Food Business Africa Jan/Feb 2022

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KAAK GROUP INTERVIEW AFMASS FOOD EXPO 2021 REVIEW TRENDS IN GIN COMPANY FEATURE

BIO FOOD PRODUCTS LTD

Kenya’s specialty dairy delivers on its innovation and sustainability goals WWW.FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

TRENDS IN BREAD MIXING FOOD FORTIFICATION IN ETHIOPIA YEAR 9 | ISSUE NO. 50 JAN/FEB 2022

www.anugafoodtec.com

International supplier fair for the food and beverage industry

ONE FOR ALL. ALL IN ONE. Food Processing | Food Packaging | Safety & Analytics | Intralogistics Digitalisation | Automation | Environment & Energy | Science & Pioneering

COLOGNE, GERMANY 26.–29.04.2022

Special Edition!

Be part of it find out more here!

Koelnmesse GmbH Messeplatz 1 50679 Köln, Germany Tel. +49 1806 578 866 Fax +49 221 821 99-1020 anugafoodtec@visitor.koelnmesse.de

The Art of European Meat

Hindquarter Carcass with jowl

Mastered by the Belgian meat suppliers What makes the Art of European Meat? It’s that exceptional combination of Craftsmanship, Food Safety and Tailor-Made Service. And that’s what the Belgian meat suppliers truly master. As one of Europe’s leading meat producers and exporters, they turn their expertise into an art form.

Up to you to savor it.

Find your Belgian meat master at artofmeat.eu

THE CONTENT OF THIS PROMOTION CAMPAIGN REPRESENTS THE VIEWS OF THE AUTHOR ONLY AND IS HIS/HER SOLE RESPONSIBILITY. THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION DOES NOT ACCEPT ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY USE THAT MAY BE MADE OF THE INFORMATION IT CONTAINS.

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BIO FOOD PRODUCTS RECEIVE AN AWARD AT AFRICA FOOD INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021

CONTENTS

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Event Review: AFMASS Food Expo 2021

YEAR 9 | ISSUE NO. 50 JAN/FEB 2022

Profile: Bio Food 44 Company Products Bio Food Products is an innovative and sustainability focused premium dairy company. In this interview, Bio top executives give us an insight into the company's journey and future prospects.

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Event Review: Africa Food Industry Excellence Awards 2021

ON THE COVER: Bio Food Products staff 2

JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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From silo to truck

Solutions for your bakery, whether you need a single machine or turn-key line kaak.com

Best Lead Time 24/7 Support Hygienic Design Line Integration Sustainable Development Goals

CONTENTS

YEAR 9 | ISSUE NO. 50 | JAN/FEB 2022 REGULARS 10 Editorial 12 Events Calendar

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News Updates: • Ardagh Group acquires South African rival Consol, paper packaging giant Corruseal Group eyes Neopak • No- and low-alcohol category value in key global markets nears US$10bn • Danone celebrates 60 years in Nigeria with opening of Fan Milk’s new US$9m facility • AFEX expands across Africa with launch of US$100m Food Security Fund • Uganda’s Sarrai Group wins bid to run Mumias Sugar as Rai Group extends dominance in Kenyan’s sugar market • EABL’s profits more than double in first half year driven by volume growth • Nestlé creates Greater Zambezi region, appoints Asim Rifat as head • Diageo sells Ethiopian brewery Meta Abo to Castel Group • Kenyan organic coconut processor Kentaste receives US$1.5 million from EDFI AgriFI • Indian foodtech unicorn Zomato shuts down South African operations • Unilever reorganizes business structure in pursuit of simplicity and agility • Shoprite plans on-demand JV with RTT Group to strengthen e-commerce offering • Nigeria introduces sugar tax on nonalcoholic beverages to encourage healthy lifestyle • Kerry Group expands presence in Africa with acquisition of East Africa based Afribon

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Supplier News & Innovations: Oterra expands North American presence with acquisition of Food Ingredient Solutions | DSM integrates nutrition businesses to better address evolving market needs | Newly launched Ishida x-ray inspection system to enhance food safety in meat products | Cargill launches innovation center in India | Kerry opens new taste ingredients facility in Saudi Arabia | Tetra Pak and Elvir introduce industry first carton cap from certified recycled polymers

Executive Interview: Kaak Group and the opportunities in the bakery business in Africa

DAIRY BUSINESS AFRICA 53 High protein adds a kick to dairy products BEVERAGE TECH AFRICA 56 Gin undergoes a ginaissance as shifting consumer demands drive innovation AFRICA ANIMAL FEED & AQUA 59 Maximising phytase profitability in poultry feed MILLING & BAKING AFRICA 62 Why mixing technology is important in production of high quality bread FOOD NUTRITION & HEALTH 69 Alcohol adversely impacts cognition and learning ability even when enjoyed with moderation INGREDIENTS FOCUS: ENZYMES 71 Enzymes plays wide role in food industry: We review the critical roles of enzymes and how they are important as the industry changes.

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PALSGAARD ® ACIDMILK SERIES

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MANE opens Cape Town Innovation Centre

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t MANE, we are proud to have had the opportunity to accompany our African partners in their developments for more than 70 years. Our Group is very grateful for these relationships and our teams are constantly elevating our service to the continent.

Everything that we do throughout the Group is determined by our passion for our business and our commitment to our customers and partners according to the three principles of the motto of our President Jean Mane, ‘ the expertise is local, the network is global, and the independence is non-negotiable.’

The need for extended knowledge of local industry, manufacturing processing and consumers are essential to feed our global strategic development team to drive innovation and product development. We continuously expand and deepen our local market and consumer insights to support development and innovative flavour solutions for locally relevant products.

In the past 15 years, the family owned and run business has invested in Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa; Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; Abidjan, Ivory Coast and Nairobi, Kenya with commercial offices and laboratories.

During 2017, we took our partnership with Deli Spices forward by acquiring a strategic stake in the group for the development and manufacturing of savoury solutions in South Africa. Deli Spices has a long history in the world of the ingredients for the meat and general foods industry, being present in the Southern Africa meat market for 40 years. MANE with this partnership, confirm their interest to develop this market and the commitment with this leading company.

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“The strategic partnership that we have entered into with MANE will give us the ability to continue to place a strong emphasis on innovation and expansion. Our customers will now have access to even more leading market solutions, as well as the best products and technology.” commented Robin Haller, CEO of Deli Spices.

During 2020 MANE extended this partnership with the investment in an Innovation Centre in Cape Town. The state-of-the-art facility integrates research activities and product development initiatives in one comprehensive site with the support of expert analytical teams, sensory and food scientist and top-of-the-line food technologies.

The Innovation Centre also houses sensory evaluation, a creative room, marketing and consumer insights department. Discover how we enhance people’s daily life by creating unexpected flavours. Our determination to offer unprecedented gustatory experiences drives our ability to ceaselessly innovate.

From a family adventure, which began in 1871, when Victor MANE started producing fragrant materials from regional flowers and plant, the small distillery which has continually been run by the MANE family grew successfully to become today the first French Group and one of the worldwide leaders of the Fragrance and Flavour industry.

The headquarters are based in Le Bar-sur-Loup, in Southern France, near Grasse.

Today the Group covers all continents thanks to its 50 R&D centres and its 27 manufacturing sites. It has posted turnover figures which have shown uninterrupted and robust growth over the past ten years and celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.

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Africa Green Energy &

Sustainability Summit

OCTOBER 6-7, 2022 HYBRID SUMMIT - PHYSICAL IN NAIROBI, KENYA & VIRTUAL ACROSS AFRICA & THE WORLD

DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IN AFRICA KEY TRACKS

Sustainable Local Sourcing

Renewable Energy Transition

Ethical Financing & Investing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

REGISTER

Environmental, Social & Governance

The Planet & Net Zero Strategies

Cleaner, Circular Economy

New Technologies & Digitalisation

www.ceobusinessafrica.com/green

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS

ASHISH PANDE

Managing Director & Senior Vice President, Olam Nigeria

JUSTIN ARCHER

COO East Africa & Group Head of Sustainability, Sucafina SA

ESSAM EL-MADDAH

HR & General Secretary Director, Danone Egypt & North East Africa

ROZY RANA

Managing Director, Dormans Coffee

BRETT THOMPSON

Co-Founder & CEO, Mzansi Meat

MERIJN GORIS

CEO, Holland Dairy, Ethiopia

OLUGBEMINIYI (BEMI) IDOWU

NICO ROOZEN

Honorary President, Solidaridad Network

Managing Director, Talking Drum Communications

EDITORIAL

Welcome to our 50th edition of Food Business Africa magazine

Year 9 | Issue 7 | No.50 • ISSN2307-3535

FOUNDER & PUBLISHER Francis Juma EDITORIAL Catherine Wanjiku | Paul Ongeto ADVERTISING & SUBSCRIPTION Jonah Sambai | Hellen Mucheru DESIGN & LAYOUT Clare Ngode PUBLISHED BY: FW Africa P.O. Box 1874-00621, Nairobi Kenya Tel: +254 20 8155022, +254725 343932 Email: info@fwafrica.net Company Website: www.fwafrica.net

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Food Business Africa (ISSN 2307-3535) is published 6 times a year by FW Africa.

Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission from the editor is prohibited. All information is published in good faith. While care is taken to prevent inaccuracies, the publishers accept no liability for any errors or omissions or for the consequences of any action taken on the basis of information published.

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s we commence our 9th year since we started publishing this magazine, we have seen immense increase in investments in Africa’s food industry Not many publications make it to the 50th edition; but Food Business Africa has hit this major milestone as we release this issue to our readers across Africa and the World.

We are grateful for the gracious support we have received from our readers throughout the 8 years the magazine has been in publication, since February 2013 – for without the readers there is no Food Business Africa – and for making this magazine and the website www. foodbusinessafrica.com the No. 1 choice for information on Africa’s food, beverage and milling industry.

We also owe it to the advertisers who have provided the much-needed financial support to enable our editorial work and to publish and print the magazine since we started.

Over the years, we have partnered with scores of local, regional and international brands who have used this magazine and the website to reach out to Africa’s food industry – many of them have partnered with us for many years, be it in the magazine, website or at our regional physical and virtual events and webinars.

We also must appreciate the close collaborations we have forged with universities and research institutes, government ministries and regulators, NGOs and diplomatic agencies across many countries in Africa.

GROWING FOOD INDUSTRY IN AFRICA Reflecting on the journey of this publication since 2013 to the present day, we see a close relationship with the robust growth and transformation of the food industry across Africa during these 8 years that no one could

have imagined.

Over the years, we have reported on and witnessed the pace of new investments pick up, innovations in new products and services reach an all-time high and the emergence of young entrepreneurs and women in our continent’s food industry. In many countries, value addition of local produce is no longer just a by-word but a key driver for economic, nutritional, and social transformation.

Further, food safety and sustainability have become mainstream, as investors and key industry managers seek to improve quality and compliance and become better citizens in the communities in which they operate.

We look forward to continuing engaging with the food industry stakeholders in Africa and to another 50 editions of Food Business Africa in a few years to come.

NEW INSERT, BIO FOOD PRODUCTS, ETHIOPIA AND MORE Meanwhile, we are happy to introduce to you a new insert in this magazine.

The Africa Animal Feed & Aqua insert targets two of the fastest growing area in the food industry in Africa and will be available with every issue of the magazine, going forward.

In this issue, we are honoured to have a special feature from Bio Food Products, a Kenya based innovative dairy company. A leader in the premium dairy segment, the company is also known for its focus on sustainability in the dairy value chain in Kenya.

We shall also highlight other features and articles, as we start off a year full of exciting times in Africa’s food industry.

We wish you a good read.

Francis Juma Publisher

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AFRICA

Dairy&Drink FORUM

September 29-30, 2022 VIRTUAL SUMMIT: LIVE FROM NAIROBI, KENYA & VIRTUALLY FROM AFRICA & THE WORLD

TWO DAYS OF IMPACTFUL LEARNING & NETWORKING VIRTUAL & LIVE EVENTS FOR AFRICA’S DAIRY, SOFT & ALCOHOLIC DRINK INDUSTRY

FORMULATIONS MANAGEMENT

INVESTMENTS & FINANCING

SUSTAINABILITY ENERGY, WATER, WASTE

AGRICULTURE & AGRIBUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

PROCESSING, PACKAGING & AUTOMATION

LOGISTICS & SUPPLY CHAIN

WWW.AFMASS.COM/DAIRYDRINK

QUALITY & FOOD SAFETY

MARKETING, BRAND & RETAIL MANAGEMENT

EVENTS CALENDAR

February 13-17, 2022 Gulfood Dubai, UAE Focus: Food and Beverage https://www.gulfood.com/ February 16-18, 2022 Dairy Livestock & Poultry Expo Africa Nairobi, Kenya Focus: Dairy https://www.dlpexpo.com/africa/eventinfo/ March 11-13, 2022 Tanzfood Arusha, Tanzania Focus: Food & Agriculture https://www.tanzfood.com/ March 12 – 14, 2022 Food Expo Greece Athens, Greece Focus: Food & Beverage https://foodexpo.gr/en/ March 13-15, 2022 Seafood Expo North America Boston, USA Focus: Seafood https://www.seafoodexpo.com/northamerica/ March 15-17, 2022 Morocco FoodExpo Casablanca, Morocco Focus: Food & Beverage http://www.moroccofoodexpo.com/ March 15-17, 2022 Food Ingredients China Shanghai, China Focus: Food Ingredients https://www.figlobal.com/china/en/ home.html

March 21-23, 2022 IFE Manufacturing Solutions London, UK Focus: Food & Beverage https://www.ifemanufacturing.co.uk/

May 19-21, 2022 International Coffee & Tea Industry Expo Singapore Focus: Coffee & Tea https://intlcoffeetea-asia.com/

April 4-7, 2022 Food Pack Asia Bangkok, Thailand Focus: Packaging https://www.foodpackthailand.com/en/ homepage/

May 23-26, 2022 Sweets & Snacks Expo Chicago, USA Focus: Confectionery https://sweetsandsnacks.com/

April 5-7, 2022 Fruit Logistica Berlin, Germany Focus: Fruits https://www.fruitlogistica.com/en/

May 24-28, 2022 Thaifex - Anuga Asia Bangkok, Thailand Focus: Food & Beverage https://thaifex-anuga.com/en/

May 2-13, 2022 Vitafoods Europe Geneva, Switzerland Focus: nutraceutical https://www.vitafoods.eu.com/en/ home.html

June 9-11, 2022 Ethiopia Agrofood Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Focus: Agriculture & Food processing https://www.agrofood-ethiopia.com/

May 5-7, 2022 Seoul Int'l Seafood Show Seoul, South Korea Focus: Sea Food https://www.seoulseafood.com:491/ eng/exhibition/info.asp May 18-19, 2022 F&A Next 2022 Wageningen, Netherlands Focus: Food & Agribusiness https://www.fanext.com/

June 14 – 16, 2022 Food & Beverage West Africa Lagos, Nigeria Focus: Food & Beverage https://www.fab-westafrica.com/ June 15-17, 2022 GrainTech Africa Nairobi, Kenya Focus: Grains & Milling https://www.graintechafrica.com/ June 29-July1, 2022 Africa Food Safety & Quality Summit Nairobi, Kenya Focus: Food Safety https://www.foodsafetyafrica.net/ summit/

May 18 – 20, 2022 SIAL China Shanghai, China Focus: Food & Beverage https://www.sialchina.com/

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SPONSORED CONTENT BY MUHLENCHEMIE

Mühlenchemie's New Technology Center for flour treatment opens in Kenya

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lour treatment specialist Mühlenchemie has opened a new Technology Center in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, in 2021. The subsidi-ary will operate as Stern Ingredients East Africa Ltd. From here, the MC Technology Center will help the milling industry in East Africa to maintain consistently high standards in the production of flour, and react more quickly to changing requirements in the markets and in raw materials.

The Kenyan location is of strategic importance for the African milling industry. The volatile grain market presents East African mills with the challenge of responding ever more quickly to new conditions.

Despite Kenya having by large an agriculture-based economy with local maize and wheat production, the rapidly growing population has resulted in much of the wheat having to be imported. Wheat varieties differ globally and this in turn requires millers to regularly but promptly undertake adjustments to machinery as well as flour improvers. With the analysis capacity of this new location Mühlenchemie can develop solutions for individual needs and make them available to mills much faster. Furthermore, personal communication between customer and consultant from field to final product will be much more direct.

The heart of the new subsidiary is a baking laboratory and technical centre for development and consulting, with

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400 square metres of space and equipment for flour and grain analysis. A trial bakery with the latest machinery, including spiral kneaders, rolling machines, deck ovens and con-vection ovens, allows for extensive testing. Here, baking processes can be simulated, and the effects of enzymes and other ingredients tested. Tests can be run in collaboration with local mills, and the results quickly implemented in regular operations.

