Refresco, the global independent beverage solutions provider for retailers and global, national, and emerging (GNE) brands in Europe, North America, and Australia, today announces the successful closing of its acquisition of Frías Nutrición (“Frías”), a leading manufacturer of plant-based drinks in Spain. This transaction, first announced on July 22, 2024, strengthens Refresco’s position in the rapidly growing plant-based beverage category.
Frías, located in Burgos, Spain, employs approximately 250 people and specializes in producing private label plant-based drinks, including almond, rice, hazelnut, and soy options for key retailers in Spain and beyond. This acquisition complements Refresco’s existing operations in Spain and significantly expands its capabilities in the plant-based drinks sector.
CEO Refresco, Hans Roelofs, commented: “As part of our proven Buy & Build strategy, we are looking to expand our capabilities in existing and adjacent beverage categories. The acquisition of Frías not only enhances our footprint in the plant-based drinks market, but it also allows us to better serve our European customers and accelerates our product innovation capabilities. We are excited to welcome the talented Frías team and are dedicated to a seamless integration process that will drive mutual growth.”
With this acquisition, Refresco reaffirms its commitment to delivering high-quality, innovative beverage solutions to its customers, while also further enhancing its service offerings.
Ball Corporation, a leading global provider of sustainable aluminum packaging for beverages, personal care and home products, announced the acquisition of Alucan, a European leader in extruded aluminum aerosol and bottle technology. The acquisition complements Ball’s existing global extruded aluminum aerosol and bottle business with the addition of manufacturing facilities in Llinars del Vallés (Barcelona), Spain, and Lummen, Belgium.
This acquisition aligns with Ball’s business strategy to simplify sustainability for its customers by delivering scalable aluminum packaging solutions. The new plants will enable the company to meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging across Europe. Both facilities are equipped with cutting-edge technology and aim to minimise their environmental footprint, aligning Ball’s dedication to sustainability and operational excellence.
Ball continues to serve new categories and offer reuse, refill bottle innovations to a broader set of customers and occasions. Acquisition of Alucan will add large-diameter aerosol can and impact extruded bottles capabilities to support Ball’s existing reusable bottles customers. This acquisition allows the company to diversify its customer base, cross-sell with food and beverage manufacturers, and expand its bottle offerings to include personal and home care products.
This acquisition allows Ball to enhance its efforts in innovation and reduce its carbon footprint. The company will lightweight and increase the recycled content in Alucan cans, while being in close proximity to its customers will help optimise truck capacity, ultimately reducing CO2 emissions.
Acquisition of Alucan is an important step forward for Ball Corporation as it looks to better serve the growing aerosol and impact-extruded bottle market in Europe.
CCL Label, a world leader in labels and packaging, announces the inauguration of a brand-new production facility for shrink sleeve labels in Tibi, Spain near Alicante.
“We are very excited to offer shrink sleeves produced in Spain for local brands and multinational brands operating in Spain. Investing into local production follows CCL’s strategy to stay close to the production sites and filling lines of major food and beverage as well as home and personal care brands and service them locally and efficiently”, explains Lukas Nachbaur, Commercial and Technical Director at the new facility. “Our first brand customers have placed and received orders and were happy with the quality and service.”
Modern printing technology for premium shrink sleeves
“The investment in this greenfield facility is a commitment to the growing Spanish consumer products market. There are many great brands that call Spain their home and the country has a proud tradition to produce outstanding high-quality food and drinks including beer, wine and spirits”, Reinhard Streit, VP and Managing Director Food&Beverage at CCL Label points out. “We installed state-of-the-art assets to service these premium brands in the best way possible – we see that we can offer our customers very special printing technology that is unique in Spain.”
The installed assets offer customers premium printing technology. The combination of offset and gravure printing offers customers the greatest flexibility when it comes to changing designs frequently.
Award-Winning floatable EcoFloat sleeve technology a focus
Although all shrink sleeve materials will be available, there will be a focus on the award-winning EcoFloat shrink sleeves made from polyolefin that are approved for PET, HDPE and PP bottles and containers and have been embraced by renowned brands.
