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Freudenberg Italia S.a.s. di Freudenberg S.r.l. has acquired Eulip Srl (Eulip), a renowned producer of specialized plant-based oils and fats, based in Parma, Italy, effective December 1st, 2025. Eulip will become part of Capol, the food and beverage ingredients business unit of Freudenberg Chemical Specialities, a business group of the Freudenberg Group. This acquisition will further strengthen Capol’s position as a leading provider of innovative, high-quality solutions for the food and beverage industry. The parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction. Founded in 1946,

Eulip is recognized for its broad product portfolio of specialized vegetable oils and fats, high levels of flexibility, and co-development approach for customized solutions. Eulip’s expertise in raw materials and ingredients as well as flexible production processes, combined with long-standing customer relationships, has made it a trusted partner for manufacturers in the food industry, particularly in the bakery, ice cream and desserts, chocolate creams, and confectionery segments. By combining Eulip’s advanced know-how in specialized vegetable oils and fats with Capol’s surface treatment formulation expertise, the integration will accelerate technological innovation and deliver high-performance customized solutions for food manufacturing and processing. Together, the companies bring decades of process expertise and deep application knowledge across key food segments, ensuring comprehensive technical support and tailored customer solutions that meet evolving industry needs.

The addition of Eulip to Capol marks a significant step in further broadening Capol’s portfolio across key food and beverage categories. Earlier this year, Capol further diversified its food ingredients portfolio by expanding into natural and nature-identical food and beverage flavors through two acquisitions. In July 2025, Capol acquired Curt Georgi, a 150-year-old, tradition-rich German flavor house renowned for its technical expertise across confectionery, dairy, and baked goods. In September 2025, Capol added Blue Pacific Flavors, a U.S.-based pioneer in natural and organic flavor systems, particularly in the beverage and emerging wellness categories. Together with Capol’s core competencies in confectionery coatings and natural food colors, customers will now benefit from a broader range of high-quality, sustainable food ingredients solutions aligned with the growing demand for specialized ingredients.

In Hall 10.1 at Stand G-009 / F-008, the company will present modern technologies for efficient and resource-saving packaging processes. “ProSweets is one of the key platforms for us to show how product protection, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability can be combined,” says Thomas Blümel, Managing Director of ULMA Packaging GmbH. The focus of the trade fair presentation will be on two machines that have been specially developed for the requirements of the confectionery, snack, and baked goods industry: VTC 828R – a versatile vertical packaging machine for snacks, candies, nuts, and mini pastries. It enables Doystyle stand-up pouches with zippers, processes recyclable mono films, and can reduce material usage thanks to Plus-Cut™ technology. FM 400 (premiere) – a new flowpack machine for MAP packaging. The long-dwell sealing head ensures absolutely tight seals at up to 150 cycles per minute. The IP66 hygienic design, stainless steel housing, and low material and energy consumption make it ideal for sensitive confectionery, baked goods, and protein-rich snacks.

The technology company Bühler AG has announced the companies Foreverland, Green Spot Technologies and Kawa Project as the winners of the New Chocolate Challenge, an innovation program designed to catalyze the development and industrialization of cocoa-alternative ingredients.  

The Challenge focused on three complementary innovation routes: plant-based or upcycled side-streams to deliver chocolate-like flavors and textures; biomass or precision fermentation to produce essential chocolate compounds, such as flavors and lipids; and cell culture approaches leveraging cocoa cells directly.

Bühler’s New Chocolate Challenge was designed and executed to provide solutions to these challenges by bringing visibility and commercial viability to alternatives developed by start-ups working in the chocolate space. Following a rigorous selection process conducted by Bühler chocolate and innovation experts, along with participants from partner companies in the chocolate industry, three submissions were selected as winners. They are as follows: Foreverland Technologies for their ingredients crafted from climate-resilient crops; Green Spot Technologies for their plant-based fermentation process that uses upcycled grape skins and fava bean fibers to create cocoa alternatives; and Kawa Project for their proprietary process that created cocoa alternatives from upcycled coffee grounds.

The announcement took place at a tasting event in Chicago, IL, where guests sampled chocolate creations made with the finalists’ alternative ingredients. According to Bühler, the New Chocolate Challenge provided a structured pathway for innovators to develop and validate alternative chocolate ingredients – collectively termed “New Chocolate” – that can reduce pressure on conventional cocoa while enabling great taste and texture.

The three companies are combining their core competencies – forming, dosing, and enrobing – into a perfectly coordinated production line that meets the demands of modern snack and confectionery products. The line easily handles sugar-reduced formulations. Just right for in-demand better-for-you products. A key highlight is its compact design: the line measures less than six meters in length (excluding the cooling tunnel). According to the manufacturers, the potential output per hour is 6,000 pieces and more. Working width is 300 mm.

