New facility helps food and beverage (F&B) powder producers validate powder-formulated products and processes at industrial scale.

Tetra Pak has officially opened its new Product Development Centre (PDC) for Powder Process and Technology in Cholet, France, designed to accelerate innovation and optimise processes for powder-formulated products.

At 340 m^², the new powder PDC features a fully equipped pilot plant with modular production lines and the latest powder-handling technologies. It also includes a dedicated testing laboratory to ensure quality, compliance and optimisation. Together, these facilities enable food and beverage powder producers to:

• Validate recipes and processes before industrial roll-out, reducing the risk of costly errors and enhancing product quality.
• Cut development costs and product loss, while increasing yield and accelerating time-to-market.
• Trial sensitive or high-value ingredients under near-identical conditions to full-scale production, minimising waste and preventing costly downtime.
• Meet sustainability targets through more efficient, resource-conscious processing methods.

From raw material characterisation and formulation through to pilot-scale simulation and industrial scale-up, the facility supports manufacturers across the full innovation cycle, from prototype to shelf. With a library of more than 6,000 powder samples and specialist testing instruments, the laboratory supports in-depth evaluation of powder properties and behaviours across applications, ranging from dairy and beverages to ice cream, whey protein and functional nutrition.

The pilot plants’ modular set-up means trials can be configured to each customer’s specific requirements, offering flexibility and agility. This not only accelerates industrial roll-out but also minimises downtime and product waste. To extend access, every trial can also be followed remotely via high-definition livestreaming with real-time interaction and detailed post-trial reporting. Customers receive recordings, technical data and product samples wherever they are in the world.

The PDC also showcases the latest powder-handling technologies, including the Tetra Pak® Air Jet Cleaning System for Powder, which improves cleaning efficiency and ensure optimal use of costly ingredients and Tetra Pak® Production Control Ignition User Interface, a single, scalable user interface to simplify production control and drive operational responsiveness. These innovations, combined with deep powder processing expertise and flexible infrastructure, allow the PDC to support faster, more confident product development.

The new powder PDC forms part of Tetra Pak’s product development centre ecosystem, in which food producers can achieve food properties and functionalities, trial different final product formulations, and develop brand or product identity to create an effective go-to-market strategy. By linking expertise and facilities across multiple centres, Tetra Pak helps customers accelerate innovation and reduce risk, giving them a powerful scale-up advantage.

SternVitamin, a global supplier of micronutrient premixes, will present two innovations and an expanded product portfolio at Gulfood Manufacturing from November 4 to 6, 2025, in Dubai. This underlines SternVitamin’s expertise in a wide range of applications for functional foods and beverages, as well as its trend-based development of premix solutions.

SternDe-Stress & Relax-Premix: focus on mental health

According to the market research institute Innova, one of the top trends in 2025 in the beverage and food sector is the topic of “mental health”.¹ Sleep and stress are particularly important: Worldwide, 34 % said they wanted to improve their sleep through food or drinks, and 30 % said they consume foods at least once a month to relax and reduce stress.² With the SternDe-Stress & Relax Premix, SternVitamin is responding to exactly this trend: B vitamins, vitamin D, zinc, magnesium, and selenium support a strong nervous system and counteract stress-related changes in the immune system. The lemon balm leaf extract also has a relaxing effect.

A wide variety of applications are suitable for the SternDe-Stress & Relax premix, including juice drinks. Due to the warm climate and the local variety of fruits, these are in high demand in the Middle East/Africa region. For example, juices and smoothies are the most popular drinks there, and they are even ahead of water or coffee.³ 36 % of consumers in the region also say that the claim “enriched with vitamins and minerals” influences their decision to buy juices.⁴

Clear Proteinshake made from pea protein supports physical performance

The Clear Proteinshake, which has been developed based on pea protein hydrolysate by the sister company SternLife, contains the premix solution SternActive from SternVitamin. Thus, it offers a high protein source of 68 g per 100 g of powder. To support hydration during or after exercise, calcium, magnesium, and sodium are included, which restore electrolyte balance. Vitamin C, D3, iron, zinc, and selenium also support the immune system, while vitamins B2, B6, and B12 provide energy and reduce tiredness and fatigue. Sugar-free and with a refreshing, tropical taste, the Clear Proteinshake supports physical performance.

^1,2,4Innova Market Insights: Top Consumer Health Trends 2025
³Innova Market Insights: Juice Trends in the Middle East & Africa

The study looks at how the use of cannabis is impacting consumption in key food and beverage categories in key markets.

GlobalData’s new “Hot Topics” cannabis study on the claimed consumption behavior of cannabis users compared to non-users highlights that this is a large and growing consumer group, who are behaving differently to the general population, in ways that brand owners and their stakeholders may not fully realise.