The laboratory will be under the direction of David Nolte. A trained miller, for 13 years, he has worked for Mühlenchemie as an Applications Engineer for Milling and Rheology. Commercial direction of the new location will be in the hands of Khalif Steinbrich, Area Sales Manager East Africa. He is very familiar with the African market and has extensive experience in customer consulting.

“The new facility is intended as a knowledge hub for these specialists and for users, and will make communications and deliveries much faster,” says Norman Loop, Regional Director Middle East & Africa at Mühlenchemie.

"Working together and creating solutions" is Mühlenchemie's motto in Africa. This motto keeps coming to life. Stern Ingredients Southern Africa will open its third site on the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa before the end of 2022. “The flour experts bring with them long experience in the milling industry on the African market.” says Loop. Mühlenchemie supports over 2000 mills in more than 130 countries.

JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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AFMASS FOOD EXPO 2021 REVIEW

Afmass FOOD EXPO

The Future of Food in Africa

www.afmass.com

T

he Covid-19 pandemic has brought unforeseen negative impact and uncertainty in all aspects of life. After two years of reeling in the shadows of lockdowns, strict travel bans and socialdistancing measures, aimed to curb the spread of the virus, the world began to reopen in the age of the new normal.

And with that, the AFMASS Food Expo made a comeback after a two years hiatus, setting itself up as the first major food industry trade show in Eastern Africa.

In its 9th edition, the AFMASS Food Expo 2021 has been hailed as a milestone event by attendees, sponsors and exhibitors who participated at the event held on December 2-4, 2021.

The event which took place live at the Sarit Expo Centre, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya, also utilised the latest digital technologies to virtually host the event.

It saw more scores of companies from Africa, Europe, Americas and Asia showcase their latest technologies to more than 4000 delegates and visitors over the course of three days, who attended the event physically and virtually from across the globe.

“We are on a journey of transforming AFMASS

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Food Expo to be the most influential food industry event in Eastern, Southern and Central Africa. We have held the event successfully in Kenya since 2015, plus other editions in Zambia and Tanzania.

The 2021 event is Nairobi was a key one on our transformation journey - past editions majorly focused on the business-to-business (B2B) side to connect food manufacturers to suppliers and other stakeholders. In this edition, we added for the first time a very vibrant and well-organised business-to-consumer side of the event,” Francis Juma, the organiser of the event said.

"Past AFMASS Food Expo events have sparked a wave of change in Africa’s food industry. We are looking forward to hosting more of these events across Africa to continue with our journey of transforming the food industry in the continent, with future events planned in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Zambia/Zimbabwe and Uganda/Rwanda in the near term, before we venture into Western Africa.”

The 2021 edition expanded the scope to showcase the broadest array of packaged food products from East Africa, Africa and the World, as well as the latest food ingredients; milling, packaging and processing technologies; laboratory, supply chain and other technologies FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

Kenya based diversified food processor with a focus on the grains, biscuits and snack products.

Gold Crown Beverages, the producer of Kericho Gold, the premium blends of pure Kenyan THE 2021 EDITION OF THE EXPO SHOWCASED EQUIPMENT, PACKAGING, INGREDIENTS AND OTHER B2B TECHNOLOGIES - PLUS FOOD PRODUCTS FROM START-UPS, REGIONAL & GLOBAL FOOD COMPANIES, FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE TRADE SHOWS WILL CONTINUE WITH THIS FORMAT IN ALL FUTURE EVENTS IN AFRICA

Business Development team from PIL engaging with visitors to their booth

to Africa’s food and feed manufacturing, retail and the hotel, restaurant and catering (HORECA) industry.

The trade show brough together local, regional and international food manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, distributors, wholesalers, exporters, importers, regulators, end consumers and other stakeholders in the food, agriculture and hospitality sectors.

tea; Broadways Group of Companies, pioneering baking and milling company in Kenya and Bakex, a leading producer of wheat flour and wheat meal products in Kenya also sponsored the event.

The sponsors were joined by a number of exhibitors such as Ramco Group, Paperbags Ltd, Sheffield Africa, Upfield, Anti-Counterfeit Agency of Kenya, Bio Food Products, Savanna Brands, Mukurweni Dairy, Delta Group, Eva Silos, GMACH, Packaging Industries Limited,

SPONSORS SHOW THEIR SUPPORT AND INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP

The main sponsors of the event were Kerry Taste & Nutrition, global food ingredients, taste and nutrition solution provider; Alapala, the Turkish grain milling and handling system technologies company and Promaco, the supplier of speciality food ingredients and processing equipment; Other sponsors included Palsgaard, leading manufacturer of emulsifiers and stabilisers and IMCD Group, global leader in distribution and formulation of speciality chemicals and ingredients.

The trade show was also this year graced by food company sponsor partners such as Giant Millers Limited, the Kenyan processor of Canna maize flour; Dormans, the manufacturer of a wide variety of coffee blends; and Mjengo Limited, FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

The team Lisha Fund engaging with visitors to their booth JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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Resulta Engineering, Milltech, Pradip/CAPEL Ingredients, Nature Lock, Techno Serve, Teknote, Jarvis, who showcased their products and services at the outstanding food industry trade show.

NEW VENUE, NEW POSSIBILITIES

Hosted at the well-known and recently expanded Sarit Expo Centre, the attendees of the AFMASS Food Expo were assured of their safety as the event hall provided a conducive environment to network, learn and do business, in conformity with all the health and safety guidelines set out by the local authorities in Kenya.

Officially opening the ceremony, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Industrialisation, Trade and Enterprise Development at Government of Kenya, Betty Maina, lauded the food industry for remaining resilient in the face of adversity, and

Business Development team from Paperbags Ltd engaging with visitors to their booth

not only surviving but thriving as the players brought new innovative products and ideas that assured the growth of the sector.

Represented by Nobby Macharia, the CS reiterated the importance of the event in bringing the key stakeholders in the private and public sector together to discuss the future of the food and agriculture sectors in the country and the region.

“Key food and agricultural sectors in the region 16

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KEY NUMBERS

4,000 NUMBER OF DELEGATES AND VISITORS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE WHO ATTENDED THE AFMASS EXPO

such as dairy, milling and grains, tea, coffee, cocoa, fresh produce, meat, sugar and among others, are vital for ensuring food security and uplifting the economic profile of the region.

“The food industry like all other sectors has been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, despite the hurdles faced, I am happy to note that at least 10 new food manufacturers and suppliers of new technologies have set base in the Kenyan market since the start of 2020, boosting the country’s profile as the hub of investment to serve the rest of subSaharan Africa,” noted Mr Macharia.

In the face of all the positive strides made, Mr Macharia revealed that there is presence of outstanding gaps that need to be addressed which include: limited knowledge of new technologies, lean compliance to food safety and regulatory standards, gaps in identifying new markets, among others.

“In order to address some of these shortcomings, the AFMASS Food Expo has brought together all the food industry stakeholders to discover the latest technologies and market trends that they can adopt to improve efficiency, productivity, food safety, sustainability, innovations and trade in the food industry supply chains,” stated Mr Macharia.

During the two-day conference sessions, outstanding speakers and presenters from Africa and beyond weighed in on topical issues such as, nutrition and health, innovations, sustainability, food security, regional trade, investment, processing and packaging technologies.

Panel discussions focused on leading trends shaping the industry, added extra perspectives to the event attendees.

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Afmass FOOD EXPO

APRIL 20-21, 2023 LUSAKA, ZAMBIA

ZAMBIA EDITION

GRAB THE OPPORTUNITIES IN ZAMBIA’S FOOD INDUSTRY Zambia’s general food, dairy, beverages, milling and other sectors such as meat and fresh produce sectors offer some of the most high potential investment opportunities in Southern Africa.

With a growing, fast-urbanising population, Zambia is a leading light in the region, as local, regional and international investors flock in to add value to its vast agricultural produce and manufactured foods.

Join us on the journey of discovery of Zambia, as we host our third edition of AFMASS Food Expo Zambia - the only regular, pure-play food industry trade expo and conference in Zambia.

Sign up today to Sponsor, Exhibit, Attend or Speak at AFMASS Food Expo Zambia.

www.afmass.com/ZM

AFMASS FOOD EXPO 2021 PICTORIALS

KERRY team all smiles at their booth as they prepared to meet attendees at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

The Promaco team ready discuss their food, dairy and beverage solutions at the AFMASS Food Expo2021

ALAPALA showcasing their grain milling and food processing solutions in Grain and Milling at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

IMCD showcasing their novel solutions to the food, beverage and milling industry at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

Paalsgard sales executives ready to discuss their ingredients offering for use in the food industry at the show.

One of the attendees sampling new products being showcased at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

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A new entrant, Canna brand of maize flour, delights attendees with their fresh and unique flour - and sumptuous delicacies

Attendees interacting with the Dormans team led by Managing Director, Rozy Rana at their booth at AFMASS Food Expo 2021

Kerry leadership team interact with the Ireland Ambassador to Kenya Fionnuala Quinlan at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

The Bakex booth popular with attendees wanting to know more about flours and the milling industry.

Broadways Group marketing executive explains to an attendee the uniqueness of their new 50/50 bread.

A must visit, the Malbros/Mjengo Ltd booth busy with attendees exploring their range of products.

The jovial Bio Food Products team ever on stand by to attend to attendees at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021 FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

Kericho Gold team at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021 with their refreshing range of tea beverages and the New Cold Brew.

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PICTORIAL

AFMASS FOOD EXPO 2021 PICTORIAL

Savanna Brands team treating millenials at the expo with a taste of their popular KO drinks.

Delta Group debuts as an exhibitor at AFMASS Food Expo 2021 with heavy processing equipment to the show

Teknotes Tasarim explaining to the attendess about their slaughter house equipments

Upfield in their bright yellow colours engaging with the attendees seeking to know more about their plant based foods

NatureLock showcasing their ready to eat ndengu, which is branded Stewsday - a fabulous plant based protein food.

The Technoserve booth showcasing several SMEs and food startups such as Aspendos dairy, Delish Nutri Foods and more . . .

A start-up, Mtindi Dairy showcasing their innovative range of products to attendees at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

Jarvis, a new entrant to the trade show, with its range of meat and poultry slaughter tools and equipment.

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The new products stand at the Afmass Food Expo 2021 was awash with new products from dairy to snacks and more . . .

The Ramco Group booth was a beehive of activities at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

The lounge area at the centre of the Expo Hall bursting with activity as attendees network and do business

The lounge area with attendees catching a breath and comparing notes FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

Ministry of Trade and Industrialization represtative giving the opening speech at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

Canna Flour Mills handing over a gift hamper to a panelist at end of one of the panel sessions

FW Africa CEO Francis Juma moderating the opening ceremony at the AFMASS Food Expo 2021

Discussions during one of the panel sessions at the conference side of the AFMASS Food Expo 2021 JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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Afmass

FOOD EXPO

ETHIOPIA EDITION

OCTOBER 19-21 2022 ADDIS ABABA ETHIOPIA

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DISCOVER ETHIOPIA’S FOOD INDUSTRY Join us on the journey of discovery of Ethiopia, as we host the first regular, pure-play food industry trade expo and conference in Ethiopia - AFMASS Food Expo Ethiopia.

Africa’s fastest growing economy, Ethiopia’s food, dairy, beverage, milling and other sectors have seen tremendous growth over the last 10 years - and more is on the way - as Ethiopia seeks to boost local processing of food products and increase regional and global markets for its vast produce.

Sign up today to Sponsor, Exhibit, Attend or Speak at AFMASS Food Expo Ethiopia.

www.afmass.com/ET

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AFRICA FOOD INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021

Best new products, sustainability initiatives, and notable industry stakeholders celebrated at the Africa Food Industry Excellence Awards 2021 After a one-year hiatus, the food, beverage and milling industry from across the continent converged at the Africa Food Industry Excellence Awards 2021 to recognize and celebrate innovations and achievements in the sector.

Held on December 3, 2021, at the Sarit Center, Nairobi, Kenya, the highly prestigious and competitive Awards brought together more than 400 delegates to celebrate new product innovations, sustainability initiatives, lifetime achievers and distinguished leaders in the sector.

The new products category was awash with new innovations from the entire sub-Saharan Africa. The highly contested category drew over 100 entries from 50 companies located in several 24

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countries from Ghana in the West to South Africa in the South.

A rigorous judging exercise saw the 43 of the entries awarded for their innovative formulation, packaging design, and market success.

Speaking during the Award Ceremony, founder, and CEO of FW Africa Francis Juma noted the efforts that the food industry had made during the 2020 and 2021 period despite the challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

DAIRY AND BEVERAGE SECTORS THRIVE AMID A PANDEMIC

While the broader food and beverage sector proved itself as a formidable force, the dairy and beverage categories stood out, producing more FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

REVIEW winners than almost all other sectors combined.

Among dairy processors, Bio Food Products was the most notable with its Bio Cheese and Bio Coconut yoghurt clinching gold and platinum awards repectively. Brookside, Glacier products, Laki Laki, CHI Ltd, Mukurweini Wakulima Dairy, and Java House were the other winners in the category.

The soft beverages section saw a number of new products awarded, including Premier Industries with its timely innovative drink Recharge Dawa, to Kericho Gold’s cold brew and Royal Brekkers

from KWAL, KBL, Savannah Brands, and Keroche Breweries all feted at the ceremony.

The milling and baking cateory also created a stir with innovative products such as Mjengo Ltd’s Nuvita Sponge Cake, Upfield Kenya’s Instant Porridge and Tropical Heat’s Heroes snacks.

Packaging makeovers from EABL, Bakex Millers, Bidco Africa, and CCBA Kenya were also awarded for their design innovations.

As the world embraces sustainability, the food industry in Africa has also not been left behind. We celebrated sustainability initiatives and this year it was Bio Foods that was feted for its waste management initiatives and Kenya Breweries Limited for its sustainable sourcing and diversity and inclusion programs.

NOTABLE INDUSTRY HONOURED

EABL's Valentine Wambui speaking after receiving the Emerging Food Industry Leader of the Year award

Mohawk Kombucha. This is the first year that the kombucha product featured at these regional awards – reflecting the fast pace of innovation in the food industry, in tune with global trends.

As always, the alcoholic beverage category never disappointed with new products FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

LEADERS

The Awards continued with its long-held tradition of honoring some of the most impactful people who through their leadership and mentorship have made the most important contributions to the growth of the industry in Africa.

Lifetime achievement winners in the 2021 edition were Jim Taylor, the Managing Director of Eastern Africa’s leading meat processor Farmers Choice and Amit Sagar, the CEO of Ugandan milk producer Pearl Dairy Farms in Uganda. The industry

Burton & Bamber's Molly Abende proudly holding her trophy

leadership award went to Haiko Cremer, the Supply Chain Director at Kenya Breweries Ltd. This year also saw startup entrepreneurs awarded with Agnes Irungu, the MD of Giant Millers, the makers of Canna maize meal emerging as one of the big winners. Others included Lesley Marange, the CEO of Glytime Foods in Zimbabwe and Joseph Rehman, the Founder of aquaculture enterprise based in Western Kenya, Victory Farms.

The Emerging Food Industry Leader of the year award, also a new addition in the list, saw Valentine Wambui - the fastrising Brewing Team Leader at Kenya Breweries and Molly Abende, the jovial and cool Production and Quality Assurance manager of Burton and Bamber Limited awarded for showing great leadership early in their careers.

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AFRICA FOOD INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021

The Award Ceremony foyer was busy with attendees taking time to network before the event A drink while networking with other participants was the perfect preamble to the awards

A team led by Promaco GM Colm D'Olier enjoying their drinks at the foyer

FW AFrica CEO Francis Juma delivering the opening speech during the awards ceremony

In Africa, a ceremony is not complete without food - and it was served for all to enjoy!

Giant Millers celebrating the recognition of their MD Agnes Irungu for her efforts in growing her company to prominence

The Managing Director, CHI Ltd, Eelco Welber was at hand to receive their two awards at the ceremony.

Kenya Breweries Team receiving an award for their Gilbeys Mixed Berries Flavoured Gin

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PICTORIALS

Java House showing off their hard earned trophies The team from Glacier Products receiving their award for their new yoghurt range

The FW Africa Team at the 2021 Awards ceremony Bio Foods Coconut yoghurt took the platinum award at the AFEA 2021

Broadway Group receiving an award for their innovative 50/50 bread

A jubilant KWAL team celebrating Casa Buena Sangria Wine that won Gold

New dairy entrant Laki Laki took gold award in the Dairy category Donald Mbogo of Paalsgard hands the trophy to Mukurweini Dairies

NatureLock celebrating their win in the Fresh & Ready Meal products category for their ready-to-eat Stewsday Maisha Beverages' Hola Drinks took the Gold award in the Soft Beverage category FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

Dormans Cold Brew was a Platinum winner in the soft beverage category JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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AFRICA FOOD INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021 DAIRY Dairy is a category that is always awash with new product innovation. From Java House Ice cream to Brookside’s Delamere yoghurt with real pineapple and coconut, the category never disappointed in bringing to market exciting new products.