The system unites the expertise of three specialists: Krüger & Salecker provides the technology for forming the base layer (MFT 300), Nera Technologies contributes its one-shot system (NeraOne) for precise dosing of the second layer, and LCM Chocolate Machines supplies the chocolate enrobing system (LCM 320 ATC). All modules can be detached from the line and used as stand-alone units for forming, dosing, or enrobing. For example, NeraOne can be used to deposit directly onto the cooling belt or as a one-shot unit for molded pralines. “With just a few adjustments, the machines can be combined or operated individually,” says Nera Managing Director Joel Tschannen. “Together, they enable the simple production of highly sophisticated products. That’s exactly the kind of flexibility small manufacturers need so urgently.” Sales are handled by Krüger & Salecker.

For more than a century, Hänsel Processing has stood for innovation and top-quality engineering in the design and construction of production equipment for the confectionery industry. Today, manufacturers worldwide benefit from a decisive advantage: significantly reduced production costs – made possible by a high degree of automation and fully integrated production lines.

With their comprehensive line competence, customers receive every process step from a single source – from raw material preparation to continuous cooking and forming. This end-to-end engineering eliminates interface issues, reduces coordination efforts, and minimizes potential error sources within the production flow.

The result: maximum process reliability, increased efficiency, and clearly measurable cost reductions. Automated monitoring, precise process control, and energy-optimized plant concepts additionally contribute to a sustainable reduction in raw material and energy consumption.

The combination of state-of-the-art technology, deep process expertise, and holistic line integration makes Hänsel Processing one of the world’s leading partners for economical and future-proof confectionery production. With our complete solutions, producers can sustainably reduce their operating costs – while ensuring the consistent product quality demanded by today’s markets

Hall 10.1, booth D30

Barry Callebaut AG, Zürich, Switzerland, has officially opened its third manufacturing facility in Canada, built in Brantford, Ontario.  

The facility is equipped with advanced production lines focused on liquid molding, liquid chocolate, and industrial molding across a wide range of applications, supporting customers with greater flexibility and capacity. As the company’s first new factory in North America since 2008, and its largest capital investment in the region to date, this expansion further strengthens Barry Callebaut’s presence in Canada, adding to its existing operations in Chatham, Ontario, and St. Hyacinthe, Quebec.

The new chocolate factory in Brantford marks a significant milestone in Barry Callebaut’s growth journey across North America. Representing an investment of USD 104 m, the state-of-the-art facility underscores the company’s confidence in the region’s chocolate market and its commitment to advancing local manufacturing and customer proximity.

“Brantford is more than a new facility, it’s a hub for innovation, service and excellence in everything we create. This plant will allow us to work even more closely with our customers, delivering the chocolate solutions they need while strengthening our presence in Canada and the entire region. We’re excited to grow alongside this community and invest in the talent and innovation that make our business thrive,” said Natasha Chen, President, North America at Barry Callebaut.

Andres Oviedo, Senior Vice President, Regional Operations, America at Barry Callebaut, added: “At Barry Callebaut, quality and food safety are at the heart of everything we do. The Brantford facility has been designed to meet the highest standards, ensuring that every product leaving our plant delivers the exceptional taste and quality our customers expect. This investment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to safety, precision, and consistency across all our operations.”

The official ribbon-cutting ceremony welcomed customers, guests, and local partners to the Brantford facility, celebrating the start of a new chapter in Barry Callebaut’s North American operations. The event highlighted the company’s commitment to innovation, collaboration, and growth, and provided an opportunity for attendees to tour the state-of-the-art plant and see firsthand the capabilities that will support customers across Canada and beyond.

The company is continuing to optimize its site structures and has successfully integrated the Inotec product line into its global corporate structures and standard processes. This move is part of the company’s long-term strategy aimed at further strengthening its market position as a leading provider of holistic production and line solutions. The company is thereby laying the foundation for even closer integration of the technology areas of product preparation, processing, and handling, as well as their seamless interfaces to up- and downstream solutions.

Effective January 1, 2026, all processes for new and used machines within the respective organizational units will be centrally managed via standard processes at the Biberach site. Spare parts management for the Inotec Product Line will also be fully incorporated into the organization at the Biberach site. As a result, customers worldwide will benefit from optimal spare parts availability through the state-of-the-art logistics center at headquarters, as well as from all relevant and comprehensively optimized support and service offerings.

Another advantage is that, going forward, Handtmann Reutlingen will serve as a technology campus for process and line technology of the Inotec Product Line—with a clear focus on development and project planning. Food processing companies will benefit directly from innovations and technical advancements that provide them with sustainable added value and real advantages in daily production operations.