News

Nexira, world leader in acacia and pioneer in scientific research on the nutritional and health benefits of acacia, presented its results for the 2021/22 financial year, verifying its solid financial position. These results are primarily driven by a strong diversification and development strategy based on natural ingredients and key resource preservation initiatives. Over the 2021/2022 financial year, the company enjoyed “remarkable growth,” with a turnover of EUR 224.3 m aligned with its “Vision 2020” development plan. With the acquisition of Unipektin Ingredients, consolidated total sales increased by 66 %. Strong organic growth and recent acquisitions drove the company’s record turnover, and strategic partnerships concluded in recent years to provide novel natural ingredients and patented active agents.

Kerry officially opened its Southern Europe Innovation Centre in Barcelona/Spain, as part of the ongoing expansion of its presence in the region serving Spain, Portugal, Italy and France. The new facility will combine Kerry’s current office in Barcelona with a new customer suite and applications labs and will operate in conjunction with technology centres in Vigo and Granada, as well as the global taste centres of excellence in Grasse/France and Mozzo/Italy. It will allow the company to work more closely with customers in the South European region to develop solutions across food and beverage categories, including retail manufacturing and foodservice.

Hochdorf Group focused on its technology expertise in 2022 and made steady operational progress with improved earnings quality. The gross margin was 29.9 % in the second half of the year, with an upward trend. Despite 80.7 % higher energy costs and a sharp rise in raw material costs, the company achieved a narrowly positive operating profit at Ebitda level in the second half of the year, thus significantly exceeding projections.

The company result for 2022, which is affected by legacy burdens, amounted to CHF –15.8 m. A binding financing confirmation has been received from the existing bank consortium with regard to a two-year extension of the financing agreement that expires in September 2023. Hochdorf considers itself to be on track with the implementation of its strategy, establishing the basis for financial recovery in the medium term. The goal for 2023 is to achieve a positive Ebitda.

Possehl Identification Solutions (PID) is an alliance of Possehl companies in the field of print and apply, labelling, coding, software and label production. Currently ten internationally active and independent companies in industrial identification technology bring together their expertise and their experience to create added value for customers and users. The first official appearance of PID will be at interpack trade show in Düsseldorf/Germany in May (hall 8, booth C49), where the first joint development will be launched – a software for the data management and machine monitoring for identification processes which meets the latest standards.

Through the acquisition of new companies, the identification solutions division at Possehl has grown strongly in recent years. Currently, there are these ten companies: Logopak, LSS, Novexx Solutions, Eidos, Etipack, Datakamp, Labelcraft, and Nordvalls Label Group with Kölle Etiketten and Watermill. By uniting as Possehl Identification Solutions (PID), these independent brands are joining forces and bring together the expertise and experience of all companies. They are now a strong one-stop provider for identification solutions, from hardware to software and labels, also working together on customer projects.

Symrise reports that it closed the 2022 fiscal year with another strong increase in sales and good profitability despite challenging economic conditions. A normalization in consumer behaviour as the coronavirus pandemic subsides and the price increases introduced by Symrise contributed to renewed strong sales in the Taste, Nutrition & Health segment.

The group’s sales increased by 20.7 % to EUR 4.6 bn. Concerning the Taste, Nutrition & Health segment, sales increased by 24.8 % to EUR 2.9 bn. The German flavour and fragrance company reaffirms its long-term profitable growth path with its thirteenth dividend increase. However, the company expects energy and raw material costs to keep rising.

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (Ebitda), before deducting a one-off impairment loss on the associated company Swedencare booked in the fourth quarter, increased to EUR 922 m, also significantly higher than last year’s figure of EUR 814 m.

Foodtech venture fund Sparkalis has taken a minority stake in Fooditive BV, a next-gen food technology business specializing in sustainable plant-based ingredients. Puratos launched Sparkalis, a venture that supports innovation in the bakery, patisserie and chocolate sectors. Its flexible approach means it can offer scalable support to accelerate business growth for food tech innovators. Fooditive’s innovations include an upcycled calorie-free natural sweetener with the taste and functionality of sugar, which is derived from apple and pear side streams.

Following the investment, Sparkalis Managing Director Filip Arnaut has joined Fooditive’s advisory board. There are now eleven foodtech experts sitting on the board. They will provide advice and insights to support Fooditive’s mission to create plant-based ingredients that are healthier for consumers, better for the planet and kinder to animals. The company, based in the Netherlands, has risen to prominence for successfully harnessing its precision fermentation technology to produce ground-breaking innovations such as vegan casein and bee-free honey.

FoodTech start-up CarobWay brings the nutritional treasures of the ancient carob fruit to the modern table (Vitafoods Europe 2023, 9 to 11 May, Geneva/Switzerland, booth L49). The company is developing a portfolio of bioactive ingredients based on whole carob fruit for well-being. It runs a vertically integrated operation from field to fork and commits to fair-trade practices while ensuring a stable supply chain. Eliminating waste and preserving all the goodness of carob, CarobWay uses the entire fruit – seeds and pulp – to create innovative ingredients for food and food supplements, backed by science.

One formulation under development is a prebiotic powder enriched with fibres and polyphenols that possess anti-inflammatory properties and support a healthy gut microbiome. The company creates a clean-label, natural sweetener with a low glycaemic index. This single ingredient replaces sugar as a one-to-one drop-in. At the CarobWay booth, visitors can taste chocolate gummy bears and confectionery fortified with prebiotic carob powder.

Ingredient specialist Ulrick & Short launched a new clean label ingredient aimed at replacing the functionality of egg whites in meringues. According to the supplier, the ingredient, called Ovaprox 14, is a complete functional egg replacer for various sweet-bakery applications – most notably in meringues. The product has been specifically designed to behave very similar to egg white in a meringue application – it aerates when whisked to create a stable foam, ultimately providing a good internal structure and a crisp bite throughout shelf life, similar to conventional egg-based meringue recipes.