FoodBev Media’s Rafaela Sousa rounds up this week’s food and beverage news, including:
Minerva to become Brazil’s second-largest beef processor with BRL 7.5bn deal
Brazilian meat processing company Minerva Foods has acquired cattle slaughtering and deboning plants from Marfrig for approximately $1.53 billion dollars.
The deal includes eleven plants and a distribution centre in Brazil, one “industrial unit” in Argentina and three plants in Uruguay. The company has also bought a lamb plant in Chile, which will contribute to “the protein diversification strategy” and operate “in niche markets with high added value”.
The deal will see Minerva advance its presence in the beef market, as the business is set to expand its cattle slaughtering and deboning capacity to 42,439 head per day from its current volume of 29,540 head, representing an increase of approximately 44%.
Following the acquisition, Minerva will possess a total of 40 cattle slaughter and deboning facilities. These will comprise 21 units located in Brazil, five in Paraguay, six in Argentina, six in Uruguay and two in Colombia. Meanwhile, its lamb business will have five plants: four in Australia and the new facility in Chile.
According to the company, the acquisition will result in Minerva becoming the second-largest beef processor in Brazil.
Labour shortages cost food and drink industry £1.4bn
In the last year, labour shortages have cost the UK food and drink industry an estimated £1.4 billion due to loss of output, according to a new report.
The Food and Drink Federation’s State of Industry report has found that in the last year – from July 2022 during the last quarter – the cost has been £192 million.
57% of food and drink manufacturers have vacancy rates of up to 5%, with mid-sized businesses that have a turnover of £26-£500 million experiencing the brunt of the shortages. Vacancy rates represent the percentage of vacant positions in an organisation over a specific period of time.
The UK government is due to respond to the Independent Review into Labour Shortages published in June by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs this autumn.
Anheuser-Busch announces $22.5m investment in Houston brewery
Anheuser-Busch has announced a $22.5 million investment into its Houston, Texas, brewery in the US.
The investment includes an upgrade to Houston brewery’s cooling system, enhancing workplace safety and reducing annual electricity consumption.
In order to furnish the brewery with a modern system, the current cooling system “will be completely removed and repositioned to ensure improved functionality”. Additionally, there are plans to add a free-standing structure to house the evaporative condensers.
The new cooling system for the Houston brewery is anticipated to be fully functional by the fourth quarter of 2023.
Ornua chief executive John Jordan to step down
Irish dairy cooperative Ornua has announced that its chief executive officer, John Jordan, will be stepping down from his current role.
Jordan is set to embark on a new endeavour as he assumes the role of chief operating officer within a US-based private equity firm. While his departure from Ornua is anticipated in the near future, he will remain engaged with the board to ensure an effective transition process.
The process of selecting a new chief executive for Ornua is poised to commence immediately. The organisation’s board has designated Donal Buggy, current chief financial officer, as the interim CEO. In this capacity, Buggy will guide Ornua through the transitional phase.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2023
