Weekly Roundup: Azelis enters US flavors market with Vigon acquisition, Ben & Jerry’s namechecks celebrities in new plant-based flavors

07 May 2021 --- This week in industry news, Azelis acquired Vigon International as part of its foray into the US flavors market. Britvic bought Plenish, a UK-based drinks business, in a bid to expand its portfolio of plant-based milks, cold-pressed juices and functional shots. RAPS acquired a majority share in spice firm Biova, and Biscuit International completed its Dan Cake Portugal purchase. Meanwhile, ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s extended its plant-based range with five new flavors.

In brief: Acquisitions
Azelis has acquired 100 percent of the outstanding shares of Vigon, a US specialty distributor and manufacturer of ingredients for the flavors, fragrances and cosmetics market segments. Vigon offers a comprehensive product portfolio, including flavors, natural and synthetic aroma chemicals, actives, functional ingredients and essential oils. The acquisition of Vigon will provide Azelis access to these strategic end markets and enhance Azelis’ position in the life sciences sector.

RAPS has acquired a majority share in spice firm Biova.Plenish joins Britvic’s portfolio of market-leading brands and strengthens the group’s offering in the fast-growing plant-based segment. Founded in 2012, Plenish offers a range of plant-based milks and plant-powered juice drinks, all made from organic and sustainably-sourced ingredients. Major UK grocery retailers carry the products. 

RAPS has acquired a majority stake in Biova. The move sees the supplier of spices and food ingredients focus on expansion of its range and expertise in organic spices. Biova, based in Wildberg near Stuttgart, will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary. With high-quality and exotic natural salts, peppers, sugars, spices and chilies, the Biova brand has become well established since it was founded in 2003 and has steadily expanded its portfolio of organic products. RAPS’ acquisition of the majority share opens up new markets and sales channels for Biova, especially in other European countries. On the other hand, RAPS will benefit from the ingredient specialist’s comprehensive know-how and will be able to expand its organic portfolio with a variety of new and unusual spices, salts and creative blends. 

Biscuit International, one of Europe’s key players in the private label healthy biscuits market, has completed the acquisition of Dan Cake Portugal, a producer and distributor of biscuits and cakes in Portugal, active in the butter cookies market. This transaction is part of Biscuit International’s growth strategy, which includes organic and external expansion of its product portfolio and geographic footprint and will further reinforce its position as a significant player in the European private label healthy biscuit market. 

In brief: Business highlights
Darling Ingredients’s Rousselot brand reopened its Brazilian innovation lab. The lab has recently been upgraded to serve the growing need for best-in-class application support across the food, nutrition and pharmaceutical markets. The lab is located in Amparo, São Paulo, on Rousselot’s current Peptan collagen peptides manufacturing site. In a bid to further strengthen its lab network, which already includes the global lab in Ghent’s Expertise Center located in Belgium and the regional lab in Wenzhou, China, Rousselot confirms its commitment to bring cutting-edge, innovative application support to its global customers.Ben & Jerry’s has added five new flavors to its non-dairy range.

The four-year-old sustainably-focused Vietnamese coffee company Copper Cow Coffee closed its Series A financing of US$8.5 million to fund the company’s expanding distribution and product innovation. The round was co-led by Cultivian Sandbox and Arborview Capital with participation from Siddhi Capital, Silverton Partners, Social Starts, Montage Ventures, CRCM and Stormbreaker Ventures. 

Eat Beyond’s portfolio company Good Natured has achieved a 160 percent increase in revenue for the first quarter of 2021. From January to March 2021, the company reported US$8 million in revenue with gross margins anticipated to reach between 36 and 38 percent.

AAK, an Indian manufacturer of specialty oils and fats, has announced a new partnership with Vista Processed Foods, part of OSI group, to meet the country’s growing demand for plant-based meat alternatives. The country’s meat alternative market is in its early stages, but commercial adoption is accelerating, with plant-based options increasingly common in quick service restaurants (QSR) and online. Last year, AAK partnered with the Good Food Institute India to help advance India’s promising plant-based meat and alternative dairy market. After Vista Processed Foods participated in an AAK Academy session, the two companies agreed to partner. They will now collaborate to create products from various plant proteins that meet the taste and texture needs of Indian markets. Working on a co-development basis, Vista will manufacture plant-based products for customers, with AAK providing its expertise in areas such as new product development.

In brief: NPD
Ben & Jerry’s is a key player in the super-premium non-dairy desserts, made entirely without animal products. The ice cream maker has expanded its range of certified vegan, non-dairy almond milk and sunflower-butter-based offerings to 19 flavors. In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s unveiled a brand-new non-dairy flavor while adding four of the most iconic fan favorites to the non-dairy line-up. The brand has unveiled its newest non-dairy line-up additions in 2021: Colin Kaepernick’s Change the Whirled, Tonight Dough starring Jimmy Fallon, Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream, Karamel Sutra and Phish Food.

In brief: Ingredient launches
Tate & Lyle is expanding its Promitor Soluble Fiber range whichsees the launch of two new liquid versions of Promitor: Promitor Soluble Fiber W and Promitor Soluble Fiber 90L. These versions have been developed to add fiber to applications including confectionery, beverages and bars, easier and more cost-effective. This launch allows food and beverage manufacturers to reduce sugar and calories in products while fortifying them with fiber while maintaining great taste, texture and consumer experience.

Tate & Lyle is expanding its Promitor Soluble Fiber range.In brief: Appointments
One year ago, Danone became an Entreprise à Mission – a purpose-driven company. An independent Mission Committee has been formed and tasked with reviewing and challenging the company’s roadmap and progress, particularly on subjects such as health and nutrition, water, agriculture, biodiversity, packaging, social innovation, people and social matters. Ron Oswald’s appointment will allow the Mission Committee to benefit from the insights and experience of one of the most prominent figures in the international trade union movement.

In brief: Other highlights
Technology provider GEA Food Solutions has developed an advanced injection technique that contributes to high brine retention and low standard deviation of bacon – crucial to ensuring consistency of distribution, quality and yields. GEA’s Multijector, an automated injection system, introduces brine in a high-density injection pattern, combined with low injection pressure, avoiding injection points becoming saturated, which can cause the brine to leak out. A higher density of needles allows less brine per needle to be injected at a lower pressure. Benefits for bacon producers using a high-density injection pattern include improved slicing yield, reduced post-injection purge and drip loss, optimum moisture and salt levels while avoiding injecting air or foam, ultimately extending the shelf life of bacon by several weeks. Reduced purge not only impacts yields but also means reduced downtime spent cleaning the equipment and surrounding environment.

Campden BRI Hungary, EIT Digital, the National Research Council of Italy and ELTE Faculty of Informatics are to bring the industry up to date with digital transformation. A new industry 4.0 course has been launched to help the food sector modernize processing. The three-day online course will cover the limitations and new possibilities of digitalization to help food businesses understand how they can implement Industry 4.0 and update their systems. 

By Elizabeth Green