said the process would take five hours or longer.

Where batch information is linked directly to stock movements, Balloon One said the same tracing exercise can take closer to 10 minutes.

Disconnected Systems Slow Product Traceability

The research highlights fragmented supply chain technology as a potential obstacle to faster recall management.

More than three quarters – 77 per cent – of respondents would need to consult at least two separate systems, spreadsheets or records during a live recall.

Only 24 per cent described their traceability data across warehouse, production and customer orders as fully real time, while a quarter continue to track batch and expiry information using spreadsheets.

More than half – 55 per cent – reported incomplete or inconsistent batch and lot information, while 42 per cent said expiry or shelf-life information is not always visible in real time.

Businesses are also manually reconciling information between systems more than 100 times annually, according to the research, while only 38 per cent have fully automated first-expired, first-out (FEFO) stock rotation.

Craig Powell, Managing Director at Balloon One, said: “It isn’t that recalls are badly managed, it’s that businesses have little oversight of the gaps in their own systems.”

“When teams are manually reconciling data between production, warehouse management, QA and ERP, they’re exposing themselves to real commercial risk the moment they need to pull a product quickly and accurately.”

Product Recalls Carry £545,000 Financial Risk

The potential financial consequences are significant, with respondents estimating the total impact of a serious product recall or contamination incident at approximately £545,249.

Poor visibility of expiry dates and shelf life has already resulted in customer complaints for 39 per cent of businesses during the past 12 months, while 32.7 per cent reported retailer chargebacks or penalties.

Product recalls and withdrawals are now the third-largest operational concern among businesses surveyed, cited by 37 per cent.

Respondents identified commercial pressures as the leading factor increasing recall risk, cited by 51 per cent, followed by supply chain complexity at 46 per cent. Shorter shelf lives and tighter delivery windows were identified by 39 per cent.

Contamination Leads Food Recall Causes

Foreign material or physical contamination was the most commonly reported reason for recalls, withdrawals and investigations during the previous 18 months, affecting 56 per cent of respondents.

Undeclared allergens followed at 40 per cent, with labelling and packaging issues at 39 per cent and chemical contamination at 37 per cent.

More than nine in 10 businesses – 92 per cent – had recalled, withdrawn or investigated an issue involving sandwiches, wraps or food-to-go products during the previous 18 months. The figure was 91 per cent for chilled ready meals and 89 per cent for prepared salads.

Supply Chain Visibility Could Limit Recall Impact

Balloon One argues that better integration of production, warehouse and enterprise resource planning (ERP) data could help businesses identify affected products more precisely and avoid unnecessary withdrawals.

“Without the right visibility, the safest decision in a live recall is to pull everything – this can mean you end up withdrawing far more stock than the problem warrants and absorbing the retailer penalties and lost sales that follow,” Powell said.

“Bringing it into one connected system is what lets you move quickly when a serious issue does land.”

The Censuswide research surveyed 502 decision-makers at UK businesses involved in manufacturing, processing, distributing or supplying chilled, convenience and ready-to-eat food products between 27 July and 4 August 2026.

The post Balloon One Research Reveals Major Gaps in Food Supply Chain Traceability appeared first on Food & Beverage Outlook.

STRATEGIC GLOBAL EXPANSION

For over 60 years, TGI Fridays™ – the world’s first casual bar and grill – has brought people together through delicious food, tantalizing drinks, and unparalleled celebrations. The company currently operates approximately 400 restaurants in nearly 40 countries, famous for its American classics, legendary cocktails, and unmistakable atmosphere.

With full-service dining, bold-format convenience, a franchise-first approach, operational excellence, and brand power built to scale, TGI Fridays™ is a stalwart in the food and beverage industry.

In a decisive move to reinforce its global expansion under its 1-2-3 Strategic Vision, the company has announced the signing of a landmark development agreement with Devolli Group – one of the largest privately owned business groups in Southeast Europe – marking TGI Fridays’™ first-ever expansion into Kosovo, Albania, and North Macedonia.

