May’s top news stories

Vivera to launch 100% plant-based steak in UK

Dutch vegetarian meal component producer Vivera launched its 100% plant-based steak in the UK.

Vivera’s plant-based steak was made available at UK supermarket chain Tesco from 21 May and will be available in more than 400 stores.

The Dutch firm is said to have already begun the production of its plant-based steak products and aims to produce several million pieces this year.

Vivera commercial manager Gert Jan Gombert said: “A large group of vegetarians, vegans and flexitarians has been very interested in such a product for years.

“With the breakthrough of its market introduction and large-scale production, a large group of consumers can enjoy this very tasty plant-based product.

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IFF agrees to acquire Frutarom for $7.1bn

US-based International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) agreed to acquire Israel-based firm Frutarom in a cash and stock transaction valued at nearly $7.1bn, which also includes the assumption of Frutarom’s net debt.

Frutarom produces and distributes flavours, savoury solutions and natural ingredients to more than 150 countries worldwide.

The company’s shareholders will receive $71.19 in cash and 0.249 of a share of IFF common stock for each Frutarom share held under the deal.

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Saputo acquires activities of Murray Goulburn in Australia

Canadian dairy company Saputo acquired the activities of Australia’s Murray Goulburn (MG).

The transaction was first announced in October last year, when Saputo agreed to acquire the Australian co-operative for C$1.29bn ($1bn) on a debt-free basis.

MG is engaged in the production of a wide range of dairy foods, including cheese, butter, and milk powder, as well as dairy beverages, and a range of ingredient and nutritional products such as infant formula.

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Chr. Hansen launches culture strains to meet demand for Feta cheese

Chr. Hansen launched culture strains that produce a ‘rich and complex flavour’ to meet the growing demand of Feta-style cheese.

Chr. Hansen is a global bioscience company that develops natural solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.

The company’s Dvs White Flora is made using two types of bacteria (Lactococcus lactics subsp. Cremoris and Lactococcus lactic subsp. Lactis.).

The strains used in the new culture system are selected from 30,000 strains to ensure performance.

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LabCorp agrees to acquire Covance Food Solutions for $670m

Global life sciences company LabCorp entered a definitive agreement with Eurofins Scientific to sell its Covance Food Solutions business for $670m.

Eurofins is a global group of laboratories, which has been active in food, environment and pharmaceutical product testing.

The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of this year after obtaining regulatory approvals.

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Aleph Farms develops new 3D technology for clean meat production

Israeli food technology start-up Aleph Farms is making advancements in the production of clean meat by expanding its composition, as well as growing it in a more structured manner.

The company noted that until now, the clean meat has been grown in a laboratory setting and has been confined to simple structures of one or two types of cell tissue, thereby limiting its applications to ground meat.

In order to address the issue, the company has developed new 3D technology, which is claimed to take clean meat production to the next level.

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African Palm signs palm oil production expansion agreement

US-based African Palm (APC) signed a new agreement with local Congolese partner Ngalipomi to gain access to an additional three million hectares of palm trees in West Africa.

The deal will enable the company to expand its operations in Guinea-Bissau and the Republic of the Congo and the area will become the third largest allocated for palm oil production worldwide, following Indonesia and Malaysia.

This will allow the company to gain access to 4.5 million hectares of palm trees in total.

APC president and CEO Oscar Faria said: “This is the second agreement that we have reached in just a few months and we are thrilled to include the Congo in our next phase of operations.”

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Mondelēz agrees to acquire Tate’s Bake Shop for $500m

US-based confectionery giant Mondelēz International (Mondelēz) entered an agreement with global private equity firm Riverside, as well as other shareholders, including Founder Kathleen King, to acquire Tate’s Bake Shop (Tate’s) for nearly $500m.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to take place later this year.

Established in 2000 in Long Island, New York, Tate’s has been producing cookies, which are claimed to be produced using simple, authentic and high-quality ingredients.

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Nestlé India to launch breakfast cereals this year

Nestlé India is planning to expand its product portfolio this year with the introduction of breakfast cereals.

The company plans to add Nestlé breakfast cereals from Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) to its current portfolio.

CPW is a 50/50 joint venture (JV) company of Nestlé Switzerland and US-based General Mills, and is engaged in the production and distribution of breakfast cereals.

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Tesco to remove ‘best before’ dates on certain fruit and vegetables

UK-based multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer Tesco announced plans to remove ‘best before’ consumption guidance dates on nearly 70 fruit and vegetable products as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce food waste.

The fruits and vegetables included in the latest initiative include apples, potatoes, tomatoes, onions, lemons and other citrus fruits.

The British retailer has taken the decision in an attempt to prevent edible food from being unnecessarily thrown away.