INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA to feature a Distillers’ Forum for the first time / Talks, sensor technology seminars and tastings

INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA, International Technology Trade Fair for Wine, Fruit Juice and Special Crops, will be held in Stuttgart from 4 to 6 November 2018. The varied accompanying programme will also contain for the first time a Distillers’ Forum with an associated tasting area. Starting at 10.00 on Sunday, 4 November 2018, sensor technology seminars and talks on liqueur, gin and fruit brandy will each be held in succession in the Oskar Lapp Hall (Hall 6). The length of these moderated seminars and talks will be between 45 and 60 minutes. Suitable marketing strategies will also be discussed based on well-known campaigns. The seminars and talks are being organised by well-known distillers such as the KOVAL Distillery from Chicago and Manufaktur Geiger, as well as recognised experts such as Dipl. Lebensmittel-Ing. Dr. Klaus Hagmann. Pre-registrations are required for the sensor technology seminars which are subject to a charge and have a limited number of participants. You can find all the programme information and registration formalities at: www.ivifho.de/rahmenprogramm. Fruit brandies, gins, whisk(e)ys and liqueurs can also be sampled in the tasting area on all three days of the trade fair.

About INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA
INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA HORTITECHNICA takes place together with the International German Winegrowers’ Congress every two years at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre. As an international technology trade fair for wine, fruit juice and special crops, it covers the entire process chain from cultivation and harvesting technology, processing and process control, and filling and packaging technology through to organisation and marketing. The German Winegrowers’ Association (DWV) acts as the professional supporter of the INTERVITIS INTERFRUCTA section and organises the International DWV Congress. The German Agricultural Society (DLG) is the professional supporter of the HORTITECHNICA section.

International trade show for production, storage and marketing of apples

Bolzano, 15 – 17 November 2018

With its motto “Bolzano loves apples”, Interpoma, the only international trade show dedicated to the apple, from November 15 to 17 will be welcoming guests from all over the world with a program of events and themed initiatives outside the trade show and across the whole city. Bolzano, as the international capital of the apple, will itself be turned into a true “big apple” during this period.

Interpoma 2018, the two-yearly international trade show dedicated entirely to the apple sector, is scheduled for November 15 to 17 this year at the Bolzano trade show center: there will be a special program of evening events, themed exhibitions and tastings of apple-derived products, featuring numerous enterprises from right across the city, including restaurants and hotels, as well as bars, bakeries and confectioners.

Interpoma is a major event capable of attracting 20,000 visitors to Bolzano from over 70 countries around the world and, with 500 enterprises present, makes South Tyrol a unique market place for the apple sector. With its program “Bolzano loves Apples”, Interpoma offers guests a unique sensory experience for their business trip that can be enjoyed all over the city.

Origins: an exhibition between past, present and future

Interpoma 2018 invites visitors on a journey through the history of the apple, with an exhibition that shows the origins of the apple in Kazakhstan, explains new possibilities for refining and processing, and offers a view of the technologies of the future.

Interpoma Taste

For the first time, Interpoma will this year feature an area inside the pavilion where visitors can taste apple-derived products and much more besides. The Laimburg Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry is presenting innovative apple juices, with tastings and judgings of ciders arranged by its Evaluation Lab. VOG PRODUCTS, the producer of natural ingredients for the food and beverage industry, will put the focus on apple juice, with a special section dedicated to “Pink Lady” products; while, in partnership with Red Rooster farm holidays, the Ausserloretzhof and Gasserhof farms and the Knöspele distillery will be presenting their natural products based upon ancient and traditional recipes, such as preserves and liquors.

The apple in the city

The entire city of Bolzano will for three days dedicate itself to the fruit that symbolizes the regions of Trentino and South Tyrol. In partnership with the Association of Hoteliers and Restaurateurs (HGV), the Unione HDS and BZ Heartbeat, 30 hotels and restaurants and 20 bakeries and confectioners in Bolzano are preparing apple-based menus and specialties for the entire duration of the event.

Interpoma Delicious Events

Trade shows are places to meet and do business, but they also represent an opportunity to get to know new cultures and taste the culinary delights of the host territory. For the opening night on Thursday, November 15, Interpoma is organizing the Golden Delicious Night at the on-site Forst Season restaurant; a “golden” night for locals, but also a chance for enterprises to dine with their customers or meet each other in an elegant and pleasant environment.

Then, on the evening of Friday, November 16, two parties will be held at the Bolzano exhibition center; one, “Rouge et Noir”, is organized by the Forst Season restaurant, while the other will be staged at the Hotel Four Points by Sheraton.

Tetra Pak has launched Tetra Pak^® Plant Secure, a game-changing plant management service that delivers profitability improvements for customers.

The new service starts with a detailed audit of all the equipment and systems across the customer’s value chain. This analysis, combined with Tetra Pak’s deep knowledge of the industry and benchmark data on food manufacturing, enables its specialists to identify opportunities and implement improvements across the customer’s entire operation. All Tetra Pak Plant Secure contracts come with targets around operational expenditure reduction and capital expenditure optimisation.

Dennis Jönsson, President and CEO of Tetra Pak Group said: “Our investment in Industry 4.0 technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation and data velocity has enabled us to better-support our customers in the digital era. Tetra Pak Plant Secure is a great example of how we use new technology to broaden our perspective and deliver bottom-line benefits for our customers.”

Pilot projects have been carried out in the Americas and in Europe, delivering results that are above customer expectations. For example, an Americas-based dairy producer reduced operational costs by more than 10 % in the first year of implementation, and the project continues to deliver further savings.

Tetra Pak Plant Secure is being rolled out to all food and beverage companies around the world.

CHINA BREW CHINA BEVERAGE (CBB) draws on the success of 2016: Just under three weeks before the beginning of the exhibition, the halls of the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC) are almost fully booked. The exhibition space of the international companies is once again increasing. This underlines the importance of the event as an international trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry. The extensive supporting program, including the CBB Forum, Round Table Talks and the International Beer Smart Factory & Brewing Technology Forum, will additionally shed light on what is moving the industry today and tomorrow.

CBB, which takes place from October 23 to 26, is the most important meeting point for the beverage and liquid food industry in Asia. Thanks to its wealth of topics and offerings, it provides visitors comprehensive insights into trends and developments. “As a leading technology platform, CBB promotes the exchange of information within the industry. The presentations of the exhibitors on the one hand and our supporting program on the other provide for a complete and forward-looking overview of the beverage and liquid food market”, said Petra Westphal, Project Group Leader Messe München.

Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, also underlines the importance of the event: “The Chinese beverage market is continuing to grow. Over the next five years, a further annual growth of nine percent is expected. Therefore, we expect CBB to provide considerable impetus for the industry.”

More than 860 exhibitors have already registered. Among them are national and international industry leaders such as Alfa Laval, GEA, Husky, KHS, Krones, SACMI, Sidel and Siemens located in the international exhibition halls. And GDXL, HGM, Lehui, Newamstar, Tech-Long and Zhongya in the national exhibition halls.

The CBB supporting program: Key issues of sustainability and digitization

In addition to industry solutions from exhibitors, attendees can look forward to the unique CBB supporting program. This year, the CBB Forum will focus on the topics of sustainability and digitization. First-class speakers will provide insights and outlooks, including Dr. Ning Ding, General Manager of the Food & Beverage Division at Siemens. In his presentation, the expert will show how digital twins support the digital transformation of the food and beverage production. Another presentation on digitization comes from Sylvain Charlebois, Dean of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University. Charlebois will address crypto currencies and blockchain technologies that offer huge potential for the agricultural and food sector. He will raise the question: “To address lurking food safety and fraud concerns, can blockchain technologies be the answer? ”

Prof. William Chen, Director of the Food Science and Technology Programme at Nanyang Technological University Singapore is going to deal with sustainability. The title of his presentation is: “Fermentation for Upcycling of Brewer’s Spent Grains: Potential for Zero Waste Food Processing and Circular Economy.” Further presentations on digitization and sustainability will be given by Richard Clemens, Managing Director of the VDMA Food Processing and Packaging Machinery Association, and Winston Boyd, Technical Director at Gold Coast Ingredients Inc.

Another highlight of the supporting program are the newly introduced Round Table Talks. Here, industry experts will discuss important topics relating to PET and the developments on the Chinese beer and beverage market today and in the future. Representatives of companies like AB InBev, Snow, Suntyech Process Engineering, Tsingtao and Voss (Hubei) Water & Beverage will talk about dairy trends, innovative product concepts as well as opportunities and challenges regarding packaging and beer trends and many other topics.

For further information about the exhibition, please visit www.cbb.drinktec.com.

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. announced it has completed its acquisition of Frutarom.

The new IFF is a global leader in taste, scent and nutrition:

• Creates a differentiated portfolio with an increased focus on naturals and health and wellness as well as more comprehensive solutions.
• Provides opportunities to expand into attractive and fast-growing categories, such as savory solutions, natural colors, natural food protection and health ingredients
• Broadens complementary and growing customer base, including enhanced exposure to the fast-growing small- and mid-sized customers, such as private label
• Establishes enhanced platform to deliver sustainable, profitable growth
• Provides strong value creation opportunities to maximize shareholder value – including cross-selling benefits as well as cost synergies

“The coming together of IFF and Frutarom is a momentous achievement. We are excited to be moving forward as one company and pursuing new opportunities that benefit all our stakeholders around the globe,” said IFF Chairman and CEO, Andreas Fibig. “Over the past several months, our integration planning teams have been working to ensure that we capture the best of both companies and create a seamless and efficient transition to achieve both our operational and financial targets for this combination. Today, we are celebrating the creation of a new IFF with even greater aspirations as a leader in taste, scent and nutrition. On behalf of everyone at IFF, we welcome Frutarom and its talented team, and look forward to working closely with all employees to continue to deliver winning products to our customers and maximizing long-term value for our shareholders.”

IFF anticipates the combination with Frutarom will translate into accelerated financial performance, with robust top and bottom-line growth. The Company expects to generate an average sales growth of 5 – 7 %, and 10 % adjusted cash EPS growth, on a currency neutral and pro-forma basis, over the 2019 to 2021 period. IFF also believes it will realize $145 million in cost synergies by rationalizing procurement, optimizing global footprint and streamlining overhead expenses by the third full year after the completion of the merger. The Company will be prioritizing repayment of debt and anticipates to be less than 3X net debt to EBITDA in 18 – 24 months to retain its investment grade rating.

As previously announced, holders of Frutarom ordinary shares are entitled to receive $71.19 in cash and 0.249 of a share of IFF common stock for each Frutarom ordinary share they owned. Frutarom shareholders will also receive a special dividend, on a per share basis, equal to 0.249 of the per share value of IFF dividends with a record date between May 7 and October 4, 2018. The combined company will be headquartered in New York City and will maintain a presence in Israel.

