Duravant has announced the formation of Duravant Brazil, coinciding with the company’s acquisition of a majority stake in BVSP. The North America-headquartered company operates across 13 countries, serving customers in over 190 countries worldwide. Its new subsidiary company, Duravant Brazil, is a sales and service entity that will centrally support customers across multiple brands, expanding Duravant’s global footprint. Petros Diamantides, Duravant’s COO of emerging markets, said: “Brazil is the second largest global market for poultry production, and Duravant’s investment to build a sales and service infrastructure in the region advances our commitment to directly support our global food processing customers.” Diamantides continued: “Our new entity in Brazil will also leverage Duravant’s portfolio of world-class brands, products and services to expand our local reach into more diverse end markets.” The announcement coincides with Duravant’s majority stake acquisition in BVSP, a manufacturer of parts and components for processing machinery and an aftermarket service provider for poultry processing lines. Fabio Figueiredo, Duravant Brazil’s managing director, commented: “The acquisition of BVSP immediately strengthens our ability to offer local spare parts and deploy a technical service and support team with the experience and talent our customers can depend on”. BVSP currently operates in three sites and plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities. Vinicius Cuchiara dos Santos, GM of BVSP, added: “We’re very excited about our new partnership with Duravant. Their impressive history of growth and innovation is a reflection of their customer-centric culture, which aligns perfectly with our service philosophy and commitment to the Brazilian market.” Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

British organic dairy cooperative Omsco has expanded its Grass Roots Dairy Co range with the launch of a new organic salted butter. The butter – which is produced in small batches, using traditional methods – is made with 100% organic cream from Omsco Members' free-range, grass-fed cows. Omsco’s chief executive, Martyn Anthony, said: “Following the successful launch of our Grass Roots Dairy Co cheddars it was a natural next step to complement them with a great tasting, traditionally made, organic butter. A butter that is made from milk produced by our free-range, organic cows who graze for an average of 235 days a year on clover and lush green grass giving the butter its gorgeous yellow colour and depth of flavour." He continued: “Our growing Grass Roots Dairy Co range showcases all that is great about organic dairy and the sustainable and truly regenerative farming standards that our farmers are dedicated to delivering. It taps into the concerns of an increasing number of consumers who care about the foods they eat, care about animal welfare and care about the impact they have on the planet.”

Mackie’s of Scotland has launched a new ice cream flavour, toffee fudge, due to hit shelves this month. The ice cream will be available in Scottish Tesco stores, as well as Ocado across England and Wales. Scottish Sainsbury’s stores will also stock the flavour from mid-May. Kirstin McNutt, development director at Mackie’s, said: “When developing the product, we gathered numerous amounts of data on trends, supplier ideas and market gap analysis, and ended up with a host of different flavour ideas”. She added: “We narrowed it down to five flavour concepts, and our research found toffee fudge to be by far the most popular.” Produced on Mackie’s farm in Aberdeenshire, the flavour is created by using fresh milk from its own dairy cows. The toffee swirl is created using a new sauce-making machine which has enabled the family-run business to make even more ingredients on the farm without external sourcing.

The Bel Group has partnered with biotech start-up Climax Foods, to innovate plant-based cheeses that are "indistinguishable" from their dairy counterparts. The partnership aims to create a new generation of plant-based cheese aiming to meet the main challenges of food transition: combining pleasure and nutrition, while reducing carbon footprint. The companies will leverage data science and AI to co-create affordable plant-based alternatives of Laughing Cow, Kiri, Boursin, Babybel and Nurishh brand foods. Cécile Béliot, CEO of the Bel Group, said: "The products we will develop in partnership with Climax have the potential to make a big difference: they can meet the three-fold challenge of sustainable, nutritious, and accessible. This collaboration epitomises our co-innovation strategy by combining their distinctive technological data science and AI platforms and expertise with Bel's pioneering and historical knowledge." Climax Foods’ predictive analytics and AI enable a deep level of understanding of animal-based foods at the molecular level. Climax uses the knowledge to replicate animal-based products with plant-based versions that are said to match the texture, flavour and nutrition density. The start-up’s AI-powered product development significantly reduces the time required to create plant-based recipes. Climax states that: “Comparatively, it would take billions of years to create the same recipes using traditional product development”. Dr Oliver Zahn, CEO and founder of Climax Foods, commented: "AI and data can be game changers in food in terms of delivering optimal taste and texture while at the same time making it affordable and sustainable. In addition to changing consumer preferences, climate change requires us to accelerate the evolution of food. Together with Bel, we can make a significant positive impact so that people and the planet are better off." Climax’s team of food scientists have already successfully created prototypes with characteristics of speciality cheeses, including blue, brie, feta and goat varieties. Bel aims to launch these new plant-based products in the US and Europe by the end of 2024, contributing to Bel’s objective to balance its portfolio with 50 per cent of dairy products and 50 per cent of plant-based or fruit products. To support the development of Climax's solution, Bel acquired an equity stake in the company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. You may also like to read: Bel and Standing Ovation team up to develop animal-free casein protein Bel Brands USA expands dairy-alternative portfolio Climax Foods closes $7.5m seed funding round

