Weekly Roundup: Firmenich adds digital traceability tool to portfolio, ADM to build US soybean crushing plant

14 May 2021 --- This week in industry news, Firmenich unveiled a proprietary digital traceability application for natural ingredients sourcing, and ADM revealed its plans to build a soy crushing facility in the US to meet the increasing demand for renewable products. DCM Shriram Ltd, an Indian business conglomerate, received Bonsucro certification for over 5,000 smallholder farmers in the country, while Frulact Group expanded its European reach. Meanwhile, Nestlé-owned Perrier entered the functional beverage category.

In brief: Sustainability
Firmenich has unveiled Path2Farm, a proprietary digital traceability application for natural ingredients sourcing, from producer to factory. Part of its Naturals Together platform, Path2Farm adds a new and advanced capability to the company’s responsible sourcing strategy. It provides access to secure and reliable information, ensuring end-to-end traceability and transparency through farm geo-plotting. Available on desktop and mobile devices, it connects to suppliers’ ecosystems with a single click, says Firmenich. A dataset is available on the platform, including farmers’ profiling, field locations, agricultural practices and environmental information. 

Firmenich’s customers will be able to visualize the origins of a product, including the social and environmental impact of its production.

ADM plans to build North Dakota’s first-ever dedicated soybean crushing plant and refinery to meet fast-growing demand from food, feed, industrial and biofuel customers, including renewable diesel producers. Based in Spiritwood, North Dakota (US), the approximately US$350 million crush and refining complex will feature state-of-the-art automation technology and have the capacity to process 150,000 bushels of soybeans per day. Strategically located in a major soybean-producing area, ADM’s global logistics network will enable the facility to access domestic and international markets for soybean oil and meal. The facility is expected to be complete before the 2023 harvest.

AgroFresh Solutions has launched SmartCitrus, a new platform directed to the citrus industry to maintain freshness and reduce food loss and waste. The platform integrates a comprehensive range of post-harvest solutions into an all-encompassing treatment for citrus products, all under one easy-to-use AgroFresh umbrella. With SmartCitrus, AgroFresh can positively impact virtually all aspects of the packinghouse operation from the time citrus crops arrive at the facility when they are packed and shipped.

Sophie’s Bionutrients, a next-generation sustainable urban food production technology company, has won the pitching competition at MassChallenge Switzerland’s Sustainable Food Systems Challenge. A global network for innovators, MassChallenge hosts eight accelerator programs located in Switzerland. Since 2016, MassChallenge Switzerland has accelerated 396 start-ups that have collectively raised more than US$318 million in funding. This year marked the second edition of its MassChallenge Switzerland’s Sustainable Food Systems Challenge, aiming to reduce emissions and feed the planet’s forecasted 10 billion population sustainably by 2050. The challenge identifies later-stage start-ups or scale-ups and matches them with a MassChallenge partner to accelerate innovation in the food sector.

In brief: Recognition
DCM Shriram Ltd in India has achieved Bonsucro certification for three of its mills and over 5,000 smallholder farmers. This is the biggest certification of smallholder farmers to date. India is one of the world’s biggest sugarcane producers. The crop is grown on 5 million hectares of land by more than 6 million smallholders, making them responsible for most national production. Farmers tend to own very small plots of land – on average, just one hectare. This makes addressing sustainability issues a big challenge. DCM Shriram joined Bonsucro in 2018 and has been committed to improving sustainability practices and working collaboratively with smallholder farmers since then. 

In brief: AcquisitionsPerrier has entered the functional beverage category with a refreshing low-calorie caffeinated beverage.
Frulact Group is accelerating its continuous growth by expanding to North and Central Europe. Based on the agreement announced with IFF, subject to regulatory approvals, Frulact Group will acquire IFF’s fruit preparation business which produces fruit, vegetable, herb and meat solutions for the food, beverage and pet food markets and regional leaders, particularly in Western Europe, the Nordics and North Africa. This expansion will allow Frulact Group to reach new geographies and diversify its portfolio of ingredients, improving its current position with its clients. With the production units and platforms to be acquired in Germany, Switzerland and France, the manufacturing capacity of Frulact Group will increase by 35 percent. Its employee base will grow by 25 percent.

In brief: NPD
Nestlé-owned Perrier has entered the functional beverage category with a refreshing low-calorie caffeinated beverage. Perrier Energize is the brand’s first-ever line of carbonated energy beverages. It is powered by the effervescent spirit of mineral water from France and plant-based caffeine from organic Green Coffee and Yerba Mate extracts. Perrier Energize is available in three natural flavors; Pomegranate, Grapefruit and Tangerine. The new line of products is certified organic, low-calorie, with no artificial sweeteners. 

Baker Perkins and Rousselot have extended the range of gummy delivery forms for the functional and pharmaceutical sectors by developing a completely new format – the gummy cap. The important difference is incorporating the active ingredient in a liquid or gel center-filling instead of the gelatin gummy. This unique delivery form reflects the rise in popularity of gummies for medicinal purposes, particularly among children.

Baker Perkins and Rousselot have developed a completely new gummy format – the gummy cap.In brief: Other highlights
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Lantmännen delivered record earnings in 2020, which has enabled a record dividend of SEK 902 (US$107 million) that will now be paid to its members, Swedish farmers. The Association Annual Meeting adopted the dividend resolution held this week. The dividend to members − that was voted through at the Lantmännen Annual Association Meeting − is the highest dividend in Lantmännen’s history, SEK 902 million (US$107 million) in total. 

Canada’s commitment to reduce food waste and associated carbon emissions, coupled with the COVID-19 crisis and its impacts on the number of vulnerable Canadians requiring food supports, has emphasized the importance of redistributing excess edible food. Second Harvest, Canada’s largest food redistribution organization, has commissioned Value Chain Management International (VCMI) to identify the volume, types, and potential edible food sources. They are looking for input from food businesses of all types and sizes, including farms, retail, HRI, primary processing, distribution and wholesale, greenhouses and aquaculture. A grant from the Walmart Foundation supports this research project.

Finally, the Federation of Bakers (FoB) is to join the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) as the industry works together to tackle some of the most significant sector issues. Issues including nutrition and raising the positive benefits of bread have been essential themes during recent years, and the two organizations will work closely on supporting the sector. The FoB is the latest organization to join the FDF and supports over twenty other sector industry bodies. 

By Elizabeth Green