78 start-ups to meet at Future Food-Tech San Francisco

4
78 featured start-ups trailblazing their way in the field of food-tech will present ground-breaking solutions live at Future Food-Tech in San Francisco on March 16-17. The summit has become a global hub, connecting 1500 international food brands, ingredient providers, investors, start-ups and technology leaders, and digging deep into the most critical issues facing the food industry now and in the future. Callum Alexander-Lindsay, Start-Up Partnerships Manager across the Future Food-Tech series, comments: “With rising food prices, insufficient access to nutritious foods, climate change, and consumer adoption of alternatives to farm-based meats, our food system is in need of innovative solutions at scale. This is why it is so hope-inspiring to bring this dynamic group of start-ups together in San Francisco; we have the changemakers needed to solve the challenges for a more sustainable and healthier food system.” START-UP ARENA NEW for 2023, the Start-Up Arena will showcase even more ground-breaking innovator action, with a dedicated pitching stage, start-up exhibition, and investor lounge. · Ani Biome is an age tech start-up offering a personalized approach to metabolic health and longevity through gut health. · Arkeon turns CO2 into functional, carbon-negative protein ingredients for food. · Bactolife is an industrial biotech company in the field of gut microbiome health in the food and feed industry. · Biolumen is the only GRAS approved natural material able to decrease sugar, carbohydrate and fat adsorption while feeding the microbiota and increasing healthy short chain fatty acids. · Cellva painlessly collects animal tissue, using the cells with the highest nutritional performance as a source for application in nutrient solutions for cell culture. · Clean Crop Technologies’ novel cold plasma technology uses electricity to remove contaminants and boost seed and food performance, increasing yields, improving food safety, and reducing food waste. · Clear Meat is India’s first ISO certified cell based meat initiative organization. · Edge has developed cell factories capable of self-supplying and reliably producing the most expensive inputs in cultivated meat production – the growth factors. · Ergo Bioscience is a biotech-based startup focused on the production of complex animal proteins by Plant Cell Precision Fermentation. · Filtricine is a clinical stage biotechnology company that develops food to treat cancer and metabolic diseases. · Forte Protein uses molecular farming and its proprietary replicating technology platform to produce non-GMO animal proteins for alternative meat, dairy and seafood products. · Hyfé Foods enables regional production of low cost, alternative protein that is shielded from supply chain disruptions and resilient to climate change. · ImpacFat develops omega-3 rich cell-based fish fat as a novel ingredient to supplement plant-based products and improve the taste, texture, aroma and nutrition. · Index uses baker’s yeast to create agricultural supply chains that are measurable, verifiable and sustainable. · Kyomei is a molecular farming company engineering optimal crop species to express valuable protein ingredients and molecules at low cost. · LiVA extends fresh produce shelf-life by more than 100% during logistics, using a pre-biotic blend to reduce microbial spoilage naturally and safely, while preserving great flavor. · Liven Proteins creates sustainable, animal-free and functional ingredients, manufactured through upcycling and precision fermentation. · Lypid is creating a line of fats made from vegan oils that can be tuned to precise textures and melting points. · MAOLAC combines proteomics & bioinformatics to create precision proteins inspired by breast milk that enable impact nutrition. · Mewery is the first European cell-based food tech start-up developing cultivated pork on a microalgae base. · Michroma creates fungal biofactories to produce natural ingredients using cutting-edge synbio and precision fermentation technology. · Micro Meat’s cell encapsulation technology improves product yields, decreases production costs and creates product consistency for cultivated meat producers. · Mimio Health is a nutritechnology company creating cutting-edge biomimetic supplements designed from human biology to recreate our bodies’ innate regenerative systems. · Miruku is applying its molecular farming process to program climate resilient crops to be mini factories for producing proteins and other molecules traditionally made by animals. · MOA Foodtech combines biotechnology and artificial intelligence to transform waste and by-products of the agri-food