Jenny Questier, Consumer Analysis Director at GlobalData, commented: “Currently, there is little research data or analysis available to help companies understand the impact of a new cohort of cannabis users in consumer packaged goods markets where the drug has been legalised. While this study’s findings are indicative, they could apply to any market where cannabis use is prevalent as they do provide some useful insights into the impact that cannabis users consumption behavior could have on product choices being made in key food and beverage categories and which demographics are important in future product development and positioning.”

The study entitled, “Hot Topics Report: Impact of cannabis use on consumption in key markets”, provides a top-line indication of how consumers who claim to use cannabis, describe their use of the drug in five key markets which have legalised the recreational use of the cannabis, namely: the US, South Africa, Canada, Mexico and Germany, and the claimed impact this may have on consumer consumption in the alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic drinks, savory snacks, and chocolate and confectionary categories in each of these markets.

The study reveals that cannabis users have a tendency to stay at home more, are more concerned about their physical and mental health, spend more time online, and perhaps as a consequence of this, order more food online, when compared to non-cannabis users. Interestingly, the known side effects of cannabis use of increasing hunger and thirst are significantly impacting on consumers’ net consumption of non-alcoholic beverages, savory snacks and chocolate and confectionary, however, the drug’s use currently seems to have a limited impact on alcohol consumption overall.

This is an important cohort for consumer packaged goods companies because the number of recreational cannabis users is already significant and is set to grow further. In the US, cannabis is legal for recreational use in 24 out of 50 states, according to the ^*Pew Research Centre. In the US, there were an estimated 17.7 million daily cannabis users recorded in 2022, according to research published in the journal Addiction, based on data collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Questier continued, “In the coming decade, the number of cannabis users is set to grow globally as more US states are likely to legalize recreational cannabis use, public support may lead more countries to do the same, and more people are likely to take up the habit as a means of relaxation, enjoyment, and for perceived health benefits. It is imperative that brands and manufacturers of food and beverages understand what this may mean for future innovation and target consumer groups.”

Here are some of the top-line indicative findings from the study for each food and beverages category surveyed in each market:

Alcoholic and Non-alcoholic Drinks

Cannabis use does not appear to have a significant impact on alcoholic drinks sales!

Claimed alcohol consumption remains largely unchanged overall as a result of cannabis use, generally holding steady at a plus or minus 1 % net change in most markets. Canada and Mexico have a small net decline in alcohol consumption with Germany’s high + 10 % net change attributed to a smaller sample size as cannabis has only recently been legalised in the country, and reported use remains relatively low.

An assumption that alcohol sales overall might suffer from the increased use of cheaper cannabis products as the stimulant effects are similar is not evident from this study. However, that’s not to say that the alcoholic drinks market isn’t changing; female cannabis users are drinking less alcohol, but males are drinking more.

Cannabis use makes you thirsty for non-alcoholic drinks!

All markets in this study saw a significant rise in the consumption of non-alcoholic drinks by cannabis users. In some markets, this rise occurred among all demographics, in other markets younger consumers dominated.

Savory Snacks and Chocolate & Confectionary

Cannabis use gives you the munchies, boosting savory snacks sales!

All markets saw a rise in savory snack consumption due to cannabis use; North American markets had particularly large rises. Unlike beverages, Gen Z do not dominate savory snack sales, instead it is older Gen Y and Gen X consumers.

Cannabis use gives you a sweet tooth, increasing chocolate & confectionery sales!

Cannabis use drives a significant rise in chocolate and confectionery consumption in most markets, although the demographic leading this varies from market to market.

Questier adds: “The top-line results from this indicative study show that cannabis users’ consumption behavior is different from other consumers. Consumption of soft drinks, savory snacks and chocolate and confectionery is significantly increased, with the balance between male and female, and young and old consumers shifting in each market. Whilst there is limited claimed impact from cannabis users on total alcohol consumption, the demographic make-up of this market is nevertheless changed by the presence of cannabis.

“With little research conducted into this area to date, the study’s indicative findings suggest that the implications of cannabis use for consumer packaged goods companies and their stakeholders could be significant for brand strategy, consumer targeting, portfolio management, innovation, sales, advertising, and marketing. Further research by brand, category, and geography could be required to ensure that these implications are understood and appropriate strategies devised to manage them.”

Free sample pages from the “Hot Topics Report: Impact of cannabis use on consumption in key markets”, are available here

^*Source: Pew Research Centre: here

Zotefoams, a world leader in cellular materials, announced that ReZorce, its sustainable mono-material barrier packaging range, has been named winner in the Product Innovation category at the 2024 Reuters Sustainability Awards.

This year, 700 entries from 50 countries contested 17 categories judged by an international panel of business leaders, academics, designers and changemakers in the field of sustainability. ReZorce won the Product Innovation category ahead of 13 other shortlisted entrants including other aseptic liquid packaging board (LPB) beverage cartons and packaging innovations.

