Distribution agreement extended to include citrus pulp co-products made from pectin production in Tate & Lyle’s facility in Großenbrode, Germany

Tate & Lyle PLC, a global leader in ingredient solutions for healthier food and beverages, has extended its partnership with Van Triest CirQlar, part of ForFarmers, a leading animal feed business, to enhance the value creation and environmental impact of its co-products business. The partnership will also help Tate & Lyle to meet its commitment to beneficially use 100 % of its waste by 2030.

Under the extended agreement, Van Triest CirQlar, which specialises in the purchasing and sales of co-products, will manage the main aspects of citrus pulp co-product sales and distribution from Tate & Lyle’s pectin production facility in Großenbrode, Germany. Tate & Lyle’s pectin is a nature-based ingredient derived from citrus fruit peels, a co-product of the juice industry. Nutritious material left over from the production of pectin becomes a citrus pulp co-product, which is widely used as animal feed, and which Tate & Lyle currently supplies to livestock farmers in northern Germany.

Tate & Lyle’s Großenbrode facility, acquired in 2024, has supplied farmers in northern Germany with citrus pulp co-products for animal feed for over forty years, ensuring the beneficial use of a significant residual stream while generating additional value. Following the acquisition, strong cross-site cooperation quickly revealed synergies between Großenbrode and Tate & Lyle’s Koog aan de Zaan facility in the Netherlands, which has an existing distribution agreement in place with Van Triest CirQlar for several of its corn-based co-products. By aligning co-products operations and leveraging Van Triest CirQlar’s specialised market expertise and customer network, Tate & Lyle is further strengthening the commercial and operational performance of its co-products business.

This agreement ensures long-term market access and structured pricing for Großenbrode’s main capacity of citrus pulp co-product, reducing commercial risk and increasing planning reliability. By leveraging Van Triest CirQlar’s specialised market expertise, customer network and active market management, Tate & Lyle can optimise value realisation for its co-products while ensuring consistent offtake. This model strengthens circular value chains and allows Tate & Lyle to focus on its core food and drink ingredient customer offering.

Sönke Schweiger, Tate & Lyle Plant Director in Großenbrode, explained: “At our Großenbrode facility, we turn upcycled citrus peels into high value ingredients and give their co-products a second life – that’s circularity in action. With this expanded partnership, we can maximise the commercial and environmental value of our pectin production. By harmonising our co-products models across two sites drawing on external expertise, we can focus on delivering high quality, functional food and drink ingredients that support healthier diets while caring for our planet and making good use of its resources.”

Roel van Haeren, Managing Director Van Triest CirQlar Europe, explained: “This partnership aligns with our objective to lead in managed co‑product value chains and is an important step in further strengthening our relationship with Tate & Lyle. It is a strategic expansion of our activities in Germany and our citrus pulp position in this market. It’s exactly how Van Triest CirQlar grows – by professionalising co‑product streams and turning them into dependable, circular value.”

BIOFACH 2026 showcases the future of organic: global diversity, young voices, and bold concepts for sustainable food systems.

Nuremberg will once again host the international organic community at BIOFACH from 10 to 13 February 2026. The world’s leading trade fair for organic food, BIOFACH provides a comprehensive overview of current developments all along the value chain, together with forward-looking ideas and new inspiration. The key theme of the BIOFACH Congress is “Growing Tomorrow – Young Voices, Bold Visions”. This focuses on topics such as food sovereignty, sustainable agriculture and societal change, supported by established players and a new generation of movers and shakers.

“BIOFACH 2026 shows how varied, international and future-oriented the organic sector is,” observes Dominik Dietz, Director BIOFACH at NürnbergMesse. “By giving the Congress a focus on young voices, innovative formats and a strong international network, we create inspiration for sustainably transforming both nutrition and agriculture.”

BIOFACH Congress: “Growing Tomorrow – Young Voices, Bold Visions”

With its key theme of “Growing Tomorrow – Young Voices, Bold Visions”, the BIOFACH Congress 2026 is dedicated to the viewpoints of young people who are assuming responsibility worldwide and taking the organic movement forward with new ideas. “A multi-generational approach is essential if we are to deal with the major questions regarding the future that we currently face,” says Tina Andres, Chair of the national organic association BÖLW. “At BIOFACH 2026 the floor belongs to the young, committed people who are assuming responsibility and shaping the future right now.”

In addition to the key theme, visitors to the Congress can look forward to specialist formats such as the Trade Forum, STADTLANDBIO and the collaborative “SustainableFutureLab”.