industry into a ”next generation protein.” · The Mushroom Meat Co. transforms gourmet mushrooms and upcycled plant proteins into mushroom-based meats and whole-food ingredients. · NoPalm Ingredients produces oils and fats by fermenting agri-food sidestreams to provide an alternative to the use of palm and other tropical oils in food, cosmetics and detergents. · nth Bio by Perfect Day offers enterprise biology services to allow its partners to grow their projects from beginning to end. · Rainfed uses its unique proprietary technology platform to create nutritionally dense ingredients and clean label solutions for alternative proteins. INNOVATION PARTNER COHORTS Meet leading accelerators and incubators from around the world on booths in the Start-Up Arena, as they introduce their start-up cohorts with fresh solutions and case studies: Fresh Start, a food-tech incubator investing in early-stage Israeli food-tech companies introduces its cohort to San Francisco: · Blue Tree enables the production of natural beverages with reduced sugar content. · Eggmented Reality uses its bioinformatics and precision-fermentation technology platform to identify and produce improved protein functionality over industry alternatives. · Sea 2 Cell is developing a ground-breaking GF technology and proprietary cell lines for the commercial scale manufacturing of its cultivated fish products. Natural Products Canada helps Canadian early-stage companies and researchers bring their sustainable solutions to life. Accompanying NPC to the summit are: · Cell Ag Tech grows cells to make seafood, instead of catching and growing whole fish. · Crush Dynamics is focused on transformation of grape derivatives and other agricultural side streams using patent-pending targeted fermentation into high performance food ingredients. · Genuine Taste supplies alternative meat companies with customizable fat. · Konscious Foods develops dishes with no GMOs, clean label, and short ingredient lists. · New School Foods creates whole-cut seafood, made from plants. · Opalia is developing technology to make milk with mammary cells. ProVeg Incubator is an incubator for plant-based, fermentation, and cultured-food startups. Meet its cohort in San Francisco: · Bosque Foods rapidly grows mycelium in a matter of days using food-safe and edible strains, through its unique biomass fermentation process. · Cultimate creates a game-changing alternative fat ingredient that brings the authentic meaty taste and texture to plant-based meat products. · Cultivated Biosciences is developing an ingredient from GMO-free yeast, which offers the creaminess needed for plant-based dairy to appeal to flexitarian consumers. · Fotortec is a biotech company dedicated to sustainable protein production. Plug and Play connects entrepreneurs, corporations, and investors worldwide on its global innovation platform. Meet the following start-ups from its cohort: · New Wave Foods is a developer of plant-based seafood products. · Oobli is the first end-to-end technology platform and consumer products company to leverage through precision fermentation to unlock the power of sweet plant proteins in foods. · Aanika Biosciences leverages the power of biology to develop tools that enhance traceability and safety within the food system. · Journey Foods is an AI-powered portfolio management software for food and beverage companies. ON THE MAIN STAGE Look out for these pioneering start-ups and scale-ups joining the main stage discussions and presentations! · SuperMeat grows high quality meat directly from animal cells. · Perfect Day uses precision fermentation to create animal-free milk protein. · Onego Bio produces egg white without chickens, using precision fermentation. · Umiami is a tech company developing a unique and proprietary technology to texturize plant proteins. · New Culture combines traditional cheesemaking methods with modern fermentation technology to make animal-free dairy products that stretch, melt, and taste like the real deal. · Arborea is unlocking the potential of photosynthesis, its technology facilitating the growth of microscopic plants to produce nutritional ingredients and proteins. · Sundial Foods’ proprietary technology turns eight clean ingredients into whole cuts of plant-based meat complete with skin, meat, and bone. · The EVERY Company engineers, manufactures and formulates animal-free, animal proteins as ingredients for the global food and beverage industry. · Nulixir develops, manufactures, and licenses encapsulated functional ingredients with its patented Nutrition Precision Technology to other F&B businesses. · Helaina is the first company to bring the immunity properties of breast milk to