Upcoming companies including Laki Laki and Mukurweini Wakulima Dairy also had their products feted, demonstrating how the sector is rapidly expanding and competition stiffening as new players stake their claim and old timers seek to protect their turf.

Laki Laki Laki Laki Greek Yoghurt

CHI Ltd Hollandia Zero Yoghurt

Brookside Dairy Ltd • • •

Brookside Lactose-free milk Delamere Yoghurt with Real Pineapple & Coconut Delamere Yoghurt with Real Apricot Orange & Honey

Pearl Dairy Farms Yogo Yogo Squeeze Yoghurt

Bio Food Products

Mukurweini Wakulima Dairy Royal Fresh Coffee Yoghurt

Bio Cheese

Glacier Products Dairyland Yoghurt

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Java House Java House ice cream

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PROFILES SOFT BEVERAGES No category was as diverse as the soft beverage in these year’s award. In trying to keep up with the health-conscious trend, manufactures went out of their way to develop new, healthy beverages for that guilt-free indulgence that consumers were craving during the pandemic.

Premier Food’s Recharge Dawa, Century Bottling Uganda’s Ades Nutri Bushera and Big Tree Brands Lifeway C-Shot 500 were some of the health-conscious products that were celebrated during the 2021 awards ceremony.

Maisha beverages Hola drinks

Dormans Coffee • Dormans Cold Brew Coffee • Dormans Flavoured Syrups

Premier Food Industries • Recharge Dawa Drink • Orchid Valley 100% Fruit & Veggies Juice

Big Tree Brands Lifeway C-Shot 500

CHI Ltd ChiVita Active Zest

Excel Chemicals Reload Isotonic Drink

Century Bottling UG Ades Nutri Bushera drink

Global Beverages & Commodities Kericho Gold Cold Brew

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AFRICA FOOD INDUSTRY EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2021

Global Slackers Enterprises

Broadway Bakery

Booch Kombucha

Broadway 50/50 Bread

Royal Brekkers Ltd Mohawk Kombucha

Mjengo Ltd • Nuvita Sponge Cake • Nuvita Wafers

MILLING, BAKING AND SNACKS The milling, baking and snacks category is one that is under pressure for healthier, wholesome, and nutritious products. This pressure even heighted during the pandemic.

Broadway’s 50/50 bread, Upfield Kenya’s Instant Porridge flour, and Java House granola bars were some of the products launched to meet this need.

Snacks are famous for their indulgence and convenience credentials. Tropical Heat’s Hero chips and Mjengo Limited’s Nuvita Sponge cake and Wafers came to market to meet this specific need and ended up being awarded for their innovativeness.

Giant Millers Ltd Canna Nutritious Maize Meal

Upfield Kenya Blue Band Instant Porridge Flour

Tropical Heat Heroes Snacks - Silver

Tropical Brands Partee Chips

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PROFILES

Java House Java Granola Bars

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES One industry prone to changes in consumer taste and preference is the alcoholic beverage sector.

During the pandemic several product launches came to market to align with consumer desire for premium, flavour, and health. The awards entries highlighted this trend and also underscored the further expansion of the cider category in the East African market.

Savanna Brands KO Honey Cider

NEW PACKAGING INNOVATIONS Food is only as good as its packaging and this year saw a number of brands update their packaging to enhance convenience, improve sustainability credentials, and boost their visibility potential.

New can formats from EABL, clear packaging of Sprite drink by Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA), and retail packs from Brookside Dairy were feted alongside other packaging refreshments from Bakex Millers and Bidco Africa.

Kenya Breweries Ltd Gilbeys Mixed Berries Flavoured Gin

Bakex Millers Bakex Bread/Brown Bread Flour retail packs

KWAL

Casa Buena Sangria Wine

EABL Kenya New can formats

Keroche Breweries Ltd X Beer

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that has cut its reliance on the national grid by between 30 to 40%.

Brookside Dairy • Brookside milk powder retail packs - Gold • Brookside Maziwa Lala 1 Litre pack

Bidco Africa Golden Fry new pack

Bio Food Products

Solar energy project that has helped the dairy processor to cut its energy bill by between 30 and 40%

CCBA Kenya Sprite Clear

SUSTAINABILITY As the world embraces sustainability to reverse the effects of the climate change, manufacturers across the continent are upping their game to match their peers abroad.

Bio Food Products

Taka Taka solutions project which provides an avenue for consumers to return their plastic waste for recycling

Diageo’s subsidiary Kenya Breweries has been leading sustainability efforts in the region and this year it was feted for its sustainable sourcing initiative targeting people living with disability in Homabay County, Kenya and their waste recovery initiatives at its Ruaraka plant in Nairobi, Kenya.

Bio Food Products, another sustainability focused company, received an award for its solar project 32

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Kenya Breweries Limited

Sustainable sourcing program that targets people living with disabilities FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

June 29-July 1, 2022 Nairobi Hospital Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

ONSITE & VIRTUAL

AFRICA’S NO. 1 FOOD SAFETY, QUALITY & COMPLIANCE CONFERENCE & EXPO The second edition of Africa Food Safety & Quality Summit - Africa’s premier international food safety, quality management and compliance conference and exhibition is set for June 2022 - after the ground breaking first edition, which debuted in July 2021.

The Summit, which is held annually, is shaping up to be the best platform to learn new ways to tackle the unique food safety, quality, compliance and regulatory challenges that affect Africa from leading experts, consultants, researchers and thought leaders.

Look forward to 3 days of inspirational keynote speeches, deep presentations, networking sessions, a vibrant Expo Hall and field visits as we plan to host you in Nairobi.

KEY ISSUES Regulatory & policy Environment

Compliance & systems Management

www.foodsafetyafrica.net/summit

Quality & lab Management

Appropriate Technologies POWERED BY

NEWS UPDATES by www.FoodBusinessAfrica.com MERGERS & ACQUISITION

Ardagh Group acquires South African rival Consol, paper packaging giant Corruseal Group eyes Neopak

SOUTH AFRICA – Ardagh Group, global supplier of sustainable, infinitely recyclable, metal and glass packaging for brand owners, has agreed to acquire Consol Holdings Proprietary Limited, the leading producer of glass packaging on the African continent, for an equity value of US$635 million.

Consol serves a broad range of leading international, regional and domestic customers, principally in the beer, wine, spirits, food and nonalcoholic beverage sectors.

Ardagh expects to finance the acquisition through a combination of its own cash resources and the assumption of ZAR5.7 billion (US$358 million) existing net debt at Consol.

Completion of the acquisition is subject to certain conditions, including regulatory approvals that are expected to be obtained in the second quarter of 2022.

THE DEAL INCLUDES OPERATIONS SPANNING SOUTH AFRICA, NIGERIA, KENYA AND ETHIOPIA The deal will include operations spanning South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia, enabling Ardagh expand its European and North America presence in glass packaging into Africa.

Meanwhile, Ethos Private Equity

has agreed to offload its 100% stake in South Africa based paper and packaging business, Neopak Holdings, for an undisclosed sum to Corruseal Group.

Neopak is a world-class business with a focus on manufacturing of high-quality recycled containerboard and related paper products via its paper mill operations in Rosslyn and recycling operations in Amalgam.

Corruseal’s acquisition of Neopak will broaden its portfolio which currently has over 14 companies operating across recycling, paper, packaging and value-added market segments.

RESEARCH

No- and low-alcohol category value in key global markets nears US$10bn

GLOBAL – The no and low alcohol beverages category continues to outperform full-alcohol as consumer interest in these drinks increasingly becomes a year-round trend across the world.

According to new research from IWSR, the no and low alcohol category has been recording higher singledigit growth during the past year.

In the period between 2018 and 2021, the category grew from 34

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US$7.8bn to just under $10bn across the key focus markets of Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and US. IWSR now forecasts that no- and low-alcohol volume will grow by +8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2021 and 2025, compared to regular alcohol volume growth of +0.7% CAGR during that same period.

In general, non-alcohol products are the driver for the category, with stronger growth rates than no alcohol products.

Beer/cider is by far the largest no/

low category (at 75% volume share), with no-alcohol beer projected to drive growth at more than +11% CAGR over the study’s 2021-2025 forecast period.

BEER/CIDER IS BY FAR THE LARGEST NO/LOW ALCOHOL CATEGORY AT 75% VOLUME SHARE No-alcohol RTDs and alcohol wine is expected to grow almost +20% CAGR 2021-2025, vs. no-alcohol wine projected at +9% CAGR. Moderation is the most common use of no/low products, with significant cross-over between no/ low and alcohol consumers – and indeed with standard full-strength alcohol products as well.

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INVESTMENT

Danone celebrates 60 years in Nigeria with opening of Fan Milk’s new US$9m facility production of high quality and nutritious products to all customers nationwide.

During the 60th anniversary celebrations, Mr. Domenico Albanese, Danone Vice President of Operations in Africa, Middle East, and Asia, stated that the project accounted for 50 per cent of the company’s capex for Africa in 2021.

This investment will be bolstered by the construction of a new yoghurt NIGERIA – Marking its diamond jubilee celebrations in the Nigerian market, Fan Milk Plc, subsidiary of multinational food-products corporation Danone, opened a new state-of-the-art frozen dairy product line in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The new facility, constructed at a cost of £8m (US$9m), show cased the company’s commitment to strengthening local investments which would result in improved production capacity and ensure

THE INVESTMENT WILL BE BOLSTERED BY A NEW YOGHURT LINE EXPECTED TO OPEN BY JUNE 2022 line expected to open by June 2022 and a recently commissioned water treatment facility to support four neighbouring educational institutions – Eleyele High School, School of Hygiene, School of Nursing, and the School of Health technology.

INVESTMENT & FUNDING

AFEX expands across Africa with launch of US$100m Food Security Fund

NIGERIA – AFEX, Nigeria’s leading commodities market player, is seeking to spread his impact across the region with the launch of new US$100m 10-year bond dubbed The Food Security Fund (FSF).

The financing is aimed to strengthen Africa’s food security and produce three million MT of food annually on the continent.

According to AFEX, the fund will support the financing of 250,000 FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

hectares of land for commercial and smallholder farming, initially consisting of 30,000 hectares in the Nigerian states of Kano, Kaduna, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River & the FCT, before covering markets across East and West Africa.

The other markets on the blended financing radar include Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.

The focus of The Food Security Fund will be to explore and optimize climate smart innovations and high yield agronomy protocols to ensure more food is produced and that land is used efficiently. A significant portion will be allocated to constructing warehouses.

BRIEFS PE firm INMA invests in Tunisian firm behind fastfood chain Plan B TUNISIA – INMA Holding, a private equity firm that chases small and medium-sized Tunisian businesses, has struck a deal with an investment of TAD5 million (US$1.7 million) in ABK Group.

ABK Group operates different restaurant formats with fast-food brand Plan B launched in 2014 and managed as a franchised business.

The network now has 28 outlets across the country and has quickly gained the recognition of a growing public, thanks to the quality of its products and the distinction of its service.

The investment will enable ABK Group develop Plan B’s network in Tunisia and spear head its international expansion.

Guinness Nigeria beefs up spirits production with launch of new US$2.2m line NIGERIA – Guinness Nigeria Plc, a subsidiary of Diageo Plc, has commissioned a new Spirits production line at its Ogba brewery in Lagos.

The new line, part of the brewer’s Mainstream Spirit Capacity expansion programme with a cost of £2.0m (US$2.2m), avails an additional cube packaging line to meet increased demand for the company’s mainstream spirits portfolio.

The facility is expected to produce about 600,000 EUs of the company’s iconic spirits brands per year including Orijin Bitters, in different sizes and formats desired by consumers at a more affordable price point.

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NEWS UPDATES

INVESTMENT

Uganda’s Sarrai Group wins bid to run Mumias Sugar as Rai Group extends dominance in Kenyan’s sugar market

KENYA - Uganda-based conglomerate Sarrai Group has secured the lease for assets of Mumias Sugar Company and the mandate to revive the collapsed sugar miller.

The sugar miller’s receivermanager Ponangipalli Rao announced that the Ugandan company emerged as the winner of the bidding process that has lasted over 4 months.

The 20-year lease, excludes

assets in the firm’s ethanol and cogen plants, which were seized by Ecobank and French development financier, Proparco.

Rao disclosed that although Sarrai Group is not in sugar production in Kenya, it has a proven track record of running three sugar factories such as Kinyara Sugar, Hoima Sugar, and Kiryandongo Sugar, a distillery, and power generation in Uganda.

Sarrai group’s winning bid has however been subjected to multiple court cases which are putting to doubt hopes of restoring the defunct miller to its former glory.

Meanwhile, Kenyan industrial conglomerate, Rai Group, is set to commence operations at its newly built sugar production unit, Naitiri

Sugar Company, by the end of the first quarter of this year.

Built at a cost of Ksh 5 billion (US$44m), the facility is expected to commence with a processing capacity of 3,000 tonnes of sugar cane which will eventually be doubled to 6,000 tonnes.

SARRAI RUNS THREE SUGAR FACTORIES: KINYARA SUGAR, HOIMA SUGAR, AND KIRYANDONGO SUGAR The new factory will further extend its hold on the Kenyan sugar market where it already controls nearly 45% of total sugar sales through three companies: West Kenya Sugar, Sukari and Olepito.

FINANCE

EABL’s profits more than double in first half year driven by volume growth

KENYA – East African Breweries PLC (EABL), has raised a glass to an exceptional first half year ended December 31, reporting growth on both the top-line and bottom-line performance.

The brewer’s profit after tax, termed as best in the last five years, grew by 131% to Kshs 8.7 billion (US$76.5m).

This was primarily driven by the higher net sales, margin expansion, robust cost management and the re-opening of bars in Kenya in the second quarter.

The performance is compared 36

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to a profit after tax of Ksh3.8 billion (US$33.5m) that the alcoholic drinks maker attained in the first six months of 2020, a period when alcohol sales were ravaged by the negative effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the closure of bars and the dusk-todawn curfew.

During the period under review, EABL’s net sales jumped by 23.5% THE BREWER'S PROFIT AFTER TAX, TERMED AS BEST IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, GREW BY 131% TO US$76.5M, PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY HIGHER NET SALES AND ROBUST COST MANAGEMENT to Ksh.54.9 billion (US$483m) from Ksh.44.5 billion (US$391.5m) previously, realised through strong organic growth across East Africa.

The Kenyan market led the recovery with net sales increasing by 27%, primarily due to accelerated

strategic investment behind brands and channels, coupled with reopening of bars in the second quarter.

Meanwhile net sales in Uganda jumped 18% driven by the market’s agile response to the shifting consumer trends as well as strategic pricing decisions.

In neighbouring Tanzania, growth momentum continued through increased strategic investment behind brands and innovations resulting to net sales growing by 15% with beer and spirits registering double-digit growth.

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STRATEGY

Nestlé creates Greater Zambezi region, appoints Asim Rifat as head

ZIMBABWE – Nestlé, has elevated the acting Managing Director of its Zimbabwean unit, Asim Rifat to be the company’s head in an expanded capacity that will see the executive manage a cluster with six countries from the previous three.

Rifat takes over the helm of the company from Eunice GanyawuMagwali, who was appointed Nestle Zimbabwe’s first woman managing director in 2019.

In his new role, Rifat will be the cluster manager for the newlycreated Greater Zambezi Region, which includes Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, and Comoros.

The Greater Zambezi Cluster is part of a larger group of 23 nations known as the East and Southern African Region.

Prior to his new appointment, Rifat was the business executive officer for the Nestle East and Southern Africa region where he oversaw the business operations of 18 countries in the region.

The Pakistan-born executive has vast expertise in both the FMCG and pharmaceutical industries. His career with Nestlé extends over 16 years, with numerous leadership responsibilities in countries including the Middle East as well as East and Southern Africa and Pakistan.

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DIVESTMENT

Diageo sells Ethiopian brewery Meta Abo to Castel Group ETHIOPIA - Diageo has entered into an agreement to sell its Meta Abo brewery in Sebeta, Ethiopia to BGI, a subsidiary of multinational Castel Group.

The acquisition will extend the dominance of Castle group in the Ethiopian market as its subsidiary currently boasts of having over 50 percent market share of the local beer market.

DIAGEO HAS VOWED TO CONTINUE SERVING THE ETHIOPIAN MARKET WITH ITS INTERNATIONAL SPIRITS PORTFOLIO THROUGH ITS DEDICATED IMPORTED SPIRITS CHANNEL Meanwhile, Diageo has vowed to continue serving the Ethiopian market with its international spirits portfolio through its dedicated imported spirits

channel.

The deal is subject to approval by the Ethiopian Competition Commission and certain conditions and is expected to be completed by early 2022.

Diageo took over the reins of the brewery from the Ethiopian government, exactly a decade ago, after sealing a US$255 million privatization deal.

Following finalization of the deal, Meta Abo will join BGI’s other five breweries i.e., St. George Brewery in Addis Ababa, the Kombolcha Brewery, the Hawassa Brewery, Zebidar Brewery and Machew Northern Brewery with a combined production capacity of 3.6 million Hectoliters of beer annually.

