Weekly Roundup: Lactalis nets €45M in boost for dairy production, Firmenich scores high for sustainability

17 Dec 2021 --- This week in industry news, Mondelēz International joined The Sustainable Trade Initiative Living Wage Roadmap and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) forged an alliance to protect natural resources. 

In brief: Business moves
Mondelēz International joined The Sustainable Trade Initiative Living Wage Roadmap to advance living wages in global supply chains. The move represents the company’s continued commitment to uphold human rights. The company uses the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as a framework for preventing and mitigating human rights risks.

Tate & Lyle endorsed the UK’s Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) Action on Fibre. In the UK, only 9% of adults currently eat the recommended amount of fiber daily, which the UK government set at 30 g a day. The initiative has been launched to help consumers “bridge the gap” between fiber intake and the dietary recommendation to help improve gut health and reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer.

The Verdun-based manufacturing site of Lactalis, which specializes in the production of whey powder, has been given a budget of €45 million (US$51 million) over five years to modernize its production facilities and improve its ability to meet market demands. This is to be achieved with newer technical solutions and reducing the company’s impact on the environment. In France, the group devotes more than €200 million (US$225 million) annually for the development of milk and cheese dairies.

DSM has acquired Vestkorn Milling, producer of pea and bean derived ingredients, for €65 million (US$ 74 million). The acquisition complements DSM’s plant-based food and beverage portfolio which includes vitamins, algal lipids and minerals that improve nutritional value, texturizing hydrocolloids; flavors and yeast extracts as well as enzymes that improve protein taste and functionality.

In brief: Sustainability stridesMondelēz International joined The Sustainable Trade Initiative Living Wage Roadmap to uphold human rights.
FAO and Netherlands-based WUR have enhanced their cooperation to improve lives while safeguarding natural resources, in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The agreement covers initiatives such as improving agrifood economics; ensuring sustainable animal production and health, advancing sustainable fisheries and aquaculture; mitigating the impacts of climate change; safeguarding biodiversity; improving food security and nutrition as well as strengthening agrifood systems and food safety.

Firmenich has received a Sustainalytics environmental, social and governmental (ESG) score of 7.5, ranking 37th of approximately 14,983 rated companies worldwide. This surpasses the group’s previous score of 8.6 in February 2021. The improvement in this rating is linked to progress along all three dimensions of ESG, including renewable energy programs, human capital development and the ESG reporting audit. This progress is consistent with Firmenich’s drive towards achieving its 2025 ESG goals across three key areas: climate, nature and people.

Rijk Zwaan is building a new trial center for fruit crops close to its headquarters in De Lier, the Netherlands. It is scheduled to open for growers and other visitors in the second half of 2022. The center will support the latest growing techniques, thus facilitating the collection of extensive crop data. It will give visitors insight into how vegetable varieties perform in comparison with their own production situation. Trials with tomatoes, cucumbers and sweet peppers will be conducted at the facility.

In brief: Appointments & retirements
Kerry has appointed Oliver Kelly as president and chief executive officer of its US operations, effective January 2022. Kelly will replace Gerry Behan, interim president and CEO, who will continue in his capacity as president and CEO of Kerry Taste and Nutrition. Kelly has served in several management roles over 30 years, most recently as commercial chief executive officer for the US. 

Brice-Audren Riché will succeed Antoine Baule as chief executive officer of Biospringer, Lesaffre’s business unit specializing in yeast extracts. Riché will continue Lesaffre’s development in the fields of baking and nutrition and health, with the support of the company’s global team. 

In brief: Other highlights
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (ADHB) “We Eat Balanced” campaign returns to national television screens to highlight the role UK meat and dairy have in creating a balanced and sustainable diet. The 2022 campaign will begin in January and the  new advert focuses on positive attributes of meat and dairy, as a natural source of vitamin B12. It will be broadcasted on Channel 4, ITV and Sky.

Dawn Foods has developed a highly freezable, thaw-stable, non-sticky donut glaze which will allow bakery manufacturers to supply longer shelf life donuts that do not end up in a sticky mess inside the shelf ready packaging. The glaze uses a patent-pending proprietary formulation that prevents the migration of moisture from the glaze to the donut.

By Inga de Jong