Shrink sleeves are applied by heat and conform to a variety of container shapes, acting like a second skin. They are made from floatable low-density polyolefin material, which is at the forefront of sustainable shrink sleeve technology. The design of the sleeves allows for easy separation from the primary container during the recycling process, thus supporting material separation and enhancing recycling efficiency.
“Just as other European countries, Spain will have to deliver on the ambitious new packaging and packaging waste (PPWR) regulation. The regulation also includes mandatory Design for Recycling and our low density, floatable EcoFloat polyolefin sleeves have been endorsed by several recycling associations like RecyClass and the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP),” says Marika Knorr, Head of Sustainability and Communication at CCL Label. “PET bottles that are combined with a EcoFloat sleeve are fully recyclable and this helps increase the yield of food-grade PET resins, that then can be fed back into new bottles – closing the loop. Mandatory recycled content targets are also an integral part of PPWR legislation.”
Sustainability a priority at production site
The sleeve production will be ultimately be co-located with the In-Mould Label production site (formerly Creaprint) that was acquired about a year ago. The IML Business is expected to move to the new site in Tibi in 2026.
“IML is a rapidly growing decoration technology. The label becomes an integral part of injection or blow moulded plastic containers without the need for adhesives, typically using the same resin material as the container for easy recycling”, comments José Vincente Guillem, general manager of the CCL Spain IML plant.
Plastipak, a global leader in the design, manufacture and recycling of plastic containers has announced the formal opening of a major recycling investment at its manufacturing site in Toledo, Spain by Don Emiliano García-Page, President of the Castilla-La Mancha Region. The new recycling facility converts PET flake into food-grade recycled PET (rPET) pellets suitable for direct use in new preforms, bottles and containers.
The new recycling plant will produce 20,000 tonnes of food-grade recycled pellet per year and will eliminate recycled resin transport-related emissions since it is co-located at Plastipak’s current preform manufacturing site. The recycling plant is Plastipak’s fifth recycling facility, with other recycling plants located in USA, France, Luxembourg and United Kingdom. In Europe, Plastipak is the largest producer of food-grade rPET, with well over 150,000 tonnes of rPET capacity per annum.
Pedro Martins, Plastipak’s Executive Managing Director Europe, said “The use of rPET is a key tool in reducing our customer’s Scope 3 related emissions and forms an important part of their ESG-packaging related commitments. As well as supporting our customers to reduce their financial obligations under the planned Spanish plastics tax, the plant will also contribute to the meeting the minimum recycled content levels mandated by the Single Use Plastics Directive.”
To support on-site energy generation, the state-of-the-art facility incorporates advanced energy-saving technologies and equipment that includes the rooftop installation of over 1800 photovoltaic (PV) solar panels. The PV panels are expected to generate more than 1339 MWh of electricity per year that will be consumed entirely on-site, saving more than 443 tonnes of CO2 per year through the avoidance of consumption of electricity from the national grid. This is in addition to the CO2 avoided by using the 20,000 tonnes of recycled resin instead of virgin resin.
Smurfit Kappa’s Bag-in-Box division has announced the completion of a significant EUR 12 million investment in a new flexible material production facility at its plant in Ibi, Spain. The new state-of-the-art production facility commenced operations, on a phased basis, earlier this year and will be one of the most advanced Bag-in-Box manufacturing plants in Europe.
The investment has resulted in the addition of an extra 4,300 m2 production area which will be equipped with high-tech and advanced machinery which allows for more specialisation in the manufacture of film. The new machinery will allow the plant to complete the full production cycle of Bag-in-Box packaging solutions, from start to finish. This integrated production model means not only quicker and more efficient service to customers, but also a considerable reduction of the environmental impact – up to 21 % less estimated CO2 emissions for the current flexible materials portfolio.
Commenting on the investment, Thierry Minaud, CEO of Smurfit Kappa Bag-in-Box, said: “This strategic investment represents an important step for Smurfit Kappa Bag-in Box Spain. In addition to introducing innovative technology to create a fully integrated plant for Bag-in-Box production, it will allow us to increase our production capacity to better respond to market demands.”