Acquisition of W.M. Sprinkman Corporation

Krones, the world’s leading manufacturer of filling and packaging technology, has completed the acquisition of W.M. Sprinkman Corporation, Wisconsin, US. Founded in 1929, Sprinkman provides engineered food and beverage processing equipment, specializing in the dairy and brewing industries. Employing over 125 employees at its Waukesha and Elroy, Wisconsin locations, the company serves customers ranging from start-up microbreweries to large multi-national food and beverage producers. Sprinkman generates approximately $35 millions in revenues.

By acquiring Sprinkman, Krones and its other recent acquisitions enhance the capabilities of the “House of Krones” product portfolio in North America, ranging from process technology solutions and bottling and packaging equipment to intralogistics, IT solutions, plastics recycling, and entire lifecycle service support – thereby supporting the entire production supply chain for customers. Sprinkman’s headquarter and management will remain in Waukesha, Wis., with a production facility in Elroy, Wis.

Downgauging innovations yield thinner, more sustainable BIB films

One word, more than any other, is guiding Bag-in-Box (BIB) film purchasing decisions today: sustainability. Whether for wine, fruit juice or dairy products, the people in the buyer center – product and packaging managers, technical engineers and purchasing agents – are tasked with finding sustainable packaging solutions.

Fortunately for them, the Mondi Styria plant in Austria, has racked up more than 60 years of experience as market leader and technology innovator. When it comes to multilayer technical films that are thinner, lighter and more sustainable – and do not sacrifice any performance properties – the Mondi experts are always extending the boundaries of technological advancement. Now, they are launching a pair of next-generation films developed for multilayer BIB products used to package liquid food products and more.

Introducing … Styria Form Bar 50

“We have now determined it is possible to replace the usual 66- or 70-micron polyethylene film with a 50-micron film, and we are the first company to be able to offer such a product,” explains Günter Leitner, Managing Director at Mondi Styria. “Downgauging in this manner results in the use of about 25 % less material while also reducing transport weight and hence the overall carbon footprint.”

A current customer is already running trials of this new product, and says it has experienced no negative impact on machine performance and that no equipment changes have been needed to successfully run the film, Leitner notes.

… and Styria Form Bar 90 DW

Separately, Mondi now has also found a way to combine what is the industry-standard, two-ply film comprising a 70-micron polyethylene layer plus a 40-micron barrier layer into a mono-layer film that measures only 90 microns thick –– a reduction of nearly 20 %. Currently, Mondi provides its 70-micron film to customers who combine it with a barrier layer provided by another supplier to get the desired end result.

“Mondi, once again, is the first and only supplier of technical BIB films able to offer this type of mono-layer product,” says Leitner. “Since this thinner film also yields more running metres per reel this leads to enhanced efficiency and productivity for our customers.”

In addition to the previously noted sustainability advantages, this latest innovation greatly simplifies matters for customers, eliminating a step from the converting process, and allowing users to buy and store only one type of film instead of two.

Customers also will benefit from reduced machine setup time due to having to change out only two reels instead of four, and having to change two reels less frequently. All of this translates into greater productivity for the converter.

Additionally, both new films are suitable for both hot-fill (up to 85 ºC) and cold-fill applications, again offering increased convenience and flexibility to the users.

100 % of Coca-Cola Amatil packaging to be recyclable by 2025, including bottles, cans, plastic wrap, glass and cardboard

Australian beverages manufacturer Coca-Cola Amatil announced a commitment for 100 per cent of its Australian packaging to be recyclable by 2025, including all bottles, cans, plastic wrap, glass and cardboard. The company will also work towards phasing out unnecessary single-use packaging through improved design, innovation or the use of recycled alternatives.
Group Managing Director Alison Watkins said the commitments were part of the National Packaging Targets announced by Federal Environment Minister, the Hon Melissa Price MP.

“As a beverages manufacturer, we’re serious about playing our part in addressing recycling,” Ms Watkins said.

“We’ve heard the community message loud and clear – that unnecessary packaging is unacceptable and we all need to work together to reduce the amount entering litter streams, the environment and the oceans.

“The National Packaging Targets aim to make a substantive improvement in packaging waste reduction, which is why we’re proud to be a founding supporter and to champion their implementation by industry.”

Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets are:

• 100 % of all Australia’s packaging will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 or earlier
• 70 % of Australia’s plastic packaging will be recycled or composted by 2025
• 30 % average recycled content will be included across all packaging by 2025
• Problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging will be phased out through design, innovation or introduction of alternatives

Earlier this year the Mount Franklin 600 ml bottle was launched using 100 % recycled content, with trials under way on reaching an average 50 per cent recycled content across the Australian portfolio by 2020.

Ms Watkins said the Targets were in addition to existing commitments on plastics and packaging reduction, including the aspiration of “World Without Waste” – a Coca-Cola Company goal to collect and recycle one bottle or can for every one produced, worldwide, by 2030.

Amatil and brand partner and shareholder The Coca-Cola Company is also developing sustainable packaging goals to increase the recycled content in plastic bottles and support recycling collection in Australia. Recognising the threat of marine plastic litter, The Coca-Cola Company this week joined governments and industry leaders to sign onto the Ocean Plastics Charter. Originally adopted at the 2018 G7 Summit, the Ocean Plastics Charter calls on governments, industry and the public to rethink their relationship with plastics.

Döhler Group and Passina Group have reached an agreement on the acquisition of Concentra Europe BV with its Dutch and German subsidiaries by Döhler Group. The proposed transaction has now been filed with the relevant antitrust authorities and is conditional upon their approval.

This transaction marks a step where customers will benefit from a more complete offering and improved efficiency of the combined businesses in a global market that is characterised by volatility, as well as the challenges and opportunities of supply and demand. Döhler Group and Passina Group believe that this step has created a path towards further growth in the market, while simultaneously strengthening their respective positions, specifically as reliable suppliers of tropical and natural plant-based ingredients for the global food & beverage industry.

Concentra Holding AG, owner of the brand name Passina, will focus its future activities on its core business; the production and commercialisation of passion fruit products, including passion fruit juices, concentrates and derivatives. Maintaining its high quality standards, it will place additional focus on the development of innovative new products and solutions.

Biggest privately financed rooftop solar panel on the east coast of Thailand

It is one of the biggest and most impressive innovations in Eastern Seaboard Industrial Park. The gigantic rooftop solar panel on the SIG packaging plant in Rayong, Thailand, is the largest of its kind in the entire region and has now been officially opened.

According to its Power Development Plan, Thailand wants to cover 40 % of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2036 – a goal that SIG has already achieved. All SIG production plants worldwide are already powered by green electricity. In order to produce some of this itself, the Rayong packaging plant built its own photovoltaic system in cooperation with Symbior Solar.

Solar cells are one of the most environmentally friendly energy sources. To install this huge solar roof supports SIG’s commitment to becoming a net-positive company by contributing more to the society and the environment than it takes out across the value chain.

The installation of the solar roof on the SIG production plant is a result of the close cooperation between SIG and Symbior Solar, who designed and installed an effective solar photovoltaic (PV) system at the roof the SIG production plant in Rayong. Covering an area of 17,664 sqm, this solar project with 9,048 solar panels can produce up to 4,431 megawatt hours of electricity per year which in turn reduces CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide) emissions by up to 90 %, whilst also saving electricity cost. SIG packaging plant in Rayong can now proudly claim the title of being the biggest solar PV installation in the entire Eastern Seaboard Industrial Park. It is thus the largest privately financed photovoltaic system on an industrial site on the entire east coast of Thailand.

Some key facts:

• The production plant in Rayong is the first in the world of our SIG production plants to use a solar roof to generate energy.
• Installation Capacity: 3.3 MW
• Power generation 4,431 MWh/year
• CO₂ reduction: 2,242 tons/year (0.506 kg/kWh)
• Total solar cells: 9,048 panels installed
• The solar PV module covers 17,664 sqm on SIG Rayong plant’s roof.

As National Coffee Day (September 29) approaches this weekend, consumers are looking for options beyond their typical cup of joe in favor of ready-to-drink (RTD) varieties offering functional benefits. When asked what their ideal bottled/canned cold coffee drink would include, new research from Mintel reveals that US RTD coffee consumers want options that include antioxidants (47 %), promote brain health (40 %), are anti-inflammatory (35 %) or have added probiotics (30 %).

Aside from functional benefits, there is also potential for coffee that encourages consumption beyond the usual morning or afternoon pick-me-up. More than two in five (42 %) RTD coffee consumers say their ideal bottled/canned cold coffee drink would help them relax, while over one third (35 %) are interested in products with added protein.

Innovation in the RTD coffee segment has contributed to its strong growth. In fact, while roasted coffee is the largest segment of the coffee category (39.2 % market share), RTD coffee continues to drive the category as the fastest growing segment, growing 31 % in the last two years. Overall, total coffee retail sales in the US are estimated to grow 4 % in 2018 to reach $14.4 billion, with steady growth expected to continue through 2023.

“Innovation is vibrant and diverse in the RTD coffee segment and includes new products that are carving out sometimes surprising territory and often taking inspiration from unconventional beverage categories. What’s more, our research shows that iGeneration* consumers are more likely to drink RTD coffee than brewed coffee, indicating this is how they are entering the market. Consumer interest in better-for-you beverages is also shaping the market as demand for organic and non-GMO coffee or functional formulations enhanced with all-natural flavors, protein and vitamins grows. The broader trend of beverage blurring is also opening up opportunity for innovation and brand extension, especially in the RTD segment,” said Caleb Bryant, Senior Beverage Analyst at Mintel.

Non-dairy milk makes a splash

The better-for-you beverage movement extends to consumers’ coffee preferences both at-home and away. As non-dairy milk sales continue to rise, consumers are increasingly looking for it in their coffee, too: more than one third (36 %) of RTD coffee consumers say their ideal RTD coffee would contain non-dairy milk. What’s more, Mintel research shows that just as many dairy milk consumers add dairy milk to their coffee/tea as non-dairy milk consumers add non-dairy milk to their coffee/tea (32 % respectively). Dairy alternatives are making a splash on-premise, as well. According to Mintel Menu Insights, the use of non-dairy milk as an ingredient in coffee drinks on US menus grew 107 % in the last two years**, with almond milk as the standout star, growing 198 % in the same time period.

“Non-dairy milk is a fast-growing segment of the non-alcoholic beverage market, with many consumers, especially iGens and Millennials***, switching from using dairy milk to non-dairy milk on an everyday basis and as an addition to their coffee. While soy milk is the most common non-dairy milk used in both coffee and tea drinks, it is falling out of favor. Meanwhile, almond milk has experienced strong growth on menus across the US, indicating that we can expect to see operators swap soy milk for other non-dairy milks, with oat milk emerging as another rising star to watch,” continued Bryant.