Exhibitors and a wide range of products: Global organic expertise

BIOFACH 2026 demonstrates the entire range of the organic world, from international market leaders to young companies. The event expects about 2,200 exhibitors who will present their organic products in a total of nine exhibition halls. There is a special focus on India as the Country of the Year. With its dynamic organic strategy and growing export expertise, India is a strong partner for global organic development.

Additional special exhibition areas such as Experience the World of PLANETARY HEALTH offer space for product presentations and exploring the topic in greater depth. “The Planetary Health Diet provides an answer to many of the crises we currently face,” notes Matthias Beuger of the Association of Organic Food Producers (AöL). “So it is in its rightful place at the heart of this exhibition area. In theory, there are now enough models for keeping consumption within the limits the planet can support. But how does that actually look on our plates? Examples of best practice are on display, from cultivating pulses and quality story-telling to the taste experience of a cooking show. Experience the World of PLANETARY HEALTH turns “food fit for the future” into reality.”

Supporting programme: Trends, innovations and interaction

The supporting programme at BIOFACH 2026 creates space for personal meetings and inspiration. It is directed at trade visitors at all points along the value chain, from cultivation to processing, trade and out-of-home catering, and offers a wealth of formats that focus on current trends, innovative concepts and practical solutions.

A rich variety of products and services is aimed at trade representatives in particular. In addition to the Trade Forum at the BIOFACH Congress, features such as the Meeting Point BIOimSEH and its accompanying Organic Experts Lounge offer them a central platform for interaction, product presentations and networking. “After 30 years of development, organic products are an essential part of the mainstream,” asserts Erich Magrander, publisher of bioPress. “Organic products can now be seen in all marketing channels, from the specialist trade to discounters. But full-range suppliers can do more. With the Meeting Point BIOimSEH, BIOFACH provides businesspeople with a platform for exchange for comprehensive organic marketinghere, sales representatives can talk to organic experts, get to know each other, network, and discover product presentations that go beyond the usual offerings. The accompanying Organic Experts Lounge offers plenty of space for discussion rounds, panels, lectures, and information events. This is where organic suppliers can use trade to build bridges from the field to the shelves, and ultimately to the consumers’ plates.”

The INNOVATION STAGE in Hall 4A offers presentation slots for new developments and innovations. Young companies can also improve their visibility and gain access to potential partners. The BIOFACH Start-up Pitches in 2026 will once again give many newcomers in the organics field the opportunity to introduce themselves. In the crowning finale, three start-ups will present their plans to a high-calibre jury of experts. In 2026 the five-member jury will consist of Alexander Stabel (Alnatura), Bärbel Ulrich (dm-drogerie market), Frank Künzel (dennree), Selda Morina (REWE Start-up Lounge) and Tillman Schulz (Food investor & Bohlsener Mühle).

Immediately adjacent to the INNOVATION STAGE will be the New Products Stand, where new products and developments will await discovery. This is where visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite product to receive the Best New Product Award. International start-ups will present their creative products and ideas in the “International Newcomers” pavilion, while the sponsored “Young Innovators” pavilion will be the place to experience innovative skills at a national level. The range of products and services will be complemented by the NextGen Campus in Hall 9.

At the Alternative Packaging Solutions pavilion, exhibitors will display their sustainable ideas in the area of packaging. Initiatives and NGOs will also have space to introduce their projects and network with industry players. A special area will be dedicated to the subject of organics in out-of-home catering, illustrating practical approaches to community catering.

Food 4 Future – Expo Foodtech presents the 7 trends that will define the future of the food industry

The food industry met last April at Food 4 Future – Expo Foodtech and Pick&Pack for Food Industry, which were held simultaneously in Bilbao, Spain, from 16 to 18 April to discover and analyse the challenges facing the food and beverage sector, marked by an inflationary economic context, new consumer habits that lead to new consumer demands, and increasingly demanding regulations regarding sustainability. With the help of 482 experts from the food industry worldwide, Food 4 Future and Pick&Pack, together with AZTI’s technological innovation team, have identified the 7 trends that will mark the future of the food industry in the coming years:

1. Geostrategy and inflationary environment

Europe has traditionally had a history of low agri-food inflation, something that has changed in recent years with a double-digit annual increase in food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation. This problem, coupled with the fact that many regions specialise in a single product, creates a risk of market fluctuations. To face these challenges, Food 4 Future has highlighted the importance of moving towards the European model of more efficient and productive farms, with greater collaboration from the private sector, something that will strengthen the competitiveness of these companies. Alliances between manufacturers and fostering resilience, innovation and collaboration are key to ensuring success in a constantly evolving sector.