INVESTMENT AND FUNDING

Uganda’s second largest sugar miller Kinyara Sugar opens US$15m industrial sugar refinery

UGANDA – Kinyara Sugar Limited, one of Uganda’s leading sugar processing companies, has inaugurated East Africa’s first industrial sugar refinery in Masindi District.

The plant, constructed at a cost of US$15m, is expected to produce 60,000 metric tons of industrial white sugar annually, consuming about 70,000 metric tons of mill brown sugar as raw material.

Officially commissioning the facility, President Yoweri Museveni lauded the initiative stating it will cut

on the country’s importation bill of the commodity which currently stands at US$50 million.

Refined sugar is majorly used in production of soft drinks, baked goods, confectionaries, pharmaceuticals, among other uses, with Uganda’s current demand ranging from 78,000 metric tons to 90,000 metric tons annually.

The president is optimistic that once production increases, Uganda’s THE PLANT WILL HAVE AN ANNUAL PROCESSING CAPACITY OF 60,000 METRIC TONS OF INDUSTRIAL WHITE SUGAR refined sugar will have a ready market throughout the East African region, whose demand for industrial sugar stands at 150,000 metric tons.

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NEWS UPDATES

BRIEFS Kenyan biscuit maker Britania Foods up for sale over US$11m debt KENYA – Britania Foods Limited, which was once a behemoth in the Kenyan biscuit market has been put up for sale over mounting debt.

The company, which has been operating for more than 30 years was placed under administration last year after defaulting on loans of more than Ksh1.3 billion (US$11m) provided by suppliers and creditors.

The move was orchestrated by audit firm PKF Consulting Ltd who appointed Peter Kahi as administrator of the company, acting on behalf of DTB bank which is owed Ksh900 million (US$7.9m) by the manufacturer.

Marking the final chapter of the iconic company, the administrator of the insolvent biscuit manufacturer has put the assets of the firm on sale.

The assets in question include a modern high-tech plant in Nairobi, factory buildings, raw materials and leasehold plots comprising 3.28 acres.

Simplifine eyes bullish frozen foods segment with launch of new fries processing line KENYA – Simplifine, a newly formed food processing company in Kenya, has commissioned a new processing line that will expand its production of frozen fresh French fries.

The Individual Quick Freezing processing line will extend the shelf life of locally produced potatoes, thus expand the market for Kenyan farmers and reduce reliance on imported French fries, reports Standard Media.

Following the investment, Simplifine will soon launch its frozen French fries in the market and looks forward to debuting additional frozen fruits and vegetable products in the future.

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REGULATORY

Titanium dioxide ban takes effect in Europe leaving producers with six months to comply

EUROPE – The ban on titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a food additive has come into force across the EU in January leaving producers with six months to comply to the new regulations.

Also known as E171, Titanium dioxide is an ingredient used to whiten many food products in addition to cosmetic, paint, and paper products.

Foods with titanium dioxide are typically candies, pastries, chewing gum, coffee creamers, chocolates, and cake decorations.

Its ban follows investigations

by European Food Safety Authority

(EFSA) that deemed the food additive as “not safe.”

EFSA was not met with any objections by either the European Parliament or the Council of the EU paving way for its implementation.

Dr. Nina McGrath, area lead for content production, European Food Information Council (EUFIC), told journalists that during the transition period “companies will need to work on reformulating their products if they want to keep them on the market.”

FOODS WITH THE ADDITIVE ARE TYPICALLY CANDIES, PASTRIES, CHEWING GUM, COFFEE CREAMERS, CHOCOLATES, AND CAKE DECORATIONS McGrath further noted that the regulations do not leave any discretion to member states in implementing EU law, as they are legally binding.

STRATEGY

Unilever reorganizes business structure in pursuit of simplicity and agility

UK — Consumer goods company Unilever has announced changes to its organisational model to enhance its ability to quickly respond to market demands.

The changes will see the company move away from its current matrix structure and will be organised around five distinct Business Groups: Beauty & Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream.

Under the new structure,

each Business Group will be fully responsible and accountable for their strategy, growth, and profit delivery globally, the company said.

The five Business Groups will however be supported by Unilever Business Operations, which will provide the technology, systems, and processes to drive operational excellence across the business.

Unilever notes that the exercise is expected to lead to a 15% reduction in senior management roles and a 5% reduction in junior management roles.

The company however noted it did not expect the layoffs, which will number about 1,500 in total, to affect factory teams.

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

STRATEGY

DIVESTMENT

Shoprite plans on-demand JV with RTT Group to strengthen e-commerce offering

SOUTH AFRICA – The Shoprite Group through its on demand one-hour grocery delivery service, Checkers Sixty60, has entered into a joint venture with its existing logistics partner, the RTT Group to strengthen its e-commerce delivery capabilities.

Under the agreement, RTT Group’s on-demand business will be transferred into the new company in which Shoprite Checkers will subscribe for 50% of the issued ordinary shares.

The transaction follows on from the rapid growth of Checkers Sixty60 in which RTT On-Demand has played a pivotal role in last-mile logistics, currently boasting of over 2 million

app downloads.

In addition, the move comes as Covid-19 has accelerated online shopping with more people preferring to shop from the comfort of their homes.

“This RTT On-Demand joint venture will allow the Group the opportunity to continue enhancing our order fulfilment and last-mile delivery capabilities whilst giving us the opportunity to grow our precision retailing efforts for our customers,” said Shoprite Group CEO, Pieter UNDER THE AGREEMENT, RTT GROUP'S ON-DEMAND BUSINESS WILL BE TRANSFERRED INTO THE NEW COMPANY

Indian foodtech unicorn Zomato shuts down South African operations SOUTH AFRICA – Indian food delivery

startup Zomato has completed the processes of deregistering its South Africa subsidiary.

According to a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), the company declared that Zomato South Africa Proprietary (Pty) Ltd., its step-down subsidiary had ceased operations with effective from January 3, 2022.

The company initiated the process of dissolution in November 2021, claiming that Zomato SA was not material to its business and its dissolution would not affect its turnover or revenue.

Engelbrecht.

Going forward, the joint venture will advance the technology, learnings and intellectual property created to date as well as enable continued development in the digital and customer experience in line with Shoprite’s ecommerce plans.

REGULATORY & POLICY

Nigeria introduces sugar tax on non-alcoholic beverages to encourage healthy lifestyle The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced the introduction of excise duty of N10 (US$0.024) per litre on all nonalcoholic, carbonated and sweetened beverages in the country.

The charge is part of a new policy introduced in the Finance Act which was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on December 31, 2021, alongside the 2022 Appropriation Bill.

According to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, the new sugar tax was introduced to discourage excessive consumption of sugar in beverages, which

NIGERIA –

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

contributed to diabetes, obesity and other diseases.

It is also aimed to raise excise duties and revenues for health-related and other critical expenditures.

THE TAX AIMS TO RAISE DUTIES AND REVENUES FOR HEALTH-RELATED AND OTHER CRITICAL EXPENDITURES With the introduction of the duty on carbonated drinks, the pallet of Nigerians used to fizzy drinks will go sour, whilst manufacturers will be forced to increase the retail price, thus, dipping a hole in the already tight pockets of the groaning consumers.

The move is part of the company’s “cleaning-up” exercise, with the food delivery firm shutting international subsidiaries that don’t contribute to its business since it was listed on Indian exchanges in July.

By last year September, Zomato had closed down its subsidiary in the United States and sold its stake in Nextable Inc for US$100,000.

This is in addition to closure of its overseas subsidiaries – Zomato UK Limited (ZUK) in the UK and Zomato Media Private Limited (ZMPL) in Singapore. However, its UAE operations are still active.

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NEWS UPDATES

BRIEFS Webcor, Grupo Arco to hit sweet spot with opening of US$45 million confectionery factory ANGOLA – The Webcor Group, one of Angola’s leading food manufacturing companies, is set to commence production at its newly constructed Dulceria Nacional cookie and candy factory.

The facility has been established in partnership with the Argentine multinational confectionery company, Grupo Arco, at a cost of US$45m.

It is expected to produce 6,000 tons of the region’s best-loved biscuits, candy and chocolates brands in the first year, starting with Bon o Bon from February, followed by biscuits in March.

It will scale up to 15,000 tons afterwards to serve both the local market and those of neighbouring Congo, Namibia, Zambia, and Botswana, bringing a competitive advantage in terms of cost and distribution.

American pizzeria Papa John’s International enters SubSaharan Africa market KENYA – Papa John’s International, an American pizza restaurant franchise, has announced its expansion into SubSaharan Africa, with plans of opening 60 restaurants in Kenya and Uganda.

The pizza delivery outfit will embark on its Sub-Saharan Africa exploration with the opening of four restaurants in 2022, beginning with Nairobi.

This will be done in conjunction with its newest franchise partner Kitchen Express LTD, a subsidiary of AAH Limited.

AAH is the majority shareholder of Hass Petroleum Group, which holds a significant retail footprint in Africa.

The partnership will enable Hass Petroleum to leverage its significant retail footprint to introduce the Papa John’s brand to the East African market.

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REGULATORY

Codex approves production technologies for steviol glycosides

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Sea Harvest seeks to acquire Australia based MG Kailis, Lake Harvest bags US$7m investment SOUTH AFRICA – Sea Harvest Group,

ITALY- International food safety authority Codex Alimentarius (Codex) has adopted a framework that encompasses four different technologies for producing steviol glycosides.

The four production technologies approved by Codex are stevia leaf extract, steviol glycosides from bioconversion, steviol glycosides from fermentation and glucosylated steviol glycosides.

STEVIOL GLYCOSIDES EXHIBIT ENORMOUS SWEETNESS, ABOUT 200-300 TIMES MORE THAN REGULAR SUGAR Steviol glycosides, exhibit enormous sweetness, about 200-300 times more than regular sugar.

The low dosage required to sweeten foods has made them particularly popular among sweet foods carrying health claims.

The Codex action means there is now a more streamlined approach to regional adoption of new production technologies, according to Sweegen, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., which uses a bioconversion process to produce steviol glycosides from stevia leaves.

Most countries will adopt the standard, allowing Sweegen’s global stevia footprint to expand more rapidly into countries where the company is seeking approval, said Luca Giannone, senior vice president of sales.

a South African seafood and fisheries company, has entered into a business agreement to acquire the Western Australia based fishing business, MG Kailis Holdings, for a purchase consideration of AUD70 million (US$50m).

The acquired assets will be held

by Sea Harvest Marine, a newly registered wholly-owned subsidiary of Sea Harvest Australia.

MG Kailis is a vertically integrated fishing business of scale which complements the group’s existing business operations in Australia from a fishing, trading, engineering, and sales perspective.

The acquisition assets include vessels, intellectual property, plant and equipment, licences and fishing rights for prawns in the Exmouth region.

In neighbouring Zimbabwe, Lake Harvest Group, an integrated aquaculture company in Sub Saharan Africa, is set to benefit from a US$7m growth investment from Aqua-Spark and Norfund, to boost its operations in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Uganda.

In addition to the financial backing, the fish distributor has attracted Aqua-Spark, the pioneer fund for sustainable aquaculture, as a new cornerstone investor.

With this investment, the fund joins African Century Group and Norfund as shareholders of Lake Harvest.

Following its gain of long-term investors, African Development Bank has ceased its shareholding in the company.

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MERGERS AND ACQUISITION

INVESTMENT & FUNDING

Centrale Danone delists from Casablanca Stock Exchange in response to low share liquidity values

MOROCCO – Moroccan Capital Market Authority (AMMC), the Casablanca Stock Exchange watchdog, has announced the withdrawal of security offerings of Centrale Danone Stock from the bourse.

Compagnie Gervais Danone, Centrale Danone’s mother company filed the buy-out bid on December 3 after the Board of Directors voted on the decision.

The bid concerns all Centrale Danone stocks that are not held by the Compagnie Gervais Danone company.

In accordance with the regulating law, the AMMC suspended the listing of the dairy company’s shares trading in the Moroccan Stock Exchange.

The move follows low share liquidity values, which have been on a down-ward spiral following a boycotting campaign in 2018 against the brand, triggered by consumers’ complaints of high prices.

The boycott caused the dairy company to bleed €13.5 million (US$15.1m) in the first half of 2018, resulting in a total loss amounting to 40% of the market share.

It in turn introduced a low-cost milk product, declaring that it will not abandon the Moroccan market.

Despite taking control of the situation, the group was again met by a new wave of boycotting of French products in 2020 following an alleged controversial publication in France.

MERGERS & ACQUISITION

Kerry Group expands presence in Africa with acquisition of East Africa based Afribon Global food ingredients, taste and nutrition solution provider, Kerry Group, has expanded its footprint in Africa with the acquisition of Rwanda-based Afribon.

Launched in 2012, Afribon is specializes in the development, production and marketing of food flavours, comprises five production sites, in Rwanda, Cameroon, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.

The Pan-African food flavour development company provides flavour solutions in beverages, food service, confectionery, baked goods and dairy category, and is consequently a neat fit for Kerry Group. The latter already has a presence in South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria.

This transaction further enhances Kerry’s focus as a leading business

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to business ingredient solutions provider for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets.

The move is of significant importance as it will enable localisation of Kerry’s products and services, bolstered by Afribon’s local market expertise.

This will be paramount especially in the development of new product ideas to formulation, recipe adjustment and initial production set up, given the diversity of regions and cuisine in Africa.

BUA Foods features on Nigerian Stock Exchange board, listing 18 billion ordinary shares BUA Foods, the newly formed food processing and marketing arm of one of Nigeria’s leading manufacturing conglomerates, BUA Group, received an approval to list on the Main Board of The Nigerian Exchange (NGX).

NIGERIA –

To this end, a total of 18 billion ordinary shares of the company were listed at N40.00 per share under the Consumer Goods sector of NGX, with the trading symbol, BUAFOODS. A TOTAL OF 18 BILLION ORDINARY SHARES OF THE COMPANY WERE LISTED AT N40.00 PER SHARE Commenting on the listing, Abdul Samad Rabiu, CON, Chairman of BUA Group said, “I am delighted that yet another member of BUA Group has been listed on the NGX. “This shows our commitment to national economic growth and support for the food security drive of the nation in alignment with global sustainability goals.”

The move follows the company’s restructuring and consolidation of all its food operations i.e., BUA Sugar Refinery Limited, BUA Oil Mills Limited, IRS Flour, IRS Pasta and BUA Rice Limited.

Formation of the juggernaut BUA Foods is aimed to boost its competitive edge in the Nigerian food manufacturing sector dominated by the likes of Dangote Industries and Flour Mills of Nigeria.

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SUPPLIER NEWS & INNOVATIONS

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

Oterra expands North American presence with acquisition of Food Ingredient Solutions conversion toward natural colors,” said Cees de Jong, Chairman of Oterra.

The acquisition is Oterra’s third in the past year. This past September the

DENMARK – World’s largest provider of naturally sourced colors Oterra has expanded its presence in North America with the acquisition of a New Jersey-based supplier of colors and antioxidant ingredients Food Ingredient Solutions.

The acquisition which includes two manufacturing facilities in Teterboro

and Marshfield, Mo is Oterra’s first in the United States since it was acquired by private equity firm EQT in 2021.

“North America is one of the fastest-growing natural colors markets, and this acquisition puts Oterra in a great position to further support our customers in the

THE ACQUISITION IS OTERRA'S FIRST IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE IT WAS ACQUIRED BY PRIVATE EQUITY FIRM EQT IN 2021

company announced an agreement to acquire the Diana Foods natural coloring business from Symrise AG.

INVESTMENTS

Kerry opens new taste ingredients facility in Saudi Arabia SAUDI ARABIA - Kerry Group has opened a 21,500-square-foot facility at its Jeddah operation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The plant is Kerry’s largest in the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey region and will be used to produce sustainable food ingredients for distribution across the Middle East.

“The opening of our new facility at our Jeddah site is part of our commitment to continuing to grow

our presence across the Middle East where we have invested over €80 million since 2018,” said Edmond Scanlon, chief executive officer of Kerry Group.

The new facility, which currently employs 130 people, is FSSC 22000, HACCP, ISO 22000, and AIBI certified.

It is built on state-of-the-art Ready To Eat (RTE) standard of design and construction to uphold strict customer requirements for hygiene and food safety.

It has laboratories equipped with unique testing capabilities and will use robotics across the production line to enhance efficiency.

INNOVATION

Tetra Pak and Elvir introduce industry first carton cap from certified recycled polymers

FRANCE – Carton packaging suppliers Tetra Pak and Elvir have partnered to launch the HeliCap 23, a new 42

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cap made using certified recycled polymers.

The new innovation which is an industry first for the food industry is aimed at replacing the use of virgin, fossil-based resources with sustainably sourced alternatives.

The one-step resealable screwcap offers consumers ease of opening and features a clearly visible tamper evidence ring, providing reassurance that the product hasn’t been opened before.

According to Tetra Pak, the new caps using recycled polymers are

manufactured under the RSB chain of custody attribution method.

