Weekly Roundup: Olam’s AtSource wins on sustainability, Afternoon tea trend brewing

22 Jan 2021 --- This week in industry news, Olam’s AtSource won the 2020 Reuters Responsible Supply Chain Award and Kerfoot Group was awarded a silver medal from EcoVadis for its commitment to sustainability. Meanwhile, PureCircle and Almendra resolved their US patent litigation and Waitrose revealed the afternoon tea trend will take off this year.

In brief: Sustainability 
Olam’s sustainability insights platform AtSource has won the 2020 Reuters Responsible Supply Chain Award. The platform provides actionable data for manufacturing and retail customers of the third-party supply chains for products like coffee, cocoa, cashew, cotton and rice. The judging panel, drawn from business, media, NGOs, and academia, said of Olam’s winning submission: “AtSource is a highly innovative and scalable plus well-established model that allows Olam's customers – for Modern Meat has acquired Kitskitchen Soups, strengthening its portfolio of plant-based products.the first time – to track the social and environmental footprint of a product from the farmer group to their factory gate. It uses 150 economic, social and environmental metrics, bringing transparency to what has been a rather opaque part of the commodity industry. Very much leading a new, sustainable path for their industry.” Since the launch of AtSource in 2018, it has been rolled out across 30 origins and 150 customers, with a target for all directly sourced products to meet AtSource Entry criteria by 2023.

Kerfoot Group, a supplier of natural, organic and essential oils and ingredients, has been awarded a silver medal from EcoVadis for its commitment to supporting and advancing sustainability throughout the business. This award now places Kerfoot in the top 5 percent of assessed companies in the markets it operates in.

Diana Food, part of Symrise Nutrition, has been nominated as a finalist for the Edie Sustainability Leaders Awards 2021 in the category of “Waste and Resource Management Project of the Year.” Diana Food is being recognized for its overall waste reduction strategy and recent initiatives that focus on the valorization of the company’s side streams. The final results and winners will be announced during an online ceremony on February 3. 

In brief: Sweetener highlights
PureCircle and Almendra reached an amicable settlement in a patent dispute in the US relating to Almendra’s Steviarome products and use thereof. As of December 31, 2020, PureCircle and Almendra voluntarily resolved the litigation, with all claims and counterclaims dismissed. As part of the settlement, Almendra signed a license agreement with PureCircle, allowing Almendra to continue selling its Steviarome flavor ingredients worldwide. All other terms of the agreement remain confidential.

Tate & Lyle has expanded its Dolcia Prima Allulose portfolio with a crystalline form certified as Non-GMO Project Verified. This allows manufacturers to increase the number of retail products bearing the Non-GMO Project Verified label and certification. 

In brief: Acquisitions
Modern Meat, a US-based plant-based meat manufacturer, has acquired Kitskitchen Health Foods, a plant-based soup company with a line-up of products currently available in many grocery retailers, including Fresh Street Market and Whole Foods. Led by an all-female leadership team, Kitskitchen has been in business since 2013. Currently, their soups can be found at 135 retailers throughout British Columbia and Alberta, and Kitskitchen has provided an expected revenue forecast to the company of US$950,000 for 2021.

In brief: Other highlightsThere are 30 new cakes in the new Waitrose range, including Victoria sponge, carrot and lemon – ideal for afternoon tea. 
Waitrose is launching a selection of cakes in response to the trend for afternoon tea and an increase in at-home celebrations, which look set to continue in 2021. Last year, the popularity of the traditional pastime of afternoon tea soared as people celebrated special occasions at home. Searches are already up over 1,000 percent versus the same week last week as families turn to celebratory food and drink to mark their events in lockdown. Champagne sales have bubbled by 52 percent, suggesting we are elevating the traditional teatime to include a little sparkle for special occasions. Sales of cake stands at John Lewis are up 16 percent compared to last year. 

Tesco has reaffirmed its commitment to Marcus Rashford’s Food Poverty Taskforce and will continue to support his campaign for free school meals for every child that needs them at any time. In addition to its work alongside Marcus and the other Taskforce members, Tesco will continue its broader work to help families facing hardship due to the pandemic to put healthy, nutritious food on their tables. 

By Elizabeth Green

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