This week in industry news, Olam won an Impact Award for its digital platform that empowers smallholder farmers and improves incomes. W Hydrocolloids Inc. (WHI) acquired Cargill’s stake in Philippine Bio-Industries (PBI), which aims to boost the supply of carrageenan-based food ingredient systems in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the UK is set to showcase British food and beverages across a number of sectors at this year’s China International import Expo (CIIE).

In brief: Recognitions & awards
Olam has been recognized for its farmer-supporting Olam Direct platform at Innovation Leader’s 2020 Impact Awards. Powered by apps, a portal and an analytics dashboard, Olam Direct is a holistic platform connecting farmers with Olam to ensure a fair and transparent sourcing process for all. The app empowers farmers to get prices and transact directly with the company rather than going through intermediaries, which yields higher prices for farmers and cost savings on their expenses.

The UK will showcase the best of British food and drink across a range of sectors at this years CIIE. A unique digital offer will enable audiences across the country to connect with pioneering UK innovation. Taking place both online and offline from November 5-10, this years CIIE will see more than 180 countries, regions and international organizations, and over 3,800 industry-leading enterprises participate. Building on the legacy of the inaugural 2018 CIIE, wher the UK was Country of Honour.

In brief: Acquisitions
WHI, a major carrageenan supplier from the Philippines, has acquired Cargill’s stake in PBI’s joint venture. PBI is the first fully-automated refined carrageenan facility in Asia, producing highly refined carrageenan and carrageenan blends for the food industry. Through this acquisition, WHI will oversee the management of this facility, which started operations in the Philippines in 1992. PBI uses patented European technology to produce fully refined carrageenan based on local seaweed raw materials. It has operated with a focus on food safety, acquiring both ISO 9001 and FSSSC 22000 certifications. In addition, PBI follows a stringent environmental protection program to minimize its impact on the environment. 

In brief: Sustainability
Nestlé Waters North America has announced plans to construct a 10-megawatt AC renewable energy project at its Poland Spring bottling plant in Hollis, Maine, in the US. Currently, in the permit application process, this proposed solar energy installation will supply enough clean electricity to meet approximately 20 to 25 percent of the facility’s current energy needs. once completed, the proposed solar project would occupy 47 acres of land, making it one of Maine’s largest contiguous solar arrays. The annual greenhouse gas emission reductions resulting from this project is estimated to be the equivalent to removing more than 2,500 passenger vehicles from the road every year.

In brief: Miscellaneous
The discontinuation of wheat germ production at the Hochdorf site in Switzerland will release production and storage space for use by Bimbosan from the end of January 2021. Hochdorf expects the relocation to generate considerable synergies in cooperation and result in significant cost savings and increased efficiency. In mid-2019, the Hochdorf Group decided to focus on its Baby Care and Dairy Ingredients divisions for the future. In this context, wheat germ production at the group’s headquarters in Hochdorf has been discontinued. From the end of January 2021 onwards, the vacant space will now be used to fill and dispatch Bimbosan products and additional storage. Bimbosan will also move its headquarters from Welschenrohr to Hochdorf in line with this.

As Great British Bake Off fans get set to enjoy the new TV series of the show, Waitrose predicts that this year will see its biggest ever surge in sales of baking ingredients as amateur bakers prepare to show off their skills perfected during lockdown. Sales of home baking ingredients soared from March to July. Now, Waitrose is gearing up for another baking boom, upping orders of its home baking range to reflect demand after seeing huge sales uplifts in the first half of the year and predicting sales will be even more buoyant this autumn. Bread, cookies and brownies are expected to be the most favored bakes of 2020, with sales of ingredients rising consistently throughout the year. Bread mix sales are already up 103 percent versus last year. Cooking chocolate is up 55 percent compared to 2019 and Waitrose Dark Chocolate Chips see a considerable increase in sales, up 274 percent as the nation opted for sweeter bakes and banana loaves studded with chocolate. 

Australia’s AU$2.84 billion (US$2 billion) wine export sector has recently gone live with a new SaaS licensing and approval system powered by Accela technology to help regulate the wine export process for the burgeoning Australian wine sector. The new Wine Australia Licensing and Approval System is projected to process more than 200,000 transactions from more than 3,000 wine exporters from around Australia each year. The system provides end-to-end processing and allows exporters to apply online for licenses and certificates, with greater control of their applications, including review and payment online in real-time and 24/7 access.