Weekly Roundup: PepsiCo doubles climate actions goals, Waitrose taps into holistic living trend

15 Jan 2021 --- This week, PepsiCo revealed plans to double its climate action goals and pledged net-zero emissions by 2040. Campbell Soup announced it would close its Georgia, US snacks plant by spring 2022 and Hain Celestial completed the sale of UK-based fruit business Orchard House. Meanwhile, the UK gut health movement is expanding with Waitrose’s launch of a holistic living range for its British consumers.

In brief: Sustainability strides
PepsiCo announced its plans to double its science-based climate goal targeting an absolute reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain by more than 40 percent by 2030. The company has also pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040, one decade earlier than called for in the Paris Agreement. Specifically, PepsiCo plans to reduce absolute GHG emissions across its direct operations by 75 percent and its indirect value chain by 40 percent by 2030. This action is expected to reduce more than 26 million metric tons of GHG emissions.

Waitrose has launched a holistic living range for its UK consumers.Bunge published an overview of its key advancements in 2020, focusing on the areas of ethical leadership, accountability and environmental stewardship. This includes the company’s first multi-stakeholder sustainability forum that garnered feedback from customers, banks, industry associations and NGO partners on its sustainability approach. Bunge also closed its first US$1.75 billion revolving credit facility linked to performance across five sustainability targets in late 2019. It also launched a US$2.5 million commitment to supporting health and hunger causes directly related to the pandemic in the communities across the globe.

In brief: Business moves
Campbell Soup has plans to close its manufacturing facility in Columbus, Georgia, US, by spring 2022. The plant currently employs 326 individuals in the production of candy, crackers, cookies, nuts and bars. The closure comes after a careful review of the Snacks division’s manufacturing operations. The Columbus plant was acquired in 2018 as part of Campbell’s acquisition of Snyder’s-Lance. Campbell plans to operate the Columbus facility for up to 18 months and shut it down in phases. 

Hain Celestial has completed its UK fruit business’ divestiture, including the Orchard House Foods business and associated brands, to Elaghmore, a UK-based private equity firm. Details of the transaction were not disclosed. “The divestment of this complex, non-core asset fully aligns with our brand simplification and strategic transformation processes. The remaining Hain Celestial business will show immediate improvement in its growth rate and margins, allowing us to reinvest capital behind the strength of the remaining International platform,” says Mark Schiller, Hain Celestial’s president and CEO.

In brief: NPD launches
High-end UK grocer Waitrose has launched a new health range – Holistic Living – which brings together several different health-focused products to help people live a more balanced lifestyle. The range of 11 new lines were launched with the positioning of helping consumers maintain a healthy and balanced digestive system. They comprise a selection of fruity smoothies, juices and kefir products that introduce bacteria to the gut and create an environment where they can prosper. Joanne Lunn, nutrition manager at Waitrose, says: “This range of products contains Bacillus coagulan, calcium and chicory inulin. These are all types of prebiotic which don’t get absorbed by our small intestine but instead reach the large intestine and the bacteria found naturally in the gut ferment it.” 

Mr Kipling has unveiled 30% Less Sugar Viennese Whirls, which will provide “a healthier choice for people looking for more permissible cakes,” the brand notes. Still the same “exceedingly good taste” as the traditional Mr Kipling Viennese Whirls, they will sit alongside the original range in stores. The move sees another of the brand’s iconic cakes being made available in a format for the more health-conscious shopper, following the success of its 30% Less Sugar Angel, Chocolate and Lemon slices, which first launched in February 2019.

UK-based start-up business, THIS, is set to make £1 million (US$1.36 million) from Veganuary as the plant-based meat company reveals it has made over £300,000 (US$409,477) of retail sales in just the first week of January. The company’s best-seller has been THIS Isn’t Bacon, its plant-based rashers that sizzle in the pan and mimic bacon in taste, smell, texture and appearance, followed by THIS Isn’t Chicken Salt & Pepper pieces. Both products are made using a base of peas and soybeans.THIS Isn’t Bacon are plant-based rashers that sizzle in the pan and mimic the taste, smell, texture and appearance of real bacon.

Dawn Foods has partnered with food bloggers and influencers Emma Hanton and Jay Halford, and Maple from Canada UK as part of a major campaign to run throughout 2021, focusing on its vegan sweet bakery offering. The Bake It Vegan campaign, which kicked off to mark Veganuary, will promote Dawn’s recently launched range of vegan Crème Cake, Brownie, Cookie, Donut and Muffin Mixes, as well as many of Dawn’s existing naturally vegan products. Bake It Vegan will give bakers and caterers access to a range of new recipes and vegan products for their bakery and insights into how they can “vegan-ize” their offering to make the most of this growing market.

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 launched the Sourdough Donut Mix, which creates finished donuts 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 inside of the Sourdough Donut has a soft, light and airy eating quality. Dawn’s Sourdough Donut mix can be used across many NPD applications. The sweet/sourdough combination pairing well with real fruit or custard fillings in ball donuts or ring donuts finished with flat icing or glazes. 

In brief: Appointments 
Tomas Bergendahl has been appointed the new chief financial officer of AAK and will assume his position no later than August 1. Bergendahl joins AAK with extensive experience and a background in finance. For the past five and a half years, he has served as CFO and Executive Vice President at COWI Holding A/S, an international consulting group within engineering, economics and environmental science-based in Denmark. Prior to that, Bergendahl was CFO at Swedish shipping company Rederi AB TransAtlantic. 

By Elizabeth Green