“The Balkans represent one of Europe’s most exciting growth opportunities, combining entrepreneurial energy, a thriving hospitality sector, and a culture that values gathering around the table. Those qualities align perfectly with what TGI Fridays™ has stood for since day one. Devolli Group is the right partner to introduce TGI Fridays™ to the Balkans. Their market expertise, operational excellence, and long-term vision give us tremendous confidence in what we can build together. This partnership not only expands our international footprint, but also advances our 1-2-3 Strategic Vision as we continue bringing the Fridays experience to new guests around the world,” states Phil Broad, Global President of TGI Fridays™.

With the Balkans’ rich tradition of hospitality, vibrant social culture, and strong sense of community, TGI Fridays’™ expansion into the region represents a natural next chapter for the brand’s international growth.

CONTINUED INTERNATIONAL DEMAND

The agreement between TGI Fridays™ and Devolli Group represents a milestone in the restaurant and bar brand’s global momentum as it scales through its franchise-first development model. Specifically, within the partnership, Devolli Group will develop 10 TGI Fridays™ restaurants across the three countries, having already secured the rights to sub-franchise the brand throughout the markets. This creates a platform for long-term expansion across Southeast Europe, laying the foundation for continued growth across the Balkans.

Blerim Devolli, President of Devolli Group, states: “We are proud to bring TGI Fridays™, one of the world’s most recognized American casual dining restaurant brands, to Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. This partnership reflects our commitment to investing in world-class brands and delivering exceptional hospitality experiences across the region. We look forward to building a strong, long-term business that creates new opportunities, develops local talent, and brings a globally recognized dining experience to our customers and communities.”

The Balkans are currently one of Europe’s fastest-growing tourism and hospitality destinations, fueled by increasing international investment, modern retail developments, and evolving customer demand, making the area a prime destination to introduce the iconic TGI Fridays™ franchise. In addition to expanding consumer choice, the partnership is anticipated to create new employment opportunities, invest in local hospitality talent, and contribute to the growth of the region’s economy.

This development agreement highlights TGI Fridays’™ ambitious 1-2-3 Strategic Vision to operate over 1,000 restaurants worldwide by 2030. In the previous nine months, the company has signed new development agreements in Kenya and the Maldives, while extending strategic partnerships across Peru, Japan, Mexico, the Philippines, Greece, Cyprus, and Spain. These various agreements have added over 150 restaurants to the brand’s global development pipeline, showcasing TGI Fridays’™ international franchise network and the continued demand for its consistency, quality, and local relevance.

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DRINKING LESS, BUT BETTER

The way people buy wine is changing.

Consumers are drinking less wine, but increasingly they are prepared to spend more on the bottle they choose. They are also becoming more curious about what they are drinking – where it comes from, how it tastes, what makes it different and, perhaps most importantly, whether they are going to enjoy it.

At The Wine Engine, we are seeing this shift first-hand. Sales have grown by 350% over the past six months, while customer numbers have increased by 260% over the same period. Repeat purchasing is also growing, demonstrating that consumers are not simply looking for a bottle of wine; they are looking for a better way to discover and buy it.

This is part of a much broader change in the wine market. According to WineGuide101’s 2026 Global Wine Industry Trends and Outlook Report, global wine consumption volumes fell by around 3% in 2024, while total market value increased by approximately 1%. Lower-priced mass-market wine has been declining, while premium wine has proved considerably more resilient.

The message is increasingly clear: people are drinking less but drinking better.

This isn’t simply about paying more for wine. It is about becoming more selective and more engaged with what we buy.

AN EVOLVING INDUSTRY

For years, much of wine retail has been about navigating an enormous choice of bottles, regions, grape varieties, and price points. The consumer has traditionally been expected to do much of the work themselves.

That is changing.

