Developing new science-based solutions to enhance the nutritional value, affordability and sustainability of its products is a key pillar for Nestlé. This includes reducing added sugars, sodium and saturated fat, while providing positive nutrients and ensuring minimal impact on the taste and texture that consumers enjoy. Nestlé R&D teams have now found a way to reduce the fat present in milk powder by up to 60%, without compromising on quality, taste and creamy texture. Key to this breakthrough innovation is the controlled aggregation of milk proteins, where the size and texture ..read more

More than five million beverage cartons have been sorted and fully recycled since AI powered robotic sorting was launched at Panda’s materials recovery facility (MRF) in Ballymount, Dublin. Installed last year in partnership with the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment – ACE Ireland, the automated system is the first of its kind in Ireland – providing a highly efficient solution for identifying, picking, and sorting cartons at the MRF for onward recycling. To mark the first year of dedicated carton sorting, ACE Ireland and Panda have launched a new consumer campaign to ..read more

The Board of Dairygold Co-Operative Society Limited has appointed Interim Chief Executive, Michael Harte (pictured right), as the Irish dairy co-operative’s new Chief Executive. Michael Harte has been a key member of Dairygold’s Senior Leadership Team since his appointment as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in 2006. His expertise, influence and decision-making have significantly contributed to the development and implementation of the Society’s strategies during this period. Michael Harte, a Fellow Chartered Management Accountant, joined Dairygold in 1989, after graduating from the University o ..read more

The boards of the Carlsberg Group and Britvic PLC have reached agreement on the terms of a recommended cash offer to be made by Carlsberg UK Holdings Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Carlsberg, to acquire the entire issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of Britvic. Britvic is a leading international soft drinks business. Britvic is the main partner for PepsiCo in the UK and Ireland with exclusive rights to manufacture, bottle, and sell brands including Pepsi, 7UP, and Lipton Ice Tea. Britvic also owns a number of brands including Robinsons, Tango, Fruit Shoot, J2O and Aqua Libra ..read more

Established over 35 years ago, the PPMA Show is recognised as the UK’s largest processing and packaging machinery exhibition. Each September, world-class companies come together to display their latest cutting-edge technologies and solutions in processing and packaging machinery, robotics and industrial vision systems. This year’s show takes place once again in Hall 5 between 24-26 September at the NEC in Birmingham. The show is a fantastic platform to showcase this rapidly growing industry, with over 300 businesses displaying their latest products, services and technologies to the thousands ..read more

The sod has been turned on Diageo’s new €200 million state-of-the-art carbon neutral brewery in Littleconnell, Newbridge, County Kildare.  The new facility will brew lagers and ales including Rockshore, Harp, Hop House 13, Smithwick’s, Kilkenny and Carlsberg. With a capacity of 2 million hectolitres, it will be the second largest brewing operation in Ireland after St. James’s Gate and support the future growth of Diageo Ireland’s beer brands. The state-of-the-art brewery will be powered with 100% renewable energy and will harness the latest process technology to minimise overall energy a ..read more

Enterprise Ireland saw investment in R&D activities by companies it supports in the Food and Drink sector reach €165 million in 2023. 123 companies operating in the sector spent €100,000 or more on R&D activities in 2023. Over the past decade, Enterprise Ireland has invested more than €10 million in High Potential Start Up (HPSU) companies operating in the Food and Drink sector. In 2023, Enterprise Ireland invested in 15 emerging food and drink start-ups. The figures were announced as more than 400 senior leaders from the food and drink sector, innovation experts, policymakers and key ..read more

Lidl Ireland is set to give a ‘Kickstart’ to a new batch of 48 Irish producers from across the country who successfully earned a place on the retailer’s coveted Kickstart Supplier Development Programme – an initiative that the retailer has invested more than €30 million in supporting over 250 Irish producers to date. Following a competitive Dragon’s Den style pitch process to find this year’s most innovative products, 48 suppliers across 20 different counties were selected as the cream of the crop after an intensive application process which saw producers put through their paces with a busine ..read more

The issue of food waste has become a pressing global concern due to its far-reaching environmental implications. One-third of all food produced worldwide is lost or wasted between production and consumers, that’s 24% of the world’s food supply going to waste even while 1 in 10 globally remain malnourished. Even worse, the waste is expected to double in the next few decades based on current trends. So, the importance of addressing food waste really cannot be overstated. Advanced packaging can play an important part in the fight against this food waste, by offering ways to extend the shelf life ..read more

Kerry Dairy Ireland, a division of Kerry Group, has announced the official opening of its new Cheestrings facility in Charleville, County Cork. The expanded plant represents a significant investment in the business, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the Government’s Capital Investment Scheme for the Processing and Marketing of Agriculture Products. The investment enhances production capacity by 50%, creating an additional 60 jobs locally and is a reflection of Kerry Dairy Ireland’s ambitious growth plans for the Cheestrings brand. Since its creation nearly 30 years ago, the Cheestrings bran ..read more