This week in industry news, Loryma is expanding its capabilities in plant-based using its wheat starch ingredients, and bee-free honey is on track for a 2023 European launch. Ingredion and InnovoPro inked a distribution deal to scale chickpea proteins in the US, and CSM Ingredients inaugurated an Innovation Hub in Tel Aviv, Israel. Meanwhile, price revisions are on the horizon for imported whiskies, spirits and RTDs.

In brief: Plant-based highlights 
Ingredients specialist Loryma has developed plant-based concepts that authentically replicate salami and other sausage specialties’ specific visual and haptic properties. The wheat texturates of the Lory Tex range form the structure-giving base. At the same time, the choice of wheat-based binder (Lory Bind) promises optimum binding and heat stability, thus ensuring the protein content of the end product is on par with the original. There are also various options for processing, such as fermentation or adding a plant-based fat alternative. Different wheat ingredients create multiple textures and properties. For example, a wheat-based binder from the Lory Bind range is suitable for creating vegan salami as a pizza topping, providing stability during heating. 

MeliBio is partnering with Narayan Foods to launch its products across European stores. The partnership will bring MeliBio’s plant-based honey product line, made without bees, to store shelves under Narayan Foods’ Better Foodie brand. Products are expected to begin their rollout in the first quarter of 2023. MeliBio’s plant-based honey will feature plant-based ingredients that are naturally found in MeliBio is partnering with Narayan Foods to launch its products across 75,000 European stores.honey. The plant-based honey provides a sustainable alternative for consumers looking to make environmentally-conscious and healthy choices for themselves and their families. The product performs, tastes and can be used in culinary applications as a 1:1 substitute for conventional honey. The product has already shown high demand by European retailers and will also be available for private label opportunities.

Ingredion has signed an exclusive commercial distribution partnership with InnovoPro to distribute a chickpea protein concentrate in the US and Canada. The partnership will increase availability of chickpea protein while helping food and beverage manufacturers meet growing consumer demand for plant-based products that deliver on sustainability, nutrition, taste, texture and functionality. The alliance follows Ingredion’s February 2022 announcement outlining its equity investment in InnovoPro to bring the benefits of chickpea protein to more consumers.

In brief: Business moves
CSM Ingredients is partnering with Urika, a Venture and Innovation Partner representing agri-food multinational companies in the Israeli ecosystem, to open a new Open Innovation Hub in Tel Aviv. The partnership will enable CSM Ingredients to generate value by identifying growth opportunities, collaborating with technology start-ups and scientific labs, generating M&A and investment opportunities, and developing future growth engines. 

Olam Agri asserted its position as a crucial player in agri-business in Ghana when it was voted “Best Company in Agri-business” at the Association of Ghana Industries’ 11th Ghana Industries and Quality Awards 2022 held in Accra recently. The company received this recognition for its role in enhancing sustainable growth in agricultural development within the country by ensuring best practices along the value chain in its quest to transform the agriculture industry in Ghana and West Africa.

Mane India has opened its first Flavour Innovation Centre in Hyderabad. With an investment of €3 million, the Flavour Innovation Centre measures 13,901 square feet and is expected to be highly efficient in catering to customer needs across the country. The Innovation Centre is strategically located in one of India’s fastest-growing metro cities and is well connected to other parts of the country. The Flavour Innovation Centre is a high-tech facility wher customers can explore various categories of flavors, prepare pilot batches to run experiments, and taste end applications. The Innovation Centre also aims to cut down on wastage during the trial stage by offering customers the convenience of making smaller product batches for pilots. Mane flavorists can create varieties of flavors, ranging from sweet to savory. The facility is a designated lab for creation, application and tasting.The verification of US peppermint and spearmint represents another milestone for the ambitious sustainability objectives of Symrise.

Symrise can now offer its customers products with mint verified at Gold level of SAI Platform’s Farm Sustainability Assessment (FSA). The close cooperation between Symrise and Norwest Ingredients and the mint farmers who supply them have made this achievement possible. Currently, verified mint accounts for one-third of supplied volume from Norwest Ingredients. In line with the FSA criteria, the farms work with proven sustainable practices in multiple areas, from water and energy management to soil health, biodiversity and working conditions. The verification of US peppermint and spearmint represents another milestone for the ambitious sustainability objectives of Symrise. By 2025, the Holzminden-based group wants to obtain 100% of its strategic biological raw materials from sustainable sources.

Kirin Brewery will revise the manufacturer prices for certain products in imported whiskies and spirits, RTDs, and kegged products delivered from April 1, 2023. However, due to the global rise in transportation and raw material costs, prices of imported products from the brand owners have changed. The company has determined that it will be difficult to absorb the cost increases through corporate efforts alone, so Kirin Brewery has decided to implement price revisions for some of its products.

In brief: Other highlights
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is developing new data set to track how resources flow across the economy and assess how many end up in the agricultural sector. The new Food Value Chain domain is now available on the FAOSTAT portal. It aims to break down the national food expenditures by final consumers through the different stages of the agri-food value chains, following the “Food Dollar” approach pioneered by the Economic Research Service (ERS) of the USDA. FAO, Cornell University and the ERS have joined forces to adapt and scale up the USDA approach, with an eye to better understanding the magnitude of the role played by post-harvest food value chain intermediation such as processing, storage, transport and wholesaling. 

Ingredion has signed a distribution partnership with InnovoPro to distribute a chickpea protein concentrate in the US and Canada.The FAO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will lead the Food Systems Integrated Program of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The program will direct an estimated US$230 million – to be complemented by additional co-financing – in project grants to support countries in transforming their agri-food systems to be more sustainable and to deliver global environmental benefits in conserving biodiversity, combating land degradation, mitigating and adapting to climate change and contributing to national food security. 

In brief: Miscellaneous 
A new Innovation Hub for research into biofortification to increase nutrient levels in crops and food is being launched at the Norwich Research Park, UK. The Quadram Institute and John Innes Centre will establish the Innovation Hub for Improving Health and Nutrition through Biofortification to strengthen the country’s position as a key player in research and commercialization of biofortification – the development of crops, foods, feed and fodder with higher levels of nutrients. 

Colton Beverage is partnering with Authentic Vision, a mobile authentication technology company, to launch a non-fungible-token (NFT) premium cocktail club, offering members the opportunity to join by buying a Colton-minted NFT to receive monthly new flavor shipments of RTD cocktails. Through Authentic Vision’s patented “Connected Packaging” technology – which includes a scannable, tamper-evident vacuum-seal security label and Smart Marketing software platform – club members can confirm the authenticity of the cocktails, and learn about the drinks’ ingredients and origins.

Full Harvest, the B2B produce marketplace specializing in surplus and imperfect produce, has acquired FarmersWeb, a farm sales and inventory management SaaS provider. Adding FarmersWeb’s proven software capabilities to its technology pipeline, Full Harvest can speed the delivery of advanced features for its product suppliers and buyers – driving a more efficient, sustainable product supply chain.