Victor Juan, Film Manager at Smurfit Kappa Ibi added: “These new facilities will accelerate the development of new, more sustainable films with the highest performance to meet the needs of our customers for high quality Bag-in-Box packaging solutions, and further strengthen our commitment to the environment.”
The Ibi manufacturing plant in Spain has been in operation for 45 years. The number of employees at the plant has more than doubled since it was acquired by Smurfit Kappa in 2007.
Plastipak, a global leader in the design, manufacture and recycling of plastic containers has announced a major investment in recycling at its manufacturing site in Toledo, Spain. The new recycling facility will convert PET flake into food-grade recycled PET (rPET) pellets suitable for direct use in new preforms, bottles and containers.
The new facility will be co-located with the current preform and container manufacturing plant facilitating additional carbon savings through the elimination of resin transport. The new recycling plant will produce 20,000 tonnes of food-grade pellet per year and will commence production in the summer of 2022. The project will create approximately 14 new jobs and include additional manufacturing and warehouse space.
Pedro Martins, Plastipak’s Executive Managing Director Europe, explained “The investment in a new recycling facility in Spain will support both Plastipak and our customers in fulfilling our commitments to corporate social responsibility. The project comes in advance of minimum levels of recycled content mandated by the Single Use Plastics Directive, and will support brand owners to reduce their financial obligations under the planned Spanish plastics tax.”
This will be Plastipak’s fifth global location producing recycled PET (rPET) and confirms Plastipak as the largest producer of bottle-grade recycled PET in Europe. With three long-established rPET facilities in Europe (France, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom), Plastipak already produces well over 130,000 tonnes of recycled PET in Europe. Plastipak also operates a HDPE and PET recycling plant in the US.
Coca-Cola European Partners announced the introduction of CanCollar®, an innovative paperboard packaging solution, for multipack cans in Spain. The move supports its work, in partnership with Coca-Cola, to remove all unnecessary or hard to recycle plastic from its portfolio, avoiding the use of more than 11,000 tonnes of virgin plastic a year across Western Europe.
Initially, Coca-Cola European Partners will launch the new, PEFC certified1 recyclable and sustainably sourced paperboard CanCollar® in the Balearic Islands in November 2020, a first in Europe.
Innovative packaging design is a core principle of Coca-Cola’s World Without Waste strategy and through collaboration with WestRock, a global company that provides its customers with sustainable differentiated packaging solutions, Coca-Cola European Partners will start to use the CanCollar® paperboard can ring technology in the Balearic Islands, replacing the current Hi-cone solution and saving more than 18 tonnes of plastic annually.
Coca-Cola European Partners has invested 2.6 million euros in its Barcelona plant to support this initiative. The installation of WestRock’s CanCollar® Fortuna™ manufacturing equipment will enable multipack cans to be grouped in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way, with a process that does not require the use of glue or adhesives.
1PEFC, the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, is a leading global alliance of national forest certification systems. As an international non-profit, non-governmental organization, PEFC is dedicated to promoting sustainable forest management through independent third-party certification.
In MY 2019/20, EU citrus production is projected to lower 11 percent to 10.4 MMT. This production forecast is four percent higher than previous estimates. Unfavorable weather conditions in Spain, the EU’s main citrus producer, accounts for the projected drop in overall production. The decline in EU citrus production may encourage EU imports while EU citrus exports remain flat in response to higher domestic EU demand. Strategic export markets destinations for EU citrus continue to be Canada, the Middle East, and China. In MY2019/20, U.S. tariffs related to the World Trade Organization Case against EU aircraft subsidies will likely impact Spanish exports of clementines and lemons. During the Covid-19 pandemic, domestic demand for citrus held strong as consumers looked for foods to strengthen the immune system. As of the date of this report, EU citrus exports have not been directly impacted by the pandemic. …
Please download the full report: apps.fas.usda.gov
Refresco has reached a strategic agreement with PepsiCo for the production of part of the PepsiCo beverages volume in Spain effective 1 November 2019.
Refresco and PepsiCo are already partners in other European markets, including France, Belgium, Germany, and in the USA.