THE ONE STEP RESEALABLE SCREWCAP OFFERS CONSUMERS EASE OF OPENING AND FEATURES A CLEARLY VISIBLE TAMPER EVIDENCE RING

HeliCap23 is manufactured at Tetra Pak’s Châteaubriant plant in Loire-Atlantique, France – a site that has been awarded the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) Advanced Products certification.

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

STRATEGY

DSM integrates nutrition businesses to better address evolving market needs

NETHERLANDS — Global health, nutrition, and bioscience company Royal DSM has unified its food Specialties, Hydrocolloids and part of its Nutritional Products group into a new integrated Food & Beverage

operating structure.

In a statement, the company said the new structure is designed to bring together its full range of food and beverage ingredients, expertise and science-based solutions for improving the taste and texture of food.

DSM said the new Food & Beverage organization will focus on helping consumers ‘enjoy it all’ without having to choose between taste, texture and health.

DSM says the simplified structure represents the activation of its plan first announced in September 2021

DSM SAID THE NEW FOOD AND BEVERAGE ORGANIZATION WILL FOCUS ON HELPING CONSUMERS ENJOY IT ALL WITHOUT HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN TASTE, TEXTURE & HEALTH

to become a fully-focused health, nutrition, and bioscience company.

The company has built out that plan through several recent acquisitions, including Vestkorn Milling, Tau, Norway, for $73 million, and First Choice Ingredients, Germantown, Wis., for $453 million.

TECHNOLOGY

Newly launched Ishida x-ray inspection system to enhance food safety in meat products EUROPE – A recently launched x-ray inspection system by Ishida Europe is set to enhance food safety in meat processing by increasing the capability of packers to detect bone fragments and low-density foreign bodies.

The Ishida IX-G2-F achieves this by incorporating a new line sensor that provides a high-quality x-ray image through an enhanced signalto-noise ratio.

According to the packing and weighing solutions company, the new sensor increases the ability of the

sensitivity means there is a reduced risk of false detections, which helps to maximise throughput and helps avoid extra costs associated with

machine to identify contaminants.

It is reportedly effective even when handling thicker and denser products such as chicken fillets, chicken breasts, and a wide range of poultry products.

Ishida notes that the enhanced

THE ISHIDA IX-G2-F INCORPORATES A NEW LINE SENSOR THAT PROVIDES A HIGH QUALITY X-RAY IMAGE THROUGH ENHANCED SIGNAL-TO-NOSE RATIO unnecessary waste and the repacking of products.

INNOVATION CENTER

Cargill launches innovation center in India

INDIA

– American global food corporation Cargill has opened the Cargill Innovation Center in India to enable food and beverage businesses develop innovative solutions that address food and beverage (F&B)

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

market trends.

Located in Gurugram, Haryana, the state-of-the-art Innovation Center is spread over almost 17,000 square feet.

It includes a sensory lab and demonstration kitchen, with capabilities to serve dairy, beverage, bakery, and convenience food industries, as well as other specialized culinary applications.

It will combine the strength

of global know-how and local capabilities to help ensure faster delivery of solutions to customers and will use Augmented Reality (AR) to live-stream practical demonstrations remotely to customers.

Cargill says it will partner with its F&B customers in India to identify consumer demands, translate global industry trends into local application and accelerate customer product innovation pipelines.

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APPOINTMENTS Update Beverage Association of South Africa names CCBSA’s executive as new Chairperson

SOUTH AFRICA – The Beverage

Association of South Africa (BEVSA), a non-profit organisation that represents the interests of the non-alcoholic beverage industry, has appointed Coca-Cola’s Nozicelo Juqula Ngcobo as its new Chairperson.

BEVSA serves as liaison between the industry, government, and the public, providing a unified voice on legislative and regulatory matters.

Nozicelo is the current Public Affairs, Communications and Sustainability Director of Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa.

She brings a wealth of experience to this new role, having held various senior positions managing government, stakeholder relations, and regulatory affairs at different organizations.

Nolo Thobejane takes helm of KFC’s rest of sub-Saharan Africa operations AFRICA – KFC Africa, a regional operating unit of US-based fastfood chain KFC, has appointed Nolo Thobejane as head of rest of sub44

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company dedicated to bringing clean and affordable energy to low and middle-income households in Nairobi.

She joined Uber in 2019 as Strategy and Planning Lead for Uber Eats Sub-Saharan Africa, a role she served until her promotion.

Saharan Africa (RoSSA), which is made up of 22 growth markets.

Having joined the KFC business in 2005 as human resources business partner, Thobejane, rose through the ranks to her previous executive post of franchise operations and engagement director for the RoSSA region.

In her new role, she will assume overall accountability over the brand’s sub-Saharan markets, a key region for the brand.

Uber Eats Kenya appoints Wangui Mbugua as General Manager to steer its growth

KENYA – Online food ordering and delivery platform Uber Eats has appointed Wangui Mbugua as the General Manager for its Kenya operations, to steer growth of its services in the country.

Wangui started her career as a legal intern for leading African law firm Bowmans and later moved to McKinsey and Co. as a management consultant.

She has also had a stint at Koko Networks, an international technology

Nestlé appoints new Chairman & CEO of MENA region

MENA - Global food giant Nestlé has appointed Yasser Abdul Malak as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region, effective January 1st, 2022.

Abdul Malak succeeds Remy Ejel, who joined the global Nestlé Executive Board in Vevey, Switzerland, as Executive Vice President and CEO of Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa (AOA), which includes the Middle East and North Africa region.

The new MENA regional boss has held several leadership positions at Nestlé since joining the company in 1999.

Lake Harvest taps into expertise of Fish Industry veteran Atle Eide to Chair its board ZIMBABWE – Lake Harvest Group, one of the largest integrated aquaculture companies in subSaharan Africa, has appointed Atle Eide, as an independent Chairman of the board.

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

The tilapia farming outfit has tapped into the expertise of the fish industry veteran, who is also serving as the Chair of SalMar, one of the world’s biggest producers of salmon.

“We are very pleased and proud that Atle, who is a globally recognised leader in the aquaculture sector is joining Lake Harvest.

“With his dedication, knowledge and experience, we are convinced that Atle will make a strong contribution to the future success of Lake Harvest,” said James de la Fargue, CEO of Lake Harvest.

Tiger Brands appoints Barati Mahloele to lead venture capital fund arm

beverage start-ups.

Barati will lead the Tiger Brands Venture Capital Fund which aims to invest in entrepreneurs with businesses that align to its consumerrelevant growth platforms of health and nutrition, snackification, and economical food options.

She has over ten years of experience in commercial finance and private equity, working with different entities across the globe.

Lactalis names Alban Damour as head of Southern Africa operations

SAB taps expertise of parent company’s executive Richard Rivett-Carnac to be its new CEO

SOUTH

AFRICA – French multinational dairy products corporation, Lactalis, has appointed Alban Damour as the new General Manager of Lactalis Southern Africa with effect from 1 December 2021.

Alban will oversee the company’s operations in South Africa, Zambia, Botswana, Eswatini and Mozambique.

The new head has been with the dairy processor since 2003 and worked across the world from France, the USA, Italy and Turkey.

South African responsible drinking champion aware.org appoints Carmen Mohapi as interim CEO SOUTH AFRICA – South African food manufacturing giant, Tiger Brands, has announced the appointment of Barati Mahloele as Venture Capital Fund Director from 10 January 2022.

The JSE listed packaged food processor, launched the fund in June last year with an initial capital allocation of about R100 million (US$7.17 million), targeting food and

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

and marketing director for Heineken South Africa.

Before that, she held several managerial roles at the South African Breweries and Unilever The new appointee takes over the helm of the company from Ingrid Louw, who will be stepping down from her position with effect 31 January.

SOUTH AFRICA – The Board of

Directors of the Association for Alcohol Responsibility and Education (aware. org), has appointed Carmen Mohapi as an interim CEO of the organization, effective from 14 February.

Mohapi has more than 15 years of leadership experience within the South African alcohol industry, serving most recently as a board member

SOUTH AFRICA –

South African Breweries (SAB), subsidiary of AB InBev, has appointed Richard RivettCarnac as the company’s new CEO. The new boss has 13 years of experience in various roles within the AB InBev group, having joined SABMiller in the London office as part of the mergers and acquisitions team in 2009.

More recently, Richard was the VP for Finance, Legal & Corporate Affairs for AB InBev’s Africa Zone, successfully navigating the business through what could be considered the most challenging years since its inception.

Richard has pledged his commitment to work with government, suppliers and all stakeholders to responsibly grow the beer category and SAB’s share of the category.

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November 24-26, 2022 SARIT EXPO CENTRE, NAIROBI, KENYA

AFRICA

HEALTH

&EXPO WELLNESS

www.expo.healthcareafrica.info

ORGANISED BY

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THE BIGGEST HEALTHCARE & PHARMA EXPO IN EASTERN AFRICA DISCOVER THE FUTURE OF THE HEALTHCARE & PHARMACEUTICALS INDUSTRY AT THE AFRICA HEALTH & WELLNESS EXPO. WELCOME TO THREE DAYS OF DISCOVERING THE LATEST INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, LATEST TECHNOLOGIES AND NEW MARKET TRENDS THAT ARE SET TO DRIVE THE GROWTH OF THE INDUSTRY IN THE NEXT DECADE - AS THE REGION RECOVERS FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC!

WHAT’S ON SHOW AT THE EVENT AFRICA

HOSPITALS &CARE EXPO General & Specialty Hospitals • Medical Clinics & Consultancies • Ambulance & Emergency Services • Care & Rehabilitation Centres • Mental health care centres • Wellness centres • Food supplements & nutraceuticals Diet and weight loss products • Baby health & food products • Natural, organic and nutritious foods

AFRICA

PHARMA

MANUFACTURING EXPO Pharma manufacturing & packaging equipment & solutions | Supply chain and storage solutions | Construction, plant and infrastructure installations | Mobility, software and logistics solutions | Utilities and support services and equipment | Refrigeration, HVAC systems | Renewable Energy & Sustainability solutions

AFRICA

AFRICA

MEDICAL

MEDILAB

& DIAGNOSTICS

DEVICES & TECH EXPO

EXPO

Electrical medical equipment • Patient monitoring equipment • Surgical equipment • Storage & Transport solutions • Patient Mobility & Support solutions • | Acute care and procedural equipment • Mobility, software and logistics solutions to hospitals etc. • Consumables for use in medical facilities

AFRICA

PHARMACY

& DRUGS EXPO

Pharmacy chains and chemists • Human pharmaceutical drugs and related products

AFRICA

NUTRITION HEALTH &

WELLNESS EXPO

Medical laboratory and diagnostics services • Testing, consultancy and training services • Diagnostic equipment and solutions • Medical laboratory and diagnostics consumables • Sanitation, cleaning and hygiene solutions

AFRICA

ANIMAL

HEALTH & CARE EXPO Animal health products | Pet nutrition & products | Veterinary services and products | Equipment and services for animal and pet care Baby and mother care products and services | Food supplements | Vitamins and minerals | Botanicals and tinctures | Personal care & beauty products | Personal wellness services | Exercise and fitness products and services | Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery | Diet and weight loss products

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Bio Foods: Delighting customers with tasty healthy dairy products FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

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MY COMPANY PROFILE: BIO FOODS

By Paul Ongeto

Making your milk stand out from the crowd in a dairy market as developed as Kenya can be a difficult task. Every dairy aisle, from the large supermarkets to the smaller retailer in the neighborhoods, is awash with dairy options to choose from.

The milk and yogurt category are the most saturated with some dairy companies having more than 5 different brands in the same category. Standing out is therefore key to market success, and all processors know it. There is however only so much that an aggressive price strategy can do as other factors such as retailer rebates and profit margins limit how far you can go as a dairy processor.

How then do you survive in such a highly competitive market? Leading processors of premium dairy and food products, Bio Food Products Ltd has a simple answer: quality. For more than 3 decades, the company has fought off stiff competition from market leaders and created a name for itself as the purveyor of high-quality fresh milk, yogurts, and other dairy and food products.

A FOCUS ON QUALITY, FROM THE START On a Swiss Air flight to Zurich from Nairobi, 50

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Bio Foods founder Zachariah Binoy had a chance to taste a very high-quality yogurt. It was like nothing he had ever drank in Kenya before and through the flight kept wondering why no such good quality yogurt existed in the Kenyan market, narrates Joachim Westerveld, Bio Food Products Executive Chairman.

On arrival, Binoy made it his duty to make high quality, healthy and best tasting yogurt for Kenyans, and that his how the Bio Food Products story started. The dairy company has since continued its founder’s legacy, making quality the cornerstone of every innovation.

Over time, the market has come to appreciate its unique offering and Bio products today comfortably stand out in the dairy aisle for everyone choosing quality over price.

GETTING IT RIGHT, RIGHT FROM THE FARM Nothing is as important to Bio as the quality of milk it receives from farmers. The company has thus gone to great lengths to ensure it meets European dairy standards. “The milk that goes into our factory determines the quality of our products,” says Westerveld.

“You can’t undo quality issues on a product if the milk that comes in is of poor quality,” he adds.

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To navigate this tricky part of the supply chain, Bio has built a partnership with farmers, investing heavily in extension services to ensure that the raw fresh milk that they receive is produced “the Bio way.”

“Any farmer who wants to supply Bio gets a visit from one of our dairy development officers who assesses the farm and then gives recommendations on things they need to improve on,” Westerveld reveals. During the farm visits, farmers are assessed on a number of factors including how they wash their milking equipment, if the dairy farm has enough water and air circulation, whether a milk cooling facility is on site, among other factors that impact on milk quality.

“Farmers who have achieved the right quality are subjected to an audit where they need to score 75% or above before we can collect their sample for testing,” Westerveld adds.

Bio works with a sizeable scale of farmers, but from all over the country” reveals Laban Kabiru, Bio Foods Manufacturing and Logistics Director. “We have limited farms because we have to maintain the quality that Bio is known for. It would be very difficult to monitor the levels of quality if we were dealing with small scale farms,” he adds.

Bio does not just leave the responsibility of quality milk production to farmers. “We have a robust dairy development program which we call “farming the bio way”. We don’t only buy just buy milk; we also carry dairy development training to help farmers improve on quality.

We also carry out audits and share results with the farmers so that they improve on their dairy practices,” says Laban.

By partnering with farmers, Bio has been able to see quality of milk from individual farmers improve. “Working with the farmers we have seen a difference in hygiene and even in production per cow. What this means is that the farms working with us are more profitable compared to those with low productivity. Even the quality of milk has improved in terms of butter fat content and protein levels. Farmers in the end gain because the better the quality of milk the more the farmer earns.”

Once the milk is collected from a single farm it is received into a sealed compartment, separate from milk from other farmers, transported to the factory where it’s subjected to 18 quality tests which have to be passed before the milk is allowed into the factory.

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This allows Bio to continuously monitor the quality of milk it receives from farmers.

DELIGHTING CONSUMERS WITH BEST TASTING, CLEANEST, AND HEALTHY DAIRY PRODUCTS From its high-quality milk, Bio produces premium food products to the delight of its customers. The company has a fresh milk line that is comprised of 4 different products namely fresh milk, barista milk, semiskimmed milk, and fully skimmed milk. The company also has a long-life milk line that has both standard long-life milk and a lactosefree milk variant for the lactose-intolerant consumers.

Bio also produces an expansive range of yogurts that consumers can choose from.

Standard premium yogurts are available in seven delicious flavours which include Vanilla, Peach, Nature plain, tropical mix, berry cocktail, mango, and strawberry. Bio’s yogurt range also includes Greek style yogurts, fruit on the bottom yogurts, and drinkable yogurts.

The company also has a non-dairy yogurt made from coconut that took the market by storm when it launched last year.

Still in Dairy, Bio has a cheese line that

Bio has built a partnership with farmers, investing heavily in extension services to ensure that the raw fresh milk it recievs is produced "the bio way"

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MY COMPANY PROFILE: BIO FOODS

produces both soft and hard cheeses. Its soft cheeses include Mozzarella, Paneer, and Halloumi while Gouda and Cheddar make up the company’s portfolio of hard cheeses. Within Bio, a non-dairy line exists that produces the company’s sauces, mayonnaises, jams and marmalades. These products trade under the Ma Cuisine brands and have been growing since they were incorporated into the Bio brand in 2020.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVE THROUGH CONTINUOUS INNOVATION In dairy, just like in any CPG industry, companies that have thrived for decades have one thing in common, innovation. Without innovation, you risk losing relevance, and getting lost in the ever-crowded dairy aisle.

“Kenyans are really dynamic, they want excitement and the generations we are raising today are people who want to try the new and the unknown,” says Bio Foods Head of Research and Development (R&D), Keziah Gitau. To keep up with changing consumer demands, Bio has invested heavily in its R&D department.

“R&D is a very big thing in Bio,” says Gitau.

“For the last four years I have been in this company, we have actually done quite a lot when it comes to R&D, from probiotic yogurt to Greek yogurt and even plant-based yogurt.

