News
1/8
7 october 2020
Danone offloads 6.61% stake in probiotic milk beverage brand Yakult
Danone has completed the sale of its remaining 6.61% stake in the Japanese sweetened probiotic milk beverage brand Yakult Honsha via an accelerated book building process.
The company revealed that it divested the stake for a total gross consideration of €470m, which will strengthen Danone’s balance sheet.
Headquartered and listed in Japan, Yakult is a key player in the probiotic milk beverage segment.
The move is allegedly part of Danone’s continued focus on its capital allocation discipline and balance sheet strength.
The two companies added that they would continue their long-term strategic collaboration to promote probiotics.
Danone added that the existing commercial partnerships, including joint-ventures in India and Vietnam, will remain in place.
Danone sold 21.29% of its stake in the company in 2018.
2/8
1 october 2020
FrieslandCampina to build new dairy plant in Indonesia
FrieslandCampina has announced plans to build a new dairy plant and distribution centre for Frisian Flag Indonesia in Jakarta, producing condensed and pasteurised milk.
Construction work for the new facility should begin in April 2021.
The plant will have an initial capacity to process more than 500 million kilos with an option to increase the production capacity in the future.
Additionally, the company announced that it will convert its production site in Pasar Rebo, which produces condensed and pasteurised milk to produce local infant nutrition brands for Asian markets.
The dairy cooperative noted that the two projects will see an investment of nearly $294m and should be complete by the first half of 2024.
Royal FrieslandCampina CEO Hein Schumacher said: “This expansion will allow us to provide even more people in Indonesia with our nutritious dairy products in the future."
3/8
1 october 2020
Anheuser-Busch completes partnership with Craft Brew Alliance
American brewing company Anheuser-Busch (A-B) has completed the expanded partnership agreement with beer maker Craft Brew Alliance (CBA).
The deal, announced last November, recently received approval from the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ).
The companies signed the agreement with the USDOJ after securing approval from CBA shareholder to sell its Kona Brewing operations in Hawaii to PV Brewing Partners.
Under the deal, CBA shareholders received $16.50 in cash per share of Craft Brew Alliance common stock.
With the completion of the merger deal, CBA’s portfolio of lifestyle brands and breweries will now be part of Brewers Collective, a business unit of A-B with immediate effect.
The Brewers Collective portfolio will be strengthened by Kona Brewing’s mainland and international operations and regional brands, as well as Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Cisco Brewers and Omission Brewing Co.
Additionally, the deal will see the addition of the Redhook Brewery, Square Mile Cider Co, Widmer Brothers Brewing, and Wynwood Brewing to Brewers Collective portfolio.
4/8
30 september 2020
Brewdog unveils plans to offset all its employees’ carbon footprints
Scottish multinational brewery BrewDog has unveiled plans to offset the carbon footprint of all its employees to ensure all its team members are carbon negative.
The Scottish brewer explained that its new planet-saving employee perk would allow its team members to calculate their carbon footprint.
The company hopes that this will enable it to remove twice as much carbon from the air annually for which each of its team members is responsible for.
Last month, the company announced that it is the first carbon-negative international beer business.
As part of this initiative, each BrewDog team member must calculate their carbon footprints through the company's Pawprint system, which helps them to understand their overall carbon footprint.
The company added that the new tool will help its team members in minimising their impact on the environment via behavioural change and rewarding reductions in an individual's carbon footprint.
5/8
30 september 2020
Pernod Ricard buys majority stake in Vermutería de Galicia
French alcoholic beverage firm Pernod Ricard has entered the vermouth segment by acquiring a majority interest in Vermutería de Galicia, the owner of vermouth brand St Petroni, for an undisclosed sum.
The French group made the acquisition through its Spanish subsidiary Pernod Ricard España.
Vermutería de Galicia founder and managing director Cristina Codesido said: “I firmly believe that this alliance will enable us to reach new heights, not only in promoting the essence of St Petroni but also in promoting Galicia’s rich land and culture, by leveraging Pernod Ricard España’s strong distribution network.
“Pernod Ricard is the ideal partner with whom to continue our expansion, due to its great respect for the roots and unique values of our brand, which will continue to inspire everything we do as we open this new chapter.”
St Petroni was created in 2014 in Padrón using Albariño grapes and 29 selected herbs and botanicals.
St Petroni, which is available in three varieties including Vermu Rojo, Vermu Blanco, and Bitter, will be added to Pernod Ricard España’s comprehensive brand portfolio
6/8
29 september 2020
PepsiCo Beverages Canada reaches exclusive alliance to distribute evian
PepsiCo Beverages Canada has reached an exclusive alliance with Danone Waters of America (DWA).
DWA is the importer and distributor of evian water in the US and Canadian markets.
As part of the new partnership, PepsiCo will commence distribution of evian in Canada from January 2021.
PepsiCo Beverages Canada president Richard Glover said: “In the bottled water category, evian has thrived as a premium and innovative brand.
“This alliance plays an important role in PepsiCo’s overall hydration strategy and enables us to use our distribution networks and sales capabilities to accelerate the growth of evian in the Canadian marketplace.”
With single-serve and multi-pack options, evian is allegedly the number one premium water brand in Canada.
The water brand could leverage PepsiCo’s established presence in both the retail and foodservice segments, in order to increase its customer base and contribute to the brand’s growth.
7/8
22 september 2020
PepsiCo to source 100% renewable electricity by 2030
Global food and beverage company PepsiCo has set a new target to source 100% renewable electricity to power its operations globally by 2030.
With this initiative, the company aims to offset nearly 2.5 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
PepsiCo chief sustainability officer Jim Andrew said: “With the devastating effects of climate change being felt around the world, and the global food system under significant strain, accelerated action is needed.
“We know the responsibility that comes with our size and scale, so transitioning PepsiCo’s global business operations to 100% renewable electricity is the right step forward to deliver meaningful impact as we continue to advance our sustainability agenda.”
The company also set a target to source 100% renewable electricity for its entire franchise and third-party operations by 2040.
The initiative is part of its efforts to increase the use of renewable energy sources and its transition to renewable electricity in the US.
Early this year, PepsiCo also signed the Business Ambition for 1.5°C pledge to set science-based emissions reduction targets in line with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
8/8
17 september 2020
Nespresso coffee cups to become carbon neutral by 2022
Coffee processing company Nespresso has set a target to make all its coffee made at home or for professional customers carbon neutral by 2022.
Nespresso CEO Guillaume Le Cunff said: “Climate change is a reality and our future depends on going further and faster on our sustainability commitments. That is why we are accelerating our commitments to offer our consumers a way to drink a carbon-neutral cup of coffee by 2022."
Nespresso noted that it aims to achieve its carbon neutrality objective by incorporating various measures and initiatives, which include reduction of carbon emissions, as well as by planting trees in and around coffee farms where Nespresso sources its coffee.
Additionally, the company intends to achieve its target through support and investment in high-quality offsetting projects.
The company already achieved carbon neutrality in its business operations since 2017, and the latest objective will address the emissions that occur in its supply chain and product life cycle.