Food

According to the latest edition of the Osservatorio Immagino report, following a 2.3% upturn in 2017, sales growth of “free from” products slowed in 2018 to just +0.1%, reaching €6.8 billion of sales in supermarkets and hypermarkets.

Belgian holding company CTH Invest, a Ferrero affiliate, has spent $300 million to acquire Danish brand Kelsen, producer of the famous Kjeldsens and Royal Dansk butter cookies owned by Campbell Soup Company.

Nissin Food Products, Japan’s leading instant noodle company, is planning to redesign the containers of its flagship Cup Noodle brand to reduce the use of petroleum-based products.

Unterberger (Belluno), a company specialising in the production of speck ham and since 2013 a member of the Bonazza Group, is investing in its Perarolo facility to meet market demands.

Mondelēz International has signed an agreement to acquire a majority interest in Perfect Snacks (California), a pioneer in the refrigerated nutrition bar segment with a 2018 net revenue of approximately $70 million.

The largest agro-industrial unit in Mozambique, a massive chicken breeding and egg-laying unit with a complete value chain attached, is due to open at the end of June.

Ideal for packaging food and beverages in a controlled atmosphere, Atlas Copco's NGP and NGP+ molecular sieve nitrogen generators guarantee low operating costs and nitrogen purity levels from 95 to 99.999%.

French multinational Lactalis, already owner of Italian brands Parmalat, Galbani, Invernizzi, Locatelli and Cademartori, has announced further expansion in Italy with the acquisition of Nuova Castelli of Reggio Emilia, one of the leading distributors of Italian PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheeses and the world’s largest exporter of Parmesan.

Food group Maslo-Del has announced an investment in a new milk processing line for installation at its plant in Petropavlovsk.

Ireland-based company Smurfit Kappa, one of the world leaders in Bag-in-Box® packaging solutions, recently launched a new Stand-up Pouch for olive oil.

In response to demand from European consumers, the US firm Beyond Meat (NASDAQ:BYND), has expanded its partnership with the Netherlands-based company Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat to build a new facility for production of the brand’s innovative plant-based meats.

Ferrero is continuing its series of acquisitions with a view to expansion in international markets.

Fabbri Group chose the recent IFFA in Frankfurt (4-8 May 2019) as the venue for the launch of its latest new products specially developed to meet the needs of the meat industry.

The Canadian group McCain Food Ltd, one of the world’s largest producers of frozen french fries with operations in 160 countries across 6 continents and more than 20,000 employees worldwide, has completed two major strategic operations.

Alce Nero, the well-known company consisting of organic farmers and processors, has signed an agreement with frozen pizza producer Roncadin to launch a joint venture company called Alce Nero Freddo S.p.A., in which the two companies own 70% and 30% stakes respectively.

The Mexican company Arca Continental (listed on the Mexican Stock Exchange), one of the top Coca-Cola bottlers in the world, has announced that it plans to invest Ps. 13 billion (more than €610 million) in 2019.

Unigrà, an agri-food group based in the province of Ravenna that specialises in the transformation and sale of vegetable oils and fats, is expanding in Italy through the acquisition of the entire share capital of Olfood (BS), a producer of margarines and food oils for professional use (annual revenue €40 million, including 10% from exports).

After a period of 10 years, the pasta maker Delverde is returning to Italy in a 100% acquisition by the Newlat Food group. The Reggio Emilia-based group led by Angelo Mastrolia paid €9.25 million to the Argentine multinational Molinos Río de la Plata, which had purchased the pasta maker in 2009.

Ishida Europe (UK) has produced a White Paper to help dairy processors safeguard their brand integrity by meeting the highest food safety and quality standards.

On 1 April, Burger King and the startup company Impossible Foods announced the roll-out of the Impossible Whopper in 59 stores in and around St. Louis, Missouri.