Currently available aseptic beverage cartons – used for products such as fruit juices which are not refrigerated – are produced from composite layers of wood fibre, aluminium and polymer bonded together (LPB). Unlike ReZorce, these composite materials cannot be recycled through mainstream processes. ReZorce on the other hand has a mono-material design which leads to excellent performance in standard Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs). The resulting recyclate can be reused, including in the core of ReZorce cartons, bringing the prospect of circularity to the 250 billion unit-per-annum beverage carton market for the first time.

Zotefoams is currently in the latter stages of developing ReZorce for beverage carton applications and is preparing for trials with a north European supermarket chain.

During the Awards ceremony on October 1, judge Danielle Holly, Associate Director of the Aspen Institute, commented, “The judges thought [ReZorce] was an excellent and practical step towards fully recyclable packaging for widely used food and beverage formats. It’s exciting, it’s disruptive and it will really deliver an immense impact in everyday lives. Well done for pioneering it!”

Ronan Cox, Zotefoams Group CEO, comments, “We are delighted that ReZorce has been recognised on the global stage in this way. Entrants to the Reuters Sustainability Awards include some of the world’s best-known and most-admired companies and it is an honour for Zotefoams to stand alongside them.

“It is also telling that the judges recognised the need for wholesale change rather than incremental improvement in pack formats such as aseptic beverage cartons.

“This award which follows recent success in the Deutsche Verpackungsinstitut’s German Packaging Awards, serves as further confirmation that ReZorce is a much-needed product with a bright future. We are 100 % focussed on translating these award achievements into on-shelf success, as ReZorce looks to finally bring a truly sustainable solution to the aseptic carton industry and beyond.”

Alesayi Beverage Corporation, a leading beverage manufacturer in Saudi Arabia since 1959 with 60 % market share in the energy drinks’ category, is partnering with SIG to expand its product and packaging portfolio. Using a state-of-the-art SIG SureFill 42 Aseptic BIB filling system, Alesayi will launch exciting new products in hotels, restaurants and cafes (HoReCa).

For Alesayi Beverages this is a completely new entry into the business with products in bag-in-box packaging, relying on the expertise of SIG who is the global leader in BIB packaging. SIG will initially supply Alesayi Beverages with its SIG SureFill 42 Aseptic filling line, as well as 10L SIG bags using the SIG 2Pure Film, a one-layer film specifically developed for water and ideal for BIB applications, retaining a high water quality for up to a year without affecting taste. The 10L bags come with SIG OptiTap 2300 fitment, a self-closing thumb toggle valve for simple, intuitive and consistent dispensing of water and other beverages, offering convenience to consumers.

Mohammed Ali Alesayi, Chief Board of Directors and CEO at Alesayi Beverage Corporation: “This is just the beginning of our long-term strategic partnership with SIG, as we continue our ambition to become the number one food and beverage co-packer in the MEA region. We’re committed to offering our customers SIG’s unique portfolio of sustainable packaging solutions, including aseptic carton, bag-in-box and spouted pouch, as well as accelerating our sustainability roadmap.”

The new BIB system will be located at Alesayi Beverages new state-of-the-art production facility in Jeddah, which covers more than 98,000 square meters built up area.

Abdelghany Eladib, President & General Manager India, Middle East and Africa at SIG: “By operating our bag-in-box packaging system, Alesayi Beverages will benefit from the system’s flexibility and high performance, enabling product diversification using a number of bag shapes, sizes and fitments. Alesayi will be able to cater to the different business needs of the HoReCa market, starting with water and then moving on to juices and condiment sauces. We look forward to developing our strong partnership and helping Alesayi to launch novel products in our highly convenient packaging solutions.”

Alesayi strives to be a leader in the beverage business and to offer its co-packing customers additional solutions such as juice dispensers as well as coffee and CSD post mixes.

Americans are increasingly longing for the “good old days” amid rapid social and economic changes in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the pressures of modern life, inflation, and the current cost-of-living crisis. Brands are looking to cash in on consumer inclination for nostalgia by bringing pack products and packaging from the bygone era to evoke a sense of familiarity, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Meenakshi Haran, Lead Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Nostalgia is often a sensory experience for consumers who are sentimental about a period or place that they have experienced before. They seek familiar flavours, fragrances, or products that take them back to that time or place. Americans, in particular, are feeling nostalgic about the “good times” and looking for familiarity in the food & drinks products they choose, as affirmed by 67 % of respondents in GlobalData consumer survey*.

“By bringing back old-style flavors and products, brands are hoping to tug at the heartstrings of consumers looking for comfort in fond memories. Olipop, for instance, claims to be a new kind of soda in retro cans, reminiscent of nostalgic packaging designs, while Spindrift a sparkling water brand introduced two new variants inspired by the 1990s when purple grape-flavoured products were popular. Similarly, Oreo debuted its new limited-edition “dirt cake” flavour that claims to be a spin on the classic childhood-favourite, mud-pie dessert.”