food for all stages of life – bridging the gap between food and medicine. · Sun Genomics aims to change the way probiotics are chosen, by making the best custom formulated probiotics. · Mush Foods is growing the next generation of great-tasting, sustainable protein using mushroom mycelium as an ingredient for food companies and the foodservice industry. · Upside Foods cultivates meat from animal cells. It is the first company in the world to receive U.S. FDA approval for cultivated meat. · AI Palette’s platform collects millions of data points from various sources such as social media, searches and user-generated content to provide deep insights into consumer needs. · Epogee strives to improve the health of society by dramatically reducing calories in food and no tradeoffs with taste or texture. · COMET is an award-winning food ingredients company with the IP and expertise needed to perfect nature’s best fiber, arabinoxylan, an FDA-recognized fiber with superior tolerance in the gut and clinically proven health benefits. · ProFuse Technology develops supplements for cultivated meat media that reduces the cultivated meat cost by 40%, by increasing the produced meat mass and shortening the production time. · Finless Foods creates delicious, healthy, and accessible cell-cultured and plant-based seafood alternatives, offering options for all palates and dietary preferences. · Wildtype is pioneering cellular agriculture to grow delicious cuts of seafood, starting with sushi-grade salmon. · Cana Technology is building the world’s first molecular beverage printer to bring the beverage aisle to your countertop. SHOWCASING THE FUTURE OF FOOD-TECH Listen in to the hottest innovators in the future food-tech space as they pitch their solutions to judges from ICL Planet and Rabobank – followed by Q&A to delve deeper into their products, strategies, and visions for the future: · Optimized Foods harnesses its proprietary mycelium scaffold and cell biology to create cell-cultured caviar. · Ummino’s patented technology unlocks natural compounds to optimize taste & nutrition and transform commodity ingredients into high value functional foods delivering gut health. · Cauldron Production uses hyper-fermentation to unlock an alternative manufacturing capability for food, feed and fibre. STEP UP TO THE PLATE: WHOLE CUTS & ALT-SEAFOOD Brands showcase their innovative technologies, cooking their whole cut and alt-seafood products live on stage. While you watching the experts cook, hear directly from the innovators about how these delicious products are formulated, how best to cook them, and more about their taste and nutritional profiles: · Demolish Foods is creating whole-cut plant meats. · Novameat is developing no-compromise plant-based whole-cuts that are delicious, nutritious and mimic the texture of animal meat. · Current Foods uses biotechnology to create next generation plant-based seafood. INNOVATION CHALLENGE FINAL Watch as the three finalists for the Kraft Heinz Innovation Challenge present their solutions to ‘Unleash the Power of Tomatoes from Seed to Shelf’, before the Kraft Heinz judges choose their winner: · Kuvu Bio Solutions is a biological herbicide technology platform. · Green Spot Technologies has developed a fermentation platform that allows the production of the first range of fermented & upcycled flours. · ANiNA creates unique ready-to-cook vegan meal pods: 100% natural, rich in vegetables & nutrients, easy to cook, and made from fresh, delicious, and nutritious ugly produce which is molded to create the beautiful, edible pod. BREAKOUTS AND TASTE LABS Throughout the two days, in addition to plenary sessions, you can have your say in small group breakout discussions or try novel foods and meet the founders in the Taste Lab: · Aqua Cultured Foods is on a mission to offer nutrient-rich foods in the form of fungi-based seafood alternatives, creating the first “whole cut” fermentation-derived seafood alternative. · The Supplant Company turns renewable resources and sidestreams into ingredient replacements, and building an ingredient platform. · Trendi is a robotics company that helps the farm and food industry rescue misfit and unused food to be upcycled into shelf-stable ingredients. Start-ups COMET, Mush Foods and Umiami mentioned earlier in the article will also run Taste Labs. Join all these featured start-ups and many more among the delegate audience at Future Food-Tech San Francisco on March 16-17, to spotlight the new technologies and partnerships that are strengthening sustainable and nutritious food systems. See the full program at http://www.futurefoodtechsf.com/agenda and register now at www.futurefoodtechsf.com/register.

