< PreviousLDC exits Hill Biscuits to Cerealto UK LDC, the private equity investor which is part of Lloyds Banking Group, has exited its investment in Hill Biscuits to Cerealto UK, a portfolio company of Davidson Kempner Capital Management and Afendis Capital Management, following a successful long- term partnership. Hill Biscuits was founded in 1855 by Sarah and John Hill as a small family run shop. The business expanded and in 1893 moved into Tudno Mill in Ashton-under-Lyne, Manchester, where Hill’s bakery remains. Hill Biscuits has become one of the largest and longest established biscuit manufacturers in the UK, producing hundreds of millions of biscuits each year, supplying a range of customers across retail, wholesale, and foodservice markets. LDC partnered with Hill Biscuits in 2017 to support its organic growth strategy. It went on to help the business to invest in new technology to improve manufacturing efficiencies and increase capacity, whilst also investing in people development. During the seven-year partnership, Hill Biscuits more than doubled revenues to over £40m in 2024, including reporting sales growth of 44% for last year. Today, it employs 350 people. Lidl GB to launch tool to close living wage gap in banana supply chain Lidl GB is taking a step towards closing the living wage gap in its banana supply chain as it gears up to launch an innovative tool and new processes designed to address wage disparities among plantation workers. Following a successful trial in Lidl Germany, the mechanism is due to be rolled out in September across Lidl GB’s entire banana supply chain. This first-of-its-kind mechanism, developed in collaboration with IDH, a not-for-profit organisation advocating for sustainable trade, calculates the premium which is to be paid by Lidl to close its proportion of the living wage gap for individual workers and plantations. This tool enables suppliers to develop an action plan to close these wage gaps, with regular analysis and annual adjustments. Initially, wage gaps between local living wages and actual wages paid to workers are identified by collecting and auditing supply chain data. Suppliers are trained on the tool and once supply chain data has been validated, can choose their preferred method of payment to workers, such as increased salaries, bonuses, or vouchers for local services like supermarkets. SHICKEN eyes US expansion Plant-based challenger brand, SHICKEN, is ramping up its distribution across the pond, landing listings of its Tikka Kebab in Costco US. SHICKEN will be the only UK plant-based brand in stores, following the huge success of its authentic Asian frozen meals offer in Costco UK over the past two years and expansion into Costco Iceland, Sweden and France earlier this year. The SHICKEN Tikka Kebab has become a Costco destination shop for customers, with sales of this line alone increasing by 15% across all stores in the UK and Europe over the last year. The family-owned brand is one of the few UK plant-based offers to crack the US market, after making its debut in Sprouts Farmers Market Stores in January this year. The premium retailer now lists SHICKEN’s best-selling Tikka Masala, Jalfrezi, and Butter Curries, plus its Tikka Kebab Skewers, across 380 stores, spanning 23 states. The SHICKEN launch in Costco US will initially cover stores in the north-west, with potential to expand to further regions, taking the potential opportunity across the entire Costco estate to over $40 Million in sales revenue. GoodMills Innovation reinforces commitment to plant-based ingredients with new production tower at Hamburg site GoodMills Innovation’s latest plant project is now operational following completion of a new production tower. With a multi-million investment, the company is reinforcing its commitment to plant-based ingredients. With ‘Tower III’, GoodMills Innovation aims to establish itself internationally as a center of excellence for the texturization of plant-based proteins for use in vegetarian and vegan products. In the new tower, a fully automated production process will be in operation, combining extrusion, texturization, wet defibering and hydrothermal product refinement, thus making a significant contribution to the expansion of the plant-based product portfolio of GoodMills Innovation. For several years now, the company has been investing in the expansion of capacities and its expertise in plant-based ingredients. Katharina Haack, Head of Marketing Communications at GoodMills Innovation, says: “Plant-based nutrition is a building block towards a more sustainable future. And this is where we want to make a major contribution. Our raw materials enable manufacturers to produce high-quality meat and fish alternatives on an industrial scale, all of which are convincing in terms of taste, sensory properties and nutritional physiology. Only in this way can plant-based products gain an even greater market share.” After three years of construction, the new facilities on 2,500m2 of production space spread over seven levels have been given the green light. Thanks to