Succession announcement at Winkler und Dünnebier Süßwarenmaschinen GmbH
Jessica Runkel has been part of the company's management team as a managing partner since 2021. With her father now stepping down completely, she will take over sole management of the company and continue to run the family business in its third generation. She will be supported in this by her sister Vanessa Runkel and long-standing technical director Carsten Butz.
‘I have worked closely with my father over the past few years and gained enormously from his experience,’ says Jessica Runkel. ‘I am delighted to be continuing to run the company together with our very experienced team. Our focus is on securing what has been tried and tested while at the same time providing new impulses to develop WDS in a future-oriented way.’
What was once started by company founder Oswald Runkel with courage and pioneering spirit and further developed by Rainer with passion and dedication is now being continued by the next generation. Rainer Runkel will remain associated with the company in an advisory role.
ADVERTORIAL: Bi-Ber: Empty mould check system for flexible integration
The German machine vision expert Bi-Ber has expanded its portfolio for the confectionery industry, adding a new space-saving inspection system for empty mould checks.
For more information
send an email to: sales@bilderkennung.de,
call: +49 30 8103 22260 or see
or see: https://www.bilderkennung.de/suesswaren-industrie.html
One machine to package them all: Theegarten-Pactec’s FPC5 excels with maximum flexibility
The company has now developed an exceptionally versatile solution for a local chocolate producer in the South Pacific region.
A local producer of premium chocolate in the South Pacific region, which was voted the country´s “Most Trusted Brand”, is committed to the highest standards in the processing and packaging of its products.
The cocoa beans are roasted, refined and further processed in the company’s own factory. Equally uncompromising are the demands placed on packaging technology. Since 2019, the company has opted for MCH machines from Theegarten-Pactec for packaging its chocolate balls. In April 2023 it was looking for an extremely flexible packaging solution for different product formats with optional secondary packaging into flow packs – in view of increasing format diversity, investment security and seasonal responsiveness.
Herma launches the digital GreenGuide
Probably unique in its form, the new digital Guide shows with just a few clicks how labels can enhance the sustainability of packaging.
Using the GreenGuide is simple: first, select one of nine currently available pre-set packaging types. Then define the sustainability aspect you wish to focus on – for example, reducing resource consumption. Finally, choose a material preference from another predefined set, such as using alternative label materials. The GreenGuide then generates a detailed list of possible combinations of label face material, adhesive and liner.
“The GreenGuide reveals which sustainable options are already available today – shows how they can be applied in practice,” emphasises Milos Kojic of Herma. Only practical and currently available material combinations are displayed. “After all, it’s of little help if a great sustainable label material exists, but it cannot be combined with the adhesive required for the surface of your packaging.” In the next development stage, Herma plans to enhance the GreenGuide with additional information and guidance. For example, it will provide details on the requirements of the new EU Packaging Regulation with regard to certain packaging types and materials.
Döhler Showcases Cutting-Edge Food and Beverage Concepts at Gulfood Manufacturing 2025
Döhler will present a comprehensive portfolio of food and beverage innovations that bridge science, technology and sensory appeal.
• Freeze-dried functional drops – small in size, big in benefits
• Savoury Labneh – authentic taste with a modern twist
• Energy Yoghurt – convenient daily vitality in dairy
• Synbiotic Bars – pro- and prebiotic solutions for holistic gut health on the go
• GLP-1 Drink – a cutting-edge approach to supporting a healthy weight
• Next-generation beverage solutions – sugar reduction and taste modulation in response to the latest regional sugar taxation reform
• Pre- and postbiotic soft drinks – designed to support digestion and elevate gut health
• Mood-boosting 100% juice drinks – formulated to deliver nutritional value and functional support for emotional well-being Together, these innovations highlight Döhler’s role as an end-to-end partner – from raw materials to integrated solutions – supporting customers in creating products that deliver on both Nutritional Excellence and Multi-Sensory Experiences. For food and beverage brands, formulators and industry stakeholders, this is a unique opportunity to discover how Döhler’s technologies and innovations can future-proof portfolios and inspire the next generation of successful products in the food, beverage and lifestyle and nutrition industries. Gulfood Manufacturing 2025 is where innovation meets opportunity. We look forward to meeting you in Dubai and shaping the future of food and beverages – together.
Enriched gummies with highly flexible apple and citrus pectin from Herbstreith & Fox
To manufacture vegan fruit gummies with pectin, a sweet mass is cooked, poured into moulds and then cooled until it gelatinizes in just a couple of minutes. The advantages of pectin compared with other hydrocolloids include its low boiling viscosity and fast gelification. This is combined with easy manufacturability and high efficiency. If the sweets are to be enriched with functional ingredients, they can be added to the hot mass during the cooking process before gelification.
The choice and options for these ingredients are seemingly limitless: minerals, vitamins, fibre, plant extract, cider vinegar and much more. The problem: Acids and minerals in particular can interact with pectin and thus impact the gelification. With H&F Pectin Classic AS 519 you can managed to significantly increase tolerance towards cations. The additional multifunctional, strong buffer system makes the newly developed apple pectin extremely tolerant towards minerals, acids, vitamins and plant extracts.
