07 Dec 2018 --- This week, Symrise AG strengthened its commitment to biodiversity conservation and ethical sourcing as it passed the Union for Ethical BioTrade (UEBT) membership assessment and the Almond Board of California invested US$6.8 million in independent research projects exploring next-generation farming practices. Meanwhile, Mondelēz made a further investment in its Global Technical Center in Wroclaw, Poland, just 1.5 years after the initial US$17 million investment, to expand R&D activities beyond chocolate and bakery innovation. Finally, new research revealed that consumers in the UK will splash out on their groceries this Christmas, spending an average of £166 (US$212) per person during the festive period.