SUPPLIER NEWS

Reading Bakery Systems now has its sustainable-design electric-powered convection oven available for customer product trials at the RBS Science & Innovation Center. The new electric-powered two-zone convection oven offers similar baking to a gas-powered oven but reportedly is able to achieve sustainability goals with energy-efficiency and emission-reducing benefits of electric penthouses. Before offering trials to customers, RBS ran organoleptic tests and piloted R&D to prove product parity. This means that the same snacks can be successfully made on the electric-powered oven, and with the same quality, textures, and taste.

AAK announced Rini Roy has joined their team as product manager. In this role, Roy will drive and secure the development, performance, and profitability of its portfolio, reflecting market demand and customer needs in the food segment. As product manager, she will be responsible for product-related tasks such as translating business strategy into product strategy, reflecting market and customer needs in the food ingredients segment, conducting new product launches, and setting expectations regarding product margins to secure profitability targets.

Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. has unveiled its Bell Technology and Innovation Center, a state-of-the-art facility at the intersection of innovation, engineering, technology, research product development, and applied sciences. Located at Bell’s Northbrook, IL, headquarters, the center connects creative minds among flavor developers, technology, culinary applications, regulatory, and manufacturing, to foster new flavor development and expand Bell’s key capabilities in the industry.

Cargill has announced the appointments of Joanne Knight as chief financial officer, and Philippa Purser as head of strategy and global process leader. Each will help accelerate the company's strategic priorities and commitment to nourish the world in a safe, responsible, and sustainable way.

Olam Agri launched a baking academy to train and economically empower more women in Nigeria. The academy located in Kano state builds on initiatives under Olam Agri’s Seeds for the Future Foundation. The launch of the baking academy is targeted at extending the impact of the economic empowerment initiative and deepening Olam Agri’s human capital development contributions to the Federal Government's economic development agenda.

George Dunbar, 80, died on February 18, at his home in Plainfield, IL. He founded the bakery equipment company Dunbar Systems with his wife JoAnn in Lemont, IL, in 1982. Dunbar had served as owner and CEO of the family-run company, and he was an active member and board member of numerous baking associations. In his private life, he was active in several church councils and had been a member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church for the past 25 years.

The Kerry Health and Nutrition Institute has identified 10 key health and nutrition trends set to shape the food and beverage industry, with women’s health, affordable nutrition, and sugar and salt reduction among some of the top areas for innovation in 2023. With trends underpinned by a desire for sustainable nutrition, consumers will become more interested in proactively managing their physical and mental health while seeking products that are affordable, healthy, and good for the planet.

Bay State Milling recently advanced Keith Adams to executive vice president of core wheat milling. In his new role, he will continue managing the core milling business operations while taking on new responsibilities to strengthen the company’s skills and knowledge, supply chains, and relationships with supplier partners. Beginning as a plant manager in 2007, Adams has 15 years of experience as a leader at the company.

ADM has announced the signature of a joint venture agreement with Marel, a provider of advanced food processing solutions, to build an innovation center in the heart of the Netherlands food valley at the Wageningen Campus. Subject to regulatory approvals, the center is anticipated to open in the second half of 2024 and is designed for food manufacturers to work alongside food scientists, extrusion experts, and culinary professionals.

Batory Sweetener Solutions, a sweetener-focused business unit of Batory Foods dedicated to sugar reduction and novel sugar alternatives, formed an agreement with Canada-based sugar reduction experts NutraEx Food Inc. to distribute the SugarLike line of products. The sweeteners portfolio will be added to Batory Sweetener Solutions’ broad array of food ingredients.