This week, Dutch dairy culture manufacturer CSK has expanded its portfolio of yogurt cultures. Cornelius Group, an independent European ingredients distributor and producer of natural colors, and Chr. Hansen, have joined forces to supply the UK food and drink industry with a spectrum of natural red and orange colors sourced from sweet potatoes. Hamburg, Germany-based ingredients specialist Bösch Boden Spies has diversified its range to include seleced organic products, which include organic cranberries sourced by Ocean Spray. The Brenntag Food & Nutrition business unit in North America, part of the Brenntag Group, has announced a new exclusive agreement with Norway-headquartered Borregaard for the distribution of the EuroVanillin PURE, EXPERT and NATURAL product lines in the US and Canada. German potato starch producer Emsland Group has installed four new drum dryers at its new flake factory in Hagenow. International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has announced a “new purpose and brand identity to challenge the industry.” UK-based The Academy of Cheese, an organization promoting cheese knowledge and expertise, has secured funding of  £15,000 (US$19,000) to develop its a Heritage Project that will capture the unique traditions of ten classic British cheeses.

In brief: New product launches
Dutch dairy culture manufacturer CSK is expanding its portfolio of yogurt cultures with the addition of an extensive range of new cultures designed for stirred, set, concentrated and drinking yogurt applications. The new cultures include selected strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis, enabling manufacturers to deliver new yogurt applications. The products are available under the Ceska Star brand. “For dairy manufacturers, catering to scattered consumer preferences can be challenging,” says Christian Hemmer, Marketing Manager of CSK. “Consumers today want authentic products that contribute to a healthy lifestyle, while also seeking indulgent experiences. In yogurts, there has been a trend towards milder flavors, without losing yogurt aroma. With our expanded Ceska Star yogurt culture portfolio, we offer manufacturers what they need to tap into these trends and demands. The robust cultures fit in our customers’ production processes.” CSK’s Research Director, Dr. Wilco Meijer, further comments, “The investment in CSK’s new innovation and application center in Wageningen [the Netherlands] is paying off and gave us the opportunity to innovate in the yogurt segment. With the development of these high-quality cultures, we offer dairy manufacturers solutions that ensure process quality and consistency as well as a broadening range of new dairy experiences for consumers.”

Cornelius Group, an independent European ingredients distributor and producer of natural colors, and Chr. Hansen, have joined forces to supply the UK food and drink industry with a spectrum of natural red and orange colors sourced from sweet potatoes. Through a decade-long breeding program, Chr. Hansen has developed the Hansen sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) creating a “vibrant and natural alternative to carmine and synthetic reds.” The vegetable concentrate, for use in coloring applications, offers a red plant-based color marketed as stable, free from off-taste and minimally processed. “As consumers opt for vegetarian and vegan food choices, the need for a vibrant, natural alternative to carmine has become more important,” says André Schommer, Group Head of Sales at Cornelius. “The Hansen sweet potato solution delivers a brilliant red color using traditional non-GMO breeding methods, ideal for confectionery, breakfast cereals, bakery products and more. Cornelius is excited about working with Chr. Hansen to bring this innovative red alternative to the market and open up opportunities in new product developments.” Traditionally, red and orange colouring of foods is difficult to achieve based on fruit and vegetable juice concentrates; available reds are often not very stable and can deliver an off-flavour. In addition to solving these problems, the new colors also have a combination of heat, light and oxidation stability as well as pH robustness, notes Cornelius.

Hamburg, Germany-based ingredients specialist Bösch Boden Spies has diversified its range to include seleced organic products, which include organic cranberries sourced by Ocean Spray. According to a GfK survey, the share of organic food in total food expenditure in Germany rose from 3.3 percent in 2010 to 5.6 percent in 2017. The GfK study also found that every fourth new product in 2017 in beverages and food was organic. Also new to the Bösch Boden Spies range are: organic passionfruit ingredients – available as direct juice and concentrate – as well as organic tomato concentrate. These are touted as complementary to the existing organic ingredients in Bösch Boden Spies’ portfolio, such as acerola (juice concentrate, puree and frozen), goldenberries, bananas (puree and frozen), pineapple and blueberries (frozen). The company sees organic as a key growth market, not only in the dried fruit, nuts and snacks segments, but also in beverages.

