Weekly Roundup: Nestlé revives Zimbabwe's coffee industry, Corbion achieves sustainability rating from Ecovadis

07 Sep 2018 --- This week, Nespresso, an operating unit of the Nestlé Group, announced a long-term investment plan to help revive Zimbabwe’s coffee industry and stimulate the rural economy. DuPont Nutrition & Health has been recognized for clean label innovation in Brazil. Corbion has achieved a gold sustainability rating from Ecovadis and TIC Gums has added to their Non-GMO Project Verified Portfolio. Also this week, Nestlé completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Terrafertil and UK-based Finsbury Food Group acquired Ultrapharm for £17 million (US$21.9 million).

In brief: Sustainability
Nespresso has announced a long-term investment plan to help revive Zimbabwe’s coffee industry and stimulate the rural economy. The company will provide training and technical assistance to 400 smallholder coffee farmers over the next five years, with the goal of increasing the country’s production of quality sustainable coffee. Together with TechnoServe, an international non-profit organization specializing in business solutions to poverty, Nespresso is training farmers to revive their production through climate-smart, sustainable farming practices.

South Africans nationwide are joining the waste-free movement to clean up beaches and rivers in the country this September. Coca-Cola’s bottling partners are leading over 14 cleanups across South Africa reaching as far as Mamelodi and Soweto, to Durban and Muizenberg. This is in partnership with Plastics SA for Clean-up and Recycle Week which runs from 10-15 September and coincides with International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15th, 2018. 

In brief: Recognition & awards
DuPont Nutrition & Health’s technical team in South America has developed the ideal formulation based on a new generation of stable low-pH carrageenan to meet consumer and industry demand for cleaner labels. The new Lactogel FC 5200 is designed to meet the strong demand for cleaner labels and plant-based foods from consumers and the industry. Lactogel FC 5200 can help shorten product labels, as it can serve as the sole thickener in low pH formulations, providing a rich texture and creaminess that replaces the addition of starch and gelatin. Carrageenan has an impressive sustainability story. Carrageenan farming has helped lift families out of poverty and improved the economic and social well-being of thousands of communities in Southeast Asia and Africa. DuPont N&H has a carrageenan production plant in Chile, which stimulates the local economy and lessens its impact on the environment due to the proximity of production to the Latin American market.

Corbion has achieved a gold rating in its latest Ecovadis assessment. The independent review, whose findings have just been released, put Corbion in the top three percent of all suppliers audited worldwide across a wide range of industries. 2018 was the third year in which Ecovadis have evaluated Corbion's CSR practices, and the gold rating is the culmination of consistent improvements across all the themes assessed: fair business practices, sustainable procurement, labor practices and the environment.

TIC Gums has added 13 Non-GMO Project Verified seals to ingredients in their existing portfolio, including acacia, gellan gum and guar products. According to the Non-GMO Project website, “the Non-GMO Project Verified seal gives shoppers the assurance that a product has completed a comprehensive third-party verification for compliance with the Non-GMO Project Standard.” With the addition of 13 new Non-GMO Project Verified seals, TIC Gums now offers 18 products that carry the seal. The verified products include single ingredient solutions and gum blends. 

In brief: Acquisitions
Nestlé has completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Terrafertil, a natural foods company and main global producer of goldenberries, following approval by the relevant antitrust authorities. This investment is one of the latest examples of how Nestlé’s enhanced growth strategy harnesses the entrepreneurial spirit on which the company was founded 150 years ago. With this new investment, Nestlé is very well positioned to be the leader in the plant-food based segment in Zone Americas with the addition of the Nature’s Heart and Essential Living Foods brands, according to the company.

One of the UK’s leading bakery manufacturers, Finsbury Foods, has announced the acquisition of “free-from” bakery manufacturer Ultrapharm Ltd. for £17 million (US$21.9 million). According to Finsbury, the purchase is part of the ongoing plan of the company to diversify its product capability into high growth areas. Founded in 1993, Ultrapharm has a workforce of 240 employees developing an extensive range of bakery products such as bread, bun, rolls and morning goods, in its facilities in the UK and Poland.

Agrial’s Beverage Division, a player on the French cider market and already present in the US, is pursuing international development. The company has acquired Aston Manor, and is expanding operations to the UK, the largest cider market in the world. The Birmingham-based Aston Manor is the UK’s largest independent cider producer and the second leading player on the British cider market.

Bakkavor Group Plc (Bakkavor), a provider of fresh prepared food, has acquired Haydens Bakery Limited (Haydens) from Real Good Food Plc. Established in 1976, Haydens is a leading manufacturer of sweet bakery products for the major UK grocery retailers and provides a distribution operation for one of the UK’s leading retailers. The business operates from two sites in Devizes, Wiltshire, and has around 480 employees. Capital investment of £15 million (US$19.4 million) over the last 18 months has now transformed the bakery operations, adding significant capacity, expanding the existing footprint and upgrading equipment and infrastructure.

In brief: Appointments & retirements
Vivian Glueck, President of the Citromax Group of companies, has announced that Dr. John Cavallo has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Technology and Commercial Development. Dr. Cavallo is an accomplished food and beverage industry executive with a global business scope that includes extensive experience in the flavor, extract food ingredient and specialty chemicals segments. During his career, John has held senior management positions at Trilogy Essential Ingredients, Citrus and Allied Essences, Comax Manufacturing, Symrise, Haarmann & Reimer and Givaudan.

By Elizabeth Green