One of the ways we identify the consumers’ needs is observing world trends, because one thing that you will notice is that we are always among the first companies in the region to do something that no one else has done so far.”

Observing the world trends is what led to the launch of Bio Greek Yogurt in 2019, a first in the Kenyan market at the time. “By the time we were getting the Greek yogurt out, we actually thought that it was new to Kenyans but it was really exciting that people knew about it. The consumers were only waiting for someone to finally make it – we do listen to our consumers” Gitau highlights.

As the world moves towards healthier and nutritious foods, Bio has not been left behind.

Led by the R&D department, the company has come with a number of products that are the first in Kenyan market. It’s recently launched plant-based yogurt is a great example of innovations around health and wellness.

“We realized we do have a segment outside there which cannot consume milk but was 52

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in need of the benefits of yoghurt cultures.

Since in Kenya we have quite a lot of coconut especially in the coastal region, we decided to try it out. It was quite challenge to develop because the non-dairy segment is quite new but were able to come up with a product line that people like and we are elated with the good feedback we have received from customers.”

Sugar reduction is another world trend that Bio is focusing on to bring to the Kenyan market. Its focus on sugar reduction is purely on a health perspective, as high intake of the sweetener has been associated with lifestyle diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

Progress in this front has however not been easy.

“Kenyans like sweet things. Trying to create a less sweet product in Kenya is one of the hardest things to do,” reveals Gitau. Not to be set back in its mission to nourish Kenyans with healthy dairy products, the company is currently focusing on educating people about the risks associated with high sugar intakes. “As much as we want to move with the pallets of our consumers, we want people to understand that sugar is related to many lifestyle diseases and it would be good for them to try this [products with low sugar] and taste how this feels,” she adds emphatically.

Gitau however reveals that when it comes to R&D, there is not surety of success. “It’s a hit or miss thing,” she confesses. Luckily for

Kenyans are really dynamic, they want excitement and the generation we are raising today are people who want to try the new and the unkown

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Bio, it has a diverse pool of talents that spans different races and genders, which Gitau believes, has been key to the successes it has got in bringing first to market products like Greek yogurt and plant-based yogurts.

Gitau also acknowledges existing support from its suppliers as another critical ingredient for its innovation success. Where the company has met challenges, the R&D team has not been shy to bring in outside support. The mission here is to “ensure that we delight our customers by giving them the best tasting, cleanest, and healthy dairy products and doing it in a sustainable way,” says Westerveld. And the company is always ready to go all the way.

BUILDING A NATIONAL BRAND About 5years ago, Bio Foods was a small brand limited to a few affluent stores, the likes of Chandarana and Nakumatt - which has since gone under. In total, the company was only present in about 300 stores.

To build a brand with a national outlook, Bio has been working hard to put the Bio brand in as many hands as possible. That work has been mostly undertaken by a team of enterprising sales people currently led by Jennifer Mureithi, the Head of Retail Sales.

Mureithi reveals to us the secret of retail success was to go mainstream and introduce products in all the big four supermarkets as well as the small retailers in estates.

Today, the Bio brand can be found sitting comfortably in aisles of all the major supermarkets including Naivas and Carrefour.

Consumers in estates can also find their favorite yogurt or milk and now cheese in the retail shop close by. According to Mureithi, all a retailer needs to stock Bio products is a functional refrigerator that can maintain temperatures of at least 4-6°C. “Four to five years ago, Bio Foods was just a small brand that was not really known; we were mostly in Chandrana’s and Nakumatt’s but now if you go around even in your local supermarket, you will find either our long-life milk, our cheese or our recently introduced butter,” Mureithi reveals.

However, expanding into the other regular retail outlets has not been without its fair share of challenges. Lack of refrigeration facilities by many small-scale retailers was one of the greatest impediment to growth. To overcome this challenge, Mureithi tells us that FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

Bio has begun providing refrigeration facilities to some promising retailers to enable them stock more of its products.

Mureithi further reveals that in product categories that are relatively new to the Kenyan market such as cheese, the company offers training on how these products are handled to ensure their quality is guaranteed.

They also offer retailers tips on how to sell products that they are not familiar with, thus building up retailer confidence in the product, further extending the market presence of the Bio brand. The aim is to delight consumers with great tasting and healthy products, and with effective selling, Bio has been slowing getting there.

Currently, Mureithi reveals that the company is in over 750 stores nationwide, more than double the footprint it had five years ago. Having a bigger footprint, however, brings problems when it comes to payments for goods supplied. Mureithi notes that retailers wish to pay for product supplied after 60 or even 90 days which is a challenge as the same company has to pay its milk suppliers with 7 days and also pay salaries and other bills. At times the company has to tap into its cash reserves to keep business running. “If my customers are able to pay on time, then it would be really good for me,” she remarks.

KEY NUMBERS

750 THE NUMBER OF STORES NATIONWIDE THAT CURRENTLY STOCK BIO PRODUCTS

WEATHERING THE STORMS OF A PANDEMIC Bio just like any other business was hit by the pandemic. As borders closed, Bio found

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MY COMPANY PROFILE: BIO FOODS

itself at a greater disadvantage as supply of its imported raw materials was interrupted.

“It was hard to get the materials from abroad because there wasn’t enough shipping capacity,” reveals Bio Foods Managing Director Tom Jansen. To avert such a crisis from happening in future, the company has started to look for locally sourced alternatives to its imports. “We are reviewing what we can source locally,” reveals Jansen adding that such a move would create more businesses in the local economy.

Jansen also reveals that Bio also chose to invest more in its people during the pandemic to ensure operations ran smoothly at its facilities. The company enhanced sanitation and conducted a vaccination drive for all its staff to ensure that they were adequately protected from the virus and fit to carry out operations at the plant.

Sales were the other aspect of the business that took a major hit. “Covid came and our sales actually dipped by about 25%,” Mureithi reveals. This was mostly caused by closure of hotels and restaurants which were some of the company’s biggest clients. The company’s problems were further compounded by the winding down of some major retailers such as Nakumatt and Tuskys. Like many other suppliers, Bio lost millions of shillings in unsold or unpaid stock supplied.

With the HORECA business drying up, Jansen led his team elsewhere. In retail, the company found a lifeline. It significantly expanded its footprint and was able to make enough sales to offset the loss of trade in HORECA. “We didn’t do too bad during Covid,” Jansen said.

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PRODUCING HEALTHY PRODUCTS, SUSTAINABLY Bio Foods invests in sustainability, “because it’s the right thing to do,” says Westerveld . The company, which is currently carbon neutral has invested heavily in renewable energies and other efficient energy technologies to be able to reach this far.

For instance, the roofing of the company’s factory in Nairobi’s industrial area is covered with solar panels. Laban Kabaru, Bio Food’s manufacturing and Logistics director puts into perspective the immense benefits that Bio has received from adopting solar power. “On a good day, Bio can run 95% of its operations on solar alone,” the Manufacturing Director reveals.

Given the space constrains at the facility, Laban reveals to us that they can only use Solar during the day while Night operations rely on Grid power. But even with that, Solar has been incredibly useful in helping the company cut its electricity bill. According to Laban, on average, solar provides between 30% to 40% of the company’s total electricity consumption, a percentage that the company is quite satisfied with.

With solar in place, Laban now says Bio’s focus is on increased efficiency, that is where it sees potential for greater cost savings. To this end, the company has embarked on a project to replace all the lights at the facility with LED bulbs which consume 75% less power than their conventional alternatives.

The company also recently took delivery of a new Boiler which Laban tells us has a better energy rating than what it currently uses. “Our new 4-tonne boiler is going to run on gas which will significantly cut the company’s CO2 generation. Unlike our current

BIO FOODS AIMS TO OFFER CUSTOMERS THE BEST TASTING, CLEANEST, AND HEALTHY DAIRY PRODUCTS

On a good day, Bio can run 95% of its day operations on solar alone

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

boiler which is 65% efficient, the new boiler will be about 85% efficient, which means we will use less energy to power the boiler and also significantly reducing the CO2 we release to the environment,” explains Laban.

The company also has embarked on water recycling to reduce its overall water usage and the results have been tremendous. “We used to use 220 cubic meters of water per day, we have reduced that to 140. We have saved 80 and this is through recycling,” Laban reveals.

To further increase efficiency, Laban tells us that the company has been driving training and awareness among employees in terms of reducing waste. “This has improved overall equipment efficiency, so instead of running for 10 hours you run for 8 hours. This saves money and energy,” he adds.

Bio has also tried to cut its packaging footprint by ensuring PET bottles used for its products are all made from recyclable material and are also fully recyclable, making it a more friendly consumer goods company than its competitors. Where Bio cannot avoid emissions, the company invests in carbon credits to offset what it emits to the environment. Investment in sustainability and carbon credits had the company, for the second year in a row, declared carbon neutral by one carbon world. “Bio, at this instance, is carbon neutral and every year we set a target for us to become more sustainable,” the Executive Chairman notes.

The desire to become even more sustainable has led Bio to venture into other areas uncommon in many parts of Africa.

The company has for instance recently implemented a policy to give all its employees livable wages that can enable them lead FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

sustainable and fulfilling lives. This is part of its goal to become a B Corporation certified company.

Certified B Corporations are businesses that meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose.

Achieving this certification will make the company part of The B Corp community which works toward reduced inequality, lower levels of poverty, a healthier environment, stronger communities, and the creation of more highquality jobs with dignity and purpose.

The company is also pushing the agenda further down the value chain and has committed to encouraging its partners including farmers to adopt sustainable practices in order to create a truly carbon neutral supply chain. It has also been actively encouraging consumers to support its sustainability initiatives by delivering their packaging back to their points of purchase for recycling. “We can make our packaging recyclable, but if the consumers do not bring the package back for recycling, then all our efforts go to waste,” Westerveld remarks.

KEEPING THE BRAND PROMISE Westerveld reveals to us that in the coming years, Bio will continue focusing on the dairy value chain as its core business. “At Bio our main aim is to ensure that we delight our customers by giving them the best tasting, cleanest, and healthy dairy products and doing it in a sustainable way, and I hope that in the coming years we can continue living up to the love that our customers are giving us and also hope that we can partner with our customers to become even more sustainable.”

COMPANY PROFILE

Sectors: Dairy Country: Kenya Website: www. biofoods.co.ke Phone: +254 20 350 3595-8 Email Address: info@biofoods.co.ke Address: off Road C, Industrial Area, after Sameer Industrial Park

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Dairy

BUSINESS

TRENDS IN FORMULATING, PROCESSING, PACKAGING & CONSUMPTION OF DAIRY PRODUCTS

High protein adds a kick to dairy products

By Catherine Wanjiku

W

hile consumers had already become more proactive over the past decade about health and wellness, the Covid-19 pandemic exponentially heightened their focus on the matter. To this end, consumers are voting with their shopping baskets and menu choices, leaning towards food and beverages that carry a health halo. This has led to the rise of a new trend of demanding food and beverages with high protein claim.

Whether associated with weight management, immune health, physical performance or keeping an aging body lean and strong, protein has come to represent health, and people are increasingly building their diets around it. This

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is part of a wider pivot from ‘anti-fat’ and ‘anti-sugar’ to a more positive health stance.

The influential claim which is guiding consumers purchase and consumption behaviour, is driving innovation and leading to the growing number of products featuring high protein. This is played out in the growth of new product launches featuring a high protein claim by 12% from 2018 to 2020, according to Innova Market Insights. As the popularity of protein-enriched food and beverage products continues to rise, brands are tasked with innovating new, more advanced technologies, to keep up with consumer demand.

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DAIRY BUSINESS AFRICA: HIGH PROTEIN DAIRY PRODUCTS

RAISING THE HIGH-PROTEIN BAR IN SPORTING ARENA The high-protein trend started in the sporting arena, targeting consumers who engage in active gym routines, seeking performance and muscle building/toning gains. The sports nutrition category, in particular, is characterized by nutrition-savvy consumers that are likely to understand not just the concept of protein quality, but also the performance implications associated with different types of proteins. For example, fast-absorbing whey proteins are popular for post-workout muscle building and maintenance, while slow-absorbing milk proteins are known for providing sustained release and satiety, reveals Glabian Nutrition.

Initially the high protein sports-nutrition products comprised of powder shakes that consumed a lot of time to prepare and find the perfect blend. With presence of busy consumers who are always on the go, the product category has evolved to include ready to consume, portable and convenient options. The reformulated products include ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages and highly nutritious gels. ADM highlights that the CAGR from 2015 to 2020 for THE SPORTS NUTRITION CATEGORY IS CHARACTERIZED BY NUTRITION-SAVVY CONSUMERS THAT ARE LIKELY TO UNDERSTAND NOT JUST THE CONCEPT OF PROTEIN QUALITY BUT ALSO THE PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROTEINS

sports protein ready-to-drink products was 8%, and sports protein powder was 6.5%. This new trend is fuelling the growth of the sports nutrition foods and drinks market which Research and Markets projects to exceed US$ 90 billion by 2022.

Tapping into this lucrative segment are players such as PepsiCo, who has big plans for its Evolve brand that it acquired from Hormel Foods Corp in 2019. Its RTD shakes which come in a wide range of flavours have 20 grams of plant protein and 10 grams of plant fiber. The protein drinks compete for market share alongside brands such as Garden of Life by Nestle, Coca-cola’s Fairlife Core Power, UP2U RECOVER by Lactalis, OWYN, Premier Protein, Iconic Protein Drinks, Soylent, among others.

Delving deeper into the innovation space, functional ingredients player FrieslandCampina Ingredients (FCI) has unveiled a high concentration protein gel concept, marketed as “a game-changer” for sports nutrition applications. Formulated with FCI’s Nutri Whey Isolate Clear, the product provides up to 15 percent protein content in a small, convenient portion. Moreover, it enables flexibility in the end-product’s format with applications from squeezable pouches to spoon able pots.

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HIGH PROTEIN BREEDS GUILT FREE INDULGENCE In difficult times, people tend to turn more towards indulgent treats. And the COVID-19 pandemic has unsurprisingly prompted people to consume more snacks.

In a bid to find a balance between indulgence and health, processors have become intertwined in the complexities of crafting the perfect mix of ingredients to deliver high levels of key nutrients like protein. For instance, better-for-you ice-cream options which are laden with a mixture of whey protein concentrate and other high-quality ingredients, makes every scoop a guilt free pleasure. In 2019, the family-owned dairy company, Graham launched a new line of high-protein ice cream known as Goodness Ice Cream.

BETTER-FOR-YOU ICE-CREAM OPTIONS LADEN WITH WITH A MIXTURE OF WHEY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE AND OTHER HIGH QUALITY INGREDIENTS, MAKES EVERY SCOOP A PLEASURE

Halo Top, which promotes itself as “ice-cream you can feel good about eating”, flags its protein content of 18 g or 20 g on each 472g tub – numbers that are likely to catch the eye of protein-hunters.

Meanwhile, yogurt, which is naturally filled with proteins and packed with loads of other nutrients, has paved the way for a wider positioning on the high protein profile. This is courtesy of the rise of Greek-style strained yogurt, which is inherently higher in protein than standard yogurt. The King of Greek-yogurt, Chobani, has been enticing consumers with novel products for over a decade, coming in a wide range of flavours and formulations. Its recent launch is the JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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DAIRY BUSINESS AFRICA: HIGH PROTEIN DAIRY PRODUCTS

zero-sugar Greek yogurt, targeting consumers who are closely watching what they eat and drink. Rival Danone, has introduced Oikos Greek yogurt with almond butter.

Each cup has 13 grams of protein compared with Oikos Whole Milk Greek yogurt with 11g and Oikos Triple Zero protein yogurt with 15g.

KEY NUMBERS

US$90 BILLION ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE OF SPORTS NUTRITION AND DRINKS MARKET IN 2022

In addition to Greek yogurts, other traditionally high-protein fermented dairy products are finding more mainstream success. These include the Icelandic fermented dairy product skyr, as well as traditional fermented beverages such as kefir, lassi and ayran.

Further driving innovation, Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a whey protein ingredient, Nutrilac FO-7875, that allows manufacturers to develop spoon-able and drinkable yogurts with a “significantly higher” protein content than typical products.

HIGH PROTEIN FOODS AND BEVERAGES TENDING TO SPECIFIC NEEDS As the high protein category grows, creative ingredients and new technologies have sparked a move to functional beverages, aimed to enhance mental, emotional, and overall health and well-being of consumers. Trending are ready-to-drink protein-added milk and drinks. In Africa, Pamaedge Limited introduced its Whey2Go drink in the

dairy milk offerings aimed to help support healthy muscles. Recently entering this product category, Chobani has expanded its dairy footprint with high-protein, lactosefree and ultra-filtered milk. The new offerings further diversify the refrigerated case, appealing to consumers with specific dietary needs and preferences.

