| Greek yoghurt producer Chobani secures $750 million investment from TPG Chobani said on Wednesday it has received a $750 million investment from private equity firm TPG, in a move that will spare the Greek yogurt company from a serious cash crunch, according to several people familiar with the matter, Reuters says. The New Berlin, New York-based Chobani had run into liquidity issues resulting in part from the opening of its $450 million yogurt manufacturing plant in Idaho, which took longer to ramp up than the company anticipated, the people said. The TPG investment comes with warrants that could give the private equity firm up to a 35 percent stake in Chobani down the line. Founded in 2005 by Turkish immigrant Hamdi Ulukaya, Chobani started operating from a former Kraft Foods yogurt plant in South Edmeston, New York. Its product became one of the top-selling Greek yogurt brands in the United States. Chobani’s 2013 annual revenues exceeded $1 billion. |
| Yakult to space station Yakult which makes a yogurt-like food from fermented milk, said Wednesday that it had reached an agreement with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency under which pots of Yakult are set to boldly go where no Yakult has gone before–the International Space Station. The Tokyo-based company said its goal was to study the effects of so-called probiotic foods in the near gravity-free environment of the space station. In the six-year study, Japanese astronauts will be asked to consume Yakult daily for a month at a time. Stool, saliva and blood samples will be tested to determine the effects on the astronauts’ constitutions. Read more |
| Ölandsmejeriet i bilder Bengt Olsson, Borgholm, har en hemsida med manga bilder från mejeriet i Borgholm. Här är länken |
| Mjölkbranschen lämnar gemensam GMO-policy Mejeri- och husdjursföretagen väljer att lämna den gemensamma policyn om GMO-fritt foder. Det beslutet fattade Mjölkdelegationen idag. LRF Mjölk har gjort en utredning av huruvida den gemensamma policyn om GMO-fritt foder i mjölkproduktionen står i strid med konkurrenslagstiftningen. Utredningen visar att lagens formuleringar om undantag kan tolkas på olika sätt. – Medlemsföretagen har individuellt fått ta ställning till LRF Mjölks utredning. För att vara på den säkra sidan har Mjölkdelegationen av konkurrensrättsliga skäl fattat beslutet att lämna den gemensamma policyn om GMO-fritt foder, säger Gunnar Pleijert, ordförande i Mjölkdelegationen och LRF Mjölk. Arla Sverige, Norrmejerier, Falköping, Gefleorten, Gäsene och Skånemejerier har beslutat om fortsatt GMO-fritt foder till svenska mjölkkor. |
| Mejeriskolen i Odense Danmark – 125 år den 2. maj Den 2. maj kan Mejeriskolen i Odense fejre sit 125 års jubilæum. Der er lagt op til et brag af en fest for medarbejdere, elever, erhvervet, øvrige forretningsforbindelser og i det hele taget alle vennerne af Skandinaviens eneste mejeriskole, skriver UgeNyt. Mejeriskolen blev oprettet 2. maj 1889 og afholdt gennem de første mange år en mejeriuddannelse af tre måneders varighed, længden blev senere udvidet til otte måneder. Uddannelsen er omlagt i flere omgange, bl.a. med EFG-lærlinge- og voksenlærlingeuddannelse. I dag tager mejeristuddannelsen tre år. I runde tal har Mejeriskolen gennem årene uddannet omkring 9.000 mejerister og 1.540 mejeriteknikere/teknologer. Hjemmeside |
The EU Commission launches Milk Market Observatory Klicka här
A new European Milk Market Observatory is being launched on April 16th by European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Cioloş. In light of the end of the milk quota regime on 31 March 2015, the Observatory will strengthen the Commission’s capacity to monitor the dairy market and help the sector adapt to the new environment, after some 30 years under a quota regime. |
| Photopurification can outstrip pasteurization, says SurePure Using its patented Turbulator technology, SurePure systems use UV-C light to purify microbiologically sensitive liquids such as wine, fruit juice and milk. SurePure claims that its technology offers greater microbiological efficacy than conventional UV systems and is effective for both clear and turbid liquids, a world first. SurePure says that they have a far “greener” alternative to comparable heat- or chemical-based processes. It is a low maintenance, non fouling technology that offers significant process and energy savings, the opportunity to develop innovative and differentiated products with desired consumer benefits, guaranteed food safety, and sound commercial benefits. Read more |