the central location of ‘Tower III’ on a navigable branch of the Elbe River, GoodMills Innovation has direct access to grinding and specialty mill products from the Group’s sister company, Aurora Mühle Hamburg, as well as seaport access. The construction project was realized in line with comprehensive sustainability requirements, both in terms of energy concepts, building materials and project partners. Fossil fuels were completely dispensed with, and particularly energy-efficient machinery, equipment and processes implemented. Photo courtesy of GoodMills Innovation 10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Photo courtesy of Lidl GBLassonde Industries unveils newly expanded beverage manufacturing facility Lassonde Industries has unveiled its newly expanded and enhanced beverage manufacturing facility in Hendersonville, North Carolina, which includes the addition of a new single serve aseptic juice production line and a 104,000 sq ft distribution center. These improvements are thanks to a USD$53 million investment. “The expansion and improvements at the Hendersonville facility demonstrate Lassonde’s commitment to a growth strategy that builds long term value by continuously seeking new ways we can meet customer needs, particularly in the U.S. market,” said Vince Timpano, President and Chief Operating Officer of Lassonde Industries. “Our investment in Hendersonville will produce immediate and long-term benefits including higher volumes and more variety of the products consumers enjoy and have come to expect from us.” Lassonde is now operating its first aseptic single serve line in the U.S. which offers personal convenience with 10oz and 16oz beverage sizes that come in six, 12 and 24-pack solutions for consumers on the go. Aseptic processing and packaging also delivers a great tasting product while lowering the amount of plastic used and reducing water and energy usage during production. ystral rolls out continuously operating disperser The German mixing and dispersion technology specialist ystral extends its machine portfolio with the YSTRAL Coflow, a continuously operating powder wetting and dispersing machine. With the YSTRAL Coflow, powdered solids are inducted, mixed and dispersed into liquid streams in a controlled way and in proportion to quantity via volumetric or gravimetric solid dosing systems. The product is subjected to a pressure increase via an inducer installed between the premixing zone and the rotor-stator zone, which causes separation of the air inducted with the powder, thus resulting in a lower residual air content in the product. Amongst others, in the food sector, YSTRAL Coflow is the suitable solution for pre-products for dough production, milk and milk substitute products, as well as the production of edible collagen shells, mayonnaise or dressings. For more information visit https://ystral.com/en/machines/inline- dispersers/coflow/ 12 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net on line Key Technology Introduces COMPASS ® Optical Sorter for IQF Products Key Technology (Key), a member of Duravant’s Food Sorting and Handling Solutions group, introduces their COMPASS® optical sorter for individually quick frozen (IQF) products such as fruits, vegetables, seafood, poultry and meat. COMPASS identifies and removes foreign material (FM) and product defects to protect food safety and final product quality. With simplified operation, cleaning and maintenance, COMPASS is the easiest-to-use optical sorter on the market while offering a quick return on investment. “On IQF production lines, processors often handle dozens of different products and change over several times a day. Optical sorters for these applications require a great degree of flexibility and must maintain high accuracy despite significant product changes,” said Jack Lee, Duravant Group President - Food Sorting and Handling Solutions. “COMPASS’s intuitive user interface and straightforward recipe- driven programming means even entry-level workers with no technical background can easily operate this system to achieve peak performance.” For more information visit www.key.net © stock.adobe.com/Noel Morrisons opens UK’s largest fish freezing centre Myton Food Group, Morrisons food manufacturing supplier, has unveiled the Falfish Freezing Centre, the largest facility of its type in the UK, that can individually quick freeze up to 180 tonnes of sardines and other varieties of fish per day. The new £12.8 million development at the Myton-owned Cornish fishing business Falfish, is the largest and most advanced seafood freezing line in the UK with a freezing tunnel that can freeze 112,000 fish per hour – the equivalent of nine arctic truckloads per day. Plans for the site began in 2021 when Morrisons acquired Falfish after being a trusted supplier for over 16 years. The opening of the centre represents the largest single investment made in Cornish shoresides in a generation with DEFRA providing £3.8m of the funding through their UK Seafood Infrastructure Fund. Morrisons prepares and makes more than half of all the fresh food