2. New consumer habits

Consumer demands and habits have changed and now demand personalised experiences. Many companies are already using data and the latest technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence, to adapt products and services to these new individual preferences and the trend is expected to continue in the future. In addition, society has shifted and now consumers value health, taste, convenience and sustainability as key drivers and where direct sales have increased significantly. In this way, food and beverage firms are gaining market share, winning over the shopper in the current context of price adjustment, and forging robust competition for the rest of the players. New habits also include the demand for healthier and more sustainable foods, which has led to innovation in alternative foods, such as those based on vegetable proteins, mushrooms, algae, and meat substitutes.

3. 360° Sustainability

The food industry faces multiple challenges in terms of sustainability, driven by climate change, the efficient management of resources such as water and energy, and the need for decarbonisation to achieve zero net emissions. It is also focusing its efforts on the importance of minimising greenhouse gas emissions, optimizing packaging materials, improving eco-efficiency in production processes and encouraging recycling throughout the product life cycle. Suppliers are key in this respect, as are sustainable agricultural and livestock practices, together with more efficient food processing chains and minimising food waste.

4. New technologies

The digital transformation that the food sector is undergoing has brought with it robotisation and automation in production plants, but it is also being extended to other practices such as harvesting, spraying and pruning in agriculture. Other trends that will mark the future in the field of agri-food tech are precision fermentation, efficiency technologies, operational excellence, or industrial machine vision to detect quality defects, among others. The application of technologies is also key to guaranteeing food quality and safety, with real-time monitoring, preventive models, traceability from farm to fork, and smart packaging and labels to ensure the quality of pre-packaged food. In addition, quantum computing is gaining a great deal of attention in the field of innovation.

5. Healthy eating

Concern for healthy eating and lifestyle is growing, which is why personalised nutrition has become increasingly important in recent years. Companies are striving for healthier products without sacrificing pleasure and taste through new techniques. The debate on ultra-processed foods and the need for legislation will also remain on the table. This is an issue where there is no consensus and where there is a high degree of ignorance among citizens about labeling systems. Transparent communication on packaging will help consumers to make informed choices.

6. New packaging regulations

Packaging is also undergoing a paradigm shift driven by several interlinked factors: the advance of decarbonisation, the application of technologies for process optimisation and the adaptation to increasingly demanding sustainability regulations. The sector is currently immersed in major challenges driven by the new regulations against food waste and packaging, which will have an impact on eco-design, the trend towards mono-material, reuse, and the increase in recycled material, among other issues.

7. More sustainable and efficient logistics

Supply chain efficiency is crucial. Technology allows for greater production and volume, greater flexibility, and more traceability, all of which have an impact on increasing business for companies in the sector. For this reason, Artificial Intelligence, robotics, automation and blockchain solutions are already being applied to improve logistics efficiency in the food value chain. The use of robots and AI makes it possible to handle a wide variety of products, and even pack boxes with products of different types and sizes using artificial vision. The result is improved efficiency, saving time and increasing sustainability while reducing costs.

SIG has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 % of Scholle IPN, a privately held company, for an enterprise value of EUR 1.36¹ billion and an equity value of EUR 1.05 billion. The transaction will be funded through 33.75 million SIG shares issued from existing authorised capital and EUR 370 million cash; the existing debt of Scholle IPN will be refinanced at closing. The transaction is expected to close before the end of the third quarter of 2022 subject to customary closing conditions.

This acquisition diversifies SIG’s exposure to growing and resilient end-markets. SIG’s portfolio of market-leading sustainable food and beverage carton solutions will be expanded into bag-in-box and spouted pouches for retail, institutional and industrial customers. SIG and Scholle IPN have many similarities and are highly complementary businesses in terms of systems and product offering. The combination will unlock significant growth opportunities and value.

Founded in 1945, Scholle IPN is a leading innovator in sustainable packaging with a systems offering. It is the inventor of and global leader in bag-in-box (2 l –1,500 l capacity) and the number two in spouted pouches (50 ml – 500 ml capacity). The acquisition will therefore expand SIG’s portfolio into both larger and smaller formats. Scholle IPN is headquartered in the USA and has approximately 2,100 employees globally. Revenue in the twelve months to 31 December 2021 was EUR 474 million with adjusted EBITDA of EUR 90 million (adjusted EBITDA margin c.19 %)². The USA accounts for around 55 % of revenue and the acquisition will significantly increase SIG’s presence in this large and attractive market. It will also enable the expansion of the Scholle IPN portfolio into the emerging markets of Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East Africa, where SIG has a well-established presence.

