New dedicated functional drinks bays in 30 Waitrose stores are set to pop up on 29 May as the supermarket widens its offer of vitamin waters, natural energy drinks and CBD-infused beverages. The roll-out is being conducted as a trial in response to what Waitrose soft drinks buyer Matthew Blake calls ‘a real appetite’ for functional drinks – including those with ‘relaxing properties’ such as OHMG, one of the brands confirmed to have secured a listing within the new in-store feature. The dedicated space for ‘drinks that do more’ will house a variety four-pack of OHMG’s magnesium-enriched waters ..read more

Terms such as ‘cheese’ and ‘yoghurt’ could be blocked from use by plant-based brands should new draft guidance come into force. The guidance is being prepared by the Food Standards Information Group, comprised of senior trading standards experts. An early draft suggested that the terms cheese and yoghurt could be subject to the same restrictions as milk, even if prefaced by ‘plant-based’ or ‘vegan’. Possible bans of descriptions such as ‘yoghurt-style’ or ‘cheese-type’ are not ruled out under the draft proposal, which goes as far as suggesting that homophones such as ‘mylk’ would also be prohi ..read more

As Millie Kendall OBE, CEO of the British Beauty Council, chaired the headline beauty panel at NOPEX 2023 – Meeting the green consumer challenge – Rosie Greenaway listened in to bring you the key talking points Meeting the green consumer Anabel Kindersley, co-owner, Neal’s Yard Remedies: For the last 20 years we’ve referred to the green consumer as the ‘dark green loyalist’; that’s changing. It’s becoming much more mainstream. The tide is turning. People do care. The consumer is becoming more discerning. They’re buying less, they’re buying better quality. Jessi Baker, founder, Provenance: Ofte ..read more

Scottish beauty and gifting brand Seilich has launched into retail with its first major listings including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Bayley & Sage and Wolf & Badger’s Flagship London store. The brand’s product offer spans skincare, room mists and loose leaf teas, all based on handpicked botanicals from its own wildflower meadows in the Lothians. The meadow-grown skincare collection includes Peppermint Cleansing Gel, Wild Carrot and Chamomile Cleansing Lotion, Nettle Exfoliating Toner, Wild Rose and Mallow Moisturising Lotion, Wild Carrot and Sea Buckthorn Moisturising Lotion ..read more

The Sustainable Beauty Coalition (SBC) has announced three new co-chairs – Jo Chidley (Beauty Kitchen founder), Mark Smith (NATRUE director general) and Oriele Frank (Elemis co-founder) – who will lead the organization’s strategy for the next year. The co-chairs will focus on driving systematic sustainability change within the beauty industry, spanning consumer, industry and policy challenges, across issues such as greenwashing, plastic waste and extended producer responsibility. Commenting on her appointment, Chidley says: “The Sustainable Beauty Coalition is about working together on issues ..read more

Bite-size pieces of news from Natural Products News DASH Water has expanded its portfolio of natural soft drinks with the launch of DASH Lime – its zestiest flavour yet. Bold, bright and 100% natural it is made from just three simple ingredients: fresh spring water, bubbles and wonky limes. Dr Organic has launched its new 100% recyclable 5L refills (equivalent to 20 bottles) supplied with a convenient pump refill aluminium bottle for ease of use and available in three hero ingredients ranges. The new nutritionally optimized bread SUPERLOAF has launched nationwide with Mark ..read more

Natural Products News shines a spotlight on a handful of the latest launches, campaigns, award wins and more from natural and organic brands and businesses New from sustainable skincare company Pure Lakes comes its first range of essential oil scented candles in two scents: Grapefruit & Lemongrass and Sweet Basil & Orange. The hand-poured vegan-friendly candles are made from a mix of rapeseed and coconut wax. They have no harmful toxins and minimal soot production as well as effective fragrance retention and scent throw. The candles contain essential oils to create a natural scent, wit ..read more

Nigeria, the world’s third fastest growing country by population, is the latest nation to be added to the ProVeg global portfolio. ProVeg Nigeria aims to ‘promote healthy and tasty food that is both climate and animal-friendly’. The organization will be ‘heralding its message’ from the Atlantic coastal city of Lagos – home to 25 million inhabitants – to the Sahel region, below the Sahara desert. “I’m truly thrilled about the opening of the ProVeg Nigeria office and the impact we will have in raising awareness about the need to transform the food system to help people transition to healthier, m ..read more

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) has confirmed that US organic food sales broke through the $60 billion mark in 2022. Total organic sales, including non-food products, reached a record $67.6 billion according to the OTA’s 2023 Organic Industry Survey. This growth occurred despite ‘challenging headwinds’: supply chain disruption caused by geopolitical events and the pandemic; inflationary pressures on consumer wallets; a proliferation of competing food labels in the grocery aisles; and labour shortages which were ‘felt acutely by organic producers’. “Inflation heated up costs across the orga ..read more

Dragonfly Biosciences has created 20mg CBD Infused Skin Patches to offer a convenient way to experience the effects of CBD and help relieve stress, anxiety and pain. Dragonfly’s discreet patches are designed to be worn all day to slowly release CBD, and are also infused with bergamot essential oil which has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety for a feeling of general wellbeing. The patches can be applied in the morning or night for up to 24 hours use, can be worn during sleep and are water resistant. Unlike other patches, Dragonfly Biosciences says its CBD Infused Skin Patches deliver ..read more