This week in industry news, Darling Ingredients is on track to purchase Polish rendering company Miropasz Group for approximately €110 million (US$107 million). Nutreco invested in biotech firm Roslin Technologies, and Clariant completed the acquisition of BASF’s US Attapulgite business assets. Meanwhile, new research highlighted that consumers want more guidance from hospitality brands to make more environmentally friendly choices.

In brief: Business moves
Darling Ingredients has entered into a definitive agreement to purchase Miropasz, subject to post-closing adjustments. Miropasz processes approximately 250,000 metric tons annually through three poultry rendering plants in southeast Poland (Mirowice, Pszcaonow and Krasnystaw). The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the third quarter of 2023.   

Nutreco has taken a minority share in Scotland-based Roslin Technologies in the company’s recently closed series A funding round. The £11 million (US$12.3 million) funding round is intended to fuel 

Roslin Tech’s next wave of growth as part of its strategy to become the leading provider of animal cell lines to the emerging cultivated meat sector. Nutreco expects the animal protein markets to continue to grow and remains committed to supporting livestock and aquaculture customers with ingredients and technologies. 

Clariant has acquired BASF’s US-based Attapulgite business assets for US$60 million in cash. Structured as an asset deal, the transaction includes the transfer of land as well as mining rights, the processing facility, and inventories, which will be integrated into Clariant’s Functional Minerals business. The finalized deal also includes an agreement for the long-term supply of attapulgite-based products to BASF. 

Solina acquired Saratoga Food Specialties to continue its expansion in North America. Solina established a presence in the US for the first time in 2021 with the acquisition of Asenzya, a Wisconsin-based provider of custom dry seasoning solutions for the food industry. Acquiring Saratoga accelerates Solina’s footprint into North America, notably by adding liquid solutions to its existing dry seasoning capabilities, doubling its number of facilities in the region, and leading to the establishment of a dedicated Solina North American organization with significant expertise in B2B, foodservice and retail.

Roha Dyechem acquired Saraf Foods Limited, a Vadodara-based freeze-drying specialist food processing company having a significant presence in global markets like the US, Europe and Latin America. Having started as a Freeze Drying company, Saraf Foods has integrated backward into Individual Quick Freezing (IQF), diversified into Air Drying and launched its own brand of vacuum freeze-dried snacks ( HALO). Roha Dyechem’s 100% acquisition of Saraf Foods marks the exit of first-generation technocrat entrepreneur Suresh Saraf and his family.

Morinaga Milk Industry announced the commencement of local production and sales of Morinaga Milk-branded products in Vietnam. In January 2021, the company acquired shares in Elovi Vietnam Joint Stock Company as part of its expansion in the Vietnamese market and made it a wholly-owned subsidiary in June 2021. The yogurt market in Vietnam is growing at an average annual rate of 8%, and the nutritional supplement beverage market at an average annual rate of 14% due to the growing health awareness of the Vietnamese people. Moreover, the demand for products with high health and nutritional value is expected to continue expanding.

In brief: Sustainability 
New research by Foodprint from Nutritics proves that consumers want more guidance and information from hospitality brands to make more environmentally friendly menu choices. The Sustainability

Sentiment Index shows that UK consumers actively want to make more sustainable choices when eating or drinking out and want more transparency from restaurants, pubs and bars on their menus to demonstrate their choices’ environmental effects. The survey, which gauged the attitudes of 2,000 nationally representative respondents across the UK, assessed consumer attitudes and views relating to eating and drinking out.

In brief: Miscellaneous
Tate & Lyle has launched its 30% Less Challenge, which aims to encourage consumers to reduce their sugar and calorie intake to complement the 30 minutes of exercise they do every day for the Dubai Fitness Challenge. The Dubai Fitness Challenge – also known as Dubai 3030 – began last week and will run until November 27.

In brief: Food production
Agricultural automation can make food production more efficient and environmentally friendly. The 2022 edition of The State of Food and Agriculture, a report produced each year by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, looks at how automation in agri-food systems can contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and offers recommendations to policymakers on how to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks. It investigates the drivers of these technologies and identifies several barriers preventing their adoption, particularly by small-scale producers.

IRI has released its 2022 Thanksgiving Tracker, a new report revealing insights on Thanksgiving-related grocery sales trends. As the holiday approaches and inflation issues continue to impact many industries, IRI has tracked various holiday-related items to determine their price, availability and demand leading up to Thanksgiving. These key insights will enable retailers and manufacturers to make more informed decisions about merchandizing and promotions to drive growth and profitability and to deliver for shoppers during one of the largest food holidays of the year.