NEWS & ANALYSIS
INDUSTRY NEWS
Kerry expands flavor business
Kerry Group’s company Mastertaste Inc. recently acquired four flavor companies: J. Manheimer Inc., Flavurence, Laboratorios Krauss, and Fructamine. The acquisition of Manheimer also includes the business of Manheimer Fragrances, which represents Kerry’s first business interest in the international fragrance market.
Manheimer, Teterboro, N.J., is a leading formulator and supplier of natural flavors for the beverage, confectionery, meat, and soup industries. Its fragrances division develops and markets innovative fragrances for application in home-environmental, personal care, household, and industrial products. Flavurence, Los Angeles, Calif., a major West Coast manufacturer of natural fruit flavors, will expand Mastertaste’s natural product portfolio and provide a West Coast regional headquarters for the company.
Laboratorios Krauss, Mexico City, Mexico, has expertise in sweet flavors and a strong market presence in the bakery sector, and will play a major role in Mastertaste’s expansion efforts in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Fructamine, Mozzo, Bergamo, Italy, is a leading producer of naturally extracted flavors, manufacturing authentic flavors for the European savory, bakery, and soft drink markets.
Kerry also acquired Arla Foods’ Cremo business, which produces and markets dairy ingredients and flavorings to customers in the savory, convenience, and snack food sectors throughout Europe and Asia. Kerry is based in Tralee, Kerry, Ireland, and Arla Foods is based in Denmark.
FDA approves use of Olean®
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Olean® brand calorie-free cooking oil in prepackaged ready-to-heat popcorn such as microwave popcorn. It is available through P&G Food Ingredients, a business unit of Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio.
FDA originally approved the use of olestra (P&G’s brand name Olean) in potato chips, crackers, tortilla chips, and other ready-to-eat savory snacks in 1996. The product is used in P&G’s Fat- Free Pringles®, Frito-Lay Co.’s WOW!® line of snacks, and Utz’s Yes!® brand of potato chips.
Ovid and Nestlé form electronic nutrition library
Ovid Technologies Inc., New York, N.Y., and the Nestlé Foundation recently developed enLINK, an electronic nutrition library initiative that provides nutritional resources for researchers seeking grant funding to improve the nutrition and health of people living in developing countries.
Ovid’s Portal Advantage Service allows the Nestlé Foundation to provide researchers and doctors in these countries with access to scientific journals for use in the grant application process to fund resources to help reduce and eliminate nutritional deficiencies.
The database is available at www.enlink.org.
Study targets food distribution chain
Franwell Inc., Plant City, Fla., and the University of Florida’s Center for Food Distribution and Packaging have formed a partnership to develop the requirements for using radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology in the food industry.
The project, which is designed to be the most extensive scientific research specifically targeting the food supply chain, will examine both the technology and the hardware designs needed to implement RFID systems in the food industry. RFID provides inventory tracking and real-time inventory traceability.
ILSI paper available online
The 70-page International Life Sciences Institute paper, “Nutritional and Safety Assessments of Foods and Feeds Nutritionally Improved through Biotechnology,” is available free to the public at www.ift.org/pdfs/crfsfs/crfsfsv3n2p0035-0104ms20040106.pdf. The paper was prepared by a Task Force of the ILSI International Food Biotechnology Committee, and it discusses the recommendations for assessing the safety and nutritional effects of crops with improved nutritional qualities and focuses on the challenges associated with nutritionally improved products.
COMPANY NEWS
ADM Nederland B.V. and Risoil S.A. recently agreed to become 50/50 shareholders in Illitchvskiy Maslo Extractionniy Zavod, a joint stock company. Under the terms of the agreement, the joint venture will operate an oilseed crushing plant in the port of Illichivs’k in the Ukraine. Construction began in April 2003, and the plant should be operational in November 2004. It is located adjacent to the Risoil S.A. Vegoil Tank Export facility. ADM Nederland is a wholly owned subsidiary of Decatur, Ill.,–based Archer Daniels Midland Co.
