Beyond The Headlines: Chobani’s US$1.2B New York dairy processing plant, Rousselot receives Upcycled Certified status

This week in industry news, Greek yogurt maker Chobani plans to invest US$1.2 billion in a New York-based dairy processing plant. Rousselot received the Upcycled Certified status for its Peptan collagen peptide ingredient. Virginia Tech has developed the Experimental Beverage Marketplace, a novel online tool to test how taxes affect sugar-sweetened beverage purchases. Solar Foods expanded its product concepts, featuring its Solein protein.

Business highlights

Chobani invested US$1.2 billion to construct its third US dairy processing plant in Rome, New York, following a US$500 million expansion in Idaho last month. the The move will help the company fulfill the rising demand for yogurt, oat milk, and creamer products. The 1.4 million square-foot facility is expected to create over 1,000 jobs and will involve partnerships with local farmers, businesses, colleges, universities, government leaders, entrepreneurs, and community organizations to drive innovations and fuel economic opportunity in the region.

Research company HowGood expanded its partnership with the sustainability platform Watershed to enhance the sustainability reporting of food and beverage companies. The collaboration integrates HowGood’s Scope 3.1 agricultural emissions data into Watershed’s platform, allowing precise, audit-grade reporting aligned with global standards like CSRD and SBTi FLAG. The unified solution supports carbon footprinting, hotspot identification, and targeted reduction strategies, helping businesses meet regulatory demands and climate goals.

Solein protein shake contains 10g protein per serving for use as a daily protein supplement for healthy snacking (Image credit: Solar Foods).Solar Foods expanded its product concepts, featuring its Solein protein with the Solein Shake – Salty Caramel range. The product targets health and performance nutrition, and it is claimed to be high in protein (10g/serving), sugar-free, and allergen-free, offering all essential amino acids, BCAAs, iron, and vitamin B12 without animal products or GMOs. Solein blends smoothly, mimicking whey’s creamy texture and taste, targeting athletes and active consumers. It is produced using the firm’s fermentation process using air and renewable energy.

Natural aroma ingredient company Axxence Corporation acquired Florida-based Purely Natural to strengthen its presence in the US and the natural flavor space. As part of the acquisition, Purely Natural will continue operating from Florida, offering its customers access to Axxence’s broader portfolio, sustainability focus, and technical expertise. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

Sustainability highlights

The FAO launched AIM4NatuRe, a £7 million (US$ 9.3 million) UK-funded initiative to enhance global ecosystem restoration monitoring. The program builds on the FAO’s existing AIM4Forests program and helps create an international database to track ecosystem restoration. It will support countries with training and new technology to monitor and report their progress toward restoring 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, as outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Rousselot received the Upcycled Certified status for its Peptan collagen peptide ingredient from Where Food Comes From, a US-based third-party verification and certification company that specializes in food production practices, sustainability, and traceability. The recognition highlights Rousselot’s sustainability efforts and contribution to a circular economy. Peptan transforms bovine, porcine, or fish-derived raw materials into bioactive collagen through enzymatic hydrolysis and helps in reducing food waste while offering health benefits like joint, skin, and hair support. 

21st.BIO’s proprietary strain lineage addresses the long-standing challenge of mycotoxin contamination while using filamentous fungi for food (Image credit: 21st BIO).

Research highlights

Researchers at Virginia Tech, a US-based university, developed the Experimental Beverage Marketplace, a novel online tool to test how taxes affect sugar-sweetened beverage purchases. They study, published in the journal Appetite, revealed that a tax led to significantly fewer sugary drink purchases by participants, by fluid ounces, item count, and calories.  The team aims to refine the tool further to explore consumer substitutions and broader dietary impacts in future studies.

Precision fermentation company 21st.BIO published a peer-reviewed study showcasing the world’s first fully mycotoxin-free Aspergillus oryzae strain lineage for industrial protein production. It says the breakthrough further strengthens the foundation for cost-effective production of novel food proteins at scale using filamentous fungi. The study, published in Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, highlights the fungi for their high protein yield and scalability to boost sustainable food protein production.