This week in industry news, the Kraft Heinz Company partnered with agri-food tech accelerator StartLife to tap into start-up innovations. ADM is meeting the accelerated demand for textured soy proteins, and Bunge agreed to sell its oilseed processing business in Russia. Meanwhile, Mane Kancor partnered with Natures Spices to launch a venture, and a large-scale sustainable rice project in Vietnam is expected to improve the incomes of farmers in the country.

In brief: Business moves
Kraft Heinz and StartLife have announced their collaboration at the Future Food Tech event in London this week. Although Kraft Heinz already works with start-ups through various platforms, the partnership marks the first time the company has collaborated with an accelerator program. 

The opening of ADM’s extrusion facility in Serbia comes less than a year after the company acquired SojaProtein, a European provider of non-GMO soy ingredients. The facility will further expand ADM’s ADM’s facility will produce non-GMO soy proteins, a highly sought-after assertion not only in Europe but worldwide.footprint in Europe, extending its production of non-GMO textured soy to include vital origination and extrusion capabilities. The facility is set up to produce non-GMO soy proteins, a highly sought-after assertion not only in Europe but worldwide. ADM will offer both origination and extrusion capabilities, extending the high-quality, non-GMO solutions currently available from ADM’s acquisition of SojaProtein. This is made possible because 90% of the soy sourced is grown within 100 kilometers of the facility, enabling a local supply chain.

Bunge has agreed to sell its oilseed processing business in Russia to Karen Vanetsyan, the controlling shareholder of Exoil Group. The sale includes the sunflower processing plant in Voronezh. The completion of the sale is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval. 

Mane Kancor’s latest enterprise, Mane Kancor Spices, works in the space of ground cracked and milled spices and seasoning blends. Natures Spices currently processes about 3,000 metric tons of spices and seasoning blends in various forms. With this move, Mane Kancor sets out to strengthen the ‘farm to fork’ service offered by its company by bringing processed spices and seasonings into the value chain. The venture also has the capability of private label packing operations and currently serves a few prominent retail brands in India. 

Marinova is commencing a US$5 million expansion to its state-of-the-art advanced manufacturing facility in Tasmania, Australia. The company is a producer of fucoidan – a bioactive compound found naturally in brown seaweeds. The Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative supports the expansion of Marinova’s fucoidan extraction facility. The initiative provides businesses with funding to support projects that translate high-quality research into commercial outcomes and helps companies to adopt new technologies and improve their manufacturing processes.

In brief: NPD
SternVitamin has developed four new micronutrient premixes that address different nutrition needs. Innova Market Insights data reveals that sports nutrition fortified with vitamins and minerals showed an average growth of 32% over the past five years. Instant powders are the most popular format, followed by sports drinks and bars. The new premix solutions by SternVitamin are developed for drink powders and can be adapted to any application. According to SternVitamin, the most used micronutrient in sports nutrition, is vitamin B6, which is essential for energy-yielding metabolism. The activeThe premix solutions by SternVitamin are developed for drink powders and can be adapted to any application. form of this B vitamin, pyridoxal phosphate, plays a vital role in the functioning of the heart, immune system, nervous system and psyche. SternVitamin combines this micronutrient with further functional ingredients like amino acids, plant extracts, and seleced vitamins and minerals to address exercise-related needs.

In brief: Sustainability efforts
Around 10,000 smallholder farmers have significantly improved rice farming practices and quality as part of the Market Oriented Smallholder Value Chain (MSVC) program. Established in 2018, MSVC is a multi-stakeholder initiative between Olam Agri, German development cooperation Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, and Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. This program produces up to 150,000 metric tons of rice that meet international standards, creating new growth opportunities for Vietnam’s exports to markets such as the EU and the US. 

In brief: Other highlights
RedLeaf Biologics, an agricultural technology company focused on producing high-value botanical extracts from red sorghum biomass, has received SQF Level II certification for its manufacturing facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, US. The SQF Program is administered by FMI, The Food Industry Association in the US.