Protein’s role in maintaining good health, repairing and building body tissues, has made it to be a more popular ingredient in functional beverages. Seeming like finding the perfect remedy to ensuring one ages like fine wine, the R&D departments of food processing giants have made an attempt to appeal to the seniors with new product launches. To this end, Finnish dairy manufacturer, Valio, has developed a lactose-free milk protein powder that caters to the nutritional demands of the growing aging population, coined Valio Eila Nutri F+. The ingredient allows food manufacturers to develop formulations that utilize the benefits of phospholipids on cognitive health and create functional food products for healthy aging. Meanwhile, Nestle China launched its first set of ‘blue-hat’ certified health foods for the elderly – a milk powder containing glucosamine and a probiotic protein powder. The former claims to increase bone density and is designed to satisfy seniors’ demand for increased mobility, while the latter is said to support the immune system.

Protein is well positioned to enable premiumization of existing dairy products as well as new ones, tapping into specific demands of consumers. In fact, a majority of consumers have indicated a willingness to pay a premium of 10% for protein-fortified products, revealing a lucrative market that food processors can venture into.

THE SPORTS NUTRITION CATEGORY IS CHARACTERIZED BY NUTRITION-SAVVY CONSUMERS THAT ARE LIKELY TO UNDERSTAND NOT JUST THE CONCEPT OF PROTEIN QUALITY BUT ALSO THE PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROTEINS

Kenyan market, making use of the whey protein disposed during cheese production by Raka Cheese. Meanwhile, Horizon Organic, introduced the first multi-serve organic protein milk in 2018, Horizon Organic High Protein, providing 50% more protein per serving than traditional 58

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FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

BeverageTECH TRENDS IN FORMULATING, PROCESSING, PACKAGING & CONSUMPTION OF BEVERAGE PRODUCTS

Gin undergoes a ginaissance as shifting consumer demands drive innovation

W

By Paul Ongeto

e are in the ‘ginaissance’ period where gin consumption is outpacing any other drink in the alcoholic beverages category across the World.

According to data from IWSR, gin posted the largest gain in global beverage alcohol consumption of any category in 2018: a rise of 8.3% globally versus 2017.

In Europe where over half of the overall gin market share was based in 2020, distilleries are mushrooming, flooding the market with new products - the UK alone saw 49 new distilleries opened in 2017 and a further 31 in 2018.

After being dethroned by vodka in the in the 1980s, the category is charging back in the US with overall volumes FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

shooting to just under 9.3 million cases, up 2.5% from the year prior.

Gin consumption is also growing steadily in Africa with South Africa’s consumption of the liquid growing 50% and distilleries expanding to 65 in 2019, and still counting.

Kenya in the East African region, is also seeing gin take its space in the alcoholic beverage aisle, with Diageo’s EABL attributing its 15% growth in revenue in 2020 to a higher consumption of its gin products.

By 2023, the gin category is expected to see a volume CAGR of 4.2% globally, with most growth coming from nontraditional and emerging markets, where gin will boom in countries such as Japan, Nigeria, Mexico, Brazil, South JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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BEVERAGE TECH AFRICA: TRENDS IN GIN FORMULATION

Africa and Russia.

GIN - WHY ALL THE FUSS? Gin is a clear alcoholic spirit which is distilled from grain or malt and derives its predominant flavor from juniper berries.

Usually, the drink is made from a base of grain, such as wheat or barley, which is first fermented and then distilled.

Juniper berries and other herbs, plants and spices - known as aromatics, or botanicals - are added to the fermented grain mixture, along with water until the alcohol level and balance of flavors meets the required (or desired) levels.

Common gin botanicals include coriander, orange, lemon, angelica root, cinnamon, cassia, cardamom, ginger,

nutmeg and ground almonds. Given that the wide range of botanicals that can be used in gin production, every single brand and edition has a completely different taste profile.

As gin rises in popularity globally, distillers have been busy, seeking the next best innovation that will help their brands stand out in the crowded gin aisle.

Below, we have outlined some of the trends that are expected to continue driving the gin market in 2022 and beyond.

READY-TO-DRINK GINS GAIN POPULARITY The ready-to-drink (RTD) gin category took the beverage industry by storm when the pandemic started, rising in popularity for the on-the-go convenience it offered consumers.

In 2021, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association of the UK (WSTA) said UK consumers spent a whopping £412m (US$558m) on beverages from the ready-to-drink (RTD) category, up nearly 25% on the previous year.

What started as an extension of the RTD trend that was taking other categories of the beverage industry has 60

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THE INCREASING GEOGRAPHICAL SPREAD OF DISTILLERIES HAS LED TO A VARIETY OF CITRUS FRUITS BEING EMPLOYED IN GIN PROCESSING, STRETCHING THE LIST BEYOND COMMONGARDEN LEMONS AND ORANGES TO NEW CHOICES SUCH AS YUZU AND UKIYO seen almost all major gin brands launch their own canned versions of the drink. One of the first gin brands to hit the ready-to-drink market, Gordon’s now has an extensive range of ‘gin in a tin’ options including its London Dry Gin with tonic and with elderflower, and its Pink Distilled Gin with tonic.

Bombay Sapphire dipped its first toe in the ready-todrink pool in 2020 with the launch of its gin and tonic cans.

The brand further expanded its RTD range in 2021 when it launched two new RTD gin and tonic offerings: Bombay Sapphire and light tonic and Bombay Bramble and tonic.

We can only imagine that this will continue into 2022 (and beyond) as more and more brands catch on.

LOW AND NO ALCOHOL GINS The pandemic made people become health conscious, with many opting to limit their intake of high alcohol drinks.

To survive in the market, many brewers and distillers launched their own low and no alcohol variations, the gin category being no exception. The range of options is only going to get broader and more varied as big names in gin such as Tanqueray, Gordon’s and Beefeater are staking their own claims in this trend.

Launched in January 2021, Gordon’s 0.0 gin is arguably the most recognizable gin brand on the market. The Zeo Botanical Dry and the Clean G strawberry gin alternative are other fast-growing brands carving a name for themselves in this rapidly growing category.

More products brands are expected to experiment with no and low alcohol gin formats as that’s where demand seems to be going. According to IWSR data, in the period between 2018 and 2021, the category grew from US$7.8bn to just under US$10bn across the key focus markets of Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Spain, the UK, and US. IWSR now forecasts that no- and low-alcohol volume will grow by +8% CAGR between 2021 and 2025, compared to regular alcohol volume growth of +0.7% CAGR during that same period.

PINK GINS BECOME MAINSTREAM Pink gin is no longer a niche offshoot - it is a rapidly expanding segment in its own right, according to insiders in the UK trade. The rise of pink gins has been mainly driven by Instagram-inspired popularity of colorful drinks and cocktails, according to a report by UK newspaper Guardian.

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To capitalize on this popularity, several major brands have released a pink gin, including Gordon’s, Beefeater, Pinkster and Edinburgh gin.

According to a Grocer report, Diageo’s Gordon’s Pink Gin is now worth more in grocery than the entirety of some big-name spirits brands such as Russian Standard, Bell’s, Captain Morgan and other -household names, having experienced a £63m (US$85.3m) sales surge in 2019.

IWSR notes that a dislike of juniper is one of the reasons some consumers don’t like the flavour of gin. The masking of the flavor in the pink varieties is certainly expected to continue drawing more people to gin, though enthusiasts still have their reservations about the quality of the product.

“While some may question the authenticity of flavoured gin, the expansion has undeniably boosted the overall sector,” said Kantar analyst Amy Clark. Some 36% of all

gin shoppers now only by flavoured variants, she added.

EXPERIMENTATION WITH CITRUS VARIETIES Gin production has moved from Europe and is now produced in almost all regions of the world from South Africa to China and Japan.

The increasing geographical spread of distilleries has led to the variety of citrus fruits being employed stretching beyond common-or-garden lemons and oranges. Recent trendy choices include yuzu, a hybrid citrus fruit, and an edible, orange-like fruit that is native to Southeast Asia.

Four Pillars in Australia, Ukiyo in Japan and Tarquin’s in England have employed yuzu in new releases this year, demonstrating the potential this citrus fruit have in adding new flavor profiles to gin.

Other fruits that distillers have found favor among distillers include Finger limes in Australia, gondhoraj limes in India, and bergamot in the Mediterranean. More experimentation in this area is expected as consumer sense of adventure is coming back, driving up appetite FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

KEY NUMBERS

US$85.3 MILLION SALES OF DIAGEO'S GORDON'S PINK GIN IN 2019 for “new tastes paired with familiar flavors,” according to Kerry’s Global Taste Charts for 2022.

SUSTAINABILITY INFLUENCES GIN PRODUCTION Commitment to sustainability is becoming a standard in almost every sector of the food industry.

Diageo, the world’s second largest gin producer, has set itself a target to reach net zero carbon across its operations by 2030.

This commitment has seen the whole gin production process overhauled to become more efficient and emit less carbon to the atmosphere. Progress has already been made in this front with some carbon-neutral gins such as Cooper King dry gin and Nàdar Gin already coming to market as early as 2020.

As concerns about climate change continue to unravel, we expect to see more energy-efficient distilling equipment and methods; distilleries generating their own power; increased use of lighter bottles and recyclable packaging material; and efforts to reduce and cleverly reuse waste products such as water and spent grain.

GOING BEYOND INNOVATION The world of gin is a very exciting and dynamic environment to be in at the moment. Distillers from across the world are competing to make not only great gins, but gins that stand out from the crowd.

To create a name for yourself, bbb drinks advises distillers to create a story that consumers can connect with. “It should be a backstory that resonates with people and gives them a happy feeling when they are drinking your product,” the drinks expert adds.

In addition, gin must be careful not to repeat the mistakes of its closest rival vodka that has struggled to keep its head above the water in recent times; the consumer backlash against faddy flavours marketed by brands has been extensively documented.

Similarly, as ever-more obscure and radical botanical tinctures are beginning to overcrowd the gin market, flavour fatigue and lack of equity may start to haunt the category, unless investors moderate and finetune their innovations. Finally, as growth starts to slow in Europe and the US., it is also a high time distillers started looking for promising growth market particularly in Africa and Latin America.

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AFRICA

NEW

ANIMAL FEED

& AQUA

TRENDS IN FORMULATING, PROCESSING, PACKAGING & CONSUMPTION OF ANIMAL FEED & AQUACULTURE

Maximising phytase profitability in poultry feeds

By Luke Barnard, Scientist, Danisco Animal Nutrition (IFF)

Phytase dominates the monogastric feed enzymes market and is worth over US$500M a year. Today's advanced phytases have the potential to deliver production savings of several times that amount through their ability to optimise phosphorus digestibility and uptake, and increase the availability of energy and amino acids

D

espite the widespread adoption, and widely proven mode of action, the discussion on the best dose of phytase to use to ensure maximum profitability remains unresolved.

Industry standard doses - 500 FTU/kg for broilers and 300 FTU/kg for layers - were introduced over 20 years ago when phytases were less bio-efficacious, phytase was more expensive and less was known about phytate.

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Continuing to follow these recommendations could result in producers losing out on considerable opportunities to maximIse the return on investment they achieve from phytase use. There are some key considerations to be taken into account when calculating the optimal dose of phytase to maximise profitability.

THE PROBLEM WITH PHYTATE Phytate, an anti-nutrient that occurs naturally in feed FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

AFRICA ANIMAL FEED & AQUA: MAXIMISING PHYTASE PROFITABILITY

phytase and the phytate level of the diet in seven recent broiler trials.

Non-linear models that use dietary phytate levels as an independent variable can therefore predict the resulting PHYTATE OCCURS NATURALLY IN FEED MATERIALS. IT IS A VALUABLE SOURCE OF PHOSPHORUS. HOWEVER, WITHOUT PHYTASE ADDITION, THE PHOSPHORUS POOL REMAINS LARGELY UNOBTAINABLE TO THE BIRD SINCE ITS ENZYNES CAN'T DEGRADE PHYTATE

materials, is estimated to cost the global poultry industry $2.1M a year because of its negative impact on bird performance.

It should, in theory, be a valuable source of phosphorus, but without phytase addition, this phosphorus ‘pool’ remains largely unobtainable to the bird because their own enzymes can’t degrade phytate effectively. Phytate also reduces the availability of essential nutrients such as calcium, protein/amino acids, iron and zinc to the animal because it binds with these nutrients in various parts of the digestive tract.

As market pressures encourage producers to utilise increasing amounts of alternative feed ingredients - such as rapeseed meal, sunflower seed meal and rice bran phytate levels in the diet will increase exacerbating the challenge. There is compelling evidence that dosing above the traditional industry standard in diets with higher levels of phytate can improve profitability. Higher doses of phytase break down the phytate molecules more rapidly in the digestive tract releasing more nutrients earlier in the gastrointestinal tract to improve growth performance and reduce challenges related to bone mineralisation, phosphorus and calcium metabolism, and skeletal disease.

Research has shown that achieving maximum degradation of phytate is a key factor in the release of ‘extra-phosphoric’ nutrients (e.g. amino acids and energy).

Sands et al (2004) showed that an E. coli phytase improved ileal protein and amino acid digestibility at a broad range of phytate concentrations, but that its impact was greatest when phytate levels were high.

Ten broiler studies using Buttiauxella phytase clearly supported the correlation originally demonstrated by Sands et al (Schothorst Feed Research Institute, 2012) between the level of dietary phytate and amino acid digestibility response.

Plumstead et al (2013) also showed that the improvement in amino acid digestibility from the same Buttiauxella phytase was dependent both on the dose of FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

response to added phytase over a range of phytase doses and dietary phytate levels. As phytase is often used with other additives such as carbohydrase and protease, it is also important for producers to have evidence of how these varying elements of the diet interact with dietary substrates to ensure the maximum value from the enzymes is achieved.

CHOOSING A BIO-EFFICACIOUS PHYTASE Choosing a phytase with the right characteristics to deliver quick and effective results is perhaps the most critical step on the path to profitability. The key metric is the amount of phosphorus that can be liberated from

phytate and absorbed by the bird, especially considering the trend of inorganic phosphorus cost increases in recent years where we have witnessed a six-fold increase since 1999. A phytase’s ability to replace expensive amino acids in the diet through rapid phytate degradation early in the gastroin- testinal tract is another driver of value.

Phytases have specific pH optima at which they function at their best. In order to improve phosphorous uptake and reduce the anti-nutrient effects of phytate, a phytase needs to be highly active at the low pH conditions prevailJAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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optimal dose calculated was between 580-985 FTU/kg feed depending on the cost of inorganic phosphorus and the cost of phytase (based on +/- 20% of typical market costs from early 2013). In any case, the optimal dose was higher than the previously used recommendation; this was due to the high levels of phosphorus release achieved with the Buttiauxella phytase. By limiting the inclusion of phytase to 300 FTU/kg feed approximately 31% of the potential value to be captured from phytase was missed (Figure 3). Furthermore, this dosing method considered only the value from phosphorus and not any of the extraphosphoric effects discussed earlier.

ing in the upper digestive tract. The faster the phytase gets to work, the more the anti-nutrient effect of the phytate mole- cule in the upper gut can be reduced and the more nutrients are released for the animal to absorb from the digestive tract.

The first E. coli phytase - launched back in 2003 offered a 20% improvement in bio-efficacy and associated feed cost savings compared to traditional fungal phytases.

However, the latest highly bio-efficacious Buttiauxella phytase is even more cost effective because it offers much higher activity earlier in the gastrointestinal tract. Figure 2 shows that the activity of this advanced phytase against three other commercial phytases at this early stage is almost double the activity at pH 3.5, indicating the phytase is highly active at this lower pH. This ensures both that the anti-nutrient effects of phytate are minimised and that the time available for nutrient digestion and absorption is maximised.

Independent trials at the Schothorst Feed Research Institute in 2012 showed that this phytase offers 79% higher bio-efficacy than an E. coli phytase. This unprecedented ability to rapidly degrade phytate and maximise nutrient absorption equates to cost savings of ~US$1.50/ tonne compared to E. coli phytases used at standard doses.

It is also important to break the paradigm that these more efficacious phytases can be used at lower doses.

Indeed, since highly efficacious phytases release more phosphorus at comparable doses, they should be included at higher levels to maximise the value they can deliver in terms of replacing expensive inorganic phosphorus in the diet.

Barnard et al (2014) adopted a value based approach to determine the optimal dose of Buttiauxella phytase in wheat-based laying hen diets. In this experiment, the 64

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EVIDENCE-BASED DOSING Factors such as the age and type of the bird, and its health status need to be taken into account as well as diet when calculating the optimum phytase dose. Animal trials to validate the bio-efficacy of a phytase and gauge responses to different levels of phytase addition are costly, particularly in birds with a longer production span like laying hens, but they are also very necessary. The amount

KEY NUMBERS

US$500 MILLION ESTIMATED VALUE OF MONOGASTRIC FEED ENZYME MARKET TODAY

of species specific performance and digestibility data behind a phytase will determine how confident producers can be in applying the matrix values in a feed formulation.

