Last week in NPD news, Nespresso Professional launched its first organic coffee as part of the company’s revamped professional origins range. US beverage brand Silk, entered into the ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market with two new dairy-free lattes and Mamma Chia, launched a plant-based milk alternative made from nutrient-rich chia seeds. In business news, Ferrero USA, opened a new distribution center in Arizona, while DuPont’s Ed Breen returns to his CEO role, becoming both Executive Chairman and CEO of the company.

In brief: NPD and launches
Nespresso Professional, part of Nestlé, has launched Peru Organic, the company’s first certified organic Nespresso coffee. The addition of Peru Organic is part of a revamp of the brand”s Professional Origins coffee range, which includes three other distinctive, single-origin coffees sourced from Brazil, Guatemala and India. All four are designed for Nespresso Professional coffee machines. All four Professional Origins coffees are cultivated, harvested and processed using methods endorsed by local farmers. The result, according to Nespresso, is a unique range of coffees which reflect terroir, flavors and traditions of their regions.

Plant-based beverage brand, Silk, is entering the ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee market with dairy-free lattes. Silk Lattes blend the smoothness of almond milk with creamy oat milk to create a rich, full-bodied latte, the company details. Both the Espresso and Mocha flavors blend high-quality, cold-brew Arabica coffee with rich espresso for a clean, sophisticated flavor. The Mocha Latte mixes three different types of cocoa to ensure a balanced chocolate flavor. As part of the brand’s commitment to sustainability, Silk Lattes come in a recyclable plant-based bottle, with at least 80 percent of its material made from renewable sugarcane. The coffee in Silk Almond and Oat Lattes is grown by UTZ Certified farmers.

Mamma Chia, creator of organic, plant-based beverages and snacks, has launched Mamma Chia Organic Chiamilk – a dairy-free, plant-based milk alternative made from nutrient-rich chia seeds. Ideal for adding to smoothies, cereal, coffee or enjoying straight from the bottle, each serving of organic Chiamilk has omega 3, MCT, more calcium than a glass of traditional milk and zero grams of sugar. The new products will be available at Sprouts Farmers Market and other natural food stores beginning in March, with additional retail expansion to come throughout 2020.

Back to Nature is moving to plant-based snacking. Other than real honey, in its plant-based snacks, Back to Nature avoids any ingredients sourced from animals. Instead, its line of plant-based snacks feature ingredients like seeds, nuts, whole grains and wheat flour as the base of its products. Back to Nature is expanding its efforts to include all of its crackers, cookies, nuts and trail mixes and granola in this plant-based initiative. According to the company, the demand for better-for-you snacks has never been greater.

In brief: Business news
Ferrero USA, part of the global confectionery company Ferrero Group, has opened a new distribution center in Goodyear, Arizona, US. The newly constructed facility is 643,798-square feet and projected to begin operating by mid-March. The company plans to add 50 local jobs at the center within its first year of operation. In recent months, Ferrero has expanded its North American headquarters in New Jersey, opened a new distribution center in Pennsylvania and assumed management of two manufacturing plants in Bloomington and Franklin Park, Illinois. The Goodyear facility adds capacity for Ferrero to distribute its growing portfolio of brands, including Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Crunch, throughout North America. Over time, the facility will distribute other Ferrero brands, including Ferrero Rocher, Nutella, Tic Tac and Kinder, to support overall company growth.

In brief: Acquisitions
Highlander Partners, a middle market private equity firm based in Texas, US, has acquired a majority stake in SanoVita. Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Râmnicu Vâlcea, SanoVita is one of the most reputable and trusted food brands in Romania. The brand SanoVita (latin for “healthy life”) represents a healthier alternative to traditional foods and offers a wide range of products, including snacks, cereals, rice cakes, tofu, mueslis and nut and seed mixes. Highlander’s portfolio includes a variety of food and beverage companies across the world. It plans to accelerate the growth of SanoVita by introducing new products, enhancing capabilities at existing production facilities and pursuing strategic M&A.

Farmcrowdy has acquired the acquisition of Best Foods (L&P) Limited to offer wider livestock production and processing solutions to the market. Farmcrowdy now owns majority stakes in Best Foods (L&P) which provides wholesome livestock and locally grown agricultural produce. It is one of the largest meat processors in Nigeria with the capacity to process 120 - 200 bulls daily. With this acquisition, Farmcrowdy will keep growing its meat value chain with improved livestock production and processing to meet international standards. Farmcrowdy will also become the preferred source of processed meat across Nigeria starting with Lagos. The company will serve over 50 meat markets across South-Western Nigeria, managing over 100 consumer endpoints.

In brief: Other highlights
The UK Government is set to quadruple the number of workers farms can recruit on a temporary basis from outside the EU this year to take up seasonal work. Environment Secretary George Eustice confirmed this week the expansion of the Seasonal Workers Pilot to allow farmers to hire up to 10,000 workers in 2020 – an increase from the previous 2,500 workers. This will support the UK’s vital horticulture sector and give fruit and vegetable growers access to a much bigger pool of workers this year to help pick and gather even more Great British produce. With soft fruit production in the UK continuing to skyrocket – growing by 185 percent between 1998 and 2018 – the expansion will support these farmers over this year’s busy summer harvest, while allowing the government to test the pilot further.

In brief: Appointments & retirements
DuPont has announced that its Board of Directors has appointed current Executive Chairman Edward Breen to the additional role of CEO. Lori D. Koch, Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis, is named Chief Financial Officer. Both appointments are effective immediately, the company states. The Board of Directors has made these leadership changes to accelerate operational performance improvement and to more directly tap Breen’s significant management experience. As a result, Marc Doyle and Jeanmarie Desmond, who have served as CEO and CFO respectively, will depart the company.