Weekly Roundup: Nestlé sells Yinlu peanut milk and canned rice porridge businesses, IMCD inaugurates plant-based facility in Thailand

27 Nov 2020 --- This week in industry news, Nestlé agreed to sell its Yinlu peanut milk and canned rice porridge businesses in China. IMCD opened a plant-based analogs pilot plant in Bangkok, Thailand, to support its Asia Pacific customers. Also this week, Kalsec earned a B Corporation certification, while Diageo and Heineken set goals to improve their environmental sustainability.

In brief: Business moves
Nestlé is selling its Yinlu peanut milk and canned rice porridge businesses to Food Wise. The deal covers all of Yinlu’s operations, including its five factories in Fujian, Anhui, Hubei, Shandong and Sichuan. The transaction will allow Nestlé to focus on key categories in China: infant nutrition, confectionery, coffee, culinary, dairy and petcare, capitalizing on its strong brands, digital capabilities and innovation engine to drive growth. Nestlé will retain its ready-to-drink (RTD) Nescafé coffee business and distribute the products across most of the greater China region. The deal is expected to close by the end of this year, and the financial terms have not been disclosed.

IMCD has inaugurated a meat, seafood and plant-based analogs pilot plant in Bangkok, Thailand. IMCD has opened a meat, seafood and plant-based analogs pilot plant in Bangkok, Thailand, “with the best in class infrastructure and technical expertise,” according to the company. The move is part of a strategic plan to expand its technical capabilities and presence in the region. This first-of-its-kind facility provides manufacturing capability that allows its customers the flexibility to run tests in an environment similar to their operations. The technical team offers product concept solutions in yield optimization, food safety, shelf life extension and improved texture. They will also focus on providing nutritional solutions like egg white and phosphate replacer in seafood applications. 

In brief: Environmental sustainability 
With its new B Corp certification, Kalsec has met rigorous social and environmental standards representing its commitment to making ethical and sustainable decisions that serve consumers, customers, employees, communities and the environment. The company has proven its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible practices relating to energy supplies, waste and water use, worker compensation, diversity and corporate transparency.

Diageo has announced 25 goals for its “Society 2030: Spirit of Progress” plan, designed to positively impact the world by 2030. The company will focus its efforts in three core areas, carefully selected to align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: promoting positive drinking; championing inclusion and diversity; and pioneering grain-to-glass sustainability. Diageo has launched a ten-year sustainability action plan.

With transport accounting for 11 percent of Heineken’s overall carbon footprint and, as a critical pillar of its Brewing a Better World strategy, the company has committed to investing in innovative and sustainable solutions for its logistics. Heineken announced its support in Europe’s sustainable transport ambitions and working for a cleaner, greener freight transport system, with hydrogen trucks as an essential part of that future. In a coalition statement, released at an event as part of the #EuHydrogenWeek, the 62 signatories pledged to invest in the development, production and deployment of FCH trucks and related infrastructure.  

The Center for Responsible Business (CRB) at Berkeley Haas has announced Applegate as its newest corporate partner. Specializing in natural and organic meat production, Applegate pursues nuanced approaches to sustainability within its supply chain. The partnership between the CRB and Applegate is founded on a natural alignment of missions and values. It will accelerate and scale the CRB’s Sustainable Food Initiative while allowing Applegate to capitalize on the vast research pool and next-generation thought-leaders at UC Berkeley and within Berkeley Haas. 

In brief: Bakery highlights
A new sourdough donut mix from Dawn Foods is the first “completely different” donut texture to be launched into the industrial bakery sector for many years, according to the company. Dawn Foods’ Sourdough Donut Mix creates finished donuts Dawn Foods’ Sourdough Donut Mix creates donuts with a buttery but slightly acidic sourdough flavor.with a buttery but slightly acidic sourdough flavor that is much less sweet than a standard American-style donut. While a darker sourdough bread-like crust gives added texture, the Sourdough Donut inside has a soft, light, and airy eating quality. Dawn’s premium Sourdough Donut mix can be used across many NPD applications, with the sweet and sourdough combination pairing well with real fruit or custard fillings in ball donuts or ring donuts finished with flat icing or glazes. 

EnWave has signed a Royalty-Bearing Commercial License and an Equipment Purchase Agreement with NuWave Foods, a Canadian company focused on launching new and innovative shelf-stable bakery products. Since May, NuWave has been evaluating EnWave’s patented Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) dehydration technology and successfully developed several shelf-stable baked products it intends to commercialize under the license. NuWave has paid EnWave an initial non-refundable deposit to purchase both a 10 kW and 60 kW REV machine from EnWave. NuWave must remit a second milestone payment within ninety days (the Milestone Payment). If the Milestone Payment is remitted to EnWave before the agreed-upon deadline, NuWave will retain the exclusive right to use REV technology in Canada and the US to process shelf-stable donuts and fritters. 

By Elizabeth Green