This week in industry news, IFT organizers revealed this years’ event will be virtual amid the logistical challenges brought about by COVID-19. First Milk announced a £12.5 million (US$17.4 million) investment in cheese and whey processing facilities in the UK, and Bunge completed the sale of its Rotterdam refinery in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, a new report revealed that the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was reported in 25 EU/EEA countries and the UK between December 8, 2020, and February 23, 2021.

In brief: Business highlights
The IFT Board of Directors decided to move the 2021 annual event and food expo online in light of the pandemic. Integral to this discussion was the Board’s commitment to providing an accessible and safe solution to its global community In a statement sent to the media, the Board said: “The pandemic has presented many challenges, and in those challenges, we have found exciting opportunities to innovate and transform.”

Starbucks introduced two new plant-based iced shaken espresso beverages along with the US launch of oat milk in stores this spring. This week, the Iced Brown Sugar Oatmilk Shaken Espresso and Iced Chocolate Almondmilk Shaken Espresso are available to consumers in the US, along with the national launch of Honey Oatmilk Latte. 

First Milk revealed a further significant capital investment in its cheese and whey processing facilities in the forthcoming financial year. This includes £9 million (US$12.5 million) being invested at its Lake District Creamery in Aspatria, Cumbria, with a further £3.5 million (US$4.8 million) being invested at its Haverfordwest Creamery. The investment at the Haverfordwest Creamery will see a new chilled water plant delivered, as well as a significant upgrade to the whey process. This comes on the back of an £8 million (US$11.1 million) investment in the Haverfordwest site, completed last year, which included a new cheese tower, separators, additional milk silos, as well as the installation of a combined heat and power plant. Overall, this £30 million (US$41.8 million) investment over the last three years will take the processing capacity of both sites up by over 20 percent.

Japanese alternative meat company Next Meats Co launched its “Next Meats Accelerator Program,” which proposes and serves as a platform to conduct worldwide open innovation among the players in the alternative protein industry and all individuals and companies tackling the climate crisis problem. This accelerator program aims to unite researchers, experts of “all walks of businesses,” and companies in and outside the alternative protein industry that are serious about counteracting climate change and cultivating worldwide business opportunities that benefit the planet.

In brief: Recognition & awards
EnWave Corporation signed a technology evaluation and license option agreement with Sütaş süt Ürünleri, a Turkish dairy company. Sütaş will evaluate EnWave’s proprietary Radiant Energy Vacuum (REV) dehydration technology for the dehydration of premium dairy snacks and ingredients.

AAK received CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) certification at AAK facilities in Richmond, California and Port Newark, New Jersey. The AAK portfolio of fat and oil solutions now includes organic sunflower, coconut, soy, canola and safflower oils. 

In brief: Acquisitions
Bunge completed the sale of its refinery located in Rotterdam to Neste Corporation. Bunge will lease back the facility from Neste in a phased transition through the end of 2024 so that it can continue to “seamlessly supply its customers.”

The Martin Bauer Group acquired a majority interest in Power Brands. Power Brands is a beverage development company based in Los Angeles, California (US). The move is consistent with the company’s North American growth strategy pursued over the past three years – the 2018 opening of its first liquid ingredient plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (US), the 2019 acquisition of BI Nutraceuticals, the 2020 acquisition of Core Botanica.

UK drinks company Highweald Beverages has joined the UK’s top 10 percent of land-under-vine owners, following its acquisition of Sussex-based Pookchurch Vineyard from a prominent, established UK wine producer. The purchase of Pookchurch adds 800 percent to production across the Highweald Beverages wine portfolio, increasing potential total yield for 2021 to 225 metric tons of grape as demand for UK wine continues to grow.

In brief: Appointments
Freshly, the US-based fresh-prepared meal delivery service has appointed e-commerce veteran Anna Fabrega as the company’s first chief commercialization officer (CCO). Fabrega will lead Freshly’s growth and strategic partnership initiatives, building and leading teams across marketing, brand, menu development, customer experience and sales. Fabrega brings to Freshly a unique perspective on success at the crossroads of growth. Under her leadership as CCO, Freshly will continue to grow its range of convenient fresh prepared meals while simultaneously scaling and innovating.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has devised surveillance strategies that will help countries affected by African swine fever (ASF) determine when the virus has stopped circulating among their wild boar populations. The scientific opinion recommends an “exit strategy” comprising two phases: a period of routine surveillance of wild boar (the screening phase) followed by a shorter period of intense surveillance (the confirmation phase). The EFSA opinion gives practical examples of how to apply the exit strategy to both large and small affected areas. It also makes recommendations on the minimum monitoring periods needed to make the strategy effective.

Around 1,000 detections of HPAI were reported in 25 EU/EEA countries and the UK between December 8, 2020, and February 23, 2021, according to the latest overview of HPAI in Europe. The majority of the 1,022 detections – 592 – were reported in domestic poultry, with wild and captive birds making up the rest. Most of the detections were reported by France in the duck sector. 

Waitrose opened a Customer Fulfilment Centre in Greenford, West London (UK). The center will deliver 25,000 Waitrose.com orders each week, helping to offer five times more online slots each week in London than before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Defra announced that traders moving organic products to Northern Ireland are now eligible for support following the expansion of a scheme designed to ease the flow of agri-food goods from Great Britain. The Movement Assistance Scheme means traders do not need to pay certain certification costs for moving agri-food goods, with the costs incurred by those certifying the products – now including organic control bodies – reimbursed by the government up to a set amount. The scheme also has a dedicated helpline for general inquiries, and together these measures are making it easier to move agri-food goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.