Haran continues: “Given the plethora of new product launches that are trying to differentiate themselves and gain a share of the consumer’s wallet, companies should try to differentiate their products and make them stand out on retail shelves. The launch of retro-themed products and packaging reflects an effort to attract consumers. This is corroborated by as many as 29 % of American respondents who claim that new experiences with product purchases are essential, while an additional 24 % state unique/novel features are essential*.”

Haran concludes: “While the desire for retro products is high among American consumers, brands must strike a balance between nostalgia and sensory expectations of visual and taste experiences to keep consumers coming back and drive sales. They need to ensure that there is a right mix of novelty and nostalgia to entice consumers.”

*GlobalData 2023 Q4 Consumer Survey – US, published in December 2023, 500 respondents

The global energy drinks market has presented itself as one of the most stable in recent times, registering continued growth over the past five-year period while many other drinks industries have stalled. Red Bull, Monster, and Rockstar have maintained their dominant share in the high-performing market at the global level over the past decade, resisting disruptive new entrants for the most part of the period. However, the big exception to this has been HELL Energy, which is now aiming to tap consumers’ growing interest in tech-augmented experiences, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Ayoub Khalil, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Since its launch in the early 2000s, HELL Energy has established itself as the market leader in eastern Europe and more significantly found itself as the major player in India recently. It is now looking for continued growth from launches in high growth potential economies. India’s growth, especially in terms of disposable income, remains solid with economic growth being revised upwards to a solid 6.44 % in 2023¹, while eastern European countries are also showing good signs despite recent stagnation.”

With its distinctive commitment to technology, HELL Energy has now embarked on a new AI drink, which it presents as being entirely made across every part of its value chain by artificial intelligence (AI). This is a unique step to ride the trend of a new fascination with tech-augmented experiences, a trend evidenced by a survey of GlobalData showing how over 86 % of global consumers’ buying choices are shaped by how digitally influenced the product is².

Khalil adds: “The big question, however, with the release is whether it serves to be more than a marketing ploy or a genuine innovation that draws on AI’s powerful capabilities to produce true value that satisfies nuanced consumer preferences. This question comes in light of the most recent quarter GlobalData survey affirming the general benefits that integrating AI can bring in production with 83 % of surveyed consumers claiming that how much a service is tailored to their preferences and personalities has a positive effect on their purchases², which is something the new drink states it brings in AI’s ability to analyse vast data to boil down to what consumers exactly want.”

In the broader view of the commercial landscape, the release brings to market an interesting case study for firms in and outside the industry of the benefits that can be brought by involving AI in the production process. Again, such methods are already being leveraged elsewhere without the gimmick of companies naming their products an AI release. The biggest of these examples is how the major player Coca-Cola has moved into this new space with its newly released Y-3000 drink, which it claims to have been developed with the help of AI.

Khalil concludes: “HELL Energy, however, does state that what makes its drink truly AI generated compared to other products is the complete use of AI in everything from packaging to evaluation to marketing elements; where the company needs to be clearer is in how much they’ve been able to completely strip away any subjective human choice in the configuration that every AI system is adjusted with, which still remains undisclosed by the company.”

¹GlobalData Database-Economy-Macroeconomic Database updated Jan 2024-India
²GlobalData’s Global Consumer survey published in December 2023 was conducted with 21,000 respondents globally

GHOST^® HYDRATION launches with four flavours and contains zero caffeine

GHOST^®, a lifestyle brand of sports nutrition products, energy drinks, dietary supplements, and apparel, introduces the first-ever authentically licensed ready-to-drink (RTD) hydration beverage that can be sipped on throughout the day (or night). With four flavours – ORANGE SQUEEZE, LEMON LIME, KIWI STRAWBERRY, and SOUR PATCH KIDS^® “REDBERRY^®” – GHOST^® HYDRATION is elevating the hydration experience.

GHOST^® HYDRATION stands out from other hydration products on the market by proudly declaring zero caffeine and transparently showcasing the dosage of each active ingredient on the GHOST^® Full Disclosure Label. The epically flavoured drink has 996 mg total electrolytes and is designed to replenish the five electrolytes lost in sweat. From classic citrus flavours to the mouth-puckering SOUR PATCH KIDS^® “REDBERRY^®,” there is an option ready to quench thirst 24/7, bringing a whole new level of flavour and refreshment to a daily routine. In addition to kicking caffeine and sugar to the curb, the beverage is vegan-friendly, gluten-free and naturally coloured.

“The sports drink category has been on fire the past year, and GHOST^® couldn’t be more excited to bring additional efficacy and some of our authentic flavour collaborations to the shelf,” said Dan Lourenco, Co-Founder and CEO of GHOST^®. “Expanding on the success of our powdered hydration product, we can’t wait for the legends out there to get their hands on our RTD hydration product. It’s a flexible and functional anytime thirst quencher with 996 mg total electrolytes, 100 % RDA of Vitamins B6, B12, and Vitamin C, and additional premium trademarked ingredients such as Aquamin® and Senactiv^®.”

