Category: WORLD NEWS

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Natural color supplier GNT invests US$30m in North American facility expansion

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USA – Netherlands-based supplier of natural colours to the food industry GNT is investing US$30 million to expand its US-based facility for North American ingredient production. According to GNT, the 49-acre facility is strategically located close to Charlotte in North Carolina and will be used to supply customers throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. The facility’s warehouse which has already been commissioned “will bring increased capacity, supply-chain efficiency, and improved control of inventory,” notes Hendrik Hoeck, CEO at GNT Group. Expansion works will also see the construction of a new…

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JBS-owned prepared foods company Swift expands portfolio with acquisition of Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats

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USA —  Swift Prepared Foods, a subsidiary of Brazil meat processing giant JBS, has reached an agreement to acquire Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats Inc. for US$90 million.  Founded in 1990, Sunnyvalley Smoked Meats produces a variety of quality smoked bacon, ham and turkey products for sale to retail and wholesale customers under the Sunnyvalley brand.    According to a statement from JBS, the acquisition by Swift includes the company’s production facility in Manteca, which employs more than 300 people and has gross annual revenues of US$150 million.  “Today’s announcement is consistent with our company’s long-term strategy to increase our value-added and branded portfolio,…

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Mexico becomes the latest country to join the International Dairy Federation

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BELGIUM – Mexico, the 16th largest producer of milk in the world, has joined the International Dairy Federation(IDF), bolstering the federation’s members and expanding its global reach and influence.  Based in Brussels, Belgium,  IDF is a recognised international authority in the development of science-based standards for the dairy sector.  The body plays an important role in ensuring the right policies, standards, practices and regulations are in place to ensure the world’s dairy products are safe and sustainable.  In a statement, IDF said that as a member of the federation, Mexico will benefit from being part of a dynamic…

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Mexican bottler and retailer FEMSA appoints Daniel Rodriguez as CEO

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MEXICO – Mexican multinational beverage and retail company Fomento Económico Mexicano, S.A.B. de C.V., doing business as FEMSA has appointed Daniel Rodriguez as CEO, effective January next year.  Rodriguez succeeds Eduardo Padilla, who has been at the helm of the largest independent Coca-Cola bottling group in the world since  2018.  Daniel Rodriguez joined FEMSA in 2015 and currently leads the Femsa Comercio division including the vast chain of Oxxo convenience stores.   Femsa said in a statement that Rodriguez will focus on “growth and innovation along with sustainability, inclusion, and diversity.”  Earlier this year, FEMSA expanded its footprint in…

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Oatly expands presence in Asia with launch of new oat milk facility in Singapore

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SINGAPORE – Swedish alternative dairy company Oatly has partnered with Asian food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng Limited (Yeo’s) to open a new oat milk facility in Singapore.  The facility, which started operations in July, is located at Yeo’s Senoko Way site in Singapore and is Oatly’s first production venture outside Europe and North America.   The site will produce Oatly’s oat milk for the Asian market and will support the brand’s growth in the region.   “Despite ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, we are thrilled that the production facility opened in July. Oatly is grateful…

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McDonald’s Indian franchise goes on a market share offensive, reveals plans to launch 200 stores in the next 5 years

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INDIA – Westlife Development, the owner and operator of McDonald’s restaurants in the west and south of India, is on a market expansion drive, revealing plans to add around 200 additional restaurants in its network within the next five years.   The company said it is planning to invest around Rs 800-1,000 crore in the opening of new stores and also in revamping existing stores with enhanced digital capabilities such as self-ordering kiosks and table services.  Westlife Development said the investment will strengthen its leadership position in the burger, chicken and beverage segments further and aid the growth of the…

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Ferrero breaks ground on project to build first chocolate processing facility in North America

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USA — Italian manufacturer of branded chocolate and confectionery products Ferrero Group has broke ground on a new US$75 million, 70,000-square-foot chocolate processing facility in Bloomington, Illinois.   The plant under the group’s North America division will be Ferrero’s third facility that processes chocolate, and it’s first outside of Europe.  The new facility is an expansion of Ferrero’s existing Bloomington manufacturing center and will produce chocolate for Crunch, 100 Grand, Raisinets, and other Ferrero products for the North American market.  “The ability to process high-quality chocolate here in North America is instrumental…

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Mother Dairy to open 700 new locations in New Delhi by 2023, Cocoberry eyes 25 new yogurt outlets by end of the year

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INDIA – Mother Dairy, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), has announced plans to establish over 700 exclusive consumer touchpoints in the national capital by 2022-23 fiscal year.  According to the Indian dairy brand, the new touchpoints will mainly be in the form of kiosks and franchise shops and are part of its strategy to expand presence and boost sales.  Mother Dairy currently has 1,800 consumer touchpoints which offer the entire range of Mother Dairy products including products from Safal and Dhara under one roof.  “The company is working towards increasing this count to over 2,500 by FY22-23, further…

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McDonald’s China to train 75,000 restaurant workers in newly opened Hamburger University

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CHINA –  American multinational fast-food restaurant McDonald’s has said it expects to train and develop more than 75,000 restaurant workers in China at newly Hamburger University over the next five years.    The Hamburger University is housed in McDonald’s China new eight-story, sustainability-focused headquarters in Shanghai.  According to the fast-food chain,  the new headquarters was built with a focus on energy-saving and environmental responsibility, as well as promotion of cross-functional collaboration and flexible working.    The building has no fixed seating arrangements for employees. Instead, the building offers employees greater flexibility by providing desks,…

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France accelerates transition to circular economy with new ban on plastic packaging for fruit and vegetables

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FRANCE – The ministry of environment in France has announced a ban on plastic packaging for an extensive list of fruits and vegetables from January 2022 in a bid to cut packaging consumption, particularly the use of single-use plastic.  The ban will affect around 30 fruits and vegetables which include courgettes, aubergines and cucumbers, as well as apples, oranges and pears.   The French ministry of environment estimates that 37% of fruits and vegetables are sold in packaging, mostly single-use plastics which end up in landfills.  With the new ban, the ministry expects to…

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