| Tetra Pak® net sales grow 3.5% in 2013 Tetra Pak® reports net sales for 2013 of €11.1 billion – up 3.5% from 2012 in comparable terms. “The combination of strong competition and soft economies in many markets around the globe created a tough business environment for Tetra Pak last year,” said Tetra Pak President and CEO Dennis Jönsson. “But despite this, we achieved growth in all areas of our business, with particularly strong performances in Processing Solutions, Capital Equipment and Technical Service.” The company’s Packaging Solutions business reported net sales for the year of €9.6 billion, with packaging material volumes rising 3% compared with 2012, as the company delivered more than 178 billion packs to customers worldwide. Sales within Processing Solutions reached €1.5 billion in 2013, up 16% year-on-year, with solid growth in all markets. Excluding acquisitions, growth was 13%, reflecting a healthy increase in Technical Sales and Service, which climbed 15% year-on-year, and solid gains in new equipment sales to the beverage and prepared food categories, up 19% and 15% respectively. |
| Lindahls vill bli det självklara valet bland kvarg för alla som tränar För drygt ett år sedan började Lindahls Mejeri sälja kvarg. Nu ska produkten lanseras bredare genom en kampanj skapad av Karlstadsbyrån Ord & Bild, som nyligen inlett samarbete med kunden, skriver Dagens Media på webben. På kampanjsajten världensstarkaste.se kan man logga in med sitt Runkeeperkonto och se hur mycket kvarg man gjort sig förtjänt av. Ju mer man tränar, desto mer gratis kvarg får man. För att ytterligare stärka varumärket inleder Lindahls Mejeri ett sponsorsamarbete med Sara Nyberg, nybliven svensk mästarinna i armbrytning, som ska blogga om sin väg till VM i höst. Enligt Lindahls Mejeri har företagets marknadsandel gått från 28 till 45 procent sedan de inledde samarbetet med Ord & Bild. |
| Norwegian juice Biola with Valio Gefilus In spring 2012, TINE decided to extend its Biola brand into a new market characterised by consumers looking for functional benefits with their juices. Brands in the Norway juice market otherwise compete on either price or premium. Launched in February 2014, we’re offering a new juice product, the first of its kind in Norway with functional effects. It’s a good fit with the Biola brand overall, Ms Agarwal Brand Manager explains. TINE looked to its long-time technology partner Valio for the key ingredient, the world’s most researched lactic acid bacteria LGG®. Valio Gefilus® juices have been selling well for many years and it struck us as an interesting concept, especially for consumers in Norway who want the health effect but would prefer to get it from a juice rather than a fermented milk product, or are lactose intolerant or simply don’t enjoy milk, says Steinar Evavold, Senior Advisor TINE R&D. The probiotic bacteria are delivered to us in a suitable form and added to the pasteurised juices prior to filling. Valio also supplies the appropriate technology, experience and know-how to produce a juice with excellent taste and quality, Mr Evavold explains. The products are manufactured at TINE’s Oslo plant. |
| Russia bans Ukrainian dairy imports from six companies Russia’s consumer protection agency said on Monday it had suspended imports from six Ukrainian dairy producers, the latest sign of worsening trade relations between the two countries since Russia annexed Crimea, says Reuters. The ban follows similar moves from Ukraine, which last week temporarily suspended seven Russian food companies from selling products on Ukrainian territory, part of worsening economic relations since Ukraine’s new leaders signalled they would press for closer ties with the West. Read more |
