In this week’s industry updates, Nestlé Purina expanded its pet food production in Mexico. Symrise’s new CEO announced this year’s expected growth, while Unilever was recognized for the creative marketing of its products. Meanwhile, Singaporean urban farming company Grobrix spearheaded its “soilless” green wall system.

Animal welfare
Nestlé Purina invested CHF 200 million (US$220.8 million) to expand pet food production in Mexico. This expansion will include adding a third line for wet pet food and a fourth line for dry pet food, making the factory the largest for pet food in Latin America. The Mexican market is the most important for Purina in Latin America, representing 45% of Purina’s total sales in the region. It is also the fourth-largest market for Purina worldwide, highlighting the growing importance of emerging economies for the pet food business.

Animal protection coalition Open Wing Alliance (OWA) announced that 89% of companies that pledged to remove cages from egg supply chains by 2023 or earlier have completed the transition. This includes major brands like McDonald’s (US), Hershey (global), Azzuri Group (Europe), TGI Fridays (US) and Famous Brands (Africa). As consumer awareness grows worldwide, policies and laws are also advancing to protect farm animals raised for food, said OWA director Carley Betts, who is confident that a global transition is achievable.

Botanical extract innovator Layn Natural Ingredients unveiled SophorOx for pets, a polyphenol-rich natural additive ingredient that can help reduce oxidative stress and provide weight management support for dogs and cats. Oxidative stress is a prevalent concern in companion animals and can increase due to various factors such as aging, environmental influences and dietary imbalances. Layn’s pet ingredient is a natural, plant-powered solution derived from Sophora japonica and contains 90% flavonoids that enhance animals’ growth, immunity, joint function and overall quality of life.

Business highlights
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity announced Unilever as the 2024 Creative Marketer of the Year. The company has established a reputation for producing brave, creative and innovative marketing solutions. Last year, it received the award for its food brands Magnum and Hellmann’s, which continue to work toward helping people tackle food waste in the kitchen.

Symrise’s new CEO, Dr. Jean-Yves Parisot, announced the company’s stable organic sales growth of just under 8% last year. In his outlook for the 2024 fiscal year, Parisot stated that Symrise feels confident that it will be able to continue along this successful course. In the first quarter of 2024, the group increased sales by just under 11% compared with the first quarter of 2023. Overall, Symrise aims for organic growth of 5–7% percent this year.

Singaporean urban farming company Grobrix and US-based urban farming company Green City Growers joined forces to expand their urban farming footprint in North America. Grobrix 2.0 is the next-gen iteration of its patented growing system and will introduce an advanced IoT and cloud-based technology solution, including a mobile application enabling data collection, control and remote monitoring of Grobrix farm walls from anywher in the world. By leveraging sensor data gathered through multiple touchpoints, Grobrix aims to improve the quality of their product further and provide a more engaging user experience to customers.

Agricultural science company FMC Corporation collaborated with Optibrium, which develops software and AI solutions for small molecule discovery. Machine learning and AI methods will identify promising compounds, optimize their properties and continue the company’s focus on sustainable products. The move will help FMC advance crop protection research, aid the development of sustainable solutions for farmers and ultimately enhance global food security.

Launches and innovation
Food ingredient supplier Ceresal relaunched its wheat germ products under the Viogerm brand. The range includes healthy, long-lasting, nutrient-rich wheat germ products such as granulate (grains) and flour. The granules have a nutty flavor and are used as a hazelnut substitute as an ingredient for muesli, toppings, baked goods and snacks. The ingredients have a 12-month shelf life and can also be used to improve dough for bread, baked goods and pasta and reduce fat in baked goods, chocolates and confectionery.

Rubisco Seeds, a supplier of non-GMO winter canola in North America, launched the “first” commercial High Oleic, Low Linolenic (HOLL) winter canola to the US market. HOLL produces high-stability cooking oil with broad applications in the food industry. Growing canola over the winter months prevents valuable soil nutrients from leaching and runoff into watersheds. The target geography for Winter HOLL canola includes significant regions of the southern US, wher Rubisco Seeds has provided proven, adapted winter canola genetics to farmers who engage in the well-established practice of double cropping with soybeans.