Alpha Packaging has opened a third manufacturing facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. The 80,000-sq-ft facility will produce high-density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate packaging and will serve customers on the West Coast. The company is located in St. Louis, Mo.
After selling its Fannie May and Fanny Farmer brand businesses earlier this year, Archibald Candy Corp., Chicago, Ill., has announced plans to sell its Laura Secord division. One of Canada’s leading marketers and retailers of boxed chocolates, scooped ice cream, and other confectionery items, Laura Secord operates 166 retail shops, distributes its products in more than 2,000 third-party retail outlets across Canada, and has 1,600 employees.
Bunge Ltd., White Plains, N.Y., recently opened its port in Derince, a deepwater harbor located in Izmit Bay, Turkey. Bunge has constructed storage facilities for grains, oilseeds, and meal, and installed loading equipment for sea and land transport of bulk commodities. In unrelated news, the company’s European operating arm, Bunge Europe, has entered into a 50/50 joint venture with Estron Corp. to construct an oilseed crushing plant in the port of Illichivs’k, Ukraine. The plant’s projected crushing capacity is 600,000 tons per year and is expected to open in 2005.
Within the next 12–18 months, Chr. Hansen Inc. will begin an expansion of two of its facilities in Wisconsin. The expansion, which includes the construction of the world’s largest –55°C freezer and a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, will allow the company to expand its production of cultures for the dairy industry and continue to export growth. The company is based in Milwaukee, Wis.
Constellation Wines U.S., Canandaigua, N.Y., has opened a new research and development laboratory in Canandaigua. The facility includes a tasting room, dry and wet labs, and a temperature- controlled storeroom. Food technologists based at the lab will work in partnership with individuals from winemaking operations, marketing, sales, and consumer research to conduct research and development for the company’s three sales and marketing companies: Canandaigua Wine Co., Pacific Wine Partners, and North Lake Wines.
Danisco A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark, in June completed its acquisition of Rhodia Food Ingredients, Cedex, France, in a deal worth approximately EUR 320 million. The addition of Rhodia’s food ingredients will help expand Danisco’s product platform in the specialty products and texturant products categories and create a new product division, Danisco Cultures, to be headed by Fabienne Saadane-Oaks. Additionally, Danisco will take over production in several countries.
Danisco A/S recently sold its Danisco Seed unit’s winter oilseed rape and nematode-resistant white mustard business to the international plant breeding and seed group Svalöf Weibull. Danisco Seed plans to concentrate its efforts on its sugar beet seed business and strengthen the development, production, and sale of this ingredient.
Ice cream developer Denali Flavors Inc., Wayland, Mich., and Tootsie Roll Industries, Chicago, Ill., have entered into a co-branding alliance to bring Tootsie Roll and Tootsie Pops ice cream to grocery stores nationwide. This is the first time that Tootsie Roll Industries has ever offered the Tootsie Roll outside of its trademark wrapper.
E.T. Horn Co., La Mirada, Calif., recently entered into an agreement with White Oak Frozen Foods LLC, Newman, Calif., to represent its line of Reduced Moisture™ vegetables throughout the Western United States. The line includes sweet green jalapeños, vine-ripened tomatoes, mild green chilies, red and green bell peppers, zucchini, celery, sweet onions, broccoli florets, and a no-skin tomato dice for use in industrial food manufacturing and foodservice applications.
Hain Celestial Group Inc., Melville, N.Y., has acquired the Ethnic Gourmet brand of natural ethnic frozen meals and the Rosetto brand of frozen Italian products from H.J. Heinz Co. Together with Hain Celestial’s other frozen brands, the acquisition creates a $45- to $50-million presence in the frozen food industry. In a separate deal, the company will work with Sesame Workshop to create co-branded natural food products for children, including cereals, snacks, and cookies, under the Earth’s Best brand using Sesame Street characters.
Kahiki Foods Inc., Columbus, Ohio, in July moved into a new state-of-the-art facility believed to be one of the largest Asian frozen food processing plants in the U.S. The 119,000-sq-ft facility, located in Gahanna, Ohio, will be able to handle up to $75 millionin sales.