Future Food-Tech reveals the Kraft Heinz Innovation Challenge finalists

0
The Kraft Heinz Company joined forces with Future Food-Tech San Francisco to search for innovative solutions from start-ups to unleash the power of tomatoes, delivering on taste, sustainability, nutrition, convenience and/or affordability. Out of 176 entries submitted from all over the world, three finalists have been selected by the Kraft Heinz judges. They will pitch live on stage to the global summit audience of food brands, corporates and investors, before the winner is revealed. Speaking about the quality of the entries, Maxine Roman, New Ventures & Disruptive R&D at KRAFT HEINZ, said: “Our team received a tremendous amount of diverse and creative proposals spanning from agriculture to ingredient innovation to new products. The ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the submissions was incredibly impressive. Choosing finalists was no easy task, and the three finalists stand out due to their creative solutions from across the tomato value chain.” Kuvu Bio Solutions, launched in 2023, is a biological herbicide technology platform. Built on one of the world’s first commercialized bioherbicides, its award-winning innovation is supported by World Food Program, Milken-Motsepe Prize for Agritech, USAID Feed-the-Future Innovation Lab, and UNDP. Kuvu brings its technology to the US, to improve yield while tackling herbicide-resistant weeds and reducing pesticide-related green-house gas emissions. The frontrunner bioherbicide innovation is expected to gain significant traction in the $35 billion weed management industry. Green Spot Technologies’ industrial fermentation platform allows production of the first range of fermented and upcycled flours created from side-streams or by-products (peels, pulps, brans) of fruits, cereals and vegetables. These flours have many advantages, from enhanced nutriscore and fiber enrichment, to simplification of ingredients lists for clean labelling, and above all, reduction of the CO2 footprint of our food. The process consumes little resources (energy, water, surface) compared to similar ingredients, and is a zero-waste process. Green Spot Technologies’ industrial demonstration plant in the South of France is now operational from Feb 2023 to support its commercialization phase. ANiNA is an innovative food-tech start-up that creates unique ready-to-cook vegan meal pods using delicious ‘ugly’ produce that otherwise would be rejected as waste. Designed by designers, the pods are 100% natural, rich in nutrients, and easy to cook. Using a fusion of innovative technology, expertise in design and knowledge in culinary arts, ANINA has created an entirely new eating experience packed in an edible pod. With a cup of water and a few minutes of heating, Anina’s magical pods open up like a flower, transforming into a meal that’s bursting with flavor, texture and nutritional goodness. THE FINAL Over 1500 delegates at the Future Food-Tech summit in San Francisco will watch the start-ups make their final pitches to the judges, before seeing the winner crowned shortly afterwards. That winning start-up will benefit from bespoke growth opportunities, including coaching and expertise from Kraft Heinz North America such as technical, regulatory, innovation, marketing, scale up and distribution guidance, with access to Kraft Heinz facilities for on-site support. For full information about the Kraft Heinz Innovation Challenge at Future Food-Tech San Francisco on March 16-17, plus the full summit program and delegate registration, visit www.futurefoodtechsf.com/innovation-challenge.