Generation X drives third wave coffee movement

Innovation within the on-premise coffee market is spurring increased consumption among consumers as Mintel research reveals that one quarter (25 %) of those who drink coffee away from home (AFH) say they are buying coffee drinks AFH more often in 2018 compared to a year ago. Those who are ordering coffee AFH more often are not only trying out new drinks (39 %), but are also buying more premium and cold coffee beverages (32 % respectively).

While younger consumers are driving consumption of cold coffee drinks, with 28 % of iGens who drink coffee AFH saying that they most often order flavored iced coffee, Generation X consumers**** are driving the third wave coffee movement. In fact, Generation X consumers who drink AFH are the most likely generation to say they enjoy treating themselves to expensive coffee (38 % vs 33 % overall) and that they would be motivated to visit a new coffee shop for premium coffee beans (31 % vs 21 % overall)—staples of third wave coffee.

“The third wave coffee movement demonstrates that a sizable population of coffee drinkers view coffee as something that should be celebrated. Gen Xers, while a smaller segment of the US population compared to Baby Boomers***** and Millennials, are a prime target for shops offering third wave drinks as they are most likely to treat themselves to drinks made with premium coffee beans. Further, the growing presence of third wave coffee drinks means younger iGens will likely enter the third wave coffee market at a relatively young age. While iGens love flavored and iced coffee drinks now, operators must follow this generation throughout their ‘coffee career’ as many will ‘age out of’ these drinks and eventually join their older counterparts in the third wave coffee movement,” concluded Bryant.

*Aged 11-23 in 2018; in this report, only adult iGens aged 18-23 were surveyed.
**Between Q1 2015-Q1 2018.
***Aged 24-41 in 2018.
****Aged 42-53 in 2018.
*****Aged 54-72 in 2018.

Louis Dreyfus Company Holdings B.V. (LDCH) announced the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer, Ian McIntosh, who is promoted from his current position of Chief Strategy Officer, effective immediately.

The move follows the resignation of Gonzalo Ramírez Martiarena as Chief Executive Officer, after 13 years with the company, in order to pursue other opportunities.

A British national, Ian McIntosh joined the Group in 1986 in London. Having led the UK Grains desk from 1989 to 1991, he moved to Paris to trade global Feedgrains, and then to Melbourne to lead LDC’s Australasian Grain activities. Returning to London in 1993 as a Sugar Trader, he was appointed Global Head of Sugar in 1996 to lead the platform’s global integration and expansion. Between 1999 and 2006, Ian also managed LDC’s global Coffee, Cocoa, Rice, Ethanol and Grains activities, supervised the Group’s integration of its Metals business, and contributed to the creation of LDC’s current structure. He was appointed Head of Europe & Black Sea in 2007, and in 2008 left LDC to set up Edesia Asset Management as part of the Louis Dreyfus Group, serving as CEO and Chief Investment Officer until its closure in 2018. Ian holds a degree in Biological Sciences from Leeds University, UK.

At the same time, Mr. Federico Cerisoli, currently Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Group Controller, has been appointed Group Chief Financial Officer with immediate effect. This follows the decision of Armand Lumens, Group Chief Financial Officer, to leave the company for personal reasons.

Federico brings extensive knowledge and experience to the position. He joined the group in 2008 as CFO of the Calyx Agro start-up. Soon after, he was appointed CFO for what was then the South Latin America Region, and in 2013 took up the role of Regional CFO for Europe & Black Sea. He later served as Metals Platform CFO, Regional CFO for Europe, Middle East & Africa, and then as Interim Group CFO, before his appointment to his present role. Prior to joining LDC, Federico worked for over 17 years in finance, commercial and business development at various energy companies in Argentina, Brazil and the US. He is a Certified Public Accountant from Universidad Católica Argentina, and completed his Executive Business education at Columbia Business School in New York City.

Mr. McIntosh is replaced as Chief Strategy Officer by Patrick Treuer. Patrick was previously Global Head of Strategy for LDC and serves as Non-Executive Chairman for Biosev. A Swiss national, Patrick joined Biosev in 2014 as Head of Strategy, a role he held until his appointment as Head of Strategy for LDC in 2015. Prior to joining the Group, he worked for 15 years in investment banking with Credit Suisse, based in Switzerland and the UK, most recently as Managing Director, Head of Equity Capital Markets for Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Patrick holds a Business degree from the University of St. Gallen.

The world market for aseptically packed products amounted to 152 billion litres in 347 billion packs during 2017, according to the new Global Aseptic Packaging report from leading food and drinks consultancy Zenith Global Ltd and packaging experts Warrick Research Ltd. Volumes have risen by 2.7 % a year since 2012, with South East Asia achieving the fastest annual growth rate of 7 %, followed by China on 6 %.

Beverages such as fruit juice accounted for 39 % of aseptically packed products, with white drinking milk responsible for 38 % and other dairy/food products making up the remainder. Aseptic filling has also become established for soups, sauces, tomato products and baby foods.

“While European companies still dominate the global aseptic filling equipment industry, the Chinese market is increasingly supplied by Chinese equipment manufacturers, some of whom have also successfully entered other Asian markets,” commented David Warrick, Director at Warrick Research Ltd. “Volumes have been static in much of Europe, contrasting with rapid growth in many Asian countries,” added Arunkumar Anbalagan, Senior Insights Analyst at Zenith Global Ltd.

Other findings of the 2018 Global Aseptic Packaging report include:

• There are over 16,000 operational aseptic filling systems worldwide, serviced by more than 30 suppliers.
• The largest markets for aseptic packaging are China and South East Asia. China is set to become the leading country by 2022, followed by South East Asia and West Europe.
• Value added dairy products are a fast growing area of demand for aseptic filling systems. In some regions, fillers are used for both ambient and chilled dairy products.
• Environmental issues have become more important in many regions. Developments include the introduction of electron beam sterilisation as an alternative to chemical sterilisation. Demand is increasing for re-use or recycling.

By 2022, Zenith and Warrick estimate that the world market will reach 176 billion litres and 410 billion packs. The majority of additional demand will come from South East Asia as well as China.

Tohi Ventures, a Kansas City-based (US) healthy lifestyle brand, has introduced a line of four Aronia Berry-based functional beverages.

Aronia Berries are native to North America and were used historically for both their nutritional value and for medicinal purposes. Awareness of Aronia Berries is growing, buoyed by overall consumer interest in phytonutrients, plant compounds that have beneficial effects on human health. According to research, Aronia Berries top the list of more than 100 foods that have been scientifically tested for antioxidant capacity.

Tohi Ventures was founded by two female friends with significant entrepreneurial, investment, operational and scientific experience. “We are advocates of a nutrition first approach to wellness,” said Shari Coulter Ford, CEO and Co-Founder. “We are pioneering innovation around our core ingredient, with the goal of optimizing the nutritional value and potential health benefits of Aronia Berries in our products. We believe Aronia is a break-out category,” she continued.

Tohi has already received industry recognition, being named a finalist for the seventh annual SupplySide CPG Editor’s Choice Awards in the Functional Beverage category. Finalists were selected by the SupplySide editorial team for achievements in innovation and market impact.

“Tohi is the perfect blend of science and nature, flavor and functionality. The polyphenols and anthocyanins in Tohi beverages are naturally derived from Aronia Berries, which have been scientifically studied and linked to significant health benefits,” said Elma Hawkins, PhD, Co-Founder of Tohi Ventures.

Tohi beverages are attracting the attention of collegiate and professional sports teams, including Iowa State Football. “I’ve reviewed the clinical and academic research citing the health benefits of Aronia Berries, especially relative to sports performance. Tohi created a ready-to-drink beverage featuring Aronia Berries that’s perfect for our Fueling Stations. Getting the athletes to drink a healthy beverage is also easier when it tastes great! We also appreciate that Tohi buys from Iowa-based Aronia growers so we’re supporting the local farmers,” said Erin Hinderaker, Sports Dietitian at Iowa State University (MS, RD, LD, CSSD).

Tohi is perfect for corporate athletes as well, partnering with Company Kitchen to supply Tohi through their corporate network. “Company Kitchen provides workplace food service solutions to companies across the U.S. Our clients are focused on providing healthy options for their employees to increase wellness at work. Adding Tohi beverages to our lineup is a natural fit! We’re always looking for the next new thing that will meet the demands of our clients,” said John Barnes, Chief Operating Officer, Company Kitchen.

About Tohi Beverages
Tohi beverages are 30 % single strength Aronia Berry juice and 70 % hydration, available in four refreshing flavors: The Original, Blackberry Raspberry, Dragon Fruit and Ginger Lime. Tohi is non-carbonated and naturally low in calories, with no added sugars and just a hint of Monk Fruit for sweetness. Tohi beverages are packaged in eco-friendly, 12-ounce slim aluminum cans, available for purchase on Amazon.

As World Education Day commences on September 28, Chiquita Brands International, the world’s foremost banana purveyor, is proud to announce it has reached 33 % of its education aid program goals. The goal is to reach 100 schools and 20,000 children by the year 2020, and to date, Chiquita has provided support for 33 schools. This includes building and renovating school infrastructure as well as providing learning materials for the children. Chiquita currently provides these educational benefits for the children of its farm-workers throughout the countries where its business is rooted, including Costa Rica, Guatemala, Panama and Honduras.

The current educational aid program supports the children of Chiquita farm workers. In Costa Rica and Guatemala, Chiquita provides school children a special kit containing many of the basic materials required by the Education Ministry, while in Panama and Honduras, Chiquita provides scholarships.

In addition, Chiquita initiates and supports community projects, such as investing in school infrastructure, helping children receive an education, creating environmental awareness and promoting social empowerment. Chiquita firmly believes that helping children receive a valuable primary education will have a positive, long-lasting impact on not only the children, but also the communities they reside in.

Chiquita is not only involved in education for school-aged children, but also looks to provide healthcare aid as well. For example, in Costa Rica children in the banana farm neighborhoods are invited to receive visual and dental care, education and free teeth cleaning kits. The impact of such outreach is especially valued in areas where educational levels tend to be low, and where access to diagnostic facilities is limited due to distance from medical centers and the cost involved.

The American Beverage Association (ABA) announced that Katherine Lugar, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), will join ABA as its new president and CEO later this year. Lugar will succeed Susan K. Neely, who successfully led ABA for 13 years. Neely was named president and CEO of the American Council of Life Insurers (ACLI) in May 2018.

Lugar will leverage deep public policy and advocacy experience on behalf of ABA and its member companies, which make and sell some of the world’s most popular and innovative non-alcoholic beverages. As president and CEO of AHLA, Lugar transformed the lodging industry’s largest association in her five-year tenure, tripling revenue and membership, strengthening the association’s core mission on advocacy, championing the industry’s voice with policymakers and achieving historic highs for the industry political action committee (PAC) placing it in the top two percent of all association PACs.

Lugar previously served as the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s (RILA) executive vice president of public affairs, where she ran a number of successful, high-profile issue campaigns. Prior to RILA, Lugar led government relations for Travelers Insurance, served as vice president of legislative and political affairs at the National Retail Federation (NRF) and worked on Capitol Hill. She currently is chair-elect of the board of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for pediatric cancer, a member of the executive committee of the Bryce Harlow Foundation and a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Committee of 100.