Kellogg Co. has announced that it is relocating its U.S. snacks business unit from Elmhurst, Ill., to Battle Creek, Mich. The company says that it is the next step in the successful integration of Keebler Foods, and it offers both marketing and cost synergies. The move will affect approximately 300 employees, virtually all of whom are being offered an opportunity to remain with the company.
Morey’s Seafood International, Minneapolis, Minn., recently sold its Detroit location to its Detroit management team. The new company will continue operations as Northern Lakes Seafood and Meats. Morey’s will use the sale proceeds for further business plans in existing operations.
To strengthen its position in the natural ingredients market, Naturex Inc. has acquired the manufacturing and application patents and technology and trademarks of several Hauser Inc. products and the customer base and products inventory of Rockland Food Ingredients. Naturex is based in Avignon, France.
Nutra-Park Inc., Middleton, Wis., has opened a new sales office in Spain to help build its customer base in the Spanish market. The company has an established marketing and research presence in Chile, South Africa, and Mexico.
P.L. Thomas & Co., Inc., Morristown, N.J., was named the U.S. representative for Polifenoles Naturales S.A., a fruit extract manufacturer. The new role will help expand P.L. Thomas’ portfolio of fruit- and vegetable-based extracts.
Product Dynamics, a division of RQA Inc., plans a major expansion of its facility in Orland Park, Ill. The expansion will increase the size of the operation from 6,000 sq ft to 38,000 sq ft, and adds a new two-story building, including new consumer and sensory testing areas. The facility will house the laboratories of RQA’s Food Forensics Div. RQA is based in Darien, Ill.
Scientists at the Silliker Inc. Research Center in South Holland, Ill., have recently begun using gene sequencing as the primary identification method for spoilage bacteria, yeast, and mold. Gene sequencing determines the identity of a microorganism by analyzing its ribosomal RNA sequence, and this technique eliminates the subjective interpretations that are common with older methods such as biochemical testing.
SnackWorks LLC, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., has signed an agreement with Cinnabon Inc., a subsidiary of AFC Enterprises Inc., Atlanta, Ga., to license Cinnabon® CinnaPretzel. Under the agreement, SnackWorks’ bakery division has obtained exclusive rights to produce pretzel and pretzel-like products under the Cinnabon trademark.
PEOPLE NEWS
Alpine Confections Inc., Alpine, Utah, recently hired Gale Rudolph as Director of Functional Foods. She previously worked at USANA Health Sciences.
Archer Daniels Midland Co., Decatur, Ill., has named Martin A. Lyons Senior Vice President, Ethanol Sales & Marketing for ADM Corn Processing Div.; Dennis Riddle Senior Vice President, Sweeteners & Starch for ADM Corn Processing Div.; and Mark Zenuk Senior Vice President, North American and European Vegetable Oil Operations.
Burdock Group, Vero Beach, Fla., has hired Phillip L. Casterton as Staff Toxicologist. He has extensive experience in chemical and consumer product safety and regulatory evaluation and recently received certification as Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.
James T. Thompson will become Executive Vice President and head of the commercial organization for the new, publicly traded company to be created through the combination of Cargill Crop Nutrition, a business unit of Cargill Inc., and IMC Global Inc. The transaction is expected to close in mid-2004. Cargill Inc. is based in Minneapolis, Minn., and IMC Global is based in Lake Forest, Ill.
Charles J. Alfaro recently joined Cadbury Schweppes Americas as Vice President of Corporate Communications for the company’s confectionery and beverage businesses in the Americas. He brings a combination of corporate, product, agency, and journalism experience to the company, which is based in Plano, Tex.
Cirelli Foods recently appointed Ken Banks, Julie Darmetko, and Jim Davidson to the position of Sales Consultant. The company is based in Middleborough, Mass.
Rob Heidemann has joined Daydots, Fort Worth, Tex., as Vice President of Sales and Business Development. He previously worked for 17 years at Ecolab.