GHOST^® HYDRATION is available in-store at 7-Eleven, Kroger, Walmart, Target, and more in the US.

EUR 10 million center will speed up new packaging and product developments

SIG is celebrating the official opening of its EUR 10 million Packaging Development Center Europe, located at the site of the company’s packaging plants in Linnich, Germany. The center will accelerate new and most sustainable packaging developments and offer SIG customers added value.

The new center features state-of-the-art extrusion and finishing technology, coupled with advanced quality measurement systems and testing equipment. It will significantly increase packaging processability in serial production, system validation and capacity for future digital technologies.

As demand for more sustainable packaging options increases, the new Packaging Development Center Europe will speed up the development of innovative packaging formats and materials to further expand SIG’s leading position in sustainable packaging solutions. It is built according to the latest and most effective energy standards.

SET Flavors^™ by Symrise help create unique taste, nutrition, and health solutions. They use superior separation technologies to access and enrich the characteristics from food essentials or valuable product side streams. The Selective Enrichment Technologies of the SET Flavors^™ brand combine efficient processes and advanced technologies that enable Symrise and its partners to capture nature´s complexity, creating both signature and authentic taste profiles.

Consumers today place great focus on sustainability. Caring for planetary health is driving their consumption habits and demands, especially in food and beverages. Avoiding food waste with concepts like ‘reuse, reduce, recycle or re-engineer’ form the dominating trends. At the same time, taste continues to drive their preferences. Important buying criteria for food and beverages include signature, rich taste as well as authentic, natural ingredients. Consequently, food and beverage manufacturers must combine both consumer wishes with great tasting, authentic products while ensuring sustainable development processes.

“Consumers want to know and understand what their food consists of, where the ingredients come from, how they get processed, and how the planet and people throughout the production process benefit,” says Leif Jago, Global Marketing Manager Food & Beverage at Symrise.

Valorisation of natural product side streams for flavour creation

Symrise SET Flavors^™ addresses these consumer wishes and matches the future’s ecosystem deployment. It supports the innovation network with strategic partners to source, enrich, decode, and optionally transform nature’s complexity for the creation of taste solutions by using selected natural raw materials.

SET Flavors^™ makes natural raw materials accessible with a smart combination of extraction, separation, and concentration technologies. This includes adsorption, nano- and ultra-filtration, fractional distillation, and osmosis based on advanced membrane developments. These technologies enable Symrise to access the enriched and authentic essentials needed to deliver nature´s full complexity in its product solutions.

In addition, SET Flavors^™ links closely to the technical research platforms of Symrise: Sensory Guided Analysis, AgroScience, Biotechnology, and Separation Technologies. They combine the objective to identify, enrich and reconstitute side stream materials. This aims at degrading or eliminating undesired odor and taste actives from complex raw materials and enriching the pleasant components of raw materials.

SET Flavors^™ covers the utilisation of solid or liquid side streams from the food industry – including pomaces, sift outs, materials from the preservation process, vegetable processing, fermentation, and cell materials. This approach helps Symrise identify value adding components. By using natural conversion processes – such as biotransformation via enzymes or fermentation – SET Flavors^™ generates signature profiles for use in beverage and culinary applications, which contribute to culinary complexity and pleasant taste profiles.

Authentic, signature taste for food and beverage manufacturers

“Our new brand SET Flavors^™ is championing a dedicated combination of technologies to source, enrich, decode and transform value from nature,” explains Stefan Brennecke, Master Technologist and Head of Separation Science in Research & Technology Food & Beverage at Symrise. “In doing so, it generates a unique value proposition for our products and customers to serve superiority and consumer preferred market products.”

The technologies enable a better use of existing specialties and solutions to achieve a certain taste or aroma effect, including juiciness, masking, complexity, and authenticity. Their deployment enables Symrise to provide uniqueness and added value to its taste solutions, delivering signature food and beverage products for customers. SET Flavors^™ deploys various principles of circular economy and contributes to a more sustainable food system by processing materials from side streams.

The SET Flavors^™ technologies are established in production or pilot scale. Based on the composition of the new raw materials, the Research & Technology and Production teams use their expertise to modify and optimize processes. Using this as a base, the research platforms are continuously exploring new technological approaches and processes to reduce costs, energy and avoid waste materials.

“As a new brand, SET Flavors^™ strongly align with the core competencies of Taste, Nutrition and Health – supporting sustainability as an integral part of our company philosophy,” adds Uwe Schäfer, Director Applied Research in Research & Technology Food & Beverage at Symrise. “With the combination of great, authentic taste and sustainable practices, SET Flavors^™ contributes to our approach towards naturalness in the Symrise code of nature^™ platform. The brand supports manufacturers to develop unique food and beverage products, while responding to the consumer need for sustainable and planet-friendly consumption.”

Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. announced the successful development of a new product made from not-from-concentrate (NFC) orange juice, presenting a 30 % reduction in natural sugar content and more than triple dietary fiber content, while preserving original taste (Brix value) and vitamin C level.

Further to a five-year research effort by the Group’s in-house R&D laboratory team of food engineers, chemists and biotechnologists in Bebedouro, São Paulo State, Brazil, LDC has developed a successful process to reduce sugar content in orange juice, in line with the company’s commitment to offer nutritious, high-quality juices that address growing consumer demand.

“Complementing our extensive portfolio of juices and ingredients from Brazilian-grown citrus fruits, this new product represents another positive step in LDC’s strategy to diversify revenue through value-added products, including specialty ingredients and products like this one,” said Juan José Blanchard, LDC’s Global Head of Juice. “Leveraging our global network and partnerships, LDC aims to bring this new product to the global market in collaboration with leading beverage industry players, contributing to the advent of healthy, nutritious juice product options that respond to consumer expectations, while continuing to invest in R&D activities targeting further reductions in sugar content.”

Although commercial roll-out is initially focused on Asia Pacific, with an initial launch planned in early 2023 in China, the new product is available to industry customers worldwide, including in Europe, North America and South America, where the Group sees growing consumer demand for healthy, nutritious, great-tasting diet options.

One of four regional support centres, the new facilities in Barcelona (Spain) will provide access to the latest product inspection systems, as well as free testing services for contaminant detection on food and pharma production lines

Mettler-Toledo has officially opened its new Barcelona Support Centre in Spain. The new centre showcases a wide range of its product inspection systems for food and pharmaceutical brand owners, manufacturers, processors, and contract packers. Technology on-site includes the latest checkweighing, metal detection and x-ray inspection solutions. Visitors can view ProdX™ data management software which offers real-time logging of x-ray, metal detection and checkweighing product inspection activities to help food manufacturers get ready for digital food traceability. Other technologies, such as vision inspection and track and trace solutions are also available from Mettler-Toledo but are not currently displayed at the Barcelona Support Centre.

The new facility is dedicated to product inspection demonstrations and free testing services, in addition to a LAB showroom, an eStudio, customer facing seminar rooms and internal office spaces.
At the forefront of inspection technology

The demonstration facility is equipped with the latest Mettler-Toledo systems, across different product inspection technologies for a wide range of applications. European food and pharma manufacturers will benefit from a hands-on experience, such as tailored product inspection demonstrations, including a free product test report service.

This free service invites manufacturers from across Europe to send their product samples to the centre for testing, before making a purchasing decision, or request an in-person appointment either face-to-face or virtually via their eStudio. Mettler-Toledo engineers then assess the requirements and provide a full test report within five days of the arrival of the product samples. This includes an individual evaluation of their own products with details of attainable inspection accuracy, performance, and contaminant detection sensitivity.

Customers visiting the centre and participating in the live demonstrations also benefit from shorter lead times for their test report results, as they have direct access to test engineers who can answer specific questions about their products and inspection requirements, helping them to choose the most suitable solution.

The Lab Division from Mettler-Toledo is represented in the new centre with its LAB Showroom, which showcases the latest technology for quality control for laboratories and food manufacturing, such as balances, scales, and analytical instruments – often used in recipe formulation, control, and management.

The new Barcelona centre also benefits from a state-of-the-art eStudio consisting of a room with in-built green screens and recording equipment. The purpose of the room is to record e-demonstrations, deliver virtual training, and create customer-facing video content.

Collaborative environment

The centre, covering over 75,971 sq. ft across three floors, is supported by over 280 Mettler-Toledo employees, from 15 different countries and across all roles – from apprentices to senior managers, dedicated test and service engineers, sales representatives, operations specialists, marketing, and many other functions.

Bringing all teams under one roof, with open plan offices, a new canteen, and common break-out areas, will help the company improve internal communication, knowledge sharing, career development and ultimately, customer service.

“The new facilities reflect the growth of Mettler-Toledo, financially and physically,” said Oscar Dijort, General Manager at Mettler-Toledo Spain. “The new global centre is already paving the path for further expansion over the next several years, as well as creating a collaborative hub to propel inspection technology and best practice forward at a European level.”

Koia announces Thomas DeLauer, world-renowned ketogenic lifestyle expert, will collaborate with Koia on product development for the keto lifestyle and today, introduces the new limited-edition Koia Keto Raspberry Lava Cake. DeLauer, who has been an avid fan and supporter of Koia’s Keto line, will collaborate with the brand on new plant-based keto innovations and nutrition education.

