Givaudan to acquire Nutrition Division of Centroflora Group
Givaudan, the global leader in flavours and fragrances, has announced that it is acquiring the Nutrition Division of Centroflora Group, as part of its 2020 strategy to strengthen its global offering of natural extracts and further develop its presence in Brazil.
It offers a wide variety of plant extracts from various regions of the world, with a particular focus on those from the great biodiversity of Brazil. With headquarters and a manufacturing facility in Botucatu, Brazil, Centroflora Nutra employs about 116 people and exports products globally. “The acquisition of Centroflora’s Nutrition Division fits well with our 2020 strategy to expand our offering in naturals and is aligned with our sustainability goals. It offers a unique opportunity to strengthen our naturals sourcing platform for Givaudan’s flavours, fragrances and cosmetics businesses. Centroflora’s comprehensive sustainability management programme will reinforce our company’s contribution to preserving the environment, stimulating the well-being of communities from which we source, and safeguarding resources for the long term,” Gilles Andrier, CEO of Givaudan said:
While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, Centroflora Nutra’s business would have represented appr. CHF 17 m of incremental sales to Givaudan’s results in 2017 on a proforma basis. Givaudan plans to fund the transaction from existing resources and is expected to close early 2018.
New management team at Optima consumer
As of September, Christoph Held (46) is the new Managing Director at the packaging machine builder Optima consumer GmbH, based in Schwaebisch Hall.
Held has many years of experience at well-known machine packaging companies. Pioneering work was developed and designed under his management. Ralf Hübner, Sales Director Worldwide, and Michael Weber, Customer Service Director, complete the Management team.
Rainer DallaRosa is new Managing Director at Schubert North America
Beginning in January 2018, Rainer DallaRosa will be taking over the management of Schubert North America in Charlotte. He succeeds Fritz Kipfer, who will be leaving the company after 16 successful years in order to devote himself to new activities back in Canada.
As the President of Schubert North America, DallaRosa has been strengthening the Charlotte team since September 1, 2017, being responsibility for Sales and Service. In North America, the packaging machine manufacturer is now represented with locations in Charlotte, Dallas and Mississauga, Canada. With DallaRosa, the company is gaining a proven leader with more than 20 years of experience in the packaging and food industry. For the past nine years, the graduate electrical engineer has worked in senior management positions at Bizerba.
Herza Schokolade takes up the latest nutritional trends
The new purple range of Herza Schokolade GmbH & Co KG consists of white chocolate pieces with purple fruit and vegetable powders.
Purple diet, violet wonders, lilac vitality – foods boasting these colours are one of the strong food trends this year. Cup cakes, ice cream and waffles in vivid lilac are just as much on trend as violet fruit and vegetables. Herza has just introduced new purple chocolate pieces to cater for this trend. The resulting chocolate pieces in six different shades of purple are visual highlights in cereal mixtures, muesli bars or ice cream. They are available as big leaves, prisms or chopped pieces.
Haas is now a part of the Bühler Group
The Haas Group, the Austrian world market leader of wafer, biscuits, and confectionery production systems, is now part of the Uzwil, Switzerland-based Swiss Bühler Group.
Whereas this strategic acquisition enables Bühler to complete its Consumer Foods product portfolio, it offers Haas access to the resources of the global Bühler organization, especially its roughly 100 service stations and its innovation network. “Out of a position of strength, we are entrusting the future of our company to the family-owned Bühler Group. This allows us to create the best possible conditions for successfully continuing the development of our business, for the benefit of both our customers and our employees,” says Johann Haas, member of the Supervisory Board.
“We have entertained friendly relationships with Haas for years. Together, we can generate significant added value for our customers while at the same time opening up new prospects for the employees of Haas,” says Bühler CEO Stefan Scheiber. In the context of the transaction, jobs and locations of Haas are secured.
Cargill pays 10,000 Ghana cocoa farmers via mobile phone
Cargill has made its first ever sustainable premium payment by electronic transfer to cocoa farmers in Ghana.