Swift Prepared Foods, a subsidiary of JBS USA, has opened a Principe Foods facility for the production of Italian meats and charcuterie in Columbia, Missouri. The company invested more than $200 million in the new 325,000-square-foot facility. Principe Foods has created 100 new jobs in the region and plans to hire 100-200 more people over the next year. Governor Mike Parson commented: "We are excited to welcome Principe Foods to Missouri. More than 400 companies in the food industry are currently operating in Missouri, and that figure continues to grow thanks to world-class companies like JBS USA and Swift Prepared Foods investing in our state. This facility will provide many new opportunities for the mid-Missouri region, and we look forward to seeing the company succeed for years to come." "We are very pleased to celebrate the opening of this state-of-the-art Italian meats facility in Columbia, Missouri," said Tom Lopez, president of Swift Prepared Foods. "This is the culmination of years of hard work and investment by our team and our partners in Missouri. We are grateful for the support we've received up to this point and look forward to the ongoing growth of this facility and the Principe Italia brand." Swift Prepared Foods announced plans to build the facility in April 2021 to meet increasing retail and foodservice demand for Italian meats and charcuterie. Columbia was selected as the location due to its “business-friendly environment and the ability to access raw materials and leverage synergies with existing strategic assets”. The news follows the opening of a ready-to-eat, fully-cooked bacon production facility in Moberly, Missouri, in May 2021.

US agribusiness and food producer, Bunge, has agreed to acquire Fuji Oil New Orleans' port-based refinery located in IMTT’s (International-Matex Tank Terminals) Avondale Terminal, Louisiana, US. Fuji Vegetable Oil, a subsidiary of Fuji Specialties, announced plans to invest $70 million to launch the facility in 2018. Its primary purpose was to import and refine palm oil from sources in the Pacific. The facility features multi-oil capabilities and is strategically located, helping to 'connect' North American food, feed and fuel customers with global markets. Bunge says that it expects to begin serving customers with the newly acquired capacity in the second quarter of 2023. Aaron Buettner, Bunge’s president of food solutions, commented: “This acquisition delivers on our long-term strategy to expand our value-added oils business by accelerating reach across North America. This facility will connect with our existing footprint and enable Bunge to better serve our customers.” Bunge plans to significantly expand the facility’s current capacity and create new job opportunities for the local community. Brett Caplice, Bunge’s VP of refined and speciality oils in North America, added: "We are excited for the opportunity to continue to expand and grow, working alongside great local partners such as IMTT, who Bunge has had an 80-year partnership with storing and shipping vegetable oils in the Gulf”. The completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions.

French dairy company Savencia Fromage & Dairy has announced the acquisition of Sucesores de Alfredo Williner. With manufacturing operations in Santa Fe, Argentina, Williner was founded in 1928 and is considered to be one of the "major players" in dairy products in the country. The deal will see Savencia expand its portfolio with the addition of the Ilolay brand, which produces milk, yogurt, butter, cheese and desserts. In a statement, Savencia said that the acquisition is "part of the deployment of the group's growth strategy". Alfredo Williner, president of Williner, said: "We have enjoyed a privileged relationship with Savencia for many years and share the same values, those of family companies with strong local roots. We are delighted that the Ilolay range will complement Savencia's portfolio of well-known brands." Savencia's brands include Caprice des Dieux, Le Rustique, Cœur de Lion, Saint Agur, Roquefort Papillon and Chavroux. Olivier Delaméa, general manager of Savencia, added: "This acquisition strengthens Savencia Fromage & Dairy's presence in Argentina, where the group is established with its heritage and local brands Milkaut, Santa Rosa and Adler". Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

IFF has announced the launch of its new enzymatic solution that allows breweries to maintain beer clarity with a smarter, simplified process. BClear enables breweries to achieve a more cost-efficient and robust stabilisation process, improve foam stability and reduce gluten content. Jens Magnus Eiken, global product manager for Brewing & Distilling enzymes at IFF, commented: “We’re bringing new expertise in colloidal stabilization. BClear is a strong performing solution that is smarter, simpler, more efficient and sustainable. Now, brewers can have greater confidence when optimising their beer-making process.” BClear delivers a more robust process thanks to its high efficiency, allowing for dosage optimisation. Once optimum dosage for stabilization is reached, BClear delivers a very consistent response, allowing brewers to get it right the first time, achieving quality targets and reducing risks of loss or rework. Sven Schönenberg, global application group manager for Brewing & Distilling enzymes at IFF, said: “Due to minimal handling, BClear is easier to use in production, compared to non-enzymatic solutions; it does not affect the beer taste, improves foam stability, while enabling the production of low-gluten beer”. Schönenberg added: “The solution helps breweries reach their gluten target faster, shortening the beer release time and reducing process complexity, compared to current enzymatic solutions. Choices become easy when you can see the benefits right in front of you and BClear is smarter, simpler, more efficient, and more sustainable.”

