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ADM to Acquire UK’s FDL, Wisconsin’s Revela Foods

ADM, a global leader in human and animal nutrition, has reached an agreement to acquire UK-based FDL, a leading developer and producer of premium flavor and functional ingredient systems. ADM also is adding to its flavors capabilities with an agreement to acquire Revela Foods, a Wisconsin-based developer and manufacturer of innovative dairy flavor ingredients and solutions.

FDL, with projected 2023 sales of approximately $120 million, operates three production facilities and two customer innovation centers, all in the United Kingdom. The company’s approximately 235 colleagues, which include about 40 dedicated innovation specialists, have created more than 10,000 proprietary flavor formulations that enable accelerated speed to market. FDL’s customers span channels, and include a significant presence in the $900 billion European foodservice segment.

“Our ongoing investments to add to our flavors portfolio are helping power our strategic work to build a global leader in Nutrition,” said Calvin McEvoy, ADM’s president of global flavors. “FDL’s innovative and agile formulation knowledge, deep end-use applications expertise, and strong customer base make them a great addition to ADM’s global flavor capabilities. We are incredibly impressed by the FDL team, and we believe both companies will benefit from each other as we work to expand our reach in key channels, particularly foodservice.”

Eric Beatty, CEO of FDL, said, “We are excited to enter into this agreement with ADM. They’re an ideal partner for us, with global nutrition and flavor capabilities that will provide new opportunities to strengthen FDL’s portfolio of taste and nutrition solutions. In turn, the FDL team looks forward to helping add to ADM’s broad offerings with our diverse portfolio of flavor and functional ingredient systems, IP, and capabilities, as well as the entrepreneurial spirit and innovativeness of human talent that has enabled FDL to become a differentiated market leader today. ADM is synonymous with the best in animal and human nutrition, and together, we look forward to delivering new and innovative ingredient solutions to our global customer base in the food and beverage industry.”

ADM is continuing to add to its broad portfolio of flavor ingredients and solutions as it builds a global leader in nutrition. Since acquiring WILD Flavors in 2014, ADM has added multiple new offerings to its flavors portfolio through acquisitions, including dairy via yesterday’s announcement of Revela Foods; savory via Eatem Foods; citrus via Florida Chemical Company and Erich Ziegler Citrus; and vanilla via Rodelle. The company has also expanded its flavors capabilities globally with acquisitions like Flavor Infusion South America; organic investments like its Pinghu, China, flavor production facility and the expansion of its Berlin flavor facility; and its growing network of innovation centers spanning Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions. ADM intends to complete the transaction by end of January.

Revela, with projected sales of almost $240 million in 2023, would add new capabilities to ADM’s global flavors portfolio in the $1.8 billion global dairy flavors segment, as well as the $3.2 billion savory flavors segment. Revela, a portfolio company of New Heritage Capital since 2019, has delivered rapid growth, driven by its innovative enzyme technology, which powers a broad range of clean-label dairy flavor formulations for multiple applications, from snacks and frozen meals to sauces, dressings, soups, seasonings and desserts. Revela’s approximately 400 colleagues operate three state-of-the-art production facilities in the U.S. Midwest.

“Revela has built a strong business around its unique range of dairy flavor ingredients and solutions for customers spanning major brands, retailers and food service,” said McEvoy. “ADM has a strong presence in the North America savory flavors segment, and we’re excited to work with the impressive Revela team to expand our opportunities there, bringing their technology and innovation together with our global capabilities to power our unparalleled range of ingredients and complete solutions for customers who are looking for great flavors and clean labels.”

“We are excited to partner with ADM to further Revela’s reputation as an innovative, turnkey provider of dairy flavor ingredients and solutions,” added Terry Schneider, Revela’s chief executive officer. “We believe joining the ADM family will allow us to offer even broader solutions to our customers and will provide our employees with even greater opportunities for advancement.”

