News in brief: a round-up of industry stories

We visit different corners of the industry to bring you a selection of stories in bitesize form.

Fuel for learning

Five of the UK's leading food and education charities — Bite Back, Chefs in Schools, Jamie Oliver Group, School Food Matters and The Food Foundation — have joined forces to launch the School Food Project to transform school food and food education across England.

The School Food Project will provide practical, hands-on support tailored to individual schools. From classroom to kitchen to staff room, the programme will unite the whole school around a shared vision: better quality, real food, improved health, wellbeing and educational outcomes and a food education that will set children up for life.

From September 2026 the School Food Project Hub will be offering support including e-learning and live learning sessions to caterers, school chefs and the wider school community.

The Food Foundation has also published a new briefing bringing together the experiences and voices of young people themselves – what they’re currently being served, why it matters to them, and what they want to change – and case studies from schools across the country that have already transformed what they serve – going further and faster on healthy food than current standards require.

The result of these changes has been more children eating school meals, not fewer. Across every school studied, making food healthier increased uptake – in some cases from as low as 28% to as high as 90%.

Collagen boost

Green People is expanding its Age Defy+ range with the launch of a new collagen-focused facial oil.

The Age Defy+ Collagen Boost Face Oil Elixir combines an upcycled white lupin seed extract with a blend of 11 organic seed oils, targeting firmness, elasticity and barrier support. The formula is 97.3% certified organic and designed to deliver lightweight hydration across all skin types, including mature and stressed skin.

At the centre of the formulation is CO2LLAGENEER Bio, a plant-derived active shown in clinical evaluation to support collagen synthesis. In a study of participants aged 45 to 65, 92% reported improved firmness after 42 days, while 72% noted reduced facial sagging. Instrumental testing also indicated improvements in skin elasticity over 89 days.

This lupin-derived ingredient works by stimulating Type 1 collagen synthesis and activating HSP47, a collagen-specific chaperone protein essential for high-quality collagen formation – helping skin appear firmer, smoother and more resilient over time.

The oil blend includes rosehip and apricot kernel to promote radiance, alongside antioxidant-rich pomegranate, cranberry and blackcurrant seed oils to help protect collagen. Perilla and evening primrose oils support soothing and elasticity, while jojoba and squalane mimic the skin’s natural lipids for enhanced absorption.

A taste of Sicily

MOMO’s seasonal, limited edition Carmelo’s Blood Orange Kombucha is out now – in a collaboration with Natoora.

The brew uses renowned farmer Carmelo’s vibrant Moro Blood Oranges grown in Sicily. These are blended with MOMO’s raw and unfiltered kombucha – a base of tea, a touch of raw cane sugar, alongside a hint of hibiscus and elderflower to round out the bright and zingy flavours.

Commenting on the launch, Josh Puddle, MOMO Kombucha co-founder, says: “We’re thrilled to partner with Natoora for another annual seasonal and are grateful to them for introducing us to Carmelo and his incredibly delicious Moro Blood Oranges. Visiting Carmelo’s beautiful Blood Orange Grove in Sicily last year was a true highlight since starting the business. His passion and dedication to quality resonate with everything we’re doing at MOMO. Our brewers have done an exceptional job to balance the bright citrus acidity and deep berry-like sweetness from the oranges with our kombucha.”

Carmelo’s Moro Blood Oranges are at their peak when the gap in day-to-night temperatures experienced in Carmelo’s groves is at its most extreme. At this moment, the fluctuations encourage the production of anthocyanin – this is what gives them their rich hue and berry-like sweetness that balances out their bright citrus acidity.

Fresh look for Viridikids

Viridian Nutrition is marking 20 years of its Viridikid children’s range with a packaging refresh and new strapline, ‘Clean kids’ vitamins to feel good about’.

The updated look introduces brighter, more playful designs across the range, with each product featuring its own bunny character. The company says the redesign aims to balance child-friendly appeal with its longstanding focus on additive-free formulations.

Holly Thallon Steenson, managing director and co-owner, comments: “As a family business, we know how important it is to keep your family healthy. It took my mum (founder Cheryl Thallon) a couple of years before Viridian launched our first children’s supplement as many competitor products were full of additives and sugars. She wanted to ensure the Viridikid range would be effective, ethical and pure formulations – no gimmicks just good nutrition for children.

“The 20th anniversary of Viridikid is a timely opportunity to celebrate and evolve our children’s range, giving Viridikid its own distinct logo, standout colours and ever-so-cute bunny ears, while ensuring the consistency of our trusted Viridian values.”

The six-product line-up, which supports children from six months to 14 years, includes multivitamins, omega oil, probiotics and vitamin drops.

Traid x Harrods

Traid has announced a new circular partnership with Harrods which is designed to keep fashion in use for longer, reduce waste and ensure materials are responsibly managed across the industry. 

The charity says that by combining Harrods’ commitment to responsible luxury with Traid’s expertise in collection, sorting and reuse, the collaboration will help repurpose surplus clothing and materials into meaningful resources. It’s a practical approach to circularity, it states, turning surplus fashion into opportunities for positive change. 

The partnership will actively engage Harrods’ colleagues through volunteering opportunities, personal donations and hands-on workshops. These initiatives aim to foster a shared understanding of circular fashion in action, helping everyone involved to see how small steps, whether donating a garment or learning new repair skills, can contribute to a larger sustainable movement. 

At the heart of this collaboration is a shared belief that circularity is the future of fashion, says the charity. “We’re excited to collaborate with Harrods on this journey, exploring new ways to give fashion a longer life, support communities, and inspire sustainable choices across the industry.”

Mead from the hive

Wales-based independent drinks producer Hive Mind Mead has launched Tavern Mead, a 100% honey mead aimed at offering a more accessible take on traditional styles.

The release is positioned between the producer’s canned range and its premium line, with an 8% ABV and a smoother, easy-drinking profile that retains the depth of honey fermentation. The company says the launch responds to a category still dominated by wine- and sugar-based alternatives.

“Tavern Mead was created to offer something authentic at an accessible price point,” says brand co-founder Kit Newell. “We wanted to give retailers a genuine mead made properly, using real ingredients, that aligns with the values many of them already champion, whilst keeping the price accessible so it feels easy to pick up and enjoy.”

Fermented exclusively from honey, the product reflects the producer’s focus on traditional methods and natural ingredients. “Producing mead from 100% honey at scale is relatively uncommon due to the cost of raw materials,” explains Newell, “But we believe it’s essential to achieving the depth, character and authenticity that defines real mead.”