Beyond The Headlines: Samyang bolsters allulose production, Bühler’s sustainable protein advancement

06 Sep 2024 --- This week in industry news, Samyang advanced allulose and prebiotic production with a new South Korean plant and Bühler snapped up German fermentation expert Esau & Hueber to enhance its sustainable protein business. Meanwhile, CJ Foods tapped into traditional Indonesian foods to formulate a high-protein snack.

Business Highlights

Samyang Corporation completed the construction of its specialty (high-functional ingredients) plant for manufacturing allulose and prebiotics in Nam-gu, Ulsan, South Korea. The facility has an annual production capacity of 25,000 metric tons and produces liquid and crystalline allulose, the latter being particularly advantageous for export. Allulose is an alternative sweetener that is about 70% as sweet as sugar but contains zero calories, driving the FDA to exclude it from the total and added sugars labeling on processed foods in 2019.

Bühler acquired Esau & Hueber, a German company specializing in individual solutions in hygienic process and fermentation technology in the beverage, food, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology sectors. The move is expected to enhance Bühler’s malting, brewery, and sustainable protein businesses, while expanding the reach of Esau & Hueber’s technology across Bühler’s global network. It also aims to fill technological gaps and strengthen Bühler’s position as an industry innovator.

Azelis China was awarded for its strawberry jam snack innnovation (Image credit: Azelis).Sainsbury’s acquired ten leasehold stores from British home improvement retailer Homebase for conversion into Sainsbury’s supermarkets. The transaction is expected to be completed this month. The supermarket plans to open these stores next summer and complete the conversion of all sites by the end of next year.

Indoor farming specialist Plenty announced plans to expand its R&D footprint and build the world’s largest vertical farming research center in Laramie, in the US. The company’s R&D platform combines advanced genetics and breeding, custom hardware and growing environments and AI and data analytics to accelerate Plenty’s crop diversity. The company has already grown berries, tomatoes, peppers and squashes in its vertical growing system.

French halal brand Isla Délice acquired UK-based Takul. This acquisition adds the UK to Isla Délice’s existing core markets of France, Belgium and Spain. The UK is one of the most promising halal markets in Europe, with a significant base of potential consumers and significant growth opportunities, the company notes.

Custom flavors and fragrance manufacturer T. Hasegawa USA acquired Abelei Flavors to broaden its flavor portfolio within North America. While Abelie will benefit from T. Hasegawa’s customer responsiveness and order fulfillment expertise, the acquisition will help the flavor player expand its geographical footprint, technical capabilities and overall flavor portfolio to better serve its customers. 

CJ Foods’ protein Tempeh chips provides 6 g of plant-based protein per bag (Image credit: CJ Foods).Azelis China’s strawberry jam snack formulation won the Innovation Product of the Year award in the creative snack food category at the 2024 Ringier Technology Innovation Awards for Food & Beverage. The winning formulation is a strawberry jam that transforms into a rich and creamy dessert by adding cold milk. The product targets the growing do-it-yourself and indulgence trend, offering consumers an instant and enjoyable experience. The product’s cold preparation eliminates safety concerns and makes it suitable for all ages. It also has the nutritional benefits of dairy that resonate with Chinese consumer preferences.

Denmark-based upcycled food ingredient supplier Reduced closed the second round of its series A funding, taking the total funding to €8 million (US$8.9 million). The latest investment from the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund is expected to accelerate Reduced’s market expansion efforts and further develop its innovative product range in the Germany, Austria and Switzerland region and beyond.

Research and launches

A research by Information Services Group highlighted that retail and consumer packaged goods companies in the US are tapping into data and cloud services to evolve in response to growing and shifting consumer demands, new technologies and increasing regulation. Companies need more data, with better analysis, to accurately monitor and predict demand and inventory and personalize customer experiences. Changing business requirements also drives companies to the cloud for scale and cost savings, notes the report.

Good Good’s vegan lemon curd contains 93% lower calories than its traditional counterparts (Image credit: Good Good).Iceland-based Good Good expanded its naturally sweetened jams, jellies, and spreads portfolio by launching the “first” no-added-sugar vegan lemon curd in the US market. The move taps the wellness-forward innovation category in a traditionally sugar-laden category while catering to those with dietary restrictions. The product is marketed as having a smooth, melt-in-your-mouth texture and containing five calories, which is 93% lower than traditional lemon curds.

Korea-based CJ Foods unveiled a high-protein snack, O-right Tempeh Chips, in Thailand. The product is formulated using Tempeh, a traditional Indonesian fermented soybean food. Each bag is claimed to provide 6g of plant-based protein and is devoid of artificial coloring or preservatives. Its flavors include K-BBQ, Kimchi, Sriracha and Truffle & Cheese, with the K-BBQ and Kimchi flavors tailored specifically for Thai consumers who exhibit a rising interest in Korean food. 

By Insha Naureen