“ADM’s integrated business model and unparalleled production and product application expertise power a portfolio of customizable, complete nutrition solutions that no other company can match,” said Ian Pinner, president of ADM’s Nutrition business. “Our flavors business is an important pillar of our Nutrition growth strategy, and we are continuing to add to our flavors pantry to ensure we remain the partner of choice for customers around the globe.”

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals. ADM intends to complete the transaction early in 2024.

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Football Fans (and Swifties) Can Munch on Mama Kelce’s Cookies

Introducing: Mama Kelce’s Cookies! Aramark Sports + Entertainment, the award-winning food and beverage partner at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs) and Lincoln Financial Field(Philadelphia Eagles), has teamed up with Donna Kelce, the mother of Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Eagles center Jason Kelce, to bring her famous chocolate chip cookie recipe to football fans at both stadiums this holiday season.

Fans who attend games on Christmas Day in Kansas City and Philadelphia will be able to order the same sweet treat that Mama Kelce delivered to her sons on Opening Night of Super Bowl LVII, right before the NFL stars faced off as the first brothers to ever compete against each other in the Super Bowl.

The Aramark culinary teams will freshly prepare Mama Kelce’s cookie recipe for fans. All proceeds from cookie sales will benefit Operation Breakthrough based in Kansas City and the Eagles Autism Foundation based in Philadelphia, and Aramark will match the donation to each organization 1:1.

“I am so excited to work with Aramark to bring my cookies to Chiefs’ and Eagles’ fans on Christmas day,” said Donna Kelce. “In this season of giving, it means so much to raise money for two great charities through an old-fashioned bake sale.

“My chocolate chip cookies have been a staple in our house for a long time, so it’s very special to share the recipe that my sons love with fans during the holidays. It’s even sweeter because the Eagles Autism Foundation and Operation Breakthrough will benefit; usually, it’s just my boys!”

Fans will be able to purchase Mama Kelce’s Cookies in packs of two at the following locations:

  • GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kingdom Lodge in Section 136
  • Lincoln Financial Field – HeadHouse Plaza, Club Markets, and Suite Level

And for those who can’t make it to one of the games, they can follow Mama Kelce’s recipe here.

“Aramark Sports + Entertainment immerses guests in the extraordinary everywhere we serve, which includes finding innovative ways to bring pop culture trends to life inside a sports environment,” said Alison Birdwell, president and CEO of Aramark Sports and Entertainment. “We could not be happier to partner with the NFL’s most popular team mom, Donna Kelce, to bring her famous cookies to fans and support two incredible charities during the holiday season.”

Aramark Sports + Entertainment serves more than 150 award-winning food and beverage, retail, and facility service programs in premier stadiums, arenas, convention centers, cultural attractions, performance venues, and unique entertainment destinations across North America. The company has received accolades for industry innovations and high-profile events like NBA All-Star and MLB at Field of Dreams. Learn more at www.aramark.com or on FacebookLinkedIn, and X (formerly known as Twitter).

Operation Breakthrough is a nationally accredited, not-for-profit corporation whose mission is to provide a safe, loving, and educational environment for children in poverty and to empower their families through advocacy, emergency aid, and education.

The Eagles Autism Foundation is dedicated to raising funds for innovative autism research and programs. By providing the necessary resources to doctors and scientists at leading institutions, the foundation assists those currently affected by autism as well as future generations.

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Niman Ranch Compliant With New Stricter Animal Welfare Laws

 

Beginning Jan. 1, fresh pork sold in California and Massachusetts must be  as the two states’ historic animal welfare laws—Proposition 12 and Question 3—are fully implemented and enforceable. Humane animal care leader Niman Ranch is 100 percent audited, compliant and ready for implementation with available supply of crate-free, Certified Humane fresh pork raised sustainably and without antibiotics by independent family farmers.