| Uppsägningar hos Arla Skövde 85 anställda vid Arlas mejeri i Skövde kommer att sägas upp, det står nu klart när mejeriet flyttar till Falkenberg, säger Sveriges Radio på webben. Det var i höstas som Arla meddelade att beslutat att lägga ned Skövdemejeriet och flytta kesotillverkningen till Falkenberg. Under maj-juni startar rekryteringen av personal till Falkenberg. Arla räknar med mellan 30 och 40 nya jobb i Halland mot slutet av året. När Skövde stänger kesotillverkningen 2015 planeras det för ytterligare 30-40 tjänster i Falkenberg. I Arlas omstrukturering ingår även att lägga ned mejeriet i Göteborg. De som jobbar i Göteborg och Skövde kommer inte automatiskt att erbjudas jobb i Falkenberg. Däremot kommer de att ha förtur till jobben om de stämmer in på mejeriets kompetensbeskrivning för de aktuella tjänsterna. Totalt arbetar 90 personer vid mejeriet i Skövde som kommer att göra sin sista arbetsdag den 31 december 2015. Läs mer |
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| Ny Arlafusion De två bondeägda mejeriföreningarna Eupener Genossenschaftsmolkerei Walhorn (EGM Walhorn) och Arla Foods amba vill fusionera. Styrelserna i de båda föreningarna har i dagarna skickat ut ett förslag om detta till ägarna. I maj ska bönder i både Arla och Walhorn rösta om förslaget. De båda kooperativen ägs av mjölkbönder i flera länder. Arla har cirka 12 600 ägare i Sverige, Danmark, Tyskland, Storbritannien, Belgien och Luxemburg. EGM Walhorn har cirka 800 medlemmar i Belgien, Tyskland och Nederländerna. |
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| Danone Could Buy Mead Johnson if its Medical Nutrition Unit is Sold Danone has been previously reported as working with JP Morgan Chase & Co. on a potential sale of its medical nutrition unit. A price tag of more than USD 5 billion is possible for the medical nutrition unit, Credit Suisse analyst Alex Molloy told Bloomberg. Shedding this unit could also help Danone finance a purchase of Mead Johnson with a view to break Nestle’s lock on the infant nutrition industry. ”Having missed out on Wyeth, Mead Johnson represents one of the few remaining opportunities for Danone to challenge Nestle for global leadership of the infant nutrition category”, said Molloy. Such a deal would give Danone more of a presence in the U.S. baby-food market and bolster its position in China. The acquisition of Mead Johnson, whose shares have almost tripled in the past five years, would however be expensive and could require equity financing, added Molloy. Jefferies analyst Alex Howson estimates the purchase price tag for Mead Johnson at about EUR 15 billion. Source: FLEXNEWS |
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| US Dairy Farmers Urge Congress to Reject New Legislation Allowing Interstate Sales of Unpasteurized Milk The nation’s dairy farmers and dairy companies has expressed their opposition to new legislation in Congress that would allow the interstate sales of raw milk, saying that any additional availability of the product will increase the number of sicknesses and deaths of people who consume it. The International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation said that “the risks inherent in raw dairy products are not worth any imagined benefits to either consumers or producers of unpasteurized milk products. Raw milk skips the pasteurization safety process, and this is playing Russian roulette with the health of too many Americans – including many of our children.” Read more |
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| Russian workers bathing in milk closed dairy A Siberian dairy plant was temporarily closed after its workers had been found bathing in milk, a Russian consumer oversight agency reported. Trade House Cheeses, a dairy producer in Omsk, about 1,600 miles east of Moscow, was closed for 90 days by regional authorities for an urgent inspection after complaints resulting from photographs and a video posted by one of its employees on a Russian social network. In the photographs and video clips posted on New Year’s Eve by worker Artyom Romanov, a group of undressed employees relax in a container of milk as part of their celebration. While still partly undressed, they then demonstrate cheese making in a clownish manner. Read more |