FoodBev Media’s Melissa Bradshaw rounds up this week’s food and beverage news, including:
7-Eleven International to acquire 7-Eleven Australia for AUD $1.71bn
7-Eleven International has entered an agreement to acquire 100% of the shares of 7-Eleven Australia, an independent convenience store chain in the country, for AUD $1.71 billion in cash.
According to the company, 7-Eleven Australia runs 751 local stores and is a long-standing licensee of 7-Eleven.
Since 1977, the Withers and Barlow families have been overseeing 7-Eleven Australia. The company handles 250 million transactions annually and has a workforce of over 9,000 individuals across its corporate and franchise network.
The acquisition reinforces Japanese trading firm Seven & i Holdings Co’s commitment to global growth. 7&i will use its business expertise to “further enhance” the 7-Eleven brand.
7-Eleven International said the deal will increase its market-leading position in Australia, leveraging growth opportunities fuelled by a youthful and diverse population. 7-Eleven International plans to expand 7-Eleven Australia’s product range and introduce new food items to cater to the country’s diverse food preferences, using strong value chain initiatives.
The transaction, which is subject to customary regulatory approvals and closing conditions, is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2024.
Müller to sell Milk & More to Freshways Group
Müller UK and Ireland has announced the sale of milk round and doorstep delivery service, Milk & More, to Freshways Group. The doorstep delivery service was acquired by Müller as part of its acquisition of Dairy Crest’s wider liquid milk processing and distribution operation in 2016.
Müller’s investments in Milk & More include developing a digital platform and large fleet of electric vehicles for delivery, as well as the introduction of a broader and relevant product offering beyond milk and improving customer experience.
The service serves hundreds of customers across the country each week with fresh milk and other grocery staples. It currently employs around 1,100 staff members.
Müller’s primary business in the UK is focused on the supply of fresh milk, yogurt and other dairy products to retail, wholesale and other businesses. Following a strategic review, the company decided to divest its interest in direct-to-consumer business Milk & More.
Freshways was established in 1993 as a small wholesaler in London, UK. It offers customers throughout London, Wales and the rest of the UK fresh milk, bread and dairy products. It operates a processing facility in Acton, West London, along with further facilities in Southampton and Leeds, and has 16 distribution centres nationwide.
The sale is set to be complete on 1 January 2024.
Research: Raising frozen food temperature by three degrees can slash carbon emissions
A new study has found that raising the standard temperature of most frozen foods by just three degrees could cut 17.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year.
The study was carried out by researchers from the International Institute of Refrigeration in Paris, France, and the UK Universities of Birmingham and London South Bank.
Most frozen food is transported and stored at -18°C, but the study found that a move to -15°C could result in annual carbon emissions savings equivalent to taking 3.8 million cars off the road. The move could cut costs in the supply chain by at least 5% and in some areas by up to 12%, the study finds.
The research was supported by global logistics firm DP World, which has set up an industry-wide coalition to explore the feasibility of this change. The coalition aims to redefine frozen food temperature standards to cut greenhouse gases, lower supply chain costs and secure food resources for the world’s growing population.
While freezing food extends shelf life, it comes at environmental cost as 2-3% more energy is required for every degree below zero that food is stored at. Experts also estimate that 12% of food produced annually is wasted due to a lack of refrigerated and frozen logistics, highlighting a need for greater capacity.
FoodChain ID and ReSeed announce agri-food supply chain partnership
FoodChain ID, a provider of sustainability certification, has partnered with ReSeed, a source of full lifecycle carbon credit traceability, to enhance transparency in the measurement and verification of sustainable practices in the agri-food supply chain.
The partnership aims to promote a healthy planet by using the unique expertise of each company. It will focus on encouraging, measuring and verifying progress in carbon sequestration through regenerative agriculture practices under a new carbon credit verification standard.
The carbon credit verification initiative encourages farmers to invest more in regenerative agriculture practices while adhering to European Union deforestation-free regulatory requirements.
By integrating the programme with various farm-level audits, the collaboration offers efficiencies for farmers. The first joint programmes have launched involving nearly 1,000 farmers in Brazil to implement deforestation-free, regenerative practices.
ReSeed, with its AI-powered digital ledger transparency platform, will gather and process data for carbon credit measurement protocols. This process enables monetisation and incentivisation of farmers adopting sustainable practices in their fields.
ReSeed’s team will further use its legal and technical knowledge to validate carbon estimates according to international standards. Additionally, it will offer field technical assistance to categorise eligible farmers based on sustainability standards for farming activities.
FoodChain ID will serve as the exclusive verifier for the carbon credit partnership under ISO 14065 accreditation. FoodChain ID’s technical experts will conduct annual audits of farm practices, adhering to international sustainability standards.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024