With this acquisition, SIG will be able to offer the most sustainable packaging solutions across a wide range of categories and product sizes. Growth in bag-in-box is being driven by the shift from rigid to flexible packaging which significantly reduces the amount of material needed to package the product. Scholle IPN has a longstanding focus on sustainability and on the light-weighting of both packaging and fitments. It is a pioneer in the development of mono-materials which are designed for recycling. Joining together the R&D capabilities of the two companies will deliver more value to customers by advancing the development of material and aseptic technology to reduce carbon emissions and food waste.

Around 70 % of Scholle IPN revenues are in food and beverages which will underpin the resilience already demonstrated by SIG’s business. The acquisition will enable SIG to build on its core strength in aseptic technology and to expand its use in both pouches and bag-in-box. It will also drive SIG’s expansion into new categories such as wine and water. Like SIG, Scholle IPN has developed long-standing customer relationships and the acquisition brings multiple cross-selling opportunities, as well as potential for an enhanced service offering for the combined customer base. In addition, run-rate cost synergies of EUR 17 million will be generated in areas such as procurement and manufacturing efficiencies.

¹At current USD/EUR exchange rate
²Unaudited. At 2021 average USD/EUR exchange rate

Elopak is reinforcing its presence in growth markets and investing in profitable growth with the acquisition of Naturepak Beverage Packaging Co Ltd, the leading gable top fresh liquid carton and packaging systems supplier in the MENA region.

Elopak ASA has signed a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire 100 % of Naturepak Beverage from Gulf Industrial Group Company Plc and Evergreen Packaging International LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pactiv Evergreen Inc.

Naturepak Beverage is the leading provider of fresh liquid carton and packaging systems in the MENA region with local production facilities in Morocco and Saudi Arabia, which will be integrated into Elopak’s global production network. Present in 16 countries, Naturepak Beverage has an annual production capacity of 2.7 billion cartons across various product sizes and its customers are global blue chip FMCG players and strong regional champions.

The acquisition will reinforce Elopak’s position in the region and is an important milestone in management’s ambitions to target 2-3% organic revenue growth, deliver inorganic opportunities and grow its global footprint by entering new geographies.

Commenting on the acquisition Thomas Körmendi, Chief Executive Officer of Elopak, stated: “This transaction represents an important part of the growth ambitions we outlined to our shareholders during our IPO this year. I am proud to take ownership of what we deem to be one of the highest quality assets in the region and to welcome the employees of Naturepak Beverage to the Elopak family. By establishing a presence in Morocco and Saudi Arabia we can access important growth markets and deliver Elopak’s brand portfolio to key local and international players. The transaction reflects our strong commitment to growth in the Middle East and Africa”.

Following the acquisition, Naturepak Beverage will be rebranded and incorporated under the Elopak name. The acquisition provides a strategic customer base in the fresh beverage carton segment, primarily in Morocco in fresh dairy, and gives access to growth markets in an attractive region.

Going forward Naturepak Beverage’s client base will have access to a wider fresh and aseptic product portfolio and innovative, sustainable packaging solutions developed by Elopak, with Elopak leveraging its Pure-Pak® carton portfolio and utilizing its technical expertise to drive further growth across products, segments and markets.

AutoCoding’s software solution automates and integrates in-line packaging systems, such as labelers, scanners, coders and checkweighers

JBT Corporation, a global technology solutions provider to high-value segments of the food and beverage industry, has announced the acquisition of AutoCoding Systems Ltd, a leading provider of software solutions for the automated set-up and control of end-of-line packaging devices. AutoCoding extends JBT’s capabilities in packaging line equipment and associated devices, including coding and label inspection and verification. The company is headquartered near Runcorn, UK, with additional operations in the US and Australia, and generates approximately $7 million in annual revenue.

AutoCoding’s central command software solution integrates and automates the use of in-line packaging devices, such as coders, scanners, labelers, and checkweighers, reducing manual inspection and downtime for line configuration. While AutoCoding is scalable across JBT FoodTech’s diverse end markets, it provides a particularly strategic fit with JBT’s Proseal business where its tray sealing equipment begins the end-of-line process.

“AutoCoding’s offering embodies JBT’s broader mission to make better use of the world’s precious resources by providing a solution that substantially enhances our customers’ success. AutoCoding helps its customers reduce food waste, ensure complete and accurate food packaging information, and facilitate traceability and food safety,” said Brian Deck, JBT’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “The acquisition also expands our capabilities in the large and growing global market for in-line coding and inspection solutions, which includes hardware and software for food & beverage, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical customers.”