In brief: Agreements 
The Brenntag Food & Nutrition business unit in North America, part of the Brenntag Group, has announced a new exclusive agreement with Norway-headquartered Borregaard for the distribution of the EuroVanillin PURE, EXPERT and NATURAL product lines in the US and Canada. Borregaard is a global manufacturer of sustainable vanillin made from wood, a natural and renewable raw material. The exclusive agreement allows Brenntag to distribute synthetic vanillin, ethyl vanillin and flavors with natural and clean label options. This high-grade bio-based vanillin can be used in applications such as chocolate, dairy, bakery, confectionery, beverage and sweets. As wood vanillin naturally occurs within trees, studies suggest it has 29 times less carbon footprint than oil-based vanillin.”

In brief: Rebranding
International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. (IFF) has announced a “new purpose and brand identity to challenge the industry.” IFF’s new purpose is outlined as, “To redefine and transform how we live in and care for the resources of our world.” The company’s new mantra, “Uncommon Sense,” challenges its employees to rethink conventional wisdom to create a culture wher ideas and possibilities flow. “With such a diverse and expansive organization, we needed a purpose that can connect us globally,” says Andreas Fibig, IFF Chairman and CEO. “So, we’ve created something new in our industry – a purpose that both embraces and goes beyond our day-to-day and helps us reach higher for the good of people and our planet.” The brand is underpinned by three pillars: “Question Everything, Champion Creators, and Do More Good.”

In brief: Manufacturing 
German potato starch producer Emsland Group has installed four new drum dryers at its new flake factory in Hagenow, Germany. Construction is now making quick, on-schedule progress, the company notes. The last two of four drum dryers (Yankee Drums) have been installed in CW 21. “The four latest-generation drum dryers installed are state-of-the-art and feature improved thermal conductivity thanks to their sheet steel construction,” says Johannes Rathsack, Technical Manager at the Hagenow site. “The surface quality of the new drums (coated with stainless steel) is higher than that of conventional drums with no coating, which in turn helps improve product quality. These conditions result in the production of an additional 24,000 tons of flakes per year.” Further modernization measures are running parallel on the company’s premises in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. Christian Heinrich, Plant Manager in Hagenow, explains that the potato cutting line and the peeling area are already mechanically complete. The last cooker, blancher and cooler, as well as various other machinery, will be installed in the next few weeks. Four new dryers and a central potato intake will be built at the site, significantly improving the workflow. The construction of six more silos is also scheduled as part of this. The Group’s investment volume of around €25 million (US$28.2 million) at the production site is not subsidized and is also expected to create many new jobs, as well as secure 200 existing ones, at the location.

In brief: Initiatives
The Academy of Cheese, an organization promoting cheese knowledge and expertise in the UK, has secured funding to develop its Level 3 program of professional accreditation. The Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust has awarded £15,000 (US$19,000) towards the Academy’s program, to be invested in a Heritage Project that will capture the unique traditions of ten classic British cheeses – recording them for posterity. Since its inception, the Academy’s overarching objective for the Heritage Project is to encourage the UK’s cheese sector to thrive. This will be achieved by improving the general understanding of cheesemaker’s inherent qualities and allowing the resulting knowledge to be disseminated to cheesemongers and industry professionals. “The UK has an incredibly rich, diverse and fascinating dairy history that absolutely deserves to be preserved for future generations,” explains Charlie Turnbull, Director of the Academy of Cheese. “Territorial cheese recipes have been handed down through farming dynasties – in some cases for centuries – but there is a risk of these intricacies being lost, forever. We firmly believe that the Academy’s primary role is to share and spread knowledge to all lovers of cheese. Part of our responsibility involves preserving and maintaining an accurate archive of our collective food heritage which is why we’re so delighted to have received this generous funding from the Frank Parkinson Agricultural Trust.”   

By Benjamin Ferrer