USA: Archer to open second meat snack manufacturing facility
US meat snack company Archer has announced the opening of a second production facility, nearly doubling its total manufacturing capacity. Located in the Vernon district of Los Angeles (CA), the plant will span an area of 140,000 sq ft and focus solely on meat stick production. An existing facility in San Bernardino (CA) will continue producing both jerky […]
Tradeshow Insight: Natural & Organic Products Expo 2025
The Natural & Organic Products Expo (NOPEX) 2025, the UK’s premier trade event for sustainable and ethical brands, once again made ExCeL London its home this May as industry professionals engaged in another three days of trend-spotting and lively networking. Reportedly responding to feedback from exhibitors and visitors, NOPEX transitioned to a Monday-Tuesday format for […]
USA: Verde Valle Foods acquires A Dozen Cousins
Verde Valle Foods, a producer and distributor of rice, beans and ready meals in a pouch, has announced the acquisition of A Dozen Cousins, a brand focused on ready-to-eat dishes inspired by Creole, Caribbean, and Latin American traditions. Founded in 1967, Verde Valle is a third-generation family firm that owns leading brands such as Verde […]
USA: Kameda transfers ownership of Mary’s Gone Crackers to Dare Foods
Kameda Seika, a Japanese snack firm, has announced that it is divesting its US brand Mary’s Gone Crackers (MGC) to Rosseau Inc, a US subsidiary of Canadian food manufacturer Dare Foods, in a debt-equity swap. Founded in 2004, MGC offers organic, kosher, gluten-free and non-GMO crackers, available at grocery and speciality stores in both the United […]
Switzerland: Lidl launches own brand for local produce.
Discount retailer Lidl has announced the launch of a new brand in Switzerland focusing on “quality” and local products. The Qualite Suisse (Swiss Quality) range has launched with fruit and vegetables, bread, meat, cheese, charcuterie and dairy products, with categories such as frozen food, iced tea, chocolate, flour, and sugar to be added in later stages. […]
Tradeshow Insight: The Vaper Expo 2025
Running for ten years, and advertised as Europe’s premier dedicated tradeshow for the e-cigarette category, The Vaper Expo UK 2025 returned to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) this May for its latest outing. Overall, the expo attracted over 20,000 visitors and featured more than 500 brands across 300+ exhibitor stands, offering a comprehensive overview of […]
USA: Danone acquires majority stake in Kate Farms
Danone, the food and beverage multinational, has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority stake in Kate Farms, a US-based producer of plant-based, nutritional shakes and formulas for adults and children. Kate Farms shakes are described as containing organic pea protein, fibre and phytonutrients, with no artificial additives or […]
UK: Allied Bakeries, Hovis in merger talks
Associated British Foods (ABF) has confirmed it is in discussions with private equity firm Endless, the owner of Hovis, regarding a possible merger with ABF’s Allied Bakeries business, according to a FoodBev report. In a statement, ABF noted that Allied Bakeries “continues to face a very challenging market”, adding: “We are evaluating strategic options against this […]
Annika Porr, Senior Manager, Forward Lab
Fazer
Gama spoke to Annika Porr, Senior Manager, Forward Lab, Fazer. How is Fazer responding to the major consumer trends currently shaping the food industry? At Fazer, we’re seeing several consumer trends that are significantly influencing how we innovate, particularly the demand for quality, innovation, health & well-being and sustainability. Consumers today want brands they can […]
UK: Arla breaks ground on Devon mozzarella plant
Arla, the UK’s largest dairy cooperative, has announced it has commenced work on a £179 million ($238 million) facility in Devon that will specialise in the manufacture of mozzarella cheese. As part of the initiative, the Taw Valley Creamery will undergo extensive upgrades, integrating new technology to enable the export of mozzarella for use in culinary […]