Farmer Focus to expand processing capabilities with $3.6m USDA grant

0
Farmer Focus, the chicken company, has been awarded a $3.6 million grant as part of the second round of the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP). The grant will support a $17.8 million expansion of Farmer Focus’ existing organic chicken processing facility (Liberty) in Harrisonburg, VA. By almost doubling processing capacity over the next two years, this investment will enable Farmer Focus to welcome more family farmers into its farming family and create more than 300 new jobs for residents of the city of Harrisonburg and broader Rockingham County. The USDA’s second round of MPPEP investment of $59 million, which the Farmer Focus grant is part of, was announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack during a visit to Farmer Focus’ Harrisonburg, VA headquarters. During the visit, Secretary Vilsack was joined by USDA Deputy Secretary Jewel Bronaugh; U.S. Senator Tim Kaine; Brian Shull, Director of Economic Development for the City of Harrisonburg; Corwin Heatwole, CEO of Farmer Focus; and Stephen Shepard, President and COO of Farmer Focus. After a tour of the company’s newest 78,000 square-foot state-of-the-art packaging facility (Acorn), the group was joined by Farmer Focus Farming Partners Jules Maloney-Smith of River’s Edge Farm and Peyton Fravel of Peyton Fravel Farm to discuss the impact of the MPPEP grant and ways to create a more sustainable, equitable and resilient meat supply chain. “The programs and money the Biden-Harris administration is committing can make a huge difference in providing opportunities to independent processors like Farmer Focus so we can build a more competitive meat industry and strong generational family farms while providing our consumers with the highest quality organic and humane certified chicken,” said Corwin Heatwole, founding farmer and Chief Executive Officer of Farmer Focus. “Just a little over a year ago, I was invited to a White House Round Table where I had the unique opportunity to share my thoughts directly with President Biden and Secretary Vilsack on ways to increase competition within the meat industry. The MPPEP proves that our leaders in Washington are listening closely to the farming community, and are following through on their commitment to improve the lives and livelihood of America’s farmers and the resiliency of our food system.” The USDA MPPEP is part of a series of financial assistance tools created to support the Biden-Harris Administration’s Action Plan for a Fairer, More Competitive, and More Resilient Meat and Poultry Supply Chain, which dedicates resources to expand independent processing capacity. As President Biden highlighted earlier this year, creating fairer markets and more opportunities for family farmers helps lower prices at the grocery store. The MPPEP grants are designed to give independent farmers a fair chance to compete in the marketplace. The MPPEP’s aim is to increase meat and poultry processing capacity, expand market opportunities for farmers, and create jobs in rural areas, which in turn encourages competition and supports producer income. The result is a resilient food supply chain that lowers costs for working families creating jobs and economic opportunities in rural areas. “Thank you to Farmer Focus for hosting yesterday’s event with officials at Shenandoah Valley Organic and for your partnership in advancing a sustainable future for American agriculture and creating economic opportunity in the region,” said Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. “The Biden-Harris Administration and USDA are taking action to advance a sustainable vision of agriculture that prioritizes the needs of our resilient producers and small businesses, strengthens our food supply chain and brings value back to rural people and places. “Through investments like this one, USDA will continue to work tirelessly to give farmers and ranchers a fair chance to compete in the marketplace, which in turn helps lower food costs for the American people.”

Sucro Sourcing to build Canada’s largest sugar refinery

0
Sucro Can Sourcing LLC, a rapidly growing integrated sugar refiner, has revealed plans to build Canada’s largest sugar refinery in southern Ontario, with an expected annual refining capacity of 1 million metric tonnes, for an estimated cost of $100 million. Sucro’s mission is to be the leading alternative integrated sugar supplier in North America, leveraging its refining footprint and supply chain innovations to fully service sugar users. “Sucro is demonstrating supply chain innovation and a willingness to invest in new refining capacity in both Canada and the United States. We have been strongly supported by our extremely loyal and growing customer base,” says Jonathan Taylor, founder and CEO of Sucro Sourcing. “The sugar markets in both Canada and the United States are experiencing steady, long term, sustainable growth, and Sucro is investing to supply these growing market demands.” “Despite the steady market growth, overall refining capacity in both Canada and the United States has been stagnant for years,” says Mr. Taylor. “In particular, the demand for sugar in the Ontario market is growing at what we believe is the fastest rate in North America. We also believe a modern, new refinery in Ontario will be very well placed to service any potential market demand for refined sugar in the US market, and fully utilize Sucro’s highly integrated supply chain already in place to service customers in the US market.” Sucro chairman, Don Hill, adds: “Jonathan Taylor’s vision and commitment to innovation, reinvestment and growth has never wavered since his founding of Sucro in 2014. It is what sets Sucro apart in the North American refining industry, and the reason why we receive growing customer support and long term commitment. Our customers appreciate Sucro’s dedicated focus to sugar, and the added supply chain options we have created.” The new refinery is expected to open in 2025.

