This week in industry news, Cargill and Nestlé Purina began a new partnership to support the adoption of regenerative agriculture practices across more than 200,000 acres of corn and soy farmland in the US Midwest. IFF opened a new co-creation center in Wageningen, the Netherlands and Solar Foods’ first commercial-scale production facility of Solein, the protein made from thin air, which also began operating.

Collaborations and initiatives
Cargill and Nestlé Purina began a new partnership to support adopting regenerative agriculture practices across more than 200,000 acres of corn and soy farmland in the US Midwest. It is estimated to reduce the carbon footprint of the Purina grain supply from Cargill by up to 40% over the next three years. Cargill has advanced regenerative agriculture practices on 880,000 acres of North American farmland since 2020. This supports the company’s vision to make regenerative agriculture commonplace across its global supply chains—helping farmers to produce food more sustainably while increasing their productivity and resiliency.

IFF opened a new co-creation center in Wageningen, the Netherlands, enhancing its capabilities and facilities to drive research and innovation, to better serve its global customers. The new site will be located in the ‘Food Valley’ of the country, an area that is home to many food multinationals and a growing number of start-ups. The facilities will include advanced laboratory equipment, including a demo kitchen, application lab and innovation space wher product concepts can be presented and tested. Additionally, the space will be home to key IFF experts, including senior product designers. The lab will also be equipped to support the creation of new flavors for culinary and sweet applications.

dsm-firmenich has opened the application process for its flavorist school’s class of 2025. This world-class training school is set to lead the next era of flavor innovation and culinary excellence. Aspiring tastemakers worldwide can apply for the two-year trainee program until May 1. This proprietary school reflects dsm-firmenich’s commitment to advancing the art and science of flavor creation while meeting the global demand for foods and beverages that are healthier, more delicious, and better for people and the planet. The school’s two-year curriculum focuses on scientific expertise and creative know-how, equipping students with the skills needed to shape the future of flavors. With more than 80 industry experts guiding the program, the school provides a dynamic learning environment that fosters cutting-edge expertise and innovation.

Carlsberg Asia signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Southeast Asia’s everyday superapp, Grab, for a strategic partnership that will transform how consumers enjoy their beer. This partnership will cover awareness and promotional campaigns on GrabAds across four key countries in Southeast Asia (SEA) - Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Singapore, and will kick off with the launch of a football season campaign featuring Liverpool Football Club and a collaborative Responsible Drinking campaign.

Factory 01, Solar Foods’ first commercial-scale production facility of Solein, the protein made from thin air, starts production in Vantaa, Finland. It marks the beginning of the commercialization of the novel protein and showcases what the future of food production could look like. Solein is the protein grown out of a tiny but mighty microorganism with CO2 and electricity by Finnish food-tech company Solar Foods. This nutritious yellow powder, highly functional and compatible with a wide range of traditional ingredients, has long been contained to small quantities: only the Solar Foods pilot laboratory in Espoo, neighboring the Finnish capital Helsinki, has produced Solein. This is now changing as Solar Foods officially kickstarts the operation of Factory 01, its first commercial-scale Solein facility.

Research highlights
Kerry Group announced that Wellmune, a postbiotic ingredient supported by over a dozen clinical studies documenting its ability to support the immune system, has been confirmed in a study as a trainer of the innate immune system (one of two major immune system functions). A proprietary baker’s yeast beta 1,3/1,6 glucan postbiotic, Wellmune works by training innate immune cells at key sites around the body to be ready for action, helping them to find foreign invaders that may harm health.

New research from Lifesum, a global healthy eating platform, indicates that Gen-Z and Millennials are leading a movement toward healthy eating amid the current cost-of-living crisis by scaling back on non-essentials, including streaming services. Lifesum’s 2024 State of Healthy Eating and Well-being Report explored consumer dietary habits and revealed the sacrifices they are willing to make for healthier eating.

Other highlights
Bridor, a subsidiary of Le Duff, has announced the acquisition of Pandriks Holding, which makes organic and artisanal-inspired bakery products. With this significant acquisition, Bridor continues its strong global growth and emphasizes Le Duff Group’s commitment to accelerate its growth in the bakery sector.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients announced its return to Vitafoods Europe (May 14-16), wher it will highlight its recently launched Biotis DHA Flex Powders for creating appealing food, drinks and supplements with the multifunctional health benefits of omega-3s.

PIPA announced a partnership with Sonomaceuticals, creator of WellVine Chardonnay Marc; an upcycled whole food and smart prebiotic. Science teams at PIPA and Sonomaceuticals used PIPA’s research and discovery platform, LEAP, to validate and characterize experimentally identified compounds, decode their impact on gut health, and identify potentially novel Mechanisms of Action. A process typically taking up to three years was carried out in less than six months. LEAP scanned an exhaustive corpus of millions of scientific data points to identify known and predict novel health associations for WellVine and recommend hundreds of synergistic combinations with other ingredients for use in good-for-you products across seven categories, including synbiotics and herbal formulations.