Nactarome, an ingredient supplier majority-owned by private equity investor Ambienta, has completed its fourth bolt-on acquisition in three years with a deal to take control of the UK’s TasteConnection. FoodNavigator hears from Hans Udo Wenzel, Nactarome's...
The companies have tasked start-ups, via the next Future Food-Tech innovation challenge, to make products that can mimic whole meat cuts and deliver newer gastronomic experiences to consumers.
DSM has today (31 March) agreed to acquire the flavour and fragrance (F&F) business of US-based biotech firm Amyris, extending its portfolio with bio-based ingredients for the flavor and fragrance and cosmetics industries.
Europe’s largest frozen food player has announced plans to acquire Fortenova’s frozen savoury and ice cream assets. The buy-out marks Nomad’s second in six months, and CEO Stéfan Descheemaeker says investors ‘should not assume we are done’.
Mars Edge – the segment of Mars Incorporated dedicated to supporting human health through nutrition – is on a mission to reconcile the nutrition that consumers need with the food they want, it tells FoodNavigator.
Dutch cell-cultured meat startup Meatable - which is working with porcine and bovine induced pluripotent stem cells [iPSCs] – has closed a $47m Series A round (bringing its total funding to $60m) to advance small-scale production at the Biotech Campus...
US-based global snacking heavyweight Mondelēz International taps into the mass appeal of protein bars as it acquires a significant majority interest in the UK's leading protein bar brand Grenade.
Global investment in alternative proteins was the highest ever in 2020 and three times the capital invested in 2019 – signalling growing momentum for sustainable alternatives.
Nestlé continues to lean into the direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel as part of its portfolio transformation strategy. This week, the Swiss food giant snapped up UK recipe kit company SimplyCook. With the changes ushered in by COVID expected to leave a...
The great SKU rationalization last Spring caused by pandemic-related supply chain constraints and consumer stockpiling not only forced CPG companies to pause production temporarily of some products, but it prompted many to reevaluate their product mix...
Kerry Group’s strategic review of its dairy production and consumer food assets will allow it to free up money for acquisitions in faster growing areas, say equity analysts.
Equity analysts predict a bright future for the mega merger, completed today (1 February), between International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF) and DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences (N&B) business. They also expect more tie-ups to come in the...
Finnish online food delivery platform Wolt has raised over $500m from global investors in news that illustrates continued growth in home delivery for food and drink products is set to be one of the biggest trends of this year.
Investors look likely to applaud Unilever’s commitment to ensuring all suppliers will pay the living wage in its supply chain. But the consumer goods giant risks potential challenges if costs are passed on to end consumers, says an analyst.
Dublin-based Valeo Foods Group has agreed a deal to buy German confectioner Schluckwerder Holding, in a bid to further consolidate its position as a major international food business across the UK, Continental Europe and Ireland.
Frozen food specialist Nomad Foods has entered into ‘exclusive negotiations’ to acquire the frozen food business of Croatia’s Fortenova Group. The move demonstrates Nomad’s ambition to expand in what it describes as ‘developing’ European markets and deliver...
LIVEKINDLY Collective, which owns a growing stable of vegan brands, has acquired the No Meat business from UK retailer Iceland Foods. We caught up with the group’s management to learn more about its growth ambitions.
Unilever has sold what remains of its Bertolli business to Dutch food maker Enrico-Glasbest. Unilever’s ongoing move away from low-growth categories and brands will be welcome news for investors but Enrico-Glasbest says a little TLC will unlock ‘enormous...
Interest of private equity funds in Europe was piqued this year by the food ingredients sector. Partner at advisory group Oghma Partners, Mark Lynch, tells FoodNavigator he expects this trend to continue.
Trade buyers and private equity funds are flush with funds and eyeing interesting players to invest in, says a bullish Andreas Kulcsar, Executive Director at investment bank DC Advisory.
Cultivated or cultured fat could be the key to improving the taste and texture challenges of plant-based meat alternatives, according to one player in this market.