The agreement also involves the transfer of two of the three factories PepsiCo currently has in Spain: Tafalla (Navarra) and Seville. Both in a geographical and technological way, these production locations complement the current Refresco plants in Spain and provide Refresco with extra capacity for its growth in Spain.
PepsiCo will have a mixed supply model in Spain, since its third plant located in Echávarri Viña (Alava), which is also dedicated to the production of carbonated beverages, will continue to be a part of PepsiCo’s operations, serving both Spain and other European markets thanks to its strategic location.
Victor Perez, PepsiCo’s South West Europe Supply Chain Director, notes, “This new mixed supply model is key to our sustainable growth in the Spanish market. Refresco is a natural partner for PepsiCo as we successfully work together in other markets maintaining our high standards of quality and service”.
As Hans Roelofs, CEO Refresco Group, explains: ”This agreement is a very good extension of our relationship with one of our key customers, PepsiCo. It also confirms our business model in Spain, serving retailers and contract manufacturing customers”.
MY 2018/19 EU citrus production is projected to reach 11.6 MMT, an eight percent rise compared to previous year and consistent with previous estimates. The regional increase is due to an expected rebound in Spanish production, the EU’s main citrus producer. Favorable weather conditions facilitated good flowering and fruit setting. Spain expects a 14.6 percent increase in citrus production from the previous year at 7.3 MMT and 0.4 percent higher than previous estimates. In February 2019, Spanish growers protested against the European Commission as the rise in EU imports of South African citrus lowered EU prices. However, the rebound of EU citrus production may result in a reduction in EU citrus imports. Strategic markets destinations for EU citrus exports continue to be Canada, the Middle East and China. In addition, in MY 2017/18 EU imports of U.S. grapefruit and orange juice declined due to a decrease in U.S. production.
Read the complete report
Döhler Group and Zumos Catalano Aragoneses S.A. (ZUCASA) have reached an agreement on the acquisition of the majority of shares in ZUCASA by the Döhler Group. With immediate effect, Döhler will manage ZUCASA’s juice production facility located in the Huesca region through its subsidiary Döhler Fraga S.L.
For Döhler, this transaction marks another great step forward in one of Europe’s largest fruit production areas. Customers will benefit from a more diverse offering in the stone fruits segment as well as in apples and pears; furthermore, the combined businesses will offer greater efficiency in a global market with regard to customised all-in-one solutions.
ZUCASA’s extensive expertise and ability to provide fruit and vegetable juices, purees and concentrates for food and beverages, combined with the broad product portfolio and the comprehensive industry knowledge of the Döhler Group, will create unique synergy effects. In the coming years, Döhler Group aims to set a benchmark within the sector and develop a plan of expansion and sustainable growth within its business model.
About ZUCASA:
Zumos Catalano Aragoneses S.A. is a producer of juices, purees and sweet fruit concentrates, vegetables and plants located in the region of Fraga (Huesca), with operations at the heart of Spain’s largest production area of sweet fruit between Huesca and Lleida. It has facilities spanning more than 24,000 m2 over an area of 168,000 m2, with capacity to store 32,000 m3 of natural fruit juices, purees and concentrates. ZUCASA began production in 2010 with three lines for processing fruits and vegetables: two of which for purees and a third for juices. Currently, it employs an average of 50 workers on permanent contracts, reaching 150 workers during high season. The company’s commitment to quality in production has been confirmed by the international certifications BRC, IFS, SGF, Kosher, FDA and others, which in turn have enabled it to expand internationally, with more than 60 % of revenues coming from exports.
Following several consecutive years of growth, SVZ, the leading provider of processed fruit and vegetable ingredients, is undertaking a three year investment programme at its facility in Almonte, Spain. Beginning with the commission of a new puree concentrate line and improvements to SVZ Almonte’s filling area, the company has now completed the installation of additional freezing capacity in time for the summer 2018 strawberry season.
Strawberries constitute a large percentage of SVZ’s red fruit portfolio and are sourced from a network of carefully-chosen growers in the Huelva region. The premium fruits are processed quickly at source into purees and puree concentrates, which are then supplied to customers all over Europe. With burgeoning demand from the food and drink industry, especially beverage makers and dairy processors, SVZ embarked on a three year plan to increase its Almonte capacity from 12,500 to 20,000 metric tonnes annually. The development will also support the company as it expands Almonte’s product range to include raspberries and blackberries as well as vegetables like bell peppers, cucumbers and zucchinis.
