Month: August 2021

PepsiCo doubles down on healthy snacking with plans to build new US$256m facility in Poland

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POLAND – American snack and beverage giant PepsiCo is doubling down on its healthy snacking agenda with plans to invest in a new US$256 million food manufacturing plant in Poland.   The new plant- its largest and most sustainable in Europe- will manufacture a range of PepsiCo’s snacks, including Lay’s fried and oven-baked and Doritos.  The plant will export to over 20 European countries including Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary and is slated for completion in 2025.  Building a new plant is timely as PepsiCo aims to increase sales…

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KFC Russia opens its milestone1000th store as plans to roll out lab-grown meat in stores takes shape

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RUSSIA – KFC Russia has recently opened its milestone 1000th restaurant in the city of Vladivostok, also known as “the capital of the Far East.”   Located on the east coast, Vladivostok is a major Russian Pacific port city overlooking Golden Horn Bay, near the borders with China and North Korea  According to the fast-food chain’s LinkedIn post, the restaurant is a spacious two-story in-liner with a drive-thru making it the first among QSR chains in the city.  The new restaurant will be the 19th in the Primorsky Territory and represents the…

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Bühler, DIL inaugurate new technology center to support development of extruded meat substitutes

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GERMANY – Bühler AG and DIL (Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltechnik e. V.) have inaugurated a new technology center in Germany to support further development of extruded meat substitutes.   Dubbed the Technology Center Proteins of the Future, the new facility in Quakenbrück, Germany, provides state-of-the-art research, test, and production infrastructure for the development of healthy, sustainable-protein food products.    A statement from both companies revealed that the center is now fully operational and ready to receive requests from customers.    “The center with its advanced technological setup and expert teams assists our customers in the food industry as well as start-ups to fully realize…

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Guinness Nigeria full year profits surge 110% buoyed by double digit growth in all key categories

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NIGERIA – Guinness Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, has announced its audited results for the period ended 30 June 2021, revealing a 110% increase in profit after tax mainly driven by strong revenue growth across all key categories.  Profit after tax rebounded to N1.25billion (US$3.03 million) from a loss of N12.6billion (US$30.58 million) reported in full-year ended June 30, 2020, audited results released to the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) revealed.  Revenue, the major profit driver, increased 54percent to N160 billion (US$390 million) in 2021 from N104.4 billion (US$250…

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Tiger Brands joins list of South African companies exiting Nigeria with sale of minority stake in UAC Foods

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NIGERIA – Tiger Brands, one of Africa’s largest food producers, has exited Nigeria- Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy- after selling its minority stake in UAC Foods.   Tiger Brands, which owns brands including Jungle Oats, All Gold, and Koo, said that Nigeria remains a market of significant potential for the company, and “options will be explored after the closing of the transaction to maximise opportunities in relevant categories”  UAC, with interests in real estate, paints and livestock feed, will take over Tiger Brands’ stake in the company, further cementing its majority ownership…

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EABL sustainability report reveals great progress towards gender inclusivity, environmental protection

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KENYA – Women and the environment have emerged winners of East African Breweries’ push towards a sustainable future.   In the recently released 2021 sustainability report, EABL reported a 7.4% increase in female hires, majorly as a result of the company’s graduate programs focused on building gender diversity.  The company further notes that as of 2021, 14% of those in the brewer’s senior management and 42% of those sitting on its board were women.   As a result of the program, EABL now boasts of having 4 women master brewers, an all-female crew…

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Kenya’s tea production to receive a boost as agency imported fertilizer arrives

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KENYA –   Kenya’s tea production is set to receive a major boost after key fertilizer arrived in the country in August for distribution to some 650,000 small scale farmers affiliated to factories managed by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA).  KTDA chairman David Gichoga says the 1.5 million bags consignment has docked in the post of Mombasa and will be distributed to farmers in the shortest time before the onset of the short rains.  Speaking in Mombasa during an induction workshop for 54 tea factories on good corporate governance, Gichoga said there is need to maximize…

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IFF doubles down on portfolio optimization strategy with deal to sell microbial control unit to Lanxess for US$1.3 billion

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USA – International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has signed a deal to sell its microbial control unit to German specialty chemicals maker Lanxess as part of the company’s portfolio optimization strategy.  According to a statement from the companies, the deal is valued at US$1.3 billion and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2022.  IFF, which produces flavors, fragrances, and cosmetic actives, said the cash proceeds from the deal will be primarily used to reduce outstanding debt.  Reuters reported last month that IFF had short-listed Lanxess and private equity-owned LSI…

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Tyson Foods to invest US$300m in new prepared foods facility to meet growing demand

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US – American multinational corporation Tyson Foods has announced that it will invest US$300 million to construct a new prepared foods facility in Danville, Virginia.   According to a statement from the company, the project aims to accelerate brand growth and is part of the Tyson Food’s commitment to meet the increasing demand for its products.   “As consumers actively look to add more protein to their diets, Tyson is uniquely positioned as a category leader to meet that growing demand,” said Noelle O’Mara, president, Prepared Foods at Tyson.   “Our continued focus on…

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Milky Mist to expand dairy processing capacity to meet “ever-growing” demand

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INDIA – Milky Mist Dairy Food, one of India’s leading manufacturers of dairy products, has announced plans to expand its state-of-the-art unit 2 processing facility at Chittode in India’s state of Tamilnadu.  In a LinkedIn post, Milky Mist Dairy Founder and Managing Director Sathish Kumar revealed that the new unit with a built-up area of 400,000 square feet will be built on 15 acres of land adjacent to the company’s existing factory.  Milky Mist’s expansion is timely as India’s organized dairy sector is projected to post a 5-6% growth in sectoral revenue generation in 2021-22, mainly driven…

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