This plant-forward keto innovation challenges critical believe around the keto lifestyle, showcasing that one can, in fact, reach ketosis healthfully while leading a partial or fully plant-based diet. Koia, being one of the only nutrition shakes on the market to deliver all the 9 essential amino acids needed to replace animal-based protein, provides an ideal solution for those looking to include more plant-based options into their keto regimen. This launch, and investment in the keto space, is a testament to the brand’s continued commitment and mission of making the plant-based lifestyle more accessible for everyone.

When working together on this product, Koia and DeLauer wanted something that tasted indulgent and comforting, so they selected Koia Keto Raspberry Lava Cake as the signature flavour, inspired by DeLauer’s favourite keto-friendly dessert that his wife makes – Chocolate Lava Cake with a raspberry sauce. Raspberries are one of DeLauer’s go-to keto friendly fruits and a key ingredient in his wife’s recipe. The raspberry tartness balances the richness of the chocolate for a delicious flavour that Koia and DeLauer worked closely to capture in this product, with DeLauer tasting many formulations until they landed on the perfect taste.

“Everything we do at Koia is about health, function and taste, so collaborating with Thomas DeLauer is a natural alignment with our brand,” says Chris Hunter, Co-founder and CEO of Koia. “He keeps up with all the latest research in the keto space and really understands ingredients and their functionality. Plus, the fact that the Raspberry Lava Cake is based on his favourite dessert that his wife makes at home, gives the product extra heart.”

Raspberry Lava Cake delivers ideal macro ratios with two high-performing, functional ingredients: macadamia nut milk and pumpkin seed protein. Macadamia nut milk is known to provide a significant amount of palmitoleic acid and is an ideal fat-to-protein ratio (2:1) for enhanced keto support. Pumpkin seed protein is a healthy clean protein source high in zinc, which can support the keto process and recovery. Raspberry Lava Cake contains 3 g net carbs, 8 g C8 MCT oil, 10 g protein, and 0 g added sugar per bottle, the ideal nutrition profile to accelerate ketosis.

Koia’s 100 % plant-based Keto shake line also includes other dessert-inspired flavours like Chocolate Brownie, Caramel Crème, Cookies ‘N Cream and Cake Batter. Consumers can purchase Koia Keto Raspberry Lava Cake, priced at USD 3.99 per bottle, for a limited time at drinkkoia.com.

Portuguese food and beverage company Sumol+Compal has launched its premium brand Compal in Tetra Pak’s sleek, fresh new Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic 1000 Edge with Bio-based WingCap™ 30.

The uniquely-designed package will allow Sumol+Compal to bring to market a range of popular juices distinguished by an easy-grip carton, one-step opening and with a smoothly-rounded, slim shape. The new Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic package also helps brands like Sumol+Compal differentiate themselves from competitors, better share information about the brand and its products, and attract new customers.

Diogo Dias, Head of Marketing of Sumol+Compal said: “With a large and smooth-bodied branding surface, the Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic package offers a contemporary look to rejuvenate our brand and add a novelty element to this everyday product, also enhancing on-shelf differentiation. Its lighter weight and FSC™ certification are totally aligned with our vision to contribute to a more environmentally friendly world.”

Now more than ever consumers are looking to buy from brands that share their values, companies today are competing to make product information and company values more accessible, and to connect with consumers wherever they are—whether that’s at home, at work, or on the go. Therefore, in addition to offering customers like Sumol+Compal a sleek, fresh design, Tetra Pak has designed the Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic carton in a way that offers brands a large, continuous surface perfect for branding, storytelling and the nutrition information that today’s consumers demand.

Alejandro Cabal, VP Packaging Solutions, Tetra Pak, said: “In our fast-moving world, communications and marketing are becoming ever more challenging. In order to be able to drive value to consumers, brands need all the tools in the marketing mix, and, as such, packaging becomes a key feature in any desired product. The Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic carton package is a part of a consumer solution that our customers can use to share their story, helping consumers pick products and have a better experience from using them.”

As part of Tetra Pak’s ambition to deliver packages that contribute to a low carbon circular economy, the Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic is recyclable, FSC™ certified and has the option for customers to use a plant-based cap made from polymers, which are derived from sugar cane. With an increasing number of consumers now recognising the FSC™ label and opting for plant-based products, the package meets the needs of the environmentally conscious consumer.

Duarte Pinto, CEO of Sumol+Compal said: “We are delighted to pack our products in the new Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic. It is an environmentally sound package, thanks to its light weight and cap made from sugar cane, a renewable resource. It offers excellent functionality for consumers to hold and pour from because of its ergonomic shape. Compal is the first brand to launch products in Tetra Stelo Aseptic worldwide, true to the spirit of innovation to make our products stand out and offer consumers the best experience every day.”

The new range of packages starts at 1000ml, with new sizes being added to the family soon. The Tetra Stelo™ Aseptic 1000 Edge with Bio-based WingCap™ 30 is already available in Portugal, and will be rolled out in Poland, Romania and Brazil markets.