The non-alcoholic beverage industry employs more than 250,000 people with a direct economic impact of more than $182.6 billion. The industry manufactures a variety of beverage choices in a wide range of calories and package sizes, including bottled water, 100 percent juice, juice drinks, sports drinks, soft drinks, ready-to-drink teas and energy drinks.

EU-28 production of peaches and nectarines in MY 2018/19 is estimated at 3.5 million MT, 12 percent lower compared to the previous campaign due to unfavorable weather conditions in most of the major producing countries.

Total cherry production in MY 2018/19 is projected to grow to 793,058 MT, a 30 percent increase compared with last season. This increase is supported by expected strong growth in Poland and Germany.

The value of EU-28 stone fruit exports continues to decline as a result of the 2014 Russian embargo imposed on agricultural and food products, including stone fruit, from the European Union. During MY 2017/18, EU imports of U.S. cherries increased significantly, valued at $ 9.4 million, and reinstated the United States as the fourth largest non-EU supplier of cherries. …

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The Coca-Cola Company announced that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Costa Limited, which was founded in London in 1971 and has grown to become a major coffee brand across the world.

The acquisition of Costa from parent company Whitbread PLC is valued at $5.1 billion and will give Coca-Cola a strong coffee platform across parts of Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, with the opportunity for additional expansion. Costa operations include a leading brand, nearly 4,000 retail outlets with highly trained baristas, a coffee vending operation, for-home coffee formats and Costa’s state-of-the-art roastery.

For Coca-Cola, the expected acquisition adds a scalable coffee platform with critical know-how and expertise in a fast-growing, on-trend category. Costa ranks as the leading coffee company in the United Kingdom and has a growing footprint in China, among other markets. Costa has a solid presence with Costa Express, which offers barista-quality coffee in a variety of on-the-go locations, including gas stations, movie theaters and travel hubs. Costa, in various formats, has the potential for further expansion with customers across the Coca-Cola system.

The acquisition will expand the existing Coca-Cola coffee lineup by adding another leading brand and platform. The portfolio already includes the market-leading Georgia brand in Japan, plus coffee products in many other countries.

Costa also provides Coca-Cola with strong expertise across the coffee supply chain, including sourcing, vending and distribution. This will be a complement to existing capabilities within the Coca-Cola system.

Coffee is a significant and growing segment of the global beverage business. Worldwide, coffee remains a largely fragmented market, and no single company operates across all formats on a global basis.

Interpoma, nine guided tours to discover all the secrets of apple production in Trentino Alto Adige

The only trade show in the world dedicated solely to apple production is offering guided tours to farms and other businesses to see at first hand the innovations being introduced in the sector. The Interpoma Innovation tours and the Melinda Tour are this year’s big news.

Interpoma, the only international trade show dedicated to apples, to be held at Fiera Bolzano from November 15 to 17, has enriched its program with a series of guided tours reserved for apple sector professionals and the press, to promote the advanced production methods used in Alto Adige and demonstrate the highly innovative processing systems used here.

A total of nine daytime tours are planned, three to take place on Thursday November 15, five on Friday November 16, and one on the final day, Saturday November 17. Alongside the traditional tours looking at the organic sector and at technology, the big news this year will be the Interpoma Innovation Tours and the Melinda Tour. On Friday there will be an opportunity to take part in tours to look at innovation in the food sector, one in the morning and one in the afternoon: NOI Techpark, the Alto Adige technology park that brings businesses, researchers and students together to generate innovation, will show at first hand the work of startups operating in the food technology, automation, and green and alpine technologies sector. On Saturday morning, it will be the turn of Interpoma Tour Melinda, starting with a tour of MondoMelinda, the Consorzio Melinda visitor center in Segno di Predaia (TN), followed by a tour of the “underground cells”, vast galleries carved out of the rock, 275 m below the surface, which are used to store apples.

Moving on to the traditional tours, the first two will be for anyone particularly interested in finding out more about the organic sector; they will be run in parallel on the first day early in the morning. The destination will be Val Venosta, the apple-growing area par excellence, with a general presentation of the environment, a tour of the Vi.p Laces Bio Cooperative in Laces (BZ) and another tour of an organic apple farm.
The third and final tour on Thursday is scheduled for the afternoon and will visit Laives, where a general presentation will be given, followed by two tours, the first to an apple farm in the area, and the second to the “VOG Products” Cooperative, an innovative business processing fruit from Alto Adige and Trentino.

Friday will begin at 8.30 with a tour in the Bronzolo (BZ) area, during which there will be visits to Consorzio VOG’s “Grufrut” Cooperative and an apple farm in Magrè. The tour is expected to finish by 12.
The last two tours will run simultaneously (1.30 pm – 5 pm) in the afternoon. One will head for Vilpiano, with a tour of a Bolzano apple farm and the company “Egma/Fructus Meran”, which specializes in fruit processing and marketing. The other afternoon tour will be to Lana, to visit an apple farm and a checking station for spraying equipment.

Each tour costs 80 euros (including a trade show entry ticket) per person and reservations are already available online on the tours page of the official website: www.fierabolzano.it/interpoma/en/tour.htm.

Combines the ‘Power of 3’ in a tasty snack for small hunger pangs

Taking another step towards its commitment to provide an array of healthy and nutritious beverage choices to consumers, Coca-Cola India expanded its portfolio of Minute Maid by launching Minute Maid Smoothie, a delicious snack that combines the ‘Power of 3’ ingredients – Fruits, Milk and Nutrients. The launch is a continuation of Coca-Cola India’s efforts to expand its portfolio including, ‘Health and Wellness’. This is a significant addition in Minute Maid fraternity and underlines company’s commitment towards the Fruit Circular Economy initiative.

Made from locally sourced fruits, the product has been designed to suit the Indian palate and cater to the increasing needs of mothers looking for a combination of nutritious goodness and taste. Minute Maid Smoothie is available in Mango & Banana variants, priced at INR 30 for 250 ml.

In the first phase of the launch, the product will be available in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, followed by other states. In the coming months, Coca-Cola India will also expand the Smoothie range by introducing other popular flavours.

Michel Giannuzzi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Verallia Group – one of Europe’s leading glass packaging manufacturers for the food and beverage sector – has been elected Vice-President of FEVE – the European Container Glass Federation – at its FEVE General Meeting in Rotterdam on June 15th.

“I am eager to put my experience at the service of this industry which has an unrivaled cultural heritage in Europe and a strong future ahead. Glass continues to be the packaging material of reference for many products despite competition.” says Michel Giannuzzi. “Our European industry association has a leadership role in federating forces towards circular economy”.

About Michel Giannuzzi
Starting from September 1, 2017, Michel Giannuzzi has been appointed as Chairman and Chief Executive officer (“CEO”) of the Verallia Group. Aged 53 years old, Michel Giannuzzi served as CEO of Tarkett, a worldwide leader of innovative flooring and sports surface solutions, from 2007 to 2017. During his tenure at Tarkett, Michel Giannuzzi pursued a profitable and sustainable growth strategy, which led to a successful IPO in 2013. Prior to that, Michel Giannuzzi held several leading positions within the Michelin Group and Valeo Group. He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique and Harvard Business School.

Harvesting of the late oranges from the 2018/19 crop, which started in the first fortnight of August, should step up in September. Thus, with higher supply of other varieties, the farmers consulted by Cepea believe pear orange quotes (which have been higher than in 2017 since May/18, despite the crop peak) will not oscillate as much next month.

In light of the low pear orange supply this year, due to the weather, processors started to purchase late oranges (mainly valência) last month – only the fruits in the ideal maturation stage demanded by this segment were purchased. Therefore, the delivery of these varieties is expected to step up in the second fortnight of September, with a higher share of natal oranges.

In general, citrus farmers consider good the quality of the late oranges in irrigated orchards, since they can still grow until the harvesting steps up. However, on the farms with no irrigation, the drought has already affected production – either by staining the peel or by preventing the fruits from growing up.

PEAR – As for pear oranges, whose prices are over 34 BRL per box, on tree (for higher quality fruits), quotes are expected to increase even more until the end of the crop, since many farmers have reported low supply of that variety. In September, however, higher availability of late oranges should constrain significant price rises (since processors will still be selective regarding valência and natal purchases, until they reach the ideal standard for harvesting).

In August, pear orange quotes averaged 29.08 BRL per 40.8-kilo box in the in natura market, a staggering 77 % up compared to the same period of August/17, in nominal terms. The boost came from low supply in São Paulo State in 2018/19, large purchases from processors from SP and the volumes already sold through mid and long-term contracts. Thus, if competition between processors increases, prices in the field may rise even more in the coming months. Pear orange productivity should have the sharpest decrease compared to 2017/18, at 31.2 %.

TAHITI LIME – Tahiti lime quotes also increased in August. According to Cepea collaborators, many farmers interrupted harvesting, aiming to push up prices again – once the variety, still green, may stay longer on trees. Besides, international demand increased in that period too. Thus, between August 1 and 31, tahiti lime quotes averaged 35.75 BRL per 27-kilo box, harvested, 21.4 % up compared to that between July 2 and 31.

Tahiti lime supply is expected to continue low next month, which may boost prices. In the off-season period (from September to October), many of the fruits still on tree will not have reached the ideal size and color to be harvested. Farmers believe tahiti lime volumes will increase only in November – if it rains during these months and if the volume is enough to favor fruits development on tree.

As the government contemplates a ban on the sale of energy drinks to children in England, Jonathan Davison, Beverage Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, gives his view on the news: “Considering a ban on energy drinks sales in the UK defined by age might seem premature given the already pervasive impact of the recently introduced sugar tax. A handful of energy drinks brands have reformulated their products and the ^*22 % volume sales increase of low calorie energy drinks in the UK in 2017 v 2016 would suggest the industry is making progress.

“Such action from the government would of course have an effect, but if reducing caffeine and sugar intake is the goal another approach could simply be to look at capping energy drink pack sizes instead. Larger energy drink pack formats have fast become the norm in the UK, particularly 50cl which has more than doubled in volume over the last 10 years to dominate the category. Limiting energy drink pack sizes to 25cl and below, and potentially the quantity that can be purchased, could go some way to addressing the current concerns without the need for an outright ban.”

^* GlobalData Consumer Intelligence Centre

Citrus utilized production for the 2017-18 season totaled 6.13 million tons, down 20 percent from the 2016-17 season and 66 percent lower than the record high production of 17.8 million tons for the 1997-98 season. Florida accounted for 36 percent of total United States citrus production; California totaled 59 percent, and Texas and Arizona produced the remaining 5 percent.