“The best resolution the pork industry and consumers can make this new year is to commit to crate-free,” said Chris Oliviero, general manager of Niman Ranch. “For too long, the industry has been hyper focused on efficiency and producing large amounts of cheap meat, while losing sight of the bigger picture. Prop 12 is the right thing for both the animals and farmers, but it needs to be done in a structured manner where pork producers have support and dedicated markets. With full implementation of Prop 12 and Question 3 in the new year, there is market certainty and a clear path forward for the industry.”

While gestation crates are the dominant industry practice today, they are out of touch with consumer expectations on base-level humane animal care. A 2021 poll found that 75 percent of Americans say retailers and restaurants have a responsibility to ensure that gestation crates are not used by suppliers, and 65 percent said they would pay more for pork if the company committed to going crate-free.

First passed in Massachusetts in 2016 with 77 percent of voters in support and in 2018 in California with 63 percent of the vote, it has been a long road to full implementation of these landmark laws. Prop 12 and Question 3 ban the use of gestation crates for pork production on farms in the states as well as the sale of certain fresh pork products that are sourced from farms outside the states that do not meet these gestation crate-free standards. Economists have predicted modest price increases and near-term limited product selections. However, industry experts anticipate that volatility will stabilize over time as compliant supply increases.

Gestation crates are widely considered by animal welfare experts to be inhumane. Barely bigger than their bodies, roughly seven feet by two feet, mother pigs are often kept in these gestation crates from the breeding process through the entirety of their pregnancy, 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days, with no ability to walk, turn around, lay down or fully extend their limbs. Leading humane animal care expert Dr. Temple Grandin compares it to forcing a person to spend months at a time strapped in an airplane seat.

Opponents have fought these laws all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which this past May ruled to uphold Proposition 12 and thus Question 3. Niman Ranch submitted an amicus brief in support of Proposition 12 to the Supreme Court that was cited in the majority decision. Implementation of the laws began in July following the decision; however, an enforcement grace period was allowed for non-compliant product previously purchased to be cleared from shelves and freezers through the end of the year.

With the start of 2024, all products on grocery store shelves and served in restaurants in the states of California and Massachusetts must be gestation crate free and compliant with the laws.

While the bulk of the pork industry has announced they have sufficient supply to fulfill the California and Massachusetts markets, stragglers and some in the industry are making a last-gasp effort to roll back the laws with the proposed Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act (“EATS Act”) and other similar extreme proposals. The overreaching EATS Act would stifle innovation and penalize farmers who have invested in Prop 12 compliance.

Niman Ranch has been a leading voice in support of Proposition 12 and Question 3. The pork brand has always been not just gestation crate free but also prohibits farrowing crates, teeth clipping, tail docking and antibiotic use. Additionally, the brand requires ample space and deep bedding for pigs to be able to root, roam and play. All Niman Ranch farms with sows have had a third-party on-farm audit for Prop 12 compliance, no simple task due to the brand’s large network of small farms—unlike most pork suppliers with large-scale operations.

Niman Ranch partners with more than 500 independent family farmers raising pigs crate free to supply award-winning restaurants, values-driven quick-service chains like Shake Shack, Pret a Manger and Chipotle, e-commerce sites like ButcherBox and brick and mortar grocers including Harris Teeter, Whole Foods Market, Mariano’s, QFC and Natural Grocers.

“Gestation crates never sat right with me,” said Paul Willis, Niman Ranch’s founding hog farmer who launched the pork brand in the 1990s. “These are intelligent animals who I, as a farmer and caretaker, have a responsibility to provide as low stress a life as possible. I owe them that.”

Niman Ranch is a community of over 600 independent family farmers and ranchers who raise pork, beef and lamb traditionally, humanely and sustainably to deliver the Finest-Tasting Meat in the World. Niman Ranch is the largest farmer and rancher network in North America to be Certified Humane®. The protein of choice for America’s most celebrated chefs, Niman Ranch is also the premier option for discerning home cooks looking for meats Raised with Care®, with no antibiotics or added hormones—ever. Follow Niman Ranch on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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