JBT is a leading global technology solutions provider to the food & beverage industry with focus on proteins, liquid foods and automated system solutions. JBT designs, produces and services sophisticated products and systems for multi-national and regional customers through its FoodTech segment. JBT employs approximately 6,200 people worldwide and operates sales, service, manufacturing and sourcing operations in over 25 countries.

O-I Glass, Inc. and Germany’s Krones AG signed a strategic collaboration agreement that aims to elevate glass by innovating together and to jointly create solutions for the growing glass market.

“For O-I, glass is the preferred packaging solution in a world that increasingly values health, premium products and the environment. Not only does it maintain the integrity of the products and protects the environment, as customers and consumers intend, but it also offers magnificent opportunities for establishing brands and implementing sustainable solutions,” explains Andres Lopez, President and CEO at O-I. “This agreement is the first step that O-I and Krones are taking together in order to offer clients completely integrated, end-to-end solutions in the future.”

Focus areas include improvements in glass filling and packaging line speed and efficiency; enhanced agility and flexibility of responding to market trends; development of innovative and sustainable glass systems; and advancements in digital solutions such as direct-to-glass digital printing technology.

“In production facilities all over the world, the products of O-I and Krones are already encountering each other. So it was absolutely logical to improve still further the compatibility of Krones’ complete lines and the glass containers from O-I,” adds Christoph Klenk, CEO of Krones AG.

With this agreement, the two companies are combining O-I’s specialized knowledge of glass with Krones’ leading competence in manufacturing machines and filling lines for the food and beverage industries.

AROL Group – a world leader for design and production of closure systems – announced the important technological agreement executed on September 30, 2019 with Antares Vision S.p.A. – world leader in the production of technologies for tracking, visual inspection and intelligent data management in packing lines – which, at the same time, has purchased FT System S.r.l. from AROL.

The agreement confirms the ambitious industrial project by AROL which, as a consequence, will be able to accelerate investments and acquisitions focused in the strategic sector of capping and sealing, and will increase integration for inspection and control systems in its machines, thanks to the strong synergy with Antares Vision. FT System S.r.l., specialized in non-destructive inspection and control systems, both in line and in laboratory, will continue its strong technical collaboration thanks to which, throughout the 10 formidable years spent in the AROL Group, new extremely integrated systems have been implemented and placed before or after AROL’s capping machine and great innovations have been introduced in the line completely automatic controls, such as Robo-QCS.

Research and implementation of the ambitious project presented 2 years ago by AROL and FT System with the name of Cyber Physical System (CPS) – which unites packaging lines and digital systems and, therefore, integrates physical and cyber worlds – will be powered and enriched by Antares Vision’s extraordinary competence in Track&Trace and Data Analysis.

The aim that AROL, FT System and Antares Vision intend to pursue with this technological co-development agreement is to make CPS extremely efficient and accessible to every packing line so that CPS might collect, elaborate, interpret real time data and constantly send feedback, also automatically, to packing plants and, as a consequence, maximize the efficiency of lines and single machines, constantly linked to the quality of packed and adequately tracked product.

The new partnership will allow Antares Vision to take advantage of the experience earned with more than 27 thousands AROL Group machines delivered worldwide, in the sectors of beverage, wine and spirit, food, cosmetics, household care, chemical, and also it will allow AROL to rely on Antares Vision’s highly advanced know-how, which makes Antares Vision the undisputed world leader in the pharmaceutical sector, by increasing FT System’s potential and thus guaranteeing a sure technological advantage to its clients in the final customer’s interest.

Demand for flavoured milk beverages is seeing steady growth worldwide, and the product variety in the markets is correspondingly large. There are trendy flavours like cappuccino, coconut and walnut that also appeal to adults, plus the classic cocoa beverages and milk drinks with vanilla, strawberry or banana flavour. In addition to tasting good, they address a wide range of consumer wishes, from low fat and reduced sugar to lactose free to high protein. With the new Stabiprime MFD range from Hydrosol, it’s easy to make all kinds of milk beverages.

Stabiprime MFD consists of carefully selected hydrocolloids. These stabilising systems are soluble in water as well as in sweet whey. They are easy to use, and make it economical to produce milk mixed beverages. In addition to the proven system with carrageenan, Hydrosol also offers a gellan alternative, Stabiprime MFDG. Its advantage is that it enables milk beverage filling even at high temperatures, up to 40°C. The main property of Stabiprime MFDC with carrageenan is that it lets manufacturers make stable products without high-pressure homogenisation, preventing sedimentation even with cocoa. Thanks to the special combination of hydrocolloids in both Stabiprime MFD versions, producers can make high-quality milk beverages easily and profit from the worldwide growth in this category.