Florida’s orange production, at 45.0 million boxes, is down 35 percent from the previous season. Grapefruit utilization in Florida, at 3.88 million boxes, is down 50 percent from last season’s utilization. Florida’s total citrus utilization decreased 37 percent from the previous season. Bearing citrus acreage, at 400,900 acres, is 9,800 acres below the 2016-17 season.

Utilized citrus production in California decreased 7 percent from the 2016-17 season. California’s all orange production, at 45.4 million boxes, is 6 percent lower than the previous season. Grapefruit production is down 9 percent from the 2016-17 season and tangerine and mandarin production is down 19 percent. Utilized production of citrus in Texas is up 9 percent from the 2016-17 season. Orange production is up 37 percent from the previous season but grapefruit production was unchanged. Lemon production in Arizona is down 35 percent from last season.

The value of the 2017-18 United States citrus crop decreased 7 percent from last season, to $3.28 billion (packinghouse- door equivalent). Total value of production for 2017-18 is lower for all citrus crops. Orange value of production decreased 9 percent from last season and grapefruit value is down 14 percent. Tangerine and mandarin value of production is 1 percent higher than last season but lemon value of production is down 6 percent. Beginning in 2016-2017, tangelos are included in tangerines and mandarins for Florida.

Overall comparisons discussed above are based on similar fruit types. The revised production and utilization estimates are based on all data available at the end of the marketing season, including information from marketing orders, shipments, and processor records. Allowances are made for recorded local utilization and home use. Estimates for the 2017-18 California Valencia oranges and grapefruit are preliminary, since the marketing season is not complete at publication time. Revisions to the utilized production estimates for all citrus for the 2017-18 season will be published in the April 2019 Crop Production. …

Strengthened organization will focus on R&D project pipeline growth in ingredient and process development

DuPont Nutrition & Health announced it is expanding its R&D team by creating a “clean label hub” at the Brabrand facility. Intending to boost its project pipeline in healthy nutrition and clean label texturant offerings, six new employees will join the existing team to focus on both ingredient and process development.

The hub will feature experts with backgrounds in clean label and sustainability – two fields that often work together and serve related purposes. Working closely with existing project teams, the hub will bring products to market quickly and help grow the existing project pipeline.

“Clean label is about creating foods and beverages with ingredients that consumers recognize, feel good about putting into their bodies, and that respect the Earth and its resources,” said Gerard Lynch, R&D Leader, Systems & Texturants, Emulsifiers & Sweeteners. “Our ingredients are already used in many applications that consumers consider clean label, but there are tremendous opportunities to innovate – creating ingredients that are even more sustainable, using a larger part of the natural raw materials, while providing health benefits to consumers. Committing to this innovation is critical for our ongoing success and growth.”

With the ability to utilize the broadest capabilities in terms of natural raw materials access, processing, across fruits, vegetables, seaweeds and nutritional science, DuPont Nutrition & Health has huge potential to develop functional ingredients that meet consumer expectations.

The hub will help customers continue to navigate clean label trends in a proactive and sustainable way. DuPont Nutrition & Health is seeking creative scientists and engineers to identify ways to convert sustainable and natural raw materials into clean label solutions that meet consumer demands for simplicity and authenticity, all without compromising taste, texture and nutritional qualities.

Planned to be in place by early 2019, the clean label texturants team will have the opportunity to tackle exciting projects to provide texture and stability for multiple food applications.

Ecolean, a global producer of lightweight packaging solutions for liquid food, expands its business and acquires a 30,000 square meter piece of land in Landskrona, Sweden to establish a new production facility. The expansion is part of the company’s ambitious growth strategy.

The increase in capacity is well needed to meet the liquid food industry’s demands for Ecolean’s lightweight and innovative packaging solutions. In the agreement, an additional 30,900 sqm can be obtained, when needed in the future.

“As part of our ongoing expansion strategy, this investment of 25-30 million euros will enable us to continue being a fast growing and rapidly expanding company”, says Peter L Nilsson, CEO, Ecolean Group. “The new production facility will be up and running in 2020 and we expect to add around 100 new job opportunities within a few years’ time”, he continues.

The new production facility will be located only 20 km south of Helsingborg, where the company’s headquarters and one of their existing production facilities are located. Ecolean has 400 employees, half of which work in Helsingborg.

In addition to Sweden, Ecolean has one production facility in China and one production facility under construction in Pakistan, estimated to start its operations 2019. Ecolean collaborates with leading brand owners in approximately 30 countries and has eleven sales offices globally.

The Ecolean lightweight packages are made of as little raw material as possible, providing a low environmental impact throughout the packages’ life cycle. The company and its packaging solutions’ sustainable profile appeals to market-leading liquid food brands globally.

Cargill has the intention to invest $150 million to construct an HM pectin production facility in South America. HM pectin is a versatile, citrus fruit-based texturizer used for jams, beverages/juices, acid dairy drinks and confectionery.

Bruce McGoogan, strategy and innovation leader for Cargill starches, sweeteners and texturizers business said, “The pectin market has seen a strong growth for several years, primarily driven by the acid dairy drink market, as well as the growing global consumer demand for label-friendly ingredients. HM pectin plays a significant role in delivering on both trends—as it is a plant-based texturizer designed for acid dairy drinks as well as for jams, beverages and confectionery products. The intention to invest in a plant in Brazil, which has an abundant citrus fruit supply, allows Cargill to deliver the pectin our customers need and consumers demand.”

The intended project is part of a comprehensive plan to strengthen Cargill’s full pectin footprint, including improvements to its existing three plants in Europe (Germany, France and Italy) and adding a new plant in Brazil to take advantage of local resources.

“Adding an industry-leading pectin asset in Brazil will complement Cargill’s existing European network and create the capacity to serve our customers around the globe with premium pectin ingredients,” said Laerte Moraes, managing director of Cargill’s starches, sweeteners and texturizers business in South America. “The intended investments also illustrate Cargill’s commitment to its employees and the economies in both Europe and Brazil through job growth and financial contributions. The intention is to start construction early 2019.”

In marketing year 2018/19 FAS Warsaw expects that Polish apple producers will see a record-level harvest. Post forecasts Poland’s apple production to reach 4.0 million metric tons, a 43-percent increase from marketing year 2017/18. Post also expects marketing year 2018/19 fresh-apple exports to increase significantly over the previous year, due to record production and good dessert-fruit quality. …

Please download the full report as pdf-file under: https://bit.ly/2NejBtU

Made from sugar cane, bio-sourced plastics offer a new level of sustainability

United Caps, an international manufacturer of caps and closures, and Braskem, a leading Brazilian petrochemical company, reported they have collaborated to deliver to the market greener bio-sourced plastic caps and closures made from sugar cane as an addition to the United Caps product portfolio.

Bio ethanol, the feedstock for I’m green^™ Polyethylene, the basis for United Caps greener bioplastic caps, is derived from sugarcane, a renewable alternative to traditional fossil feedstocks. Being a renewable feedstock, sugarcane captures and fixes CO₂ from the atmosphere with every growth cycle, which occurs annually. This means that the production of I’m green^™ Polyethylene contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions when compared to conventional polyethylene, made from fossil materials.

“As a result, the carbon footprint of I’m green^™ Polyethylene is negative, when considering our life cycle analysis. This means that every kilogram of I’m green^™ Polyethylene used in United Caps products results in 3.09 kilograms of CO₂ being sequestered from the atmosphere,” Brendan Hill, Sales Manager at Braskem Netherlands B.V., explained “Apart from the feedstock, I’m green^™ Polyethylene follows the same production process as traditional fossil Polyethylene, ensuring that our Polyethylene has the same characteristics, quality and properties as the fossil equivalent,” he added “It goes without saying that I’m green^™ Polyethylene fits all existing end-of-life scenarios and that our ethanol is sustainably sourced with clear chain of custody certification possible.”

United Caps is initially bringing to market two standard closures manufactured using bioplastic resin from Braskem, including:

• The VICTORIA closure, a 30/25 screw closure designed for still drinks.
• PROFLATSEAL, ideal for dairy products and still drinks, both pressurized and non-pressurized.

Innovative caps and closures for the food and drink industry are the core business of the Luxembourg-based family company United Caps. Its custom-designed caps and closures solutions have been one of the most sought-after solutions in the packaging industry for years. The company has experience growth in the high single digits since its 2015 rebranding, with a significant percentage of production being bespoke products that are uniquely designed to meet customer needs for exceptional appearance and ease of use, both in the filling line and for the consumer.

In today’s hyperconnected world, convenience is the ultimate currency

Rising internet penetration, denser urban locations, faster paced lifestyles and challenging working hours are adding more and more layers of complexity to consumers’ lives. According to the World Health Organization, “workplace stress is the health epidemic of the 21st century,” and multiple agencies have tracked the steady rise of anxiety related illnesses around the world. Consumers are feeling more stretched than ever before, and are increasingly striving for convenient solutions which help to simplify their busy lives.

Around the globe, consumers need and look for convenience in all forms—whether simplicity, time saving or suitability. When it comes to the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space, convenience is not only about store formats, products or packaging. It means more than the latest technologies or new engagement strategies. Rather, it is about every encounter, interaction and action that can help fulfil consumers’ growing demand for efficiency.

The Nielsen Quest for Convenience report looks at changing consumer needs around the world, specifically focusing on factors driving consumers’ increasing need for convenience, to provide global FMCG players with key insights, indicators and solutions to successfully tap into the rapidly rising need for convenience.

Please download the full report under: https://bit.ly/2o49gWu

Brenntag North America, Inc., part of Brenntag Group, one of the global market leaders in chemical distribution, announces a new collaboration with Silvateam for the exclusive distribution of Pectin in United States & Canada.

Silvateam has dedicated over 160 years to plant-based extracts. Located in Northern Italy, Silvateam produces products used in a large range of applications such as food, beverages, and animal health and nutrition.

Brenntag North America has been appointed the exclusive distributor in North America for the distribution of the Silvateam Pectin Line:

• Aglupectin^™

“We are excited about our new relationship with Silvateam and the continued expansion of our value- added, functional ingredient options. The combination of our Food & Nutrition team, new food application lab, and Silvateam’s technical expertise position us well to provide quick solutions to our customer’s formulation questions when using pectins,” stated Larry Davis, Marketing Director, Brenntag North America.

Brenntag will focus on Silvateam’s versatile, clean label, pectin products. Pectin is a natural product widely used for its gel formation, thickening, and stabilizing properties in a variety of applications. Applications include fruit juices, jams, marmalades, dairy, confectionary, and bakery.

“Silvateam is a fast-growing company with an excellent reputation in the industry. We are excited to work alongside Brenntag North America to promote our range of specialty pectin,” said Alessandro Di Mase, CEO of Silvateam. “Brenntag’s strong technical expertise, service orientation, and sales team offer the market our tailor-made solutions for texture, mouthfeel, viscosity, flavor release, and suspension.”