With this H&F Pectin, magnesium gummies with a high active ingredient content can be produced without compromising on taste or texture. The pectin texture is smooth and can be conveniently and quickly made into a firm or gum-like chewable sweet. It can even be used to make sugar-free gum confectionery, as the new H&F pectin is sugar-free.
More information: https://www.herbstreith-fox.de/en/applications/confectionery/gummy-confectionery-enriched-with-functional-ingredients/
H&F Citrus pectin for functional gums with sensitive active ingredients
The global market for creatine as a dietary supplement is developing rapidly and with it, the demand for alternatives to creatine powders. Creatine gummies are at the forefront when it comes to innovation and consumer friendliness.
With high-dose creatine gummies, the challenge lies in the conversion of creatine to creatinine, while at the same time ensuring optimum firmness. This transformation occurs most readily at low pH values and high temperatures. H&F Pectin Amid CS 025-B gels optimally in the pH range of 4.1 – 4.5, whereas conventional confectionery pectins require a lower pH value of 3.2 – 3.5. This makes H&F Pectin Amid CS 025-B particularly suitable for the production of high-dose and tasty creatine gummies.
Flexible packaging materials: minor price declines in Q3 of 2025
The markets for flexible packaging materials recorded some minor price decreases across the substrates in the third quarter of 2025.
The polyethylene markets were also under pressure. Kaushik Mitra, Chemical Market Analytics by OPIS, a Dow Jones Company, noted: “Markets were less unstable this quarter, but sentiments were weaker. July/August are traditionally the weakest months of the year due to summer lull and this year the drop in demand was more than usual. The recovery that usually happens in September is not yet visible as end markets are struggling with macroeconomic slowdown and higher imports from China that have dampened local demand. The biggest development in this quarter is on the trade front with the EU and US finally signing the trade deal. But a provision in the deal is raising particular interest: the ostensible EU proposal to give duty waiver to US PE exports into the region. Although the final list with HS code for free trade items is yet to be published, the broad scope of the proposal keeps such possibilities wide open. If the tariff is waived, US PE resins would flood the European market and further weaken the European production base, which is already reeling under sliding competitiveness.
Significant surge in US exports into Europe is already sensitizing the market about anti-dumping scenarios being created, but buyers are welcoming the duty waiver as they feel it will make PE resins more affordable.” Overall, the situation in the flexible packaging markets remains challenging. Energy prices for electricity and gas are still high and volatile, Europe’s industry is becoming increasingly import dependent, and demand growth is slowing as many consumer goods categories underperform.
With a strong focus on innovations from numerous partners, Nordmann will be showcasing a broad portfolio of products and solutions.
A particular highlight is the new partnership with British clean label specialist Ulrick & Short. Since February 2025, Nordmann has been distributing its functional starches in Austria, France, Germany and Switzerland. The synergie (clean label thickeners and viscosifiers), ovaprox™ (plant-based egg replacements), delyte™ (fat reduction solutions) and ezimoist™ (phosphate-free juiciness for meat and fish) product lines enable manufacturers to simplify their declarations while meeting the requirements of modern, plant-based recipes. They are ideal for use in baked goods, soups and sauces, meat and fish, ready meals, desserts, and vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free concepts.
Nordmann also presents a wide range of innovative ingredients for the food industry. The portfolio includes cocoa as a timeless flavor carrier for enjoyment & quality, functional ingredients and blends for optimizing texture & nutritional value, and hydrocolloids such as locust bean gum for stabilizing & refining baked goods, dairy products, and sauces. The portfolio is complemented by dairy cultures for cheese and yogurt varieties and sustainable plant-based protein solutions with high protein content. Silica provides effective protection against clumping for longer shelf life and stable product quality. New flavor compositions cater to the “next-level spicy” trend with hot, sweet, umami, and sour notes. The range also includes baking agents for perfect appearance and consistency of baked goods, prebiotic fiber blends from Jerusalem artichoke, natural fibers for sugar reduction, and sustainable vinegar salts for clean label applications.
Fi Europe: Hall 7.2, Stand G66
New Arla Foods Ingredients concept opens doors to protein bar innovation
The company has launched a new concept demonstrating how protein bar manufacturers can improve nutritional profile without compromising on taste or texture.
Peter Schouw Andersen, Senior Director, Performance Nutrition at Arla Foods Ingredients, said: “We’ve created this concept to respond to the biggest trends in the protein bar market. Taste and texture are still king but health considerations are increasingly important – for younger consumers in particular. Easy Bite meets all these needs, offering a high-protein, low-fat, fiber-rich option that retains its softness without the need for a long ingredients list. We hope it will create exciting new opportunities for protein bar innovation.”
Visitors to SupplySide Global will be able to sample Easy Bite at Booth #6425. Additionally, Arla Foods Ingredients will showcase two other concepts:
- A protein soda that responds to the ‘better-for-you’ soft drinks trend. Featuring specialty whey protein ingredient Lacprodan® BLG-100, it contains 10g of high-quality protein and no sugar.
- ‘Refreshed in Seconds’, a concept that demonstrates the benefits of Lacprodan® ISO.RefreshShake – the latest addition to Arla Foods Ingredients’ portfolio of high-quality whey protein isolates for clear shakes. It delivers 20g of protein per 300 ml/10 oz serving, and offers quick foam breakdown as well as refreshing taste.
