Food Business Africa

Ugandan dairy processor Pearl Dairy lays off 1500 workers as milk ban bites hard

Mar 23, 2021Mar 23, 2021 Editor

UGANDA – Uganda’s leading dairy processor Pearl Diaries has been forced to lay off over 1,500 workers following stifled milk market access, after Kenya imposed a ban on the product imports from its neighbouring country over a year ago. Uganda produces 2.6 billion litres of milk per annum. However, about 800 million litres are consumed on the domestic market leaving the surplus for the international market. The recent past had witnessed an increase in supply of cheap milk from Uganda to Kenya, leading to local processors raise concerns on the…

FrieslandCampina enters fast growing Africa cheese market, forms JV with Egyptian Domty

Mar 23, 2021Mar 25, 2021 Editor

EGYPT – The Dutch dairy co-operative, FrieslandCampina has partnered with the Arabian Food Industries Company, popularly known as Domty to establish a joint venture that will focus on the export of cheese. Both cheese majors are combining their efforts in a new company that will export and sell affordable cheese propositions to markets in Africa and the Middle East from Egypt. Talks of the agreement began in 2020, with the two parties signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in September 2020. Under the agreement, FrieslandCampina will hold a 51 per…

Lactalis eyes acquisition of Dutch cheese brand Leerdammer to boost European presence

Mar 22, 2021Mar 22, 2021 Editor

ITALY – French multinational dairy products corporation, Lactalis has entered into exclusive negotiations with Bel Group to acquire its Dutch cheese brand Leerdammer, as part of efforts to bosst its European presence. Apart from the Leedammer brand, FoodBev reported that the two companies have signed unilateral promises which will see Lactalis acquire also acquire Royal Bel Leerdammer, Bel Shostka Ukraine, and its businesses in Italy and Germany. Under the terms of the deal, Bel subsidiary Sicopa will sell the aforementioned assets in exchange for Lactalis’ 23.16% equity stake in Bel.…

Greek yogurt maker Chobani inks distribution deal with PepsiCo

Mar 21, 2021Mar 21, 2021 Editor

US – Chobani, a leading Greek yogurt maker in the US, has signed a distribution deal with U.S. food and beverage PepsiCo in efforts to expand its footprint across the United States. According to a Bloomberg report, the distribution deal being implemented on a pilot basis will see PepsiCo distribute Chobani Complete yogurt drinks and other products to convenience stores, colleges and universities in the northeastern part of the U.S. The Greek yogurt maker said the partnership allows it to use PepsiCo’s robust chilled distribution network, where products are fresher…

Danone debuts infant formula in pre-measured tabs, launches Alpro drinks production in Russia

Mar 19, 2021Mar 19, 2021 Editor

UK – French multinational dairy company, Danone has launched Aptamil infant formula milk in a pre-measured tab format to make preparing formula milk more convenient. The new formula milk tabs- developed in partnership with Japanese food manufacturer Meiji- are said to dissolve easily, and allow for more accurate measurement. This results in less wasted formula and less mess; making them particularly useful for night-time feeds. According to Danone, the new format will be available in packs of 24 sachets, with each sachet containing five tabs. One tab is equal to…

Kenya launches new dairy industry regulations aimed to transform the sector

Mar 19, 2021Mar 19, 2021 Editor

KENYA – The Agriculture ministry of Kenya has introduced the Dairy Industry Regulations, 2021 to streamline the management of the industry, encourage investment and ensure safety of the products in a bid to boost both local and export trade. The new regulations are in the form of eight sets of directives touching on critical areas such as registration, traceability of produce, compliance, sales contracts and safety standards. During the launch of the regulations, the Kenya Dairy Board Managing Director Margaret Kibogy said that the laws were necessary as the sector…

Tetra Pak partners Rockwell Automation to improve quality consistency in cheese and powder solutions

Mar 18, 2021Mar 18, 2021 Editor

SWITZERLAND – Swedish-Swiss food processing technology company Tetra Pak has partnered with Rockwell Automation to develop technologies aimed at reducing variability and improve quality consistency in cheese and powder solutions. Under the new partnership, Tetrapak and Rockwell will also work to ensure finished products are produced sustainably and cost-effectively within demand-driven manufacturing environments. The collaboration – starting with Evaporation and Spray Drying – has resulted in Tetra Pak’s new Powder Plant Booster™ solution, to be packaged with Rockwell Automation’s Model Predictive Control (MPC) and its Pavilion8® and PlantPAx® MPC technology.…

New Zealand dairy cooperative Fonterra to exit China to focus on home market

Mar 17, 2021Mar 17, 2021 Editor

NEW ZEALAND – New Zealand multinational publicly traded dairy co-operative, Fonterra has announced plans to divest from its businesses in China, in a move to prioritize its home market. The company said that it will divest from its joint venture farms in China’s Shandong province and offload its remaining stake in Chinese infant formula manufacturer Beingmate. The decision comes after Fonterra agreed to offload its own farms in the country for approximately US$369 million and is similarly in line with the company’s strategy to focus on New Zealand milk. The…

The dairy industry in Uganda offers glimmer of hope for the country’s food industry

Mar 16, 2021Mar 18, 2021 Editor

Since we last ran a profile of the dairy industry in Uganda in 2015, a lot has changed in the sector, as country continues to attract new investments and the sector becomes more sophisticated, to meet increasing demand for dairy products in the country, region and internationally. From its lush green fields, abundant rainfall and fertile soils, Uganda has made long strides in its food security journey over the last nearly four decades, since peace was restored in the East African country, following more than 20 years of instability and…

Danone makes executive leadership changes following Faber ouster, debuts new Honest to Goodness creamer

Mar 16, 2021Mar 16, 2021 Editor

FRANCE – French multinational dairy giant Danone has made a number of executive leadership changes in response to the void left by the ouster of of former Chairman and CEO Emmanuel Faber. Faber was forced out of his positions by a group of dissatisfied activist investors who believed he was not doing enough to turn around the company’s fortunes. Following the departure of Faber, Danone Board appointed Gilles Schnepp, the immediate former Vice Chairman, as the new Chairman, effective immediately. Danone’s board also announced that Véronique Penchienati-Bosett, currently the Executive…