Following Tuesday’s (21 August 2018) launch by Coca-Cola of a £5m campaign to promote a new unified packaging redesign for its original and Zero Sugar variants, 
Jonathan Davison, Beverage Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view on this latest development:

“Coca-Cola’s Zero Sugar variant has achieved substantial gains across the UK in recent years, most notably a 29 % increase in 2017, so this move to unify its packaging design with the main brand will only strengthen the brand’s sales still further.

“A core brand packaging revamp like this will have been long in the planning, but the timing of Coca-Cola’s announcement provides the most compelling evidence yet that it is keeping a close watch on the progress of closest challenger PepsiCo.

“The unveiling of the new-look designs could well have been brought forward to counter the news of PepsiCo’s SodaStream acquisition, barely 24 hours after the latter featured heavily in mainstream global media. This, in turn, came days after Coca-Cola revealed plans to invest in sports drinks brand BodyArmor.

‘‘With virtually each passing day this decades-old rivalry between the two beverage giants intensifies further, and it is showing no signs of letting up any time soon.’’

Researchers at ETH Zurich and the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) succeeded in an interdisciplinary study to demonstrate that soil microorganisms metabolically utilised the carbon in the PBAT polymer both for energy production and also to build up microbial biomass. The researchers used the biodegradable polymer PBAT (Polybutylenadipatterephthalat) labelled with a carbon isotope. This isotope label enabled the scientists to track the polymer-derived carbon along different biodegradation pathways in soil. It showed that the carbon from PBAT was not only converted into carbon dioxide (CO2) as a result of microbial respiration but also incorporated into the biomass of microorganisms colonizing the polymer surface. The researchers are the first to successfully demonstrate where the carbon of a polymer ends up and that a plastic material is effectively biodegrading in soils.“This clarifies that nothings remains after biodegradation besides water, CO2 and biomass,“ says Hasso von Pogrell, Managing Director of European Bioplastics e.V.. “With this study, two concerns that are constantly being raised about biodegradable plastics have been rebutted – the doubt that microorganisms fully metabolize certified biodegradable plastics and the concern that the oil-based part of the polymer will not biodegrade completely.“

The tested PBAT polymer is a fossil-based, biodegradable polymer, which is used amongst others for the production of biodegradable, certified compostable bio-waste bags (according to EN 13432) or biodegradable in soil certified mulch films (according to EN 17033).

“The results of this study will surely enable municipalities and waste managers across EU Member States to acknowledge the benefits and the functionality of certified compostable plastic bio-waste bags for a separate collection of organic waste as well as in an agricultural context the alternative of soil biodegradable mulch films,“ von Pogrell concluded.

Following the latest news that PepsiCo has purchased SodaStream for $3.2bn, Melanie Felgate, Senior Consumer Insights Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on the breaking news:

“As the carbonates industry faces ongoing challenges both in terms of health and the environment, the decision by PepsiCo to purchase Soda Stream is a bold and potentially smart move. Although long established, SodaStream has remained a relatively niche brand, but with the backing of a global soft drinks giant there is an opportunity to propel the concept mainstream.

‘‘SodaStream allows consumers to customize their own beverages to create not only flavors – but potentially sugar levels – to suit their needs, helping PepsiCo better meet consumer’s needs for products which are not only healthier but do not compromise on taste.

‘‘Furthermore as the environmental burden of plastic waste comes to the fore, the concept can also tackle this by reducing reliance on plastic bottles. This is likely to attract the 35% of consumers globally surveyed by GlobalData in Q3 2018 who claim they would buy more of specific types of products if they were “packaged without any plastic at all”.

‘‘Aside from environmental and health advantages, the move will undoubtedly enable consumers to recreate the famous Pepsi brands they are already familiar with and enjoy. This may help entice the 59% of consumers globally that are influenced by how familiar or trust-worthy a product feels when choosing non-alcoholic beverages, according to GlobalData’s Q3 2018 survey, and may help move SodaStream from a niche appliance to a mainstream fixture in homes.”

Despite the positive ending stock scenario in July (referring to the 2017/18 crop), CitrusBR (Brazilian Association of Citrus Exporters) estimates a tight carry over for orange juice by June 2019 (2018/19 crop), at around 146.7 thousand tons.

This amount would be enough for two months of exportations, at the most, the second smallest in the CitrusBR series (which started in 1988/89) and 5.6 % lower than the minimum stablished by the Association in May, at 154.7 thousand tons of Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ) Equivalent. The critical volume is due to the smaller crop forecast for the citrus belt, at only 288.29 million boxes, 27.6 % down compared to the 2017/18 season.

New estimates from Citrus BR are based on an average industrial yield at 259 boxes of 40.8 kilos of oranges to produce one ton of FCOJ, higher than that last season, due to the dry period in the citrus belt – approximately 120 days. The lack of rains, according to CitrusBR, should significantly affect the initial volume forecast by Fundecitrus (Citrus Defense Fund), released in May (which still did not consider the scenario from May to July).

As for the 2017/18 crop, CitrusBR reported ending stocks at 343 thousand tons of FCOJ Equivalent on June 30 2018 at the processors from SP. That amount accounts for a significant recovery at 219.6 % compared to the volume at the end of 2016/17.

This positive result is linked to the larger harvest at the citrus belt (São Paulo and Triângulo Mineiro) in 2017/18, which totaled 398.35 million boxes of 40.8 kilos, 62.4 % more than in 2016/17, according to Fundecitrus. Compared to the average in the last 10 years, the output was 25% larger and the largest since 2011/12 (when it totaled 416 million boxes). The positive harvest in 2017/18 ensured comfortable inventories at processors, which, however, cannot be considered a surplus.

IN NATURA MARKET – Despite the weak demand, pear orange quotes remain at high levels in Brazil. As crushing of mid-season fruits steps up at processors from SP, and with the low supply of good quality oranges at orchards, availability is low in the spot. Thus, pear orange quotes averaged 27.85 BRL per 40.8-kilo box (on tree) in the first fortnight of August, 5.9% higher than in the same period of July.

GfK has carried out a comprehensive analysis of the European retail scene in 32 European countries. The study examines purchasing power, the retail share of private consumption, inflation and sales area productivity, and also includes a turnover prognosis for 2018.

Please download the complete study for free under: https://bit.ly/2vT3cEi

State-of-the-art facility to support development of innovative, on-trend, nutritious products to meet growing food and beverage demand in Asia-Pacific

Archer Daniels Midland Company celebrated the opening of its new regional office and state-of-the-art flavor and ingredient creation, application, development and customer innovation center in Shanghai, China. The opening of the space was announced at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“With today’s busy lifestyles, people are turning to healthier eating habits, accelerating changes in consumer tastes and preferences at an unprecedented rate. For ADM, Shanghai has played a critical role in our continued growth and innovation. To help Asia-Pacific food and beverage customers remain a step ahead, we’re excited to leverage our technology, expertise and global scale,” said Donald Chen, ADM’s president, Asia.

Shanghai’s technical innovation center will enable ADM to work closely with customers to create complete flavor and specialty ingredient solutions. It will be staffed by a team of food scientists, flavorists and applications experts, along with sales, marketing and regulatory personnel. The new Shanghai facility joins our recently opened Singapore Innovation Center in helping ADM meet growing demand in the region.

“Around the world, ADM continues to invest to ensure that we are the go-to solution providers for clean label, sustainable ingredients and great taste,” said Vince Macciocchi, president of ADM’s Nutrition business. “This new facility enhances our portfolio and capabilities ensuring our customers meet consumer demands for new, innovative food and beverages.”

The new innovation center features a wide range of capabilities, including a food and flavor analytic lab; beverage and dairy applications labs and pilot plants; a bakery lab; a confectionery and personal care lab; a culinary kitchen; flavor creation labs; sensory evaluation facilities; and a customer innovation center.

China is home to approximately 675 ADM employees, with application labs in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou; a flavor production facility in Beijing; sweeteners and soluble fiber complex in Tianjin; animal nutrition facilities in Dalian, Tianjin, Nanjing, Zhangzhou and Xiangtan. ADM has more than 1,000 employees throughout the wider Asia-Pacific region, where the company operates a wide range of processing facilities, including several animal feed facilities; a flavor and ingredient facility; food and flavor labs in Japan, Singapore and Australia; and sales offices in every major market in the region.

With a month to go before ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA opens its doors in Hong Kong, Asia’s premier fresh fruit and vegetable show is gearing up for its biggest and best edition yet.

Exhibitors from 46 different countries have signed up to showcase their products and services at the show, which returns to AsiaWorld-Expo Center in Hong Kong on 5-7 September.

Some 27 national pavilions will feature at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA, including Argentina, Australia, Britain & Ireland, Canada, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, the US and Vietnam.

Visitors can look forward to taking in a rich array of global offerings, with exhibitors spanning all continents, and every sector of the value chain.

What’s on the programme?

Well over 13,000 top-level buyers from than 70 different countries are expected to attend ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA.

Visitors can get a valuable head-start by attending ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS. Asia’s premier fresh produce conference is the curtain raiser to the trade show, taking place on 4 September, the day before ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA at the same venue.

Leading figures from the fresh produce business and the wider business world provide expert insights into the key market trends and opportunities across Asia. Attracting more than 400 high-level industry professionals from 40 different countries, ASIAFRUIT CONGRESS offers first-rate networking opportunities.

On the show-floor at ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA on 5-7 September, visitors can take part in two walk-in hall forums – ASIAFRUIT BUSINESS FORUM at Hall Forum 1, and COOL LOGISTICS ASIA and SMART HORTICULTURE ASIA at Hall Forum 2.

For more information please visit: www.asiafruitlogistica.com

Following the news that medicinal cannabis products are to be legalized, Aleksandrina Yotova, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on the likely impact in the drinks market:

‘‘This change in legislation for medicinal cannabis will spur further growth in the Cannabidiol (CBD) market in drinks, an increasingly popular legal form of cannabis.

‘‘CBD is a marijuana extract, which is not considered a controlled substance in the UK, and is therefore 100 % legal – as opposed to the psychoactive chemical Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

‘‘CBD has recently started to gain traction in the UK market as a functional ingredient in drinks. As CBD is non-psychoactive and there is a widespread belief in its medical value, it will keep rising in popularity, especially among consumers wanting to relax while remaining sober.

‘‘Holland & Barrett has been selling CBD oil as a food supplement since the start of 2018. The retailer has recently reported stable and growing sales of the format. Consequently in June, Holland & Barrett launched Love Hemp Water, a functional spring water infused with CBD. We expect to see more brands moving into this space.

‘‘Cloud 9 Brewing, a craft beer producer in the UK has recently launched its High Flyer Session IPA with Cannabis Oil Extract, marketed as offering “blissfully elevated drinking experience” and containing 0 % THC. A 330 ml bottle contains 10 mg of CBD extract, obtained from organic Cannabis Sativa.’’