Today’s consumers are accustomed to services that learn from them. We expect Netflix to understand what we want to watch, Spotify to understand what we want to hear, and Amazon to anticipate what we might want to buy.

We increasingly expect the same level of personalisation from the services we use every day.

Wine should be no different. From choosing wine to discovering wine

The opportunity for wine retailers is therefore not simply to sell more bottles. It is to make choosing the right bottle easier, more personal and more enjoyable.

That is where AI can make a genuine difference.

At The Wine Engine, our GrapevineAI recommendation technology helps customers discover wines based on their individual tastes and preferences. Rather than simply presenting a customer with hundreds of bottles and leaving them to navigate the choice themselves, it helps them find wines they are likely to enjoy – including wines they may never have considered before.

The aim isn’t to replace human expertise. It is to make that expertise more accessible and useful.

AI-ENABLED RECOMMENDATIONS

Most wine drinkers know what they like. What many struggle with is describing why they like it or knowing what to try next.

A customer might know they enjoy fresh, mineral white wines but have never explored wines from a particular region. Another might love a full-bodied Italian red but want to discover something with similar characteristics from somewhere completely different.

That is where personalised recommendations become powerful. They can turn wine buying from a transaction into a process of discovery.

Our AI Sommelier has already generated more than 1,000 personalised recommendations, and these now directly influence 24% of repeat purchases.

We are seeing the same principle in our subscription service. Modern consumers want convenience, but they don’t want to surrender control. They want flexibility, personalisation and the ability to adapt a service around their changing tastes and habits.

Our wine subscription is designed around precisely that expectation. Customers can customise their choices, control what they receive, and use the service to discover new wines rather than simply having the same products delivered repeatedly.

That reflects a much wider consumer trend.

The subscriptions and apps that have become embedded in our lives increasingly learn from us. They adapt. They remember. They make recommendations. And the better they understand us, the more useful they become.

Consumers are beginning to expect that relationship everywhere – including wine. The implications for the wine industry are significant.

THE FUTURE OF WINE

As overall consumption declines, competing simply for volume becomes less attractive. The opportunity is to build stronger relationships with consumers by helping them make better choices.

Premiumisation is part of that story, but so is confidence. If someone is going to drink less frequently, they want the bottle they open to be worth opening. They want to know it is likely to suit their taste, but they also want the opportunity to discover something new.

That is where technology and human expertise can work particularly well together.

AI can identify patterns in preferences and behaviour. Wine expertise provides the context, knowledge and judgement behind the recommendation. Together, they can make a traditionally intimidating category much easier to navigate.

I don’t believe the future of wine retail is about removing choice. It is about making choice more intelligent.

The consumer of the future will not necessarily want the biggest wine list, the cheapest bottle or the most aggressive promotion.

They will want a retailer that knows them, understands their tastes and can introduce them to something they might love.

The wine industry is moving from selling bottles to building relationships.

And in a market where people are drinking less but drinking better, the businesses that understand what individual consumers want will be the ones that win.

The post The Rise of Intelligent Wine Buying: Why Consumers Are Drinking Less but Better appeared first on Food & Beverage Outlook.

Mars Builds Enterprise AI Platform with Google Cloud

Mars is scaling agentic AI across its global operations as the food, snacking and petcare business looks to automate workflows, accelerate product and marketing processes and give associates greater access to AI tools.

The USD$65 billion family-owned company has partnered with Google Cloud to use Gemini Enterprise as the primary AI operating system for its workforce.

Mars employs more than 170,000 associates globally and operates a portfolio spanning food and snacking brands including M&M’S and Ben’s Original, alongside petcare products and veterinary services.

The company is initially rolling out the Gemini Enterprise app to 60,000 associates, while its wider One Demand AI (ODAI) system provides more than 62,000 associates with access to agentic capabilities.

Shubham Mehrish, Chief AI and Technology Officer at Mars, said: “This is not a technology transformation—it’s a process transformation. With Google Cloud, we have a new way to create the world we want tomorrow and how we do our business today.”