The investment is fundamental to the company’s ambitious growth plans for the coming years, according to Anouk ter Laak, SVZ’s CEO. “Demand for natural and sustainable fruit and vegetable ingredients is growing exponentially throughout Europe and we constantly invest in our capacity, expertise and growers to ensure we remain at the forefront of the industry,” she says. “We have been processing in Almonte for over thirty years, meaning we have an enviable supply chain and superb knowledge of the region, and its unique characteristics, which we can leverage to serve our customers even better in the future. Our facilities are obviously vital in maximising the freshness, nutritional quality and taste of our ingredients as well as our ability to deliver quickly to customers throughout Europe and beyond.”
SVZ’s commercial director, Johan Cerstiaens, adds: “The Almonte investment plan is improving many aspects of our operations and already providing benefits for our customers and our employees. As we move into the last stage of the programme, investment will be built around the specific needs of those customers, so our business is even better aligned to theirs.”
European producers, emerging Mediterranean countries and large-scale retailers will meet to discuss one of the top fruit and vegetable products of the summer
With its production of peaches and nectarines of approximately 1,360,000 tonnes, Italy is now a leading European producer in the sector along with Spain. Consequently, a convention on peaches and nectarines will be held on the occasion of the 35th edition of Macfrut, to be held in Rimini from 9 to 11 May, promoted by the Macfrut trade fair and CSO Italy. On 9 May, the opening day of Macfrut, the European production forecasts for 2018 will be presented at a meeting with experts in the sector from leading producer countries in Europe – first and foremost Italy, Spain and Greece – and from emerging countries in the Mediterranean basin, with the participation of European large-scale retailers.
According to the data collected by CSO Italy, if we take a look at European production from 2000 to the present day, especially in the years marked by major crises in the industry, such as in the 2004-2005 period, it is evident that the production of peaches, clingstone peaches and nectarines in Europe had reached 4 million tonnes. Later, the European supply averaged around 3.6 million tonnes, with lows of 3.4 million tonnes, such as in 2016. As far as the Italian supply is concerned, the production of peaches for fresh consumption was + 10 % compared to 2016, at approximately 590,000 tonnes, whereas clingstone peaches showed + 24 % at almost 85,000 tonnes and +5 % was recorded for nectarines at about 690,000 tonnes. Following the trend of the other major producing countries in Europe, production in Spain increased by 9 %, France showed + 3 %, whereas Greece recorded a high percentage increase of + 53 % compared to its particularly poor production in 2016. In all major European countries, the expected supply for 2017 exceeded the previous year’s production by 16 %.
This year, for the first time since 2007, the production of peaches, nectarines and clingstone peaches reached 3.9 million tonnes, of which peaches and nectarines alone were equal to 3 million tonnes against 2.9 million tonnes in previous years. Spain played a major role in this rise: after producing a maximum capacity of about 1.2 million tonnes, it is now capable of producing 1.5 million tonnes. In fact, this significant increase is continuing, especially for doughnut peaches, which account for 50 % of total production in Spain. By contrast, in Italy the supply has dropped from 1.7 million tonnes to about 1.3 million tonnes due to the widespread removal of plants over the years, mainly in northern regions.
This is the issue at the heart of the recent peach crisis that has affected all of Europe.
Along with the increase in production in Europe, which leads to an imbalance between supply and demand, in the years when production is approaching its full potential, other factors are contributing to the crisis in this market: major unbundling of supply, high production costs, new competitors entering the market, competitive new products on the market and the ongoing Russian embargo. Last but not least, the economic problems linked to climate change, which for products such as peaches and nectarines – not intended to have a long shelf life – can significantly affect market trends.
All these themes will be discussed at the convention to be held at the Macfrut event, which will focus on current production trends in 2018. The availability of forecast data prior to harvesting is essential to peach production so that any necessary corrective measures can then be implemented.