Cargill’s Licensed Buying Company (LBC), which began operating in November 2016, allows the company to directly source cocoa from certified farmers in Ghana – putting the farmer at the heart of its business. The buying process is fully e-money enabled, allowing Cargill to pay farmers directly by electronic transfer for the first time.
Cargill already sources directly from farmers and farmer organizations in other origin countries. Moving to this model in Ghana means that the company is now better positioned to implement sustainability activities under the Cargill Cocoa Promise on a wider scale, while also better serving its customers.
Lionel Soulard, Managing Director Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate West Africa, said, “Our first electronic premium payment in Ghana since Cargill’s LBC was established is good news for farmers. Our new approach, combining new high-tech purchasing with the LBC model of direct sourcing and collaboration with farmers, is working well and we hope to make many more such payments in the future.”
Barry Callebaut to acquire Ingredients Division of Gertrude Hawk Chocolates
Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, signed an agreement to acquire the ingredients division of Gertrude Hawk Chocolates.
Gertrude Hawk Ingredients has grown to become the largest division of Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, a family-owned U.S. company. By creating new and innovative technology and processes to make ice cream and baking inclusions, Gertrude Hawk Ingredients has become a leader in the ingredients market with specialized capabilities and has created lasting partnerships with customers.
With the acquisition of Gertrude Hawk Ingredients, Barry Callebaut will further extend its leading role in decoration and inclusion products for Food Manufacturers, particularly in the North American market. It will allow Barry Callebaut to expand its portfolio with new technologies for shell molding, panning and enrobing, and also with solutions for shaped inclusions and peanut butter chips, a very popular product in North America. Together with the recently announced acquisition of D’Orsogna Dolciaria in Europe, this acquisition underlines Barry Callebaut’s strategic efforts to grow in the value-added Specialties & Decorations business, which serves both Food Manufacturers and Gourmet customers seeking differentiation, premiumization and personalization.
Navigator Capital acquires Swiss company Sapal from Bosch Packaging
The Navigator Group is planning to acquire the engineering company Sapal S. A., Ecublens/Switzerland, from Bosch’s Packaging Technology division.
Constantia Flexibles invests in film technology at German plant
Constantia Flexibles has invested roughly € 6 m in new technology to manufacture film-based flexible packaging at its site in Weiden/Germany.
As part of the investments, Constantia Flexibles has installed two blown-film (polyethylene) extrusion lines. One line at the Competence Center Film develops in-house proprietary film formulations that enable efficient production and speed up the time-to-market. In addition, a second line produces pre-material for the Weiden plant and other film production sites in Europe.
In the coming months, Constantia Flexibles will also integrate an AlOx dual metallizer that will manufacture transparent, high-barrier film products that are catering for the latest consumer trends. The non-metal material is combined with additional barrier lacquers and films to create a barrier against aroma, moisture and oxygen, while the consumer is able to see the product inside the packaging due to its transparency.
“These investments mean we are now fully integrated into the film value chain at the Hueck Folien plant in Weiden and will strengthen Constantia Flexibles’ credentials as a leading supplier of high-performance films for different food industries,” said Stefan Grote, EVP Food Europe. “At the same time, our Ebert plant in Wiesbaden/ Germany, will focus on being a leading manufacturer of film-based Twist applications for the confectionery industry.”
Barry Callebaut reveals the fourth type in chocolate: Ruby
80 years after the launch of White chocolate as the third type after Dark and Milk, Barry Callebaut reveals at an exclusive launch event in Shanghai the fourth type in chocolate ‘Ruby’ which is made from the Ruby cocoa bean.
The Ruby bean is unique because the fresh berry-fruitiness and color precursors are naturally present. The cocoa beans are sourced from different regions of the world. The bean has a specific set of attributes, which Barry Callebaut managed to unlock through an innovative process that took many years to develop. It’s expected that Ruby, like Dark, Milk and White chocolates will be introduced in different product categories.
The invention of Ruby chocolate is the work of global R&D centers of Barry Callebaut, based in France and Belgium – part of a global network of 28 R&D centers –, the Jacobs University, and over 175 years of expertise in sourcing and manufacturing.