Second Nature Brands-owned sweet snacking brand, Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle, has collaborated with Mars to create three Brittle x M&M’s products. Sheila G's has elevated its crunchy brownie crisp offerings with the inclusion of classic M&M'S Minis candies. The trio of new items includes extra-chocolatey Brownie Brittle M&M'S Minis, which contain 120 calories per 1oz serving. The next two new items – brown sugar and vanilla-based Brownie Brittle Blondie M&M'S and Brownie Brittle M&M'S Minis Gluten Free – contain 130 calories per 1oz serving. Ashley Dawkins, VP of marketing at Sheila G's Brownie Brittle, said: "Brownie Brittle is thrilled to partner with Mars on not one, but three delicious mashups with the iconic M&M'S candy brand. We wanted to ensure there was an option for everyone to enjoy this sweet craveable snack." The Brownie Brittle M&M's snacks are available now in major US retailers for an RRP of $3.99 per 4 oz bag. You may also like to read: Second Nature Brands unveils Gluten Free Brownie Brittle Reese’s Pieces Second Nature Brands acquires Brownie Brittle CapVest acquires better-for-you snack producer Second Nature Brands

Bidra Innovation Ventures has announced a $200 million commitment from Morocco's Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and the OCP Group. The initiative will expand Bidra's investment scope to include innovations in energy, water, mining and agriculture. The commitment will be used to fund global, innovative agritech start-ups that tackle climate change. UM6P is a hub for education, research, innovation and entrepreneurship that works to build collaborations with universities around the world. The OCP Group provides plant nutrition solutions and says it is the “world's largest” producer of phosphate fertilisers. Hicham El Habti, president of UM6P and board chair of Bidra, said: “This fund will expand our investment in reducing the carbon footprint of the agriculture industry while tackling the challenges of food security, urbanisation and industrialisation. Supporting Bidra’s efforts is part of UM6P’s commitment to investing in sustainable agriculture and the training of a new generation of entrepreneurs and leaders, and positioning Morocco and Africa at the forefront of research and technology.” Amar Singh, head of group at Bidra Innovation Ventures, commented: "UM6P recognises the role innovation must play to sustainably solve global challenges. Having OCP’s support is a tremendous advantage because now we can extend OCP’s regional know-how and distribution capacity to startups that are ready to scale.” Companies backed by Bidra benefit from the financial resources of UM6P and the OCP Group, as well as the organisations’ domain expertise and global footprint. Jaisimha Rao, founder and CEO of Niqo Robotics, a company backed by Bidra’s fund, added: “At Niqo Robotics, we are pioneering a sustainable revolution in agriculture through AI-powered agricultural robots. Our proprietary green-on-green spot spray robots use real-time AI-assisted computer vision to selectively spray chemicals on plants resulting in up to 60% chemical savings and limiting the environmental impact of excess chemical usage.” He continued: “With the support of Bidra, UM6P and OCP Group, we continue to develop our robotic technology to benefit farmers in emerging markets that currently rely on outdated methods and manual labour”. This latest round comes one year after Bidra launched a $50 million fund focused on agriculture, backed by the same investors. In October, AgroSpheres, a company developing the next generation of environmentally-friendly crop protection products, raised £22 million in a Series B funding round which included participation from Bidra.

Grupo Bimbo's subsidiary Bimbo Bakeries USA has teamed up with the Sorrisa Group to debut a line of ice cream sandwiches under its Entenmann’s brand. Sorrisa Group is a food development company that produces "never-seen-before food products". The frozen treats, inspired by Entenmann’s baked goods flavours, include: brownie cookie salted caramel, chocolate chip cookie, chocolate chip & brownie cookie, chocolatey glazed cookie donut, chocolatey glazed cookie donut salted caramel and glazed cookie donut ice cream sandwiches. According to the company's statement, "the deal was brokered by Bimbo’s exclusive licensing agency Brand Central". Jodi Bogdanoff, SVP of licensing at Brand Central, said: “The idea of an ice cream sandwich is a perfect fit for the Entenmann’s brand. The combination of the Sorrisa Group’s expertise and Entenmann’s iconic standing within the baked goods and treats category has led to a product that we know consumers will love.” Sam Jaafar, CEO of Sorrisa Group, added: “Our mission at Sorrisa Group is to leverage our expertise in novelty frozen treats to develop and deliver never-seen-before food products to consumers. We are excited to help the iconic Entenmann’s brand bring its iconic flavors to life in a unique format that can be enjoyed on any occasion.”

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