Sales revenues of organic foods in Europe continue to rise. In addition to traditional drivers like the dry foods category, which includes cereals, trend categories like protein bars and shakes are also growing. “The growing demand for organic products is becoming more and more obvious in health and fitness-related categories,” reports Marc van Essen, Sales Director at SternLife. “So we offer a large part of our range in organic versions as well. From vegan protein bars and protein shakes to breakfast and fitness shakes to smoothie powders, we provide high-quality functional food made with organically grown raw materials, with a difference you can taste.”

SternLife is one of the leading suppliers of functional lifestyle and sports nutrition products. From an extensive range of organic raw materials, the company also develops exclusive organic product lines for major brands. The raw materials can be from animal or plant sources as desired. For example, protein sources can be pea, rice, hemp, sunflower and pumpkin, or milk and whey. “Continuous consumer and market research is fundamental to the successful development of our product concepts. We have a very good knowledge of which organic raw materials are in demand at any given time,” notes SternLife Product Manager Lüder Holsten, adding, “That means we can always implement the latest product trends for our customers.” The proper combination of raw materials is at least as important in order to achieve high bioavailability and thus high product functionality. SternLife developers and technologists examine these aspects very carefully in applications testing.

With regard to the organic market, functional bars are of special interest.  Few organic offerings exist, and demand is rising rapidly. SternLife has therefore developed a wide selection of exciting concepts for the entire range of bars, from Pure to Deluxe. Whether chocolate coated or uncoated, with sprinkled bits or filling, whether vegan or conventional, SternLife has many possibilities for individual product lines with protein content up to 30 % (vegan) or more (conventional).

In the powder category, customers can have SternLife create custom organic shakes for different target groups and occasions, working from a wide portfolio of raw materials. Powders can be conventional or vegan; the vegan powders can contain up to 60 % protein while meeting all sensory requirements. In additional to raw materials from organic agriculture, SternLife naturally also offers UTZ and RSPO-certified raw materials, combined individually to customer order.

Company will put its paper straw innovations into the public domain to encourage industry collaboration, and will also explore bio-degradable materials

Tetra Pak has today announced that customers have started field testing its paper straws for beverage products in Europe. The move means Tetra Pak is the first carton packaging company to provide such straws for beverage cartons in the region.

The company also announced its intention to publish and share its innovations on paper straw developments to support industrial collaboration on the alternatives to single use plastic straws for beverage cartons.

Adolfo Orive, President and CEO, Tetra Pak said: “We are pleased to have developed a paper straw that is fully functional and meets internationally recognised food safety standards. This is an important step in our vision to deliver a package made entirely from plant-based packaging materials, contributing to a low-carbon circular economy.

“We have decided not to apply for patent protection on the numerous technical improvements we have made on the equipment and the materials, and instead put our innovations into the public domain. For the industry to achieve its common goal of driving towards a low-carbon circular economy, the entire supply base for paper straws must expand and grow quickly. We invite all suppliers and customers to use our knowledge and join forces with us to ramp up production as quickly as possible.”

Made from FSC^™ certified paper and recyclable with the rest of the package, the new paper straw will be available initially for two small size carton packages commonly used for dairy and beverage products for children: Tetra Brik^® Aseptic 200 Base and Tetra Brik^® Aseptic 200 Base Crystal.

The field testing of the paper straw is beginning with limited volumes while the company increases production capacity at its straw plant in Lisbon, Portugal.

The company also announced that it has been assessing technical advancements and working with a number of technology leaders to explore biodegradable options, such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), a polymer derived from plant-based materials which is also biodegradable.

Other sustainable drink-from development projects in Tetra Pak’s pipeline include tethered caps and integrated drink-from systems. The company has mobilised development and supply chain teams, securing extra resources to advance these priority plans.

SIG has opened a new Tech Centre, close to its packaging plant in Suzhou in China, which will bring a new dimension in supporting customers with the development and implementation of new product concepts and market-ready packaging solutions.

In the 17,500 square meter building, a team of SIG experts will develop and manufacture filling technology, conduct filling tests for customers and offer training. By focusing on product innovation and differentiation, the new Tech Centre fits in perfectly with SIG’s Value Proposition, which aims to create added value for customers and consumers alike.

SIG’s Tech Centre accommodates a state-of-the-art test and training centre, with the latest filling machines, upstream food processing equipment and UHT systems, which can process products with a wide range of viscosities and pieces. SIG will work closely with customers and offer professional support on aseptic filling tests and product concepts. The Training Centre is the second largest worldwide for SIG and is suited to both internal and external technical training on aseptic filling machines and downstream lines. The Tech Centre also hosts SIG’s Asian filler and applicator assembly operation and two Global Technology departments: Research & Development and Engineering & Application.

SIG’s Tech Centre has the highest standard as a green building and SIG is only the ninth industrial company with onsite manufacturing in China to earn the LEED Platinum standard with a total of 83 points – the second highest score in the entire country.