sold in its stores, and the new site will allow for fresh fish to be frozen and packed in just an hour. Tilray Brands to acquire four craft beer breweries from Molson Coors Beverage Company Tilray Brands, a global lifestyle consumer packaged goods company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire four craft breweries from Molson Coors Beverage Company. The acquisition includes Hop Valley Brewing Company, Terrapin Beer Co., Revolver Brewing, and Atwater Brewery. With the pending acquisition of these breweries, Tilray’s portfolio will expand across key beer markets adding 30% new beer buying accounts. Irwin D. Simon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tilray Brands, said: “Tilray Brands is proud to be driving the most compelling and unique growth story in the craft beer industry. With the acquisition of these four craft breweries from Molson Coors, we are marking another strategic milestone in Tilray Brands’ growth plan. “Our team’s expertise in operational excellence will enable us to unlock the full potential of these brands and businesses. We are confident in our ability to drive revenue, generate cost synergies, and expand national distribution reinforcing our leadership position in craft beer resulting in tremendous growth opportunities for our global beverage business.” Image courtesy of Morrisons © stock.adobe.com/Quality Stock ArtsTaylors Snacks secures first UK listing with ALDI James Taylor, MD at Taylors Snacks Taylors Snacks products are now available in all ALDI stores across the UK, marking the Scottish snack brand’s first supermarket listing outside of Scotland. Hugely successful across Scotland since the company rebranded from Mackie’s Crisps in 2023, Taylors Snacks has long held UK expansion ambitions. Made at the fourth-generation Taylor family farm, Taylors Snacks award-winning crisps are produced in Errol, Perthshire. The business employs 110 people and is preparing for further growth in response to significant retail and customer demand. ALDI will stock four of the most popular flavours: Straight Cut Mature Cheddar & Onion and Pickled Onion, and Lightly Sea Salted and Sea Salt & Cider Vinegar Ridge cut flavours, retailing at £1.25 per pack. The current contract sends nearly 220,000 packets of crisps to ALDI stores around the country, with an expectation of more listings in the future. Five Farms Irish Cream liqueur arrives at Sainsbury’s Five Farms, the premium Irish Cream liqueur celebrated for its exceptional taste and genuine Irish heritage, is launching in Sainsbury’s stores across the UK starting September 1st, 2024. Crafted with premium ingredients from County Cork, Ireland, Five Farms Irish Cream features rich dairy cream from local “happy cows” and ten times the amount of triple-distilled Irish whiskey compared to typical Irish creams. This unique combination results in a liqueur with unparalleled depth and warmth. As UK consumers increasingly seek premium and artisanal products, Five Farms is poised to meet this demand. The brand’s commitment to sustainability is evident in its 100% recyclable packaging, which includes the glass bottle, closure, and shipping materials. Five Farms will be available in over 200 Sainsbury’s stores nationwide, with the 70cl bottle retailing at £27.99. on the shelf Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net Naked launches two new Asian-inspired Ramen flavours Snack brand Naked is building on its core range with the launch of two new Asian- inspired Ramen flavours. Naked Ultimate Malaysian Style Chicken Laksa Flavour Ramen is a modern twist on the traditional classic that consumers have been asking for. It is made with natural flavours and no artificial colours and has a two chilli (medium) rating. Featuring dried egg noodles in a creamy chicken and lemongrass flavour broth with pepper, green beans, carrot and coriander, it is suitable for vegetarians, and it contains 292 calories per 80g pot. Naked Ultimate Japanese Style Miso & Chilli Flavour Ramen is also made with natural flavours and no artificial colours. It has a three chilli (spicy) rating and features dried egg noodles in a miso flavour broth with mushroom, green beans, spring onion and chilli flakes. Also suitable for vegetarians, it contains 316 calories per 80g pot. THG Commerce partners with Premier Foods to support launch of FUEL10K DTC offering THG Commerce has partnered with Premier Foods to support the launch of its FUEL10K direct-to-consumer (DTC) offering. Under the partnership, THG Commerce will enable FUEK10K to grow its presence in the Complete Nutrition category by promoting a new product range backed up by FUEL10K’s existing breakfast range to support growth and awareness. THG Commerce will provide a complete end-to-end digital commerce solution to support Premier Foods in delivering a best-in-class customer experience. THG Commerce offers a consolidated approach across each step of the journey, using its enterprise-grade technology platform and ecommerce management services that are designed to optimise the on-site experience and drive