AI Agents Accelerate Marketing Workflows

Central to the strategy is Mars’ migration of ODAI to the Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform.

Developed with Google Cloud and Accenture, the system acts as a single access point through which associates can use specialised AI agents to automate complex, multi-step processes.

Mars is adopting a hub-and-spoke model that allows individual functions, including marketing, research and development (R&D) and finance, to create specialised agents while retaining centralised governance.

The approach is already being applied to brand campaign development. Previously, marketing teams worked through manual processes involving multiple external agencies and email-based workflows.

Specialised brand intelligence and campaign brief agents can now synthesise market research and trends, generate briefs based on Mars’ brand guidelines and route them for approval.

“Before AI, orchestrating this complicated workflow took us months to do. We’re talking weeks now,” Mehrish said. “That’s the acceleration that Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform gives us. It’s pretty dramatically changed our workflow and the pace of what we can produce and bring to market.”

AI Targets Flavour Trends and Ecommerce

Mars is extending the technology into areas with direct relevance to food and beverage innovation and commercial operations.

An innovation agent is being developed to identify popular flavour trends, potentially giving teams another tool for analysing changing consumer preferences.

An ecommerce agent provides personalised recommendations covering demand and pricing, designed to help sales associates optimise the way Mars products are sold through online shopping platforms.

The technology is also being applied further into operations. Examples include factory diagnostic assistants designed to help troubleshoot production lines and supply chain agents that can identify alternative sources for ingredients.

Mars said enterprise-grade agents can be developed within weeks, while its wider AI infrastructure gives teams access to more than 200 enterprise-ready models.

Mars Creates Central Control for AI Agents

As AI adoption expands, Mars is seeking to balance decentralised development with central governance.

Google Cloud’s Agent Registry and Agent Observability capabilities allow technology teams to track AI tools created across the organisation and oversee their security, compliance and performance, and associates can also develop personal AI agents within the framework.

“We want our associates to be able to build in many places, but still orchestrate all of that through a common agentic layer,” Mehrish said.

“This is not a Wild West AI rollout, and especially as people build their own personal agents, the fact that we can govern in one common control plane with Gemini Enterprise is what sealed the deal for us.”

For Mars, the longer-term objective is to use AI not simply as an additional technology layer but to redesign end-to-end business processes across its global operations.

“The companies that are successful will be those that can automate end-to-end workflows [and] reimagine processes,” Mehrish said. “This change is about empowering our associates to deliver more and getting to that ultimate revenue growth.”

The post How Google Cloud is Helping Mars Transform Food, Marketing and Supply Chain Operations appeared first on Food & Beverage Outlook.

Yellow Wood Targets Vitamins and Supplements Market

Private equity firm Yellow Wood Partners has agreed to acquire Nestlé’s Holistic Health platform in a USD$1 billion transaction, expanding its presence across the vitamins, minerals and supplements (VMS) market.

The transaction will give Yellow Wood a portfolio of established consumer health brands spanning areas including hydration, gut health, immunity and women’s health.

Holistic Health’s portfolio includes Nature’s Bounty, Nuun, Osteo Bi-Flex and Gard. Nature’s Bounty is the second-largest overall VMS brand in the US and a leading women’s health brand, according to the announcement.

The brand offers a range of wellness products consumed in more than 20 per cent of US households and has been operating for more than 50 years.

“This is another important step in the strategic transformation of our portfolio” said Philipp Navratil, CEO, Nestlé. “

We are focusing our resources where we have the strongest competitive advantage. With Nestlé’s strong innovation and brand-building capabilities, we are well positioned for growth in the premium, science-led VMS space, where brands such as Solgar and Pure Encapsulations continue to perform strongly. At the same time, the category has evolved, and the mainstream VMS business requires a different approach under dedicated ownership.”