How big a landmark moment is Eat Just’s approval in Singapore? What does it tell us about the opportunities for cultivated meat in Europe? We hear from enthusiasts and detractors of this quickly emerging yet controversial sector to digest the ramifications...
Tate & Lyle has taken full control of stevia supplier Sweet Green Fields (SGF). Abigail Storms, Global Sweeteners Lead, says the move will create ‘more opportunities to innovate with customers leveraging SGF’s deep technical stevia expertise’.
Nestlé announced this week that it has acquired a majority stake in UK meal kit service Mindful Chef. The news follows on the heels of a deal in the US to take control of recipe box supplier Freshly. What opportunities - and challenges - will Nestlé’s...
Europe’s agri-food sector is ripe for investment as the region seeks to make its food system more sustainable, healthy and trusted, according to EIT Food.
The ingredients supplier is acquiring an 85% shareholding in Chaodee Modified Starch Co, a tapioca modified food starch manufacturer in Thailand, to grow its texturant portfolio.
A Tetra Pak-funded research project, undertaken by Lund University, has detailed four plausible scenarios for the future of dairy. These include a ‘policy-driven food system change’ in the Green Dairy scenario and a business-as-usual approach in Dairy...
Ingredients supplier Kerry Group has unveiled an ambitious sustainability strategy including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve net zero before 2050. It is also exploring those sectors such as immunity and food...
After a ‘defining’ financial year, in which Chr. Hansen acquired three businesses and divested one, CEO Mauricio Graber outlines the drivers behind its ‘cautious’ 2020/21 outlook.
French-headquartered dairy giant Danone said today that in accordance with its focus on capital allocation discipline and balance sheet strength, the company is selling its 6.61% stake in the Japanese company Yakult Honsha Co. Ltd.
French savoury ingredients supplier Solina has acquired UK-headquartered Bowman Ingredients, a supplier of coating systems to foodservice and retail food processors.
Just days after Chr. Hansen revealed its Natural Colors division is to undergo a strategic review, the company is launching two new products: a turmeric-based yellow and a spirulina blue.
In its newly launched 2025 Strategy, Chr. Hansen plans to increase focus on its microbial and fermentation technology programmes. Non-microbial assets therefore, such as its Natural Colors division, are not central to the new strategy, CEO Mauricio Graber...
Spanish flavour and fragrance group Iberchem Group is expanding its presence in South Africa. FoodNavigator spoke to regional CEO Quentin Questiaux to learn more about the priorities for the market.
Spanish food company Importaco is taking a controlling stake in Italian manufacturer Besana in a merger that will create ‘the European leader in nuts, dried fruit and seeds’.
The LIVEKINDLY co., which launched in March with the ambition of becoming one of the largest plant-based food companies, has acquired Swedish plant-based meat brand, Oumph!, known for its soy-based burgers, strips, and pulled meat products.
Margarine major Upfield – owner of spread brands Flora, Lätta, and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter – is investing €50m in a new Food Science Centre in Wageningen, the Netherlands. The centre will focus on sustainability, health, and taste in plant-based,...
Consumer goods major Unilever will unify its split Anglo-Dutch legal structure into a single parent company in the UK – a move set to future-proof business, especially important during COVID-19, its CEO says.
French supplier Solina has completed the acquisition of German-based Hagesüd, which produces spice blends for the meat processing industry. Solina says the purchase will allow it to expand B2B activity in the German market, and also develop its plant-based...
Biosecurity and food safety company Kersia has acquired UK-based Holchem from Ecolab in a deal that will see it become Europe’s second largest food safety company.
Finnish processor HKScan and bakery Leivon Leipomo Oy are to set up a joint venture with the aim of promoting the development and growth of the plant-based Boltsi product range.
Home delivery is here to stay, suggests analysis by a global law firm, which notes that the food delivery sector is holding up in testing markets as businesses look to diversify.
