This week in industry news, Azelis opened a new application laboratory in India. New York-based snack brand KIND pledged to source all its almonds from farms leveraging regenerative agriculture practices by 2030 and EIT Food and Blendhub launched the Affordable Nutrition Scale-Up Challenge to make nutritious food more accessible and affordable across Europe.

In brief: Business moves
Azelis opened a lab for the Agricultural & Environmental Solutions (A&ES) industry in India. Agricultural technical specialists will staff the new lab. The company will focus on formulation support for crop protection, seed treatment and micronutrient formulations aligned with international methods and standards for formulations. The opening of A&ES and the other Azelis labs in India will allow Azelis India to deliver high-quality technical solutions to customers and principals across various industries.

Minagro, a developer of sustainable ingredients for crop protection products, raised €1.2 million (US$1.3 million) in funding. Minagro’s operational team led the capital round with the participation of Invest.BW and K&E. The new structure allows Minagro to operate as an independent company and accelerate the development of its portfolio of greener agricultural ingredients with new proprietary technologies. The financing will enable Minagro to continue the market validation process and scale up the ingredients in its portfolio.

Roquette opened its Pharmaceutical Innovation Center, near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The US$25 million center will be an advanced training hub for pharmaceutical and nutraceutical manufacturers globally. The US facility complements the research activities of Roquette’s existing pharma innovation centers in France and Singapore. 

EIT Food and Blendhub launched the Affordable Nutrition Scale-Up Challenge to ensure more people access sustainable and nutritious food. Both organizations are looking for start-ups and scaleups with 

ingredients or formulas supporting the promotion of healthy and sustainable diets in Europe. The most promising submitted initiatives will be seleced by a jury committee and up to ten winners will receive services worth €25,000 (US$27,396) to go from “idea to market.” 

Expocaccer, a Brazilian company, is preparing to open a subsidiary in the US. With a presence in the country for many years, Expocaccer will facilitate the work of its partners and distributors, as they will have direct access to the coffees of the Cerrado Mineiro and will be able to offer their products directly to the US market, which is the largest importer of Brazilian coffee.

In brief: Sustainability efforts
KIND Snacks is launching a three-year pilot project in regenerative agriculture, the KIND Almond Acres Initiative. This initiative builds off KIND’s announcement to source 100% of its almonds from bee-friendly farms by 2025. The initiative will expand the brand’s sustainable almond sourcing journey and provide key insights to help inform how it can source 100% of its almonds from orchards leveraging regenerative agriculture practices on a mass balance basis by 2030. 

Marlow Foods plans to make mycoprotein, the protein in Quorn, available to other F&B manufacturers. Led by a new division, Marlow Ingredients, Marlow mycoprotein will be made available in Europe and then internationally. 

ALOHA, a plant-based protein brand and Certified B Corp, has obtained Climate Neutral Certification. As one of the first plant-based protein bars to become Climate Neutral Certified, ALOHA is focused on climate change. The brand achieved this certification by measuring its 2022 greenhouse gas emissions footprint, implementing emissions reduction plans, and investing in carbon credits to compensate for that footprint.

In brief: Launches
Nescafé is launching Ice Roast, the brand’s first-ever soluble coffee designed especially for cold water or milk consumption over ice. Today, 15% of coffee in the world is drunk cold, with the majority consumed by younger consumers, especially Generation Z. Notably, there is a demand for products that allow people to recreate café-style cold coffee experiences at home. Nescafé Ice Roast is launching in China this month, with Mexico to follow. 

Certified Origins, a European-based company specializing in fresh and authentic extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), launched one of the first “Olio di Roma” Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) EVOO for the North American market under the flagship brand, Bellucci. The new Olio di Roma PGI EVOO is made with olives sourced from the Lazio region in Italy, taking the name from its capital, Rome. 

Ingredion launched a video series to help F&B manufacturers harness the potential of stevia sweeteners and functional build-back ingredients in sugar reduction formulations. The series explores the understanding of the stevia leaf – from its sustainability and versatility – to the identification of new steviol glycosides, such as Reb M, which contribute to a more balanced, sugar-like sweetness without bitter off-notes. 

Bühler unveiled the next generation of its TAS grain cleaning system, the TAS LAAC, which builds on the success of the classic TAS, renowned for its highly efficient cleaning, high throughput rate, flexible configuration and low operating costs. The latest model has many new features, including a remote control for the machine settings. 

In brief: Miscellaneous
The US Department of Agriculture has made US$125 million available through two new grant programs that will create more options for meat and poultry farmers by investing in independent, local meat and poultry processing projects that increase competition and enhance the resiliency of the food supply chain. 

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership could help boost exports of UK pork to Mexico. The new agreement will eliminate the “most favored nation” tariffs of up to 20% – making Mexico a more attractive market for pork exporters in the UK. 

Italian athletes Gabriele Detti, Elena Bertocchi and Simone Giannelli are championing the nutritional and versatile benefits of California Prunes, which play an active role in preparation for their training and sporting events. The link up with the California Prune Board (CPB) and the best of Italian water sports and volleyball is part of a drive by the CPB to showcase how shelf-stable prunes can be eaten by people of every age and every stage of fitness as a snack or even as a versatile cooking ingredient.