Weekly Roundup: DSM and Firmenich obtain competition clearance from EC, merger inches closer

24 Feb 2023 --- This week in industry news, Bell Flavors & Fragrances unveiled its Technology and Innovation Center, poised to advance clean label flavors. OC Flavors acquired Novotaste, and Arla Foods Ingredients launched an ingredients toolbox to support dairy producers in South America’s growing cream cheese market. Lantmännen launched two new versions of the plant-based oat protein concentrate PrOatein and red meat exports from the UK reached record levels.

In brief: Business moves
DSM and Firmenich jointly obtained unconditional competition clearance from the European Commission (EC). This follows the unconditional competition clearance of China’s State Administration for Market Regulation received on February 16. The final competition clearance that is pending is the Indian competition clearance. Both companies “work constructively with the Competition Commission of India” and will make a public announcement once the Indian competition clearance has been obtained. 

Olam Agri launched a baking academy to create economic opportunities for women in Nigeria.Approval for Fonterra’s sale of its Chilean Soprole business to Gloria Foods has been received. However, it is still subject to several conditions, including the receipt of approval from the competition authority in Chile. Completion of the sale remains subject to the satisfaction of other conditions previously announced, including the commencement of an irrevocable public tender offer process in Chile for the outstanding shares in Soprole not already owned by Fonterra. 

Bell Flavors & Fragrances unveiled its Bell Technology and Innovation Center (BTIC), a new facility poised to advance  innovation, engineering, technology, research product development, and applied sciences. Located at Bell’s Northbrook headquarters, the center connects creative minds among flavor developers, technology, culinary applications, regulatory and manufacturing to foster new flavor development and expand Bell’s key capabilities in the industry.

FrieslandCampina presented its full-year 2022 financial results this week. The cooperative showcased the amount it paid, 47.2%, more to its dairy farmers last year to offset inflationary pressures on production. FrieslandCampina’s net sales were also up 22.4% to €14.1 billion (US$15.03 billion). However, the dairy cooperative lost 3.6%, or around 600 farmers, as the costs for some farmers were too high following increased compensations.

In brief: Sustainability efforts
Olam Agri launched a baking academy to train and empower more women in Nigeria. The academy located in Kano state builds on initiatives under Olam Agri’s Seeds for the Future Foundation. Crown Flour Angels is an economic empowerment initiative of Olam Agri’s wheat-milling business in Nigeria. It aims to equip women with commercial baking skills to enhance their earnings while enabling them to contribute to their communities and the national economy. 

Brenntag acquired an additional facility focused on water treatment solutions in South Africa. This expansion will allow Brenntag Specialties to broaden its product portfolio, further strengthen its presence and know-how in the region and better serve the needs of its customers. The company will operate a facility in Pomona, enabling Water Treatment customers in the area to benefit from expanded blending and storage capacities. 

Arla Foods Ingredients launched an ingredients toolbox to support dairy producers in South America’s growing cream cheese market. It will demonstrate how the company’s Nutrilac line of functional milk proteins can help them create new products and enter sectors such as foodservice. By using Nutrilac products, producers can create cream cheeses with excellent flavor and texture while reducing the length of the manufacturing process – in some cases to just 30 minutes. According to the company, the ingredients are easy to use with existing equipment, minimizing wastage and maximizing costPrOatein Fine and PrOatein Organic are the latest additions to Lantmännen’s oat ingredients portfolio. savings.

In brief: Plant-based highlights
Lantmännen launched PrOatein Fine and PrOatein Organic, two new versions of the plant-based oat protein concentrate PrOatein. PrOatein oat protein is a natural and unique plant-based protein concentrate based on Swedish non-GMO oats that meet the fast-growing consumer demand for nutritious, protein-enriched foods and beverages and food supplements. It can boost the protein content of various applications, including bread, cookies, biscuits, pasta, dairy alternatives and lifestyle nutrition products. PrOatein enhances legume-based products’ texture, flavor, and amino-acid profile in meat analogs. PrOatein Organic is produced via a natural process from organic oats. 

Vgarden unveiled its vegan line of deli meats to be jointly manufactured with the major Israel-based supermarket chain and meat delicatessen producer, Tiv Taam. This collaboration will boost Vgarden’s production capacity to accommodate its global commercialization activities as it sets its eye on the US market. To expand into the global vegan market, Tiv Taam signed an exclusive production agreement with Vgarden to produce a series of kosher pea protein-based meat substitute products developed by the start-up in its new manufacturing plant. The portfolio will encompass a range of pepperoni, ham, chicken, turkey and other cold-cut alternatives. 

Kansas Protein Foods presented its Imagic Plant-Based Beef Products, a flavored ready-to-eat textured vegetable protein made from soy flour which has been formulated to resemble chopped and cooked beef in flavor, aroma, texture and color and is suited for a wide range of food applications. Its  structure enables it to hydrate and retain moisture in rigorous processing and cooking environments.

Ojah expanded its production facilities to meet the growing demand for its meat alternatives technology. This expansion will allow the company to more than double its current production capacity. Ojah’s technology produces complex meat-like structures from only two components; plant protein and water. 

In brief: Acquisitions
OC Flavors, a manufacturer of liquid and powdered flavors for the beverage, dairy, plant-based, nutraceutical, confection, and bakery industries, acquired Novotaste, a Canadian-based provider of natural and organic flavor solutions. With this acquisition, OC Flavors solidifies its position as a top provider of high-quality, customizable flavor solutions and expands its footprint into Canada and the Northeastern US.

Nutreco took a minority stake in animal health’s most advanced microbiome biotech company, BiomEdit. The two companies recently entered a long-term strategic research and commercial partnership to bring livestock and aquaculture producers innovative and truly novel feed additives developed through microbiome technology. 

In brief: Other highlights
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs of the United Kingdom (DEFRA) and the Ministry of Agricultural and Cooperatives of the Kingdom of Thailand agreed to build cooperation by signing a Memorandum of Understanding for agricultural cooperation. The UK and Thailand will benefit from exchanges of visits, information, technology and training. They will facilitate cooperation on matters of mutual interest and concern, discuss priority issues, encourage technical cooperation and promote agricultural trade and the reduction of non-tariff barriers. 

Chemometric Brain, a company that commercializes a unique software based on NIR (near infrared) technology to facilitate food quality control, signed an agreement with Warem, a Peru-based company Chemometric Brain signed an agreement with Warem for implementation of models for the authentication of raw materials in Latin America.specializing in technological equipment, for the creation and implementation of models for the authentication of raw materials in Latin America. The models on which Chemometric Brain’s software is based facilitate the analysis of any ingredient or final product and allow its comparison with correct samples of the same ingredients in product libraries. This solution enables physicochemical properties, origin, quality, conformity and homogeneity to be validated quickly and effectively without external laboratories.

A new cooperation framework was signed between the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Eagle Genomics. The MoU will see leading organizations collaborate at the intersection of life science and data science to help solve urgent global challenges in food security, nutrition, and agriculture. 

The value of the UK’s red meat exports has reached its highest levels since records began, worth  £1.7 billion (US$2.045 billion) last year, partially driven by  rising meat prices. According to the latest data from HMRC, the total value of red meat shipments increased 22% year-on-year – with over 609,000 metric tons exported around the world, up 9%. Beef exports brought the most significant boost to the figures, with the value of shipments up nearly 46% to £640 million (US$769 million) – driven by trade recovery with the EU. Pig meat exports reached £623 million (US$749 million), up almost 10%, followed by sheep meat exports valued at £503 million (US$605 million) – a rise of 13% year-on-year. 

By Elizabeth Green