Jacob Stern and Tyson Fresh Meats establish JV for fats and oils

Tyson Fresh Meats and Jacob Stern & Sons have established a new joint venture (JV) company, JST Global, to serve the global fats and oils market.

Tyson Foods subsidiary Tyson Fresh Meats supplies pork and beef products.

Jacob Stern & Sons is a US-based processor and marketer of animal fats and one of Tyson’s largest customers for animal by-products.

Tyson Fresh Meats group president Steve Stouffer said: “We maximise the value of every animal we harvest so that no part of the animal goes to waste.

“Responsibly processing fats and oils are a key part of our business and our commitment to sustainability.

“This joint venture gives us the opportunity to continue to value-up our beef and pork production, enabling us to innovate in new untapped markets while continuing to work directly with existing animal fat customers and the emerging renewable energy market.”

The by-products of beef and pork, as well as the fats and oils derived from other sources, are key ingredients in a wide range of products.

Both companies expect that the new, vertically integrated JV will meet evolving global demands for fats and oils.

After the transition period, JST Global will market animal fats generated by Tyson Fresh Meats. It will do this through teams in Houston, Dakota Dunes and Omaha, US.

JST Global will have its headquarters in Houston, Texas. Jay Van Valen will be CEO of the company.

Currently, Tyson Fresh Meats operates six beef and pork plants in the US.

Jacob Stern & Sons chairman Phil Bernstein said: “Jacob Stern and Tyson Fresh Meats have enjoyed a strong relationship for over 50 years.

“Combining Tyson’s vast supply of animal fats with Jacob Stern’s Texas operations is a natural evolution and positions JST Global to meet growing worldwide demand.”

In November, Tyson Fresh Meats unveiled its plans to resume operations at its Holcomb beef plant in Kansas. A fire partly destroyed the plant in August 2019.