Naturally sweet and refreshing nourishment flowing from sustainable trees

Looking to Mother Nature for a more delicious way to nourish and replenish the body, Drink Simple^™, from the makers of DRINKmaple^™, brings organic plant hydration to U.S. consumers in SIG combidome cartons, the first of its kind in this packaging solution. The composite from which the entire carton pack is made, from the base to the eye-catching yet practical dome, contains around 75 % paper board, which is made from renewable raw wood material.

A healthful beverage alternative

Maple water is naturally nutritious, containing 46 polyphenols, antioxidants, prebiotics, minerals, and electrolytes. With a subtle hint of sweetness, it provides an ideal better-for-you beverage option to traditional soft drinks. The Drink Simple brand captures the pure essence of this liquid goodness at the source, tapping trees at the peak of harvest in order to protect the integrity of the taste and nutrients for consumers to enjoy year round.

Contrary to inclinations of thought associated with maple as the thick, golden-brown indulgent topping for breakfast foods, maple water is thin, clear sap flowing directly from the tree in its natural state. It is 98 % water, and only after processing where the liquid is boiled down does it transform into the familiar sweet syrup. More importantly, it is certainly not maple syrup mixed with water.

This clean, single-ingredient label product is also low calorie, non GMO, naturally alkaline 7.4 PH, and certified organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI). For those with dietary preferences, the beverage offers a gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, paleo option that has half the sugar of coconut water and more manganese than a cup of kale.

In the process of collecting the sap, no trees are harmed on the farms of which they are grown, ensuring many years of sustainable water supplies. By filling their Original Maple Water variety in SIG’s combidome, the brand is furthering its sustainability endeavors as carton packaging maintains a high content of renewable raw wood material.

Coca-Cola European Partners plc (CCEP) announced its interim results for the six months ended 29 June 2018 and maintains full-year 2018 outlook.

Highlights

• First-half diluted earnings per share were € 0.85 on a reported basis or € 1.00 on a comparable basis, including a negligible impact from currency translation.
• First-half reported revenue totalled € 5.4 billion, flat versus prior year, or up 1.0 percent on a comparable and fxneutral basis. Volume decreased 3.5 percent on a comparable basis, partly reflecting the impact of recent strategic portfolio and pricing decisions.
• First-half reported operating profit was € 605 million; comparable operating profit was € 699 million, up 4.5 percent on a comparable basis, or up 5.0 percent on a comparable and fx-neutral basis.
• Second-quarter diluted earnings per share were € 0.60 on a reported basis or € 0.67 on a comparable basis, including a negligible impact from currency translation.
• CCEP affirms full-year guidance for 2018 for comparable and fx-neutral diluted earnings per share growth of between 6 percent and 7 percent when compared to 2017 comparable results.
• CCEP raises full-year guidance for 2018 free cash flow to a range of € 900 million to € 950 million.
• CCEP declares quarterly dividend of € 0.26 per share.

“We are pleased with our execution and performance in the first half as we continued to make bold portfolio and pricing decisions. We are confident that these are the right strategic initiatives for our business in the long-term, while acknowledging the near-term negative impact on volume,” said Damian Gammell, Chief Executive Officer.

“This strategy is reflected in another quarter of solid growth, including strong revenue per unit case gains as we focus on improving our pack and pricing architecture. Overall, we are encouraged by our first-half performance given business disruption in France owing to customer negotiations; unfavourable weather in Iberia; and new industry taxes, notably in Great Britain.

“Given our solid progress in the first half, we have affirmed our 2018 profit outlook. We are committed to implementing our Beverages For Life strategy; investing in our business; better serving our customers; and improving our in-market execution,”

Mr. Gammell said. “Importantly, we are confident that we have the right strategy and the right team in place to deliver strong cash generation and ultimately generate long-term value for our shareholders.”

Please download the full report under: https://bit.ly/2MheRqO

Ardagh Group announced the opening of its new can ends facility in Manaus, Brazil. The new facility houses state-of-the-art production and inspection equipment with capacity to produce 12 million ends per day.

“This significant investment in Manaus strengthens Ardagh Group’s position in the Brazilian market place, and complements our beverage can production facilities in Jacarei and Alagoinhas” said Augusto Seoane, Operations Director Ardagh Metal Beverage Brazil. “The new facility allows us to support both existing and new customer requirements.”

Employing a team of more than 80 people, the new facility consolidates the company’s position as a leading producer of beverage cans and ends in Brazil, serving a growing customer base. Universally recognised for its protective qualities, versatility and environmental credentials, metal is a permanent material meaning it can be infinitely recycled without loss of quality.

Ball Corporation published its sixth biennial sustainability report, covering calendar years 2016 and 2017, which details how it addresses systemic challenges in the areas of circular economy, climate change, water stewardship and responsible sourcing, as well as its bold new science-based greenhouse gas emission reduction target.

Commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

In line with the level of decarbonization required to keep the average global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial temperatures, Ball is committing to reduce its absolute Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 27 percent by 2030 compared to a 2017 baseline. Per million dollars of value added, this equates to a 58 percent reduction of our carbon intensity over the same period. Additionally, Ball strives to reduce GHG emissions across the value chain – from mining, refining, smelting, casting and rolling, to its manufacturing, logistics and end-of-life recycling – by 25 percent by 2030.

To achieve these targets, the company will follow a three-pronged approach: increase efficiency by saving energy and materials; grow renewables through the purchase of renewable energy; and cut embedded carbon by working with partners to reduce upstream impacts.

In addition to establishing its greenhouse gas reduction target, Ball also achieved a number of sustainability accomplishments during the reporting period:

• Reused or recycled 64 percent of the total waste generated, and 39 of its 88 packaging manufacturing plants worldwide achieved zero waste to landfill status by year-end 2017.
• Constructed state-of-the-art, sustainable beverage can manufacturing plants in Goodyear, Arizona, and Madrid, Spain.
• Saved approximately 34 million kilowatt hours of electricity and 4 million watt hours of natural gas, resulting in 9900 metric tons less of GHG emissions.
• Launched STARcan, a next-generation beverage can. If we were to switch our entire production volume of 33-centiliter and 12-ounce standard cans to the STAR format with a weight well below 10 grams, we would save approximately 30,000 metric tons of metal, or the equivalent to nearly 200,000 metric tons of GHG emissions.
• Reduced aluminum usage in our beverage and aluminum aerosol packaging businesses by 7,700 metric tons in 2017, which equates to saving 58,000 metric tons of GHG emissions, or the emissions of 12,400 U.S. passenger vehicles per year.
• Employees contributed more than 38,000 volunteer hours and donated $5 million in charitable donations in partnership with The Ball Foundation, as well as in-kind product donations for disaster relief, employee donations and the corporate match.

To download the 2018 sustainability report, please visit www.ball.com/sustainability-reports.

South African biotechnology company, Green Cell Technologies^® (GCT^®), announced it has signed an exclusive global licensing agreement for the world’s largest orange juice producer, Citrosuco, to make use of its proprietary Disruptor^™ technology, intellectual property, processes and applicable trademarks.

Green Cell Technologies’ award-winning, patented Dynamic Cellular Disruption^® (DCD^®) process, in conjunction with its Disruptor^® technology, is busy revolutionising the modern global food and beverage manufacturing industry. Without using harmful heat or chemicals, GCT is able to assist its clients in attaining higher yields, reducing food waste at source and all without denaturing the product. Because the process results in a molecular flow and allows for 99.99998 % of the available active ingredients to be harvested, the company already awarded for its work in the area, believes it is able to provide a commercially viable solution to the world’s future food security needs through its technologically advanced extraction and its New Product Development (NPD) capabilities.

The agreement – for an initial two year period – will see Citrosuco hold the exclusive licensing rights to GCT’s DCD process for the global orange juice and orange-related speciality ingredients market. This gives Citrosuco a significant competitive edge, taking its orange production into the future, streets ahead of conventional processing, while also reducing waste. Additionally, Citrosuco will have the increased ability to formulate products suitable for the growing consumer appetite for natural goods.

The Citrosuco development team commented: “Citrosuco aims to be the best company for natural fruit juices and ingredients in the global food industry. Access to Green Cell Technologies’ machinery and intellectual property will make this more of a reality. We are excited about the prospects this means for us as a global company to develop new products and for the people who will benefit from the added nutritional enhancements this technology can unlock.”

While both companies are necessarily un-specific as to the particulars of what the technology will generate for Citrosuco and what else the company is exploring, it is true to say that many possibilities are being explored and the companies will make further announcements in the months to come.

Roy Henderson, Chief Executive Officer of Green Cell Technologies confirmed the agreement, remarking: “We are delighted to be working with Citrosuco as they are a company that shares our ideals as far as natural foods are concerned, and one that is prepared to invest in sustainable innovation with the aim of being able to provide better foods for more people while minimising negative impact on the environment.

“With the world population growing on a daily basis and the ability to deliver meaningful nutrition diminishing, it is imperative that food processors enter the modern manufacturing paradigm.”

The agreement came into effect on 6th August 2018.

Cold-pressed juice brand Evolution Fresh announced it will expand its functional beverage portfolio by entering the $1.2^* billion refrigerated tea category with the launch of new bottled Evolution Fresh Organic Kombucha across seven major U.S. cities from coast to coast. Available in six delicious flavors – Ginger Lemon Honeycrisp, Mango Pineapple, Ginger Greens, Spicy Greens, Pink Grapefruit, and Turmeric Pineapple Coconut – the beverages have started to ship to grocery and natural retailers in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and New York City, with plans to roll-out to additional cities this fall and next spring. Evolution Fresh Organic Kombuchas feature the company’s cold-pressed juices and will be available in 15.2 fluid ounce glass bottles. Customer interest in kombucha and fermented beverages is on the rise with the category growing 36 percent in 2017 according to IRI data.^**

To create its kombucha, Evolution Fresh starts with carefully selected artisanal teas—Congou black tea, Yerba Matè tea, pu’erh black tea, green tea and matcha. The teas are fermented and paired with cold-pressed Evolution Fresh juice. Leading with flavor, these recipes leverage the brand’s culinary expertise rooted in authentic taste and quality since 1992 to delight the palate and create the perfect combination in every bottle.

Evolution Fresh Organic Kombucha is available in six flavors and is certified USDA Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and Kosher:

• Ginger Lemon Honeycrisp: This invigorating elixir has complexity, leading with Congou black tea that lives in harmony with cold-pressed honeycrisp apple, tart lemon and a kick of ginger.
• Mango Pineapple: Congou black tea strikes a down-to-earth balance with vibrant, cold-pressed oranges, mangos and pineapples to bring a juicy-sweet edge to every lively sip.
• Ginger Greens: At the heart of this feel-good elixir is effervescent Yerba Matè tea, its notes deliciously pair with Evolution Fresh’s signature cold-pressed leafy greens, bright lemon and zingy ginger.
• Spicy Greens: Light-bodied yet full of character, green tea and matcha lift Evolution Fresh’s signature cold-pressed greens, pineapple and jalapeño. A refreshing blend with just a hint of heat, accented by the jalapeno’s rich flavor.
• Pink Grapefruit: This celebrated, complex pu’erh black tea is brightened with a sweet splash of cold-pressed pink grapefruit.
• Turmeric Pineapple Coconut: This spirited blend features bright Yerba Matè tea – made extra-special with savory turmeric and bright cold-pressed pineapple.