Standalone Business to Focus on Brand Growth

Yellow Wood plans to operate Holistic Health as a standalone entity, with the private equity firm identifying opportunities to accelerate innovation and strengthen the individual brands’ positions with consumers and retail partners.

Dana Schmaltz, Partner at Yellow Wood, said: “Holistic Health is an excellent platform of trusted brands with deep retailer relationships providing significant opportunities for continued growth.

“The Holistic Health portfolio provides a group of specialty category leaders in various high growth sectors of the attractive VMS market, including hydration, gut health and immunity. Operating Holistic Health as a standalone entity will provide the opportunity to leverage the power of each brand to accelerate growth, enhance innovation and strengthen their market positions with consumers and retail partners.”

The deal adds another group of consumer brands to Yellow Wood’s existing portfolio, which includes Chapstick, Suave, Q-tips, Caress, Pond’s and Dr. Scholl’s.

Yellow Wood Sees Growth in Consumer Health

Yellow Wood said increasing adoption of VMS products and growing demand for products targeting specific consumer benefits could provide further opportunities for organic growth across the acquired portfolio.

Tad Yanagi, Partner at Yellow Wood, said: “We believe that by implementing the Yellow Wood Consumer Operating DNA model, we can accelerate the growth of all of these brands as we have done with other category defining carveouts such as Q-tips, Chapstick, Suave and Dr. Scholl’s.

“As VMS adoption continues to increase among a wide range of consumers and demand for benefit-specific solutions expands, we see significant runway to drive organic growth across the platform.”

Deal Continues Consumer Brand Acquisition Strategy

The agreement represents Yellow Wood’s sixth significant carveout acquisition from five major global consumer companies. Its previous transactions have involved brands from Bayer, Reckitt, Unilever and Haleon.

The acquisition remains subject to applicable regulatory approvals and is expected to close during the first half of 2027.

The post Yellow Wood Partners to Acquire Nestlé Health Brands for USD$1 Billion appeared first on Food & Beverage Outlook.

A QUIET CHANGE 

Across Australia, the Pacific and Southeast Asia (APS), Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) is introducing electric vehicles to its delivery operations, marking a series of practical steps towards more sustainable logistics. 

From Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia to the Philippines, new electric trucks are being introduced across the regional network, supporting delivery operations whilst helping to reduce carbon emissions across the busy streets and industrial hubs of the region.  

PNG 

PNG has welcomed the country’s first-ever fleet of electric delivery lorries, representing a small but significant step towards decarbonising logistics in the Pacific. Five new vehicles are already supporting CCEP’s operations in Lae and Port Moresby.  

The fleet has been introduced in partnership with local logistics provider Express Freight Management. 

AUSTRALIA 

In Australia, CCEP is working with logistics partner Toll Group to bring 12 all-electric rigid trucks into operation across key national distribution routes. 

The 12 Volvo FM vehicles have a charging range of up to 270 kilometres, enabling them to complete multiple deliveries across metropolitan routes. Collectively, the fleet is expected to reduce an estimated 283 tonnes (t) of carbon emissions each year. 

To support their operation, four distribution sites have been fitted with dedicated charging infrastructure following a joint investment by CCEP and Toll Group. 

The vehicles are also equipped with advanced safety systems and technology designed to support drivers, improve service delivery performance, and enhance community safety. 

THE PHILIPPINES  

Meanwhile, the Philippines has introduced its first-ever electric truck to the national fleet. 

Stationed at CCEP’s Santa Rosa bottling site in Laguna, the zero-emissions vehicle is expected to reduce carbon emissions by a further 54 t each year. 

The new battery-powered truck forms part of wider efforts to develop a more sustainable local supply chain in the Philippines. These initiatives include the installation of more than 23,000 solar panels across bottling sites, alongside energy-saving measures across production lines. 

Improvements include enhancing boiler efficiency, reducing leaks, and installing more energy-efficient lighting, further supporting efforts to improve the sustainability of local operations. 

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