conversions. FUEL10k will also benefit from an agile fulfilment network that supports consumer demand and brand growth provided by THG Fulfil. The FUEL10K brand was acquired by Premier Foods in October 2023. Since then, new “Nutritionally Complete” shakes and rice meals have been launched, offering a balance of protein, carbs, fibre, vitamins and minerals whilst being low in saturated fat and salt. FUEL10K also offers protein-enriched porridges, granolas and snack bars. Yum Yums: the must-have sweet treat for this summer’s staycations Sweet treats are essential for the British summer getaway, and Yum Yums are the top pick for staycation snacking this year. According to research by The Delicious Dessert Company, 75% of Brits are opting for staycations, making the first food shop a crucial moment for stocking up on indulgent snacks, with 17% of staycationers indulging in donuts or Yum Yums. The Delicious Dessert Company’s latest addition is the Caramelised Biscuit Yum Yum, now at Tesco stores. This treat features rich caramel fondant combined with crispy caramelised biscuit pieces, all encased in perfectly baked pastry. Claire Smith, Head of Insight at The Delicious Dessert Company, shares: “The Caramelised Biscuit Yum Yums are part of our summer collection, an ideal snack for on-the-go, whether enjoying a scenic drive or relaxing at your holiday destination.” Find out more about The Delicious Dessert Company at www.thedeliciousdessertcompany.com/ © Julie Howden14 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Rising through the ranks With food exports flourishing, Mexico is improving its position as an important trading partner. Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/alexlmx A country with a rich culinary history, and products from and inspired by the nation on shelves across the globe, Mexico entered 2024 as the seventh largest food exporter in the world. The country recorded a total export value of just under $50 billion in food products in 2023, according to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), launching it up two places from the ninth biggest food exporter in 2022. Surpassing India and Argentina, Mexico has become the second- largest food exporter in Latin America, behind Brazil, with the United States its primary buyer, and this positive momentum has continued throughout the first half of 2024. New figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for January-June show agricultural and agro-industrial exports amounted to $28.6 billion, an increase of 4.48 percent compared to the same period of 2023. Vegetables, beverages and fruits were key exports with beer, tequila, mezcal, avocados, and tomatoes enjoying the highest export value. This mix of products represents items that are both gaining immense popularity and those that are staples. Essential in many meals and recipes, Mexico retained its position as the world leader in tomato exports last year. Worth $3 billion, and more than a quarter of tomatoes exported globally, the country is expected to produce 3.30 million metric tons of tomatoes in 2024, 2 percent more than in 2023, although production in 2023 decreased by 8 percent over the previous year due to droughts. Having soared in favour, meanwhile, Avocados are known as ‘green gold’. Associated with a healthy lifestyle, avocados have become a booming trend in the US (the number one market for Mexico’s avocado exports, followed by Canada, Japan, and Spain), with consumption skyrocketing over the past decade. Exports totalled 1.4 million metric tons in 2023, a 17 percent rise year on year, while Mexico’s 2024 avocado production is forecast at 2.77 million metric tons, a five percent increase over 2023 on strong export demand. With eyes firmly on continued growth, the Government of Mexico is strengthening 16 Á16 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT relations across the world. Japan is one market of interest, in which Mexico has identified potential to expand the supply of meat. Japan is Mexico’s second trading partner in agricultural and fishery products; in 2023, pork, avocado, beef, banana, agave distillate, orange juice, asparagus, tuna, kabocha pumpkin, processed citrus fruits, mango, blueberry, Persian lemon and table grape, among others, were exported. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, representatives of the national meat industry, the Foreign Trade Agency of Japan (JETRO) and the Embassy of Japan in Mexico have initiated meetings in order to identify opportunities to widen agri-food trade between the nations, with the first meeting highlighting the strengths of Mexico and its meat industry and concluding with an agreement to carry out new promotional activities to expand commercial opportunities between importers and exporters from both countries. Concurrently, work is underway to export bell peppers to Japan. A strategic crop for Mexico, as one of the top 10 foods exported to countries such as the US, Canada and Spain, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan (MAFF) is working on a sanitary protocol that will allow