Kite Packaging adds Palomat Greenline to product range

0
Pallet magazine and dispenser Palomat Greenline offers an automated solution for managing pallet flow and organisation in warehouses and storage facilities. The system replaces human pallet handling with automated stacking and destacking using a series of photo sensors for detection and a function panel for operation. Operators must feed pallets into the Palomat individually using a pallet truck, electric stacker or forklift at ground level. The Palomat then creates stacks no more than fifteen units high and these can be removed for storage. To dispense, operators must similarly insert a stack into the machine and remove each unit individually. By creating bigger stacks, less room is taken up by pallets that are not in use, allowing for more economical use of the available warehouse or storage space. This system reduces the cost of replacing damaged pallets as well as lowering handling time per pallet, increasing the efficiency of pallet flows. It protects employees from risks commonly associated with bending and heavy lifting, increasing workplace safety and leading to fewer absences. The Palomat Greenline is a plug-and-play system ready for immediate use. To learn more about the products and services available at Kite Packaging, please visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk.

Sainsbury’s swaps traditional plastic trays across beef mince range for vacuum-packed alternative

0
Sainsbury’s is swapping traditional, plastic tray packaging for a new vacuum-packed alternative across its beef mince range, saving 450 tonnes of plastic annually. The new packaging will result in a minimum 55% reduction in plastic per product. The beef mince products will be vacuum-packed for freshness by removing all oxygen which typically causes a product to eventually spoil. The new packaging will contain the same amount of beef mince, but is smaller in size, helping customers to use their freezer and fridge space more efficiently by taking up less space. The move is the latest in a string of changes made by the retailer in a bid to halve its use of own-brand plastic packaging by 2025. Sainsbury’s was the first UK supermarket to remove plastic bags for loose fruit, vegetables and bakery items from all stores, as well as the first to remove all black plastic from chilled ready meals in 2019. More recently, Sainsbury’s announced the removal of single-use plastic lids across its own-brand yoghurt, crème fraiche, sour cream, cream, cottage cheese, custard and dip pots, saving 71 million pieces of plastic per year. Whilst back in September, Sainsbury’s also made its own-brand coffee pod range fully recyclable. Claire Hughes, director of Product and Innovation at Sainsbury’s, says: “We know how environmentally conscious our customers are and we’re constantly looking for new ways to innovate to achieve our goals. We strive to be bold in the changes we are making, which is why we’re pleased to be the first UK retailer to vacuum pack all our beef mince range. “We know it’s important that we offer customers the same great value and quality products whilst also doing everything we can to reduce plastic packaging. This is the latest in a long line of changes we have pioneered in the space, and customers can expect much more to come from Sainsbury’s.”

HUL to sell Annapurna and Captain Cook brands

0
Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) has signed an agreement for the sale of its atta and salt business carried out under the brands ‘Annapurna’ and ‘Captain Cook’. The brands are being sold to Uma Global Foods and Uma Consumer Products, which are subsidiaries of Reactivate Brands International, a Singapore-headquartered company and an affiliate of CSAW. CSAW is focused on acquiring and scaling up food brands to promote affordable wellness. HUL’s decision to divest is in line with a stated intent of exiting non-core categories while continuing to drive its growth agenda in the packaged foods business of dressings, scratch cooking and soups. The deal envisages the transfer of trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual properties associated with India and several other geographies. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, and HUL will continue to manage the business until the completion of the transaction. Sanjiv Mehta, CEO & Managing Director of HUL, said: “Launched more than two decades ago, Annapurna and Captain Cook enjoy strong equity. Given our strategic priorities and portfolio choices, we believe it is in the business’s best interest to sell these brands to Reactivate Brands International, which is well-positioned to unlock their full potential.” Ashok Vasudevan, co-founder of Uma Global Foods, said: “We are delighted to bring Annapurna and Captain Cook into our portfolio. Both these brands have a long history of providing high-quality food products to Indian consumers. We are confident of scaling them up and expanding globally, leveraging founders’ experience. These brands fit well with our mission to promote affordable wellness.”