*IRI US MULO 52 WE 12/31/17
**IRI US MULO L52 Wks ending 7/30/17 & SPINS – Natural Channel L52 Wks ending 7/16/17 and NSS / Nielson Whole Foods report 8/9/17.

Amcor Limited and Bemis Company, Inc. announced that their respective Boards of Directors have unanimously approved a definitive agreement under which Amcor will acquire Bemis in an all-stock combination.

Combining these two complementary companies will create the global leader in consumer packaging, with the footprint, scale and capabilities to drive significant value for shareholders, offer customers and employees the most compelling value proposition in the packaging industry and deliver the most sustainable innovations for the environment.

The transaction will be effected at a fixed exchange ratio of 5.1 Amcor shares for each Bemis share, resulting in Amcor and Bemis shareholders owning approximately 71 % and 29 % of the combined company, respectively. This is equivalent to a transaction price of US$ 57.75 per Bemis share based on Amcor’s closing share price of A$ 15.28⁽¹⁾ on August 3, 2018, and represents a premium of 25 % to Bemis’ closing price of US$ 46.31 per share as of August 2, 2018⁽²⁾.

Overview of Amcor
Amcor is a global leader in responsible packaging solutions, supplying a broad range of rigid and flexible packaging products into the food, beverage, healthcare, personal care and other fast moving consumer end markets. Amcor operates around 195 sites in over 40 countries, with approximately 35,000 employees. For the year ended 30 June 2017, Amcor generated revenues of US$9. 1 billion and EBITDA of US$1.4 billion.

Overview of Bemis
Bemis Company, Inc. (“Bemis”) is a supplier of flexible and rigid plastic packaging used by leading food, consumer products, healthcare, and other companies worldwide. Founded in 1858, Bemis reported 2017 net sales of US$4.0 billion. Bemis has a strong technical base in polymer chemistry, film extrusion, coating and laminating, printing, and converting. Headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin, Bemis employs approximately 16,000 individuals worldwide.

¹⁾ Equivalent to a US dollar share price of US$11.32 based on a AUD:USD exchange rate of 0.7411 as of August 3, 2018.
²⁾ August 2, 2018 being the last trading day prior to market speculation on August 3, 2018 in relation to a transaction between Amcor and Bemis.

Consumers usually prefer food and drink formats over pills or tablets for the delivery of health enhancing ingredients. However, this preference for formats is not consistent across all age groups. Therefore, functional food and drink brands should carefully study the differences between the generations of consumers in more detail for their successful product launches, says leading data and analytics company GlobalData.

An analysis of the company’s Q4 2017 global consumer survey reveals that even though food is the most preferred format among all formats across all age groups, the majority of the Silent Generation chooses food as the preferred consumption format (89 %) compared to Millennials (85 %).

The gap between generations is conspicuous when it comes to drink format. According to the survey, younger consumers are more likely to opt for drinkable formats over pills or tablets for the delivery of health enhancing ingredients. The survey showed that drinks are favored by 60 % of Millennials and 58 % of Generation X consumers but only 52 % of Boomers and 48 % of Silent Generation consumers.

On the other hand, preferences for food and supplements (in the form of pills or tablets) that deliver health enhancing ingredients are relatively consistent across all age groups.

Aleksandrina Yotova, Consumer Markets Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Functional drinks brands should therefore target Millennials and Gen X-ers specifically with innovative launches that respond to younger generations’ requirements for convenience, simplicity and effectiveness.”

Today more than two-thirds of consumers worldwide own a mobile phone, with figures surpassing the 5 billion mark in June 2017, according to GSMA data. For shoppers, a mobile phone is an integral part of their lives and they are keen to use its facilities – particularly when it comes to checking out food quality and traceability and winning prizes.

The key theme of this year’s Consumer Goods Forum global summit, held in Singapore, was ‘Consumer Centricity in a Data Driven World’. Minister for trade and industry S. Iswaran spoke of Singapore’s Retail Industry Transformation Map, which encourages retailers to use innovative technologies to improve productivity and the in-store experience for shoppers and suggests all consumer goods businesses embrace data and technology to drive innovation.

The connected consumer

This year, a sales promotion pilot using individual QR codes on every SIG carton pack was trialled in southern Brazil by Languiru, one of the largest dairies from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with some impressive results. QR codes were used on all cartons of Languiru milk, including chocolate milk (Chocolan), with more than 12,000 codes generated every hour, connecting the consumer with product data via their smartphone.

Consumers in store said it was easy to download the Languiru app, developed by SIG, and liked that the milk was from the local region. Their children were delighted with the emoji cushions they were able to redeem with the coupons and took them into school to show to their friends and teachers. Those shoppers buying the largest volume of milk gained the most cushions and they were extremely popular, leading to a 6 per cent growth in sales for this milk and chocolate milk brand. Prizes included bicycles, smartphones and shopping vouchers!

Interestingly, 94 % of participants were android phone users and just 6 % apple users with 71 % of those using the code women, including 56 % in the 19 – 30 age group and 35 % in the 31 – 60 age group.

Tailor made promotions

Dirceu Bayer, President of Cooperativa Languiru, said: „SIG’s solution not only provides a 1:1 connection with our final consumers, but also opens up opportunities for tailored made raffle promotions with our retailer partners. The giveaway promotion ‘Bought, looked, won’ fully met expectations and improved our relationship with our customers. Through the use of this technology we can learn more about our consumers, providing valuable information for commercial and marketing teams“.

Languiru’s latest digital promotion is the next stage in making best use of the integrated Connected Pack Solution, designed by SIG and Siemens, which collects product quality data at every stage of the product journey, from the beginning of industrialization process of the raw material to the supermarket shelf, and stores all information in one database. The dairy concept ‘Qualidade do inicio ao fim’, which translates as ‘Quality from beginning to end’, was the basis for Languiru to engage with consumers who can access all important data, from production dates to quality analysis. The QR code has become Languiru’s quality stamp, resonating in other products and categories within the portfolio. This builds on the established inline monitoring system and vast data collection, which ensures efficiency in both production and logistics.

Monitoring operations and logistics

„QR codes on cartons mean our consumers are able to trace products from their industrialization right to the shelf,” said Euclides Andrade, Managing Director of Cooperativa Languiru.

“Besides that, we benefit from detailed end-to-end value chain performance monitoring, which enables us to improve operations and logistics. SIG understood our demands and developed a tailor-made solution for Languiru that demonstrates our quality and adds value to our brand ».

A further advantage of this new technology is that it is linked directly to the Languiru production lines. This maximises the dairy plant’s overall efficiency and cuts operational and investment costs by using a specific information intelligence tool known as Power BI.

The power of a single QR code is substantial in enabling track and trace from plant to store shelf. SIG is ahead of the game when it comes to enabling a connected pack experience and can offer customised solutions, benefiting the consumer, manufacturer and retailer along the supply chain.

Now accepting submissions for the startup competition at Hi Europe & Ni 2018

As part of Hi Europe & Ni 2018, trade show organizer UBM will showcase some of the most promising startups involved in the F&B industry. Applications for the Startup Innovation Challenge are now being accepted and the most promising concepts will be presented live to a professional audience on the first day of the event. The three winners will receive extensive coaching from recognized industry experts.

Startups often exemplify creative pioneers and outstanding innovations, but young companies sometimes lack the budget and support to make an impact on the market. This is why UBM launched the Startup Innovation Challenge in 2016. It gives founders or small new enterprises the opportunity to reach a broad specialist audience and receive valuable advice. The nominees will present their idea or innovation to a jury of experts on 26 November and at Hi Europe & Ni’s Industry Insights Theatre in Frankfurt (Germany).

With more than 10,000 visitors and more than 500 exhibitors, the show is the central trade event for healthy functional ingredients for the food and beverage industry. All shortlisted startups will have access to a Startup Lounge, situated in the heart of the exhibition, for the duration of Hi Europe & Ni 2018. This provides a perfect opportunity to meet, network and demonstrate their products to this highly relevant and influential group.

Interested startups must enter one of the following categories before Friday 21st Septembers:

• Most Innovative Healthy Food or Beverage Ingredient
• Most Innovative Plant-Based Finished Product
• Most Innovative Technology or Service Supporting F&B.

The three winners will get individual advice from one of the jury members. In addition, the successful nominees can choose from various special prizes — from a fully equipped stand at Hi Europe 2018 or Fi Europe 2019 to a marketing campaign within the Ingredients Network or access to the “Conciergerie” innovation platform from Presans to intensive consultation at Wageningen University & Research.

To apply, companies should be less than 5 years old and have a solid business plan. The submission must focus on an exceptional new product or service that promotes health and, ideally, already exists as a prototype or service model.

Interested young companies can apply directly at https://startups.figlobal.com or contact sophie.clark@ubm.com for more information.

In order to strengthen and stabilise its position in the market, the Vilsbiburg decanter manufacturer Hiller was looking for a strategically oriented partnership last year. Which form of partnership this could be was always left open, from the sale of shares to the complete acquisition. A future perspective geared to stability and growth, which should result for the entire company, was of the utmost importance in this search.

As the industry has been exposed to highly volatile markets in recent years and the company thus faced a difficult economic situation between 2013 and 2016, the company had set itself high targets in its search for a partner in order to strengthen its market presence in the future. With the Swiss Ferrum AG, the perfect investor was finally found. Ferrum AG fully supports the desired objectives, such as the preservation and further development of the Vilsbiburg (Germany) location, maintaining the brand name “Hiller” and above all of the entire workforce.

Ferrum AG, headquartered in Schafisheim, Aargau (Switzerland), is the global market leader in the can closing business and a specialized niche supplier of separation technologies. Ferrum sees the acquisition of the Hiller GmbH, an international innovative specialist in the development and manufacture of decanter centrifuges as a significant progress in the separation technology business.

Hiller GmbH employs 160 people and operates state-of-the-art production facilities at its headquarters in Vilsbiburg, Bavaria. Hiller’s decanter centrifuges and plants are used particularly in environmental technology / wastewater treatment and in the food industry, but also in the oil and gas, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The location in Bavaria with its staff and the brand name Hiller will be retained.

Georg Hiller, CEO Hiller GmbH, will also remain with the company as CTO and can therefore devote his full attention to the further development of decanting centrifuges and the associated processes and will also support the integration of Hiller GmbH into the Ferrum Group.

Ernst Werthmüller, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ferrum AG, will be responsible for the Supervisory Board and act as temporary CEO of Hiller GmbH.

Ferrum AG employs over 800 people worldwide and has two plants in Switzerland, as well as locations in China, India, Poland, the USA and now Germany.