Flavors of North America, Carol Stream, Ill., recently hired Michael Patchorke as Senior Account Manager. He has more than 14 years of account management experience in the food and flavor industries and will serve the company’s South Central U.S. customers.
As part of a company reorganization, Frutarom USA Inc., North Bergen, N.J., recently appointed several individuals to executive positions. The company has named William J. Ludlum President, North America; William L. Orton Executive Vice President, Technology and Operations; William L. Graham Vice President and General Manager, Flavor Div.; Michael Conti Vice President, Natural Products Business Manager; Shirley Christian Vice President, Gums; and Michael Faber Business Manager, Pharma/Nutra.
The Board of Directors of Hormel Foods Corp. has elected Jeffery M. Ettinger as a board member and President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. He succeeds Joel W. Johnson, who will remain Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. Ettinger, who joined Hormel in 1989, is the ninth president in the company’s 113-year history. Hormel is based in Austin, Minn.
Linda Hefner has joined Kraft Foods Inc. as Executive Vice President, Global Strategy & Business Development, replacing David Owens, who resigned to reestablish his management consulting business in Florida. Hefner previously worked for Sara Lee Corp. where she held a number of marketing positions. Kraft is based in Northfield, Ill.
McCain Foods Ltd. has named Dale F. Morrison President and Chief Executive Officer. He has worked for several foods companies, including Campbell Soup Co., of which he was Chief Executive Officer. McCain Foods is based in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada.
Susan Bogar has been appointed Microbiology Group Leader of Q Laboratories Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio. For the past five years, she was an analyst for the company, and now she will be responsible for the operations of the microbiology lab.
Quality Assurance International Inc. has appointed Kristen L. Reimink as President, David Abney as Director of Certification Services, and John Foster as Director of Technical Services. The company is based in San Diego, Calif.
Sara Lee Corp., Chicago, Ill., recently named Brenda C. Barnes President and Chief Operating Officer and promoted Roderick A. Palmore to Executive Vice President. Barnes is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of PepsiCola North America, where she worked for 22 years. Palmore joined Sara Lee in 1996 as Deputy General Counsel.
Tyler Seltzer has been promoted to Vice President of Seltzer Nutritional Technologies, Carlsbad, Calif. He has worked for the company since 1998, during which time he served as Director of Corporate Development.
Silliker Inc. recently promoted Sandra R. Zinn to Laboratory Director of the company’s Minnetonka, Minn., testing facility. She joined the company in 1998 and has performed a number of jobs including staff chemist, quality control specialist, technical sales manager, and client service manager. The company is based in Homewood, Ill.
Land O’Lakes, Minneapolis, Minn., has named Julie Tiatia National Sales Manager, Ingredient Solutions, and has promoted Dacia Jones to the position of Sales Manager, Ingredient Solutions, and Dewey Wahlin to Director of Sales and Marketing, Ingredient Solutions.
U.K.–based Unilever has appointed Bernd Ellmann Business Group President, Ice Cream and Frozen Foods Europe. He replaces Kees van der Graaf, who has been nominated as a member of the board and became Foods Director. Ellmann joined the company in 1973 and has held several leadership positions in Unilever’s Foods and Home and Personal Care divisions.
Guy Hinton was recently appointed Vice President of Operations of Wayne Farms LLC. Hinton, who has 30 years of food industry experience, will be responsible for grow-out, feedmill, and plant operations for all fresh and further-processing facilities. Wayne Farms is based in Oakwood, Ga.
SOCIETIES & ASSOCIATIONS
Dairy science award named in honor of Haines
The California Dairy Research Foundation (CDRF) recently created a dairy science award in honor of William (Bill) Haines, a Professional Member of IFT and most recently Vice President of Product Innovation at Dairy Management Inc. The William C. Haines Dairy Science Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to dairy science. Winners will receive a plaque, a cash prize of $1,000, travel expenses, and the opportunity to make a presentation at a dairy industry event cosponsored by CDRF.