Tyson Foods to acquire Williams Sausage Company

Tyson Foods has signed an agreement to acquire Williams Sausage Company. Williams Sausage Company employs approximately 500 team members and provides fresh and fully cooked sausage, bacon, and sandwiches to retail and foodservice customers. “The addition of Williams Sausage Company aligns with our strategic intent of expanding our capacity to serve our customers,” said Stewart Glendinning, group president, Prepared Foods for Tyson Foods. “We also look forward to welcoming Williams’ dedicated team members to the Tyson Foods family.” “The Williams Family has been very blessed for the last 65 years by dedicated team members, great customers, and fantastic suppliers that have allowed us to build a quality food company,” said Williams Sausage Company president and CEO Roger Williams. “There are not many companies to which we could entrust what we have built, and we are very pleased that in Tyson Foods we have found that partner who understands the heritage and culture of our family business and will be able to take it to the next level. We believe this to be a very positive move for our family and our team members that will ensure the future of all stakeholders.” Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, and the transaction is still subject to approval by U.S. regulators.

Nulogy hails collaborative success of Packaging Innovations

0
Contract packing software specialist, Nulogy, celebrated the success of the Packaging Innovations show held at the NEC, with significant interest from its co-pack, 3PL and FMCG customers. Nulogy saw a large number of visitors to its stand, along with five of its customers, CEVA Logistics, Glowcroft, Kinaxia Logistics, Marsden Packaging and GXO who similarly enjoyed a very busy show. Collaboration was a core theme for visitors, and with the current headwinds faced by the wider economy, many businesses are now seeing the value provided by digitalisation. Josephine Coombe, Managing Director of Nulogy Europe said; “We are delighted with the success of Packaging Innovations in helping promote how organisations are leveraging our technology to enhance agility and responsiveness in their co-pack and value-added service operations. “Our customers can attest that the best contract packers run the best co-pack software with Nulogy! This year’s show was the perfect opportunity to continue partnerships and expand our reach.”  

Linas Agro Group invests €‎32 million in instant foods plant

0
AB Kauno Grūdai, an AB Linas Agro Group subsidiary, plans to invest EUR 32 million in expanding its instant foods plant in Alytus. It is expected that the Group’s instant foodproduction will almost double. The new capacity is planned to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2024, with an additional 250 to 300 employees. In 2022, Kauno Grūdai produced and sold almost 255 million units of instant products. The planned capacity of the new production unit is 240 million units per year, including 120 million units of instant noodles and porridge in cups and 120 million units of instant noodles in packets. “At the end of July, we announced plans to launch an instant foods plant in Kaišiadorys after reconstructing the former slaughterhouse of the Kaišiadorys poultry farm, at an investment of EUR 6.5 million. However, we see that the market demand for instant foods is much higher, so we have decided to expand immediately, increasing the expected production capacity and investment size. This investment is one of the stages of implementing our strategy to expand our business related to food production and processing of agricultural raw materials,” said Mažvydas Šileika, chief financial officer of AB Linas Agro Group. AB Kauno Grūdai has two plants producing instant food – Kėdainiai and Alytus. The Kėdainiai plant, operating since 2011, annually produces and sells 105 million packets of instant noodles and 40 million cups of instant porridge. The plant in Alytus has been in operation since 2019 and currently makes around 120 million cups of instant noodles annually. A new plant of approximately 11,000 square meters will be built next to it. Kauno Grūdai will lease the land for the new plant from the State. “We are at 100% capacity, and the market for instant products is growing, so we need to make the most of the opportunities as soon as possible. We will be building a second plant next to the existing one, but twice as big – production in Alytus will triple. We chose Alytus because of better prospects, more convenient management, and work organization: a team of highly qualified specialists has been working here successfully for several years; we will not have to rebuild it in another city, and everything will be faster and more convenient,” Andrius Pranckevičius, deputy chairman of the Board of Linas Agro Group and the CEO of AB Kauno Grudai, explains the motives for the decision to move the investment to another city. More than 96% of the Group’s instant products are exported. The main export markets are the UK, the Scandinavian countries, and Southern and Western Europe.