Weekly Digest: ADM & Cargill launch soybean venture, PureCircle and SGF resolve patent dispute

02 Mar 2018 --- This week in business, ADM and Cargill reached an agreement to launch a joint venture to provide soybean meal and oil for customers in Egypt. PureCircle announced that it will vastly increase the amount of Starleaf stevia it plants in 2018, in the same week in which PureCircle USA Inc. and Sweet Green Fields USA LLC settled a dispute before the International Trade Commission. Also this week, Matrix Flavours and Fragrances revealed an expansion of manufacturing capability in Kuala Lumpur.

In brief: Acquisitions & partnerships
Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) and Cargill have reached agreement to launch a joint venture to provide soybean meal and oil for customers in Egypt. The venture would own and operate the National Vegetable Oil Company soy crush facility in Borg Al-Arab along with related commercial and functional activities, including a separate Switzerland-based merchandising operation that would supply soybeans to the crush plant. Cargill is currently expanding the plant from 3,000 metric tons to 6,000 metric tons of daily crush capacity. The plant will be able to produce higher-protein soybean meal while reducing the need for soybean meal imports into Egypt.

In brief: Sustainability
Kalsec, Inc. has been accepted into membership to the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI Platform). As the primary global food value chain initiative for sustainable agriculture, SAI Platform has more than 90 members representing different parts of the value chain, including cooperatives, traders, retailers, processors and brand companies, and addressing all dimensions of sustainable agriculture globally. “Our raw materials are sourced in over 30 countries,” says Gustavo Puente, vice president of procurement at Kalsec. “Being a member of the SAI Platform will enable us to go beyond our current responsible sourcing practices. We will be able to increase our positive impact on the people we work with and the environments which give us our plant materials.”

RSPO received an award for “Excellence for Promoting Sustainability in the Palm Oil Sector" in New Delhi, India. The award was handed over to RSPO by Arjun Ram Meghwal, the Union Minister of India - Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation, Parliamentary Affairs, at Globoil 2018 Delhi; one of India's largest events for the edible oils industry.

In brief: Appointments & retirements
Bell Flavors & Fragrances has announced its recent promotions for international locations. Bell LATAM has hired Walter Wilde as Account Manager for Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras & Belize. Fabiana Escobar was recently hired at Bell Flavors in Brazil as Bell’s new Director of Commercial. Bell Canada has also hiring of Genevieve Dubé to the position of Marketing Specialist. Bell has also announced hiring of Styve Lévesque to the position of Business Development Manager for fragrances based in Quebec, while Karen Pérez has been promoted to the position as Marketing Manager for Bell’s Mexico location. 

Jennifer Aspen Mason has joined CP Kelco’s Executive Leadership Team as Senior Vice President, Global Innovation, reporting directly to CP Kelco President Didier Viala. A global executive with more than 20 years of industry experience, Mason has an extensive background leading science organizations with Fortune 100 companies. Most recently, she spent more than five years with Mars, Incorporated, where she served as Technology and Science Strategy Officer for all Mars segments.

In brief: Other highlights
PureCircle has announced that it will vastly increase the amount of Starleaf stevia it plants in 2018. It plans to plant nearly 16,000 tons in 2018, an increase of about 200 percent over the prior year.  As with any agricultural crop, these plans are subject to various conditions such as weather. PureCircle’s Starleaf is a proprietary non-GMO stevia plant that yields roughly 20 times more of the newest and best-tasting stevia leaf sweeteners than conventional stevia varieties. With the planned increases in planting, the company estimates that 80 percent of the stevia plants it uses this year will be Starleaf – likely increasing to 90 percent next year.

PureCircle USA Inc. and Sweet Green Fields USA LLC have settled a dispute before the International Trade Commission on the importation of products that were alleged to infringe PureCircle's US Patent No. 9,420,815 regarding Glucosylated Steviol Glycosides. As part of the settlement, SGF has signed a license agreement with PureCircle that resolves the current dispute and allows SGF to continue to sell its Natrose I Glucosylated Steviol Glycosides product.

Matrix Flavours and Fragrances have expanded its manufacturing capability in Kuala Lumpur with the addition of a third manufacturing building on its current 6 acre site. The new building of 100,000m², is solely dedicated to the manufacturing of flavors. It comprises of 3 manufacturing stories, each floor to support powder, liquid production and warehousing. Its 5 stories of offices, now houses offices, QA/QC laboratories, sensory evaluation and training. Taking the opportunity to design-from-scratch, the manufacturing facility also houses its first semi auto-dosing machine for key compounding of flavors, and streamlining the production to move towards optimization and efficient production.

Also this week, Lonza inaugurated their new Salto Technology Center (STC) in Salto, near São Paulo (BR). With 1,600 square meters of area, the STC has 13 research laboratories and offers technical services and product applications, which will allow the development of customized solutions for customers in its six business areas of Biosciences, Consumer Health and Nutrition, Hygiene, Coatings and Composites, Agro Ingredients and Water Treatment.