The award is open to scientists around the world who have made a significant contribution to dairy science and the improvement of the dairy industry through research and development in the fields of chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, technology, nutrition, or engineering. Nomination forms for the 2005 award,which are due by September 24, 2004, are available at www.cdrf.org.
IAFP elects Acuff to executive board
The International Association for Food Protection recently elected Gary Acuff to its executive board as Secretary. By accepting this position, he has made a five-year commitment to the Association.
Acuff joined IAFP in 1982 and currently serves as Chair of the Program Committee. He is also a Professional Member of IFT, a member of the Meat and Poultry Safety and Quality Professional Development Group, and on the editorial board of the Journal of Food Protection.
A professor of food microbiology and section leader of food science in the Dept. of Animal Science at Texas A&M University, Acuff has authored or co-authored more than 80 research publications and 10 textbook chapters. His research focuses on improving the microbiological quality and safety of beef in all areas of production and utilization. He received his B.S. degree in biology from Abilene Christian University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in food science and technology from Texas A&M University.
ADA appoints Laramee as President
Susan H. Laramee recently began her one-year term as President of the American Dietetic Association. She is the 79th President of ADA.
A registered dietitian and director of professional relations at Sodexho Health Care Services and a dietetics professional for 35 years, Laramee previously was director of food and nutrition services at Northeast Hospital Corp. and general manager for Sodexho Health Care at three hospitals owned by the corporation. She has worked as manager of food and nutrition services at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor at the hospital’s Institute of Health Professions.
During her career, Laramee has held numerous ADA leadership positions, including serving as a member of the House of Delegates and Board of Directors. She received the Massachusetts Distinguished Dietitian of the Year Award in 1989 and ADA’s 1996 Medallion Award for her lifetime of service to the dietetics profession. She is the author and co-author of dozens of publications on food and nutrition. A graduate of Syracuse University, Laramee earned her M.S. degree in clinical nutrition from Boston University.
Food Safety Award presented to FAAN
The National Food Processors Association recently presented its 2004 Food Safety Award to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) in recognition of its commitment to improving the safety of food.
FAAN, a broad-based coalition of consumers who experience food allergies and representatives of the food industry, regulatory agencies, and academia, works to advance awareness and improve safety with respect to food allergies. FAAN also distributes educational books, pamphlets, videos, newsletters, and recipes to schools to help create a safe environment for allergic children and supports families of allergic individuals.
Founded in 1991, FAAN is a world leader in food allergy information and is the key food allergy consumer organization in the United States.
Condie named President and CEO of CRA
The California Restaurant Association (CRA) has promoted Jot Condie to President and Chief Executive Officer. He replaces John D. Dunlap III, who resigned from CRA to expand his career in advocacy and political consulting.
Condie, who is the fifth chief-staff executive in CRA’s 98-year history, joined the organization in 1999 as Vice President of Government Affairs and Public Policy, acting as the restaurant industry’s chief lobbyist in California. He also coordinated the activities of CRA’s Political Action Committee and Issues Political Action Committee.
Women’s Foodservice Forum hires three Directors
The Women’s Foodservice Forum has hired Ellen Moore as Executive Director, Christine Melendes as Operations Director, and Dawn Harris as Marketing Director.
A 22-year veteran in the restaurant and hospitality industries, Moore will oversee the direction of the organization and work with its board of directors on long-range planning. Prior to joining the Women’s Foodservice Forum, she was the director of people services, training, and development for Wood Dale, Ill.–based Sweet Traditions LLC.
Melendes brings more than 10 years of operations and marketing expertise to her new role and will work closely with committees preparing for key events including summer planning meetings, the Forum on Competitive Edge luncheon, and the Annual Leadership Development Conference.
Harris’ responsibilities will include brand management and internal and external marketing for the organization. She most recently served as the marketing and communications consultant for the MultiCultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance and prior to that she was the director of marketing for YWCA of Minneapolis.
by KAREN BANASIAK
Assistant Editor
[email protected]