the export of the vegetable to the country in the short and medium term. MAFF staff recently visited the headquarters of the National Service of Health, Safety and Agri- Food Quality (Senasica) to start a technical visit to the state of Sinaloa, to verify the processes carried out by producers and packers to reduce health and safety risks during the production process. Placing further focus on East Asia, with the aim of bolstering the trade exchange between Mexico and South Korea, health authorities of both countries met last month to harmonise the processes and mechanisms that allow a greater flow of porcine and bovine meat with Federal Inspection (TIF) certification to the Asian country. For five days, Korean inspectors visited TIF establishments located in Durango, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, Tamaulipas and Yucatan. Interest is also found in Indonesia, with a working meeting between the countries seeing Indonesia express a desire to import agricultural products from Mexico such as avocado, sugar, berries, and tropical fruits, the Ministry © stock.adobe.com/lblinovaFood & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT of Agriculture and Rural Development has reported. Mexican exports to the Indonesian market reported a positive momentum from 2019-2023, increasing from $13 million to $21 million, according to data from the Bank of Mexico and the Ministry of Economy. Among the main agricultural products marketed are cotton, beer, lemon, tequila, packaging tobacco, sesame, oilseeds, pet food and essential oils. Meanwhile, the US remains a core market as the biggest importer of Mexican food, which is deeply ingrained in US culture. The strength of the neighbours’ partnership can be seen with the US finally buying more goods from Mexico than China in 2023, for the first time in more than two decades. In one of the most recent steps to extend the relationship, with the aim of creating greater opportunities for small fruit and vegetable producers to place their goods in better markets, the health agencies of Mexico and the US are looking to increase the commercial exchange of irradiated fresh fruits — a treatment that eliminates pests and bacteria from the products. Currently, with the accompaniment of Senasica, Mexican producers market mango, star fruit, manzano pepper, pomegranate, fig, sweet citrus, guava, pitaya with irradiation treatment and are seeking to expand the catalogue to products such as mamey, Mexican plum, soursop, black fig and chicozapote (sapodilla). It follows troubles between the two countries over corn, a tomato dumping dispute with Florida, and an incident in which the US government stopped inspecting avocados and mangoes grown in Michoacán — Mexico’s biggest avocado producing state — earlier this year after US agricultural department employees were assaulted and detained. While inspections have since resumed, a similar situation saw the US government suspend inspections of Mexican avocados in 2022 after an American plant safety inspector in Michoacán received a threatening message. Later that year, Jalisco became the second Mexican state authorised to export avocados to the US. In positive news for Mexico, however, it was revealed in June that the US was lifting restrictions on the import of Mexican tomatoes due to rugose virus. The inclusion of an inspection certificate is no longer required in their shipments, which speeds up border crossing for one of Mexico’s most important exports. A country with flourishing food exports, rising through the global ranks, Mexico looks set to only grow its position as an important trading partner. © stock.adobe.com/LMPark Photos18 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT E conomies across the world are struggling, putting increasing pressure on food and drink manufacturers as employee wages rise, real-world wages fall, and food prices skyrocket. While supermarkets continue to make good profits, those beneath them falter, and governments are finally beginning to pay more attention to food scarcity. So many issues at once foreshadow a dynamic change in the industry, but change is not always good or appreciated, and it’s commonly those with the most up-to-date facilities that are in a position to take advantage of it. Others tend to falter and fail. That’s why so many manufacturers are turning to AI and looking at how to incorporate it into food and drink machinery. It’s less because they need AI and more because they are all too aware that other businesses are dealing with it, and no one wants to be the last one to incorporate it in the event it turns out to be the holy grail of food manufacturing. Not only is it the type of machine used that needs to be considered but the way in which it is used and with what intensity. A good analogy here is a car: you’re going to get more miles out of a tank of petrol or charged battery if your car is regularly and thoroughly serviced and maintained, if you drive at consistent speeds and plan ahead for breaking and cornering. 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