DOSING FOR A PROFITABLE FUTURE Changes in recent years including the development of more bio-efficacious phytases, an improved understanding of phytate’s negative impact on protein and starch, as well as phosphorus utilisation coupled with the rising cost of inorganic phosphorus have all challenged tradi- tional views on the ideal dose of phytase. Phytases are constantly evolving in terms of the value they can bring to feed formulations. Our understanding of the role of phytate on energy and protein release will improve as animal trials reveal new findings. As science opens the door to new phytase benefits and opportunities, producers should work closely with their suppliers to ensure the dose they are using is maximising their return on investment.

For references, please contact joseph.kiplagat@iff.com

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TRENDS IN FORMULATING, PROCESSING, PACKAGING & CONSUMPTION OF MILLED & BAKED GOODS

Why mixing technology is important in production of high quality bread

By Paul Ongeto

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but beautiful bread has always been in the hands of the baker.

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nybody who has tried to bake bread knows the processes of dough development only involves mixing all the ingredients together. But mixing dough has more scientific importance in bread making and is directly responsible for the quality of bread produced. Mixers being key enablers of the dough mixing process also play an integral role.

The importance of dough mixing cannot be over emphasized. “Mixing is the most important step in the process,” says Patrick Nagel, key account manager, WP

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Bakery Group. “It determines final crumb structure of the products, and it influences performance and stability on the makeup equipment and consistency in the products.”

When the term “beautiful bread has always been in the hands of the baker” was coined, the baking industry was dominated by highly skilled bakers known as “dough heads,” who instinctively knew how to tweak a formula or process simply by feeling the dough. The skill came with experience, one which was gathered over a long period of time playing with the dough. Advances in mixer technology JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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are however reducing the level of skill required to create good dough and are helping bakers ensure that the dough going into the oven is as good as the bread coming out the other side.

In this article, we discuss the importance of dough development and the types of mixers available to help you achieve the desired dough for your bread.

IMPORTANCE OF DOUGH MIXING If you are a baker then you know dough refers to a wet mass developed after mixing of wheat flour, water and other ingredients. The process however has a number of functions that are critical to bread production. First, dough mixing allows two key proteins within the flour, gliadin and glutenin, to combine to form strands of gluten. As mixing continues the chains of proteins become more numerous and elongated; they organize into a sort of webbing that has both elasticity (the ability to stretch) and extensibility (the ability to hold a shape). It is in this webbing that the gas produced during fermentation will be trapped in, helping the dough rise to rise and eventually result in the uniform crumb structure that gives bread its unique texture.

Secondly, mixing spreads yeast evenly in the dough.

When yeast is evenly distributed, carbon dioxide gas which is a byproduct of yeast fermentation also becomes evenly distributed, creating a consistent crumb in the final bread.

Thirdly, properly mixing dough allows the gluten network to gradually become stronger and more complex, giving dough the capacity to hold more gas and this adds volume to the loaf of bread.

WHEN YEAST IS EVENLY DISTRIBUTED, CARBON DIOXIDE GAS WHICH IS A BY-PRODUCT OF YEAST FERMENTATION ALSO BECOMES EVENLY DISTRIBUTED, CREATING A CONSISTTENT CRUMB IN THE FINAL BREAD When the baker has not fully mastered the kneading process, undermixing or overmixing may occur, usually with very undesirable results on the final bread. When under mixing occurs, the dough usually ends up being stiff and too elastic while the resultant bread is of low volume (poor gas retention as final development did not occur) and most often than not ends up with a collapsed sidewalls or top. The bread will also have a dense and firm crumb, be of poor symmetry with corners that are too round.

Overmixing on the other hand results in a dough that is sack, wet and sticky. The dough is also usually difficult to process. The resultant bread will also be undesirable as it comes out with excessive volume (dough too extensible), more open crumb grain, and sharp corners. “The kneading process, or lack of it, is the difference between a moist, crumbly cake and a chewy, crackly loaf of sourdough,” says breadmaking master chef Apollonia Poilâne.

TYPES OF DOUGH MIXERS At the industrial level, there are three types of mixers which are currently used. Each type has its own unique advantages thus the kind of mixer for your bakery needs will depend on the volume of dough you produce, the type of products you bake and the size of your work area.

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It is also a versatile machine as it can be used to mix a range of substances too, not just dough. The bowl is easily detached and moved quickly, once mixing is complete.

These upright machines are typically smaller, so if you have limited space, the planetary mixer might be the best option for you. The drawback to using a planetary mixer is that the level of mixing between the top and bottom of the bowl may not be uniform. When using a planetary machine for dough, certain areas of the batch may be underdeveloped and may thus be undesirable for making high quality dough.

HORIZONTAL MIXER The horizontal mixer has the capability of producing the largest volume of dough in the shortest amount of time.

The beater of a horizontal bakery mixer rotates horizontally within the large cylindrical barrel, offering the best stretch and fold action. Due to its relatively powerful and high speed action, any thick and viscous material in the barrel would be perfectly sheared and mixed in less than 15 minutes. It can be configured to allow continuous dough mixing with the dough easily exiting the machine into a trough for convenient transport after the mixing process is complete.

One of the main drawbacks of a horizontal mixer is its inability to keep the dough temperature low throughout the mixing process. The friction of the dough rubbing against the sides of the bin causes the temperature to rise, which isn’t ideal for some types of yeast doughs.

VERTICAL OR PLANETARY MIXER The Vertical mixer has a central mixing wand that rotates around a stationary bowl. The wand attachment can be changed as needed to accommodate different mixing goals.

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SPIRAL MIXER The spiral mixer is designed in a way that its agitator remains stationary while the bowl rotates to mix the dough perfectly. The spinning bowl rotates more gently and efficiently than a horizontal mixer. As a result, this helps retain the heat as well as friction to a minimum, yielding a homogeneous mass of dough. This type of mixers is a popular choice among many bakeries as it comes in a range of sizes to fit many different target dough outputs.

APART FROM JUST CREATING BREAD DOUGH, SPIRAL BAKERY MIXERS ARE ALSO VERSATILE AND CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE A WIDE RANGE OF PASTRIES, COOKIES, AND OTHER BAKERY PRODUCTS WITH CONSISTENT QUALITY Apart from just creating bread dough, spiral bakery mixers are also versatile and can be used to produce a wide range of bread, pastries, cookies, and other bakery products with consistent quality. They also use less electrical power than a horizontal unit, delivering on the energy-efficiency front.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MIXER With so many mixers currently in existence, choosing the right one for your operation can proof to be an uphill task.

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Ton van der Pas, Product Sales Manager, Mixing at Kaak advises bakeries to consider mixer capacity before making a purchase. He notes that too small a capacity is undesirable is it will not only constrain current operations but also limit future expansion. Secondly, mixer flexibility is important if the baker wants to be developing more than one type of dough. “If you want to have more flexibility in different type of dough with inclusions, with different type of wheat, think about that, because otherwise you could get a mixer that binds you to only one type of product,” Ton says. Automation is also becoming another important factor especially now that we have covid with us. “With automation, you not only save on labor costs but are assured of continuous production as the line is not susceptible to illness as people do.” Automation also guarantees the bakery a certain type of quality and consistency as production is moved from error-prone humans to machines. And of course, ease of operation should also be considered when getting a mixer.

“You have to ask yourself whether you can easily operate the machine or not,” adds Ton. NEED FOR CONSISTENCY, EFFICIENCY DRIVE INNOVATION IN DOUGH MIXING TECHNOLOGY As we have noted above, dough development is the most important part of the bread making process. With human intervention, no dough can be similar to another, and in a world where consumers demand their favorite bread taste the same always, manufacturers have been forced to mechanize the entire process to not only enhance efficiency but also ensure the dough quality is always the same.

To cut dough development times, the process today begins before the first step, and that involves premixing.

A good example is Bühler Group’s Jet Mix which can prehydrate the flour prior to entering the mixer, giving bakers a much more homogenous mix and helps increase the amount of water absorption with the flour. When premixers are used, “gluten development and all mixing tasks are completed after only a fraction of a second of mixing time,” says Ken Schwenger, president, Bakery Concepts International.

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The desire for consistency in dough development has also led to development of continuous mixers. The continuous mixer controls the ingredients, the recipe, the temperature and the mix time, removing the guesswork associated with human intervention. “The goal of continuous mixing is not to make your product better. The goal is to make the best product all the time,” says Jim Warren, vice president, Exact Mixing, Reading Bakery Systems. When bakers can exert control over the dough, it becomes more consistent, and the benefits go far beyond the mix.

Although many bakers are ramping up their throughput, some are actually turning toward smaller, more frequent batches. Patrick Nagel, key account manager, WP Bakery Group, suggests smaller batches are becoming popular “because they’re easier to control dough development, and the producer has more control and flexibility in the next process step.” Even in the batch setting, automation is being incorporated into the mixers to greatly enhance the bakers ability to control the process to get a consistent outcome, according to Andrew McGhie, director of sales, Shaffer, a Bundy Baking Solution.

CONTINOUS MIXERS CONTROLS THE INGREDIENTS, THE RECIPE, THE TEMPERATURE AND THE MIX TIME, REMOVING THE GUESSWORK ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN INTERVENTION To help eliminate risk of human error, smart mixers are starting to become common in the baking industry. Mr. Nagel says the mixer is “smart” because the baker can teach it what to do. “After that, it can reproduce the same dough and knows when to stop,” he added. “This ensures that the operator does not have to monitor flour quality. The mixer knows if a dough needs more or less kneading.” Mr. Warren sees this technology becoming more mainstream in future as it becomes harder to staff bakeries with highly skilled staff who know how to properly mix the dough and can quickly and easily spot potential problems that could affect dough quality.

DOUGH IS ONLY AS GOOD AS INGREDIENTS USED Technology can only do so much if the ingredients coming in aren’t accurate. Roy Jansen, Kaak area sales manager for Africa, Middle East and China notes that good flour is key to having a stable dough. Damian Morabito, president and chief executive officer of Topos Mondial Corp adds that the flour, water, and other minor ingredients need to come into the mixer at a consistent temperature, as well. “If the other processes prior to the mixer are consistent, the mixer will do its job. We can mechanize the meters in how they measure the energy put into the dough, and that tells you that it’s properly kneaded. But it’s only as good as how consistently the ingredients come in.”

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MILLING & BAKING AFRICA: FOOD FORTIFICATION

Starved of proper coordination, Ethiopia’s food fortification plans need a proper strategy

By Girma Mamo

The plan for food fortification by Ethiopia's government is not pragmatic. It does not consider the existing infrastructure, public awareness and the capacity of regulatory enforcement bodies

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thiopia has developed a food fortification plan of action and a monitoring and evaluation framework to address diseases associated with malnutrition.

Recently, the monitoring and evaluation framework was subjected to stakeholder review and feedback – a commendable gesture involving the private sector in this critical national agenda.

WHY FOOD FORTIFICATION? It is a science used to enrich a food product by adding micronutrients that cannot be normally obtained from the 70

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product in its natural form. This is primarily intended to give appropriate nutritious food to those who are at risk of malnutrition.

The success of fortification programs can be measured through their public health impact and their sustainability.

The latter implies an inter-sectoral approach where competent national public health authorities, research institutes, law enforcement, academia, non-governmental organisations, and the commercial sector are involved in the program's planning and implementation.

Food fortification requires choosing the right vehicle to FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

enrich the food product. This depends on different factors: vehicle to be easy for processing, its bioavailability (the vehicle absorption capacity of the micronutrient) and its affordability by the target group, to mention a few.

There are different standards locally and internationally that can be used for food fortification. It is, for instance, customary to fortify salt with iodine, wheat flour with zinc and iron, and edible oil with vitamin A and D. There are internationally registered pre-mixes with clearly defined contents in the market to be sold for food fortification.

Food fortification has the dual advantage of delivering nutrients to large segments of the population without requiring radical changes in food consumption patterns.

Fortification has been used to restore micronutrients lost by food processing and has been a significant contributor to reducing diseases associated with deficiencies in these micronutrients.

ETHIOPIA’S CASE In Ethiopia, different studies have been conducted on the prevalence of malnutrition and associated health problems. This is not a surprise given that there are many health problems related to micronutrient deficiency prevalent in Ethiopia – goitre, anaemia, neural tube defect (NTD) and stunting. The prevalence of goitre and infant brain underdevelopment are the push factors for fortifying salt with iodine. Shortage of iron is attributed to anaemia in women that are of reproductive age. Therefore, fortifying wheat started to reduce the risk of anaemia. Zinc is needed for optimal child health and physical growth and normal pregnancy outcomes. Some studies have revealed that in rural areas, the deficiency of iron and zinc attributes to stunting.

FOOD FORTIFICATION HAS THE DUAL ADVANTAGE OF DELIVERING NUTRIENTS TO LARGE SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION WITHOUT REQUIRING RADICAL CHANGES IN FOOD CONSUMPTION PATTERNS The government has taken different measures to combat these health defects. The Food & Drug Authority (FDA) enhances its check of imported micronutrient premixes used as input for food fortification, regulates the production and distribution of edible salt to be iodised, and supports food fortification practices. There were also different attempts in the food fortification venture by different actors in the field. There is also training on corn soya blend fortification and the provision of test kits for the factories to check the quality of their products.

Despite different attempts that have been carried out in the food fortification practice, it is only the addition of iodised salt that happens to be relatively effective. This is because there is a lack of clear data on the manufacturing FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

companies that can be used for food fortification; no clear picture on the number of outlets that can assure the distribution to the target population; and a low level of awareness by producers to follow the responsible production processes.

There is also limited knowledge on the conformity assessment business and accreditation; lack of mechanism and capacity to regulate the production and sales of fortified foods; and the general public mindset that only the government's intervention could be trusted, undermining the possible contributions of the private sector.

ROLES MUST BE DEFINED In the current food fortification monitoring program, there is no clear distinction on the mandate of the actors.

For example, the one for awareness creation and capacity building of the industries is not clearly given.

Similarly, the FDA's role should be to regulate the fortification exercise throughout the country. Despite the promotion of food fortification by local and international actors, it is not operated in a well-organised manner.

Principally, the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) is presumed to be in the driver's seat. Thus, as the food fortification intervention is not well steered by one responsible body with clear responsibilities and mandate, the EPHI should bring all actors together under one project to create synergy.

Remedying the lack of a database on potential manufacturing companies that can be considered for food fortification can also be a major step forward. Thorough assessment of the malnutrition prevalence attributed to deficiencies of micronutrients and the list of potential companies that can support the program are very crucial for the effective implementation of food fortification JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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practice in Ethiopia. This entails bringing all actors under one umbrella and having a national project steered by one responsible institution.

Currently, there is an effort to do the monitoring of the food fortification practice in an organised manner, with the EPHI, Ministry of Trade & Industry and the FDA being part of a National Food Fortification Council.

THERE IS A NEED TO CREATE AWARENESS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON THE UTILIZATION OF FORTIFIED FOODS AND INDUSTRIES ON HOW DELICATE THEIR OPERATIONS ARE TO MEET THE INTENDED FORTIFICATION GOAL No less important is to streamline the effort of all development partners involved in the food fortification exercise under one project by defining the technical part, the promotion and awareness role and the regulatory role.

There is also a need to create awareness for the general public on the utilisation of fortified foods and industries on how delicate their operations are to meet the intended fortification goal.

Capacitating laboratories that operate locally to do the quality verification task remains one of the crucial challenges; similarly, it is important to use private laboratories that can do the monitoring. The government can play a crucial role in capacitating industries that operate traditionally to the modern way of food processing and packaging.

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GETTING PLANS IN PLACE Further, pre-implementation assessments on crucial implementing actors should not be given oversight. This is the regulatory body's capacity to regulate, the conformity assessment service providers ability to provide testing and inspection services, and the manufacturing industries capability to produce according to the set standards.

Without a clear assessment of these issues, implementation of the food fortification project will not be efficient. A study on the prevalence of malnutrition in different regions and on the existing manufacturing industries and their capacity to do fortification is very crucial for the effective implementation of the project.

There should be a clear food fortification monitoring system. The role of each actor should be stipulated. This will help each actor see how they can cooperate with different actors to deliver what is expected.

As things stand now, the plans for food fortification are not pragmatic. It does not consider the existing infrastructure, public awareness and the capacity of regulatory enforcement bodies.

A public-private partnership model should be implemented on pilot fortification programs, after which the experience learnt can be used to scale up.

There is also a need for public sector officials to come out from the fog of believing only public sector intervention assures the effective implementation of the program.

Girma Mamo is the CEO of Bless Agri Food Laboratory Service in Ethiopia.

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Alcohol adversely impacts cognition and learning ability even when enjoyed with moderation

By Beverly Merz, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

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t’s no secret that alcohol affects our brains, and most moderate drinkers like the way it makes them feel — happier, less stressed, more sociable. Science has verified alcohol’s feel-good effect; PET scans have shown that alcohol releases endorphins (the “pleasure hormones”) which bind to opiate receptors in the brain.

Although excessive drinking is linked to an increased risk of dementia, decades of observational studies have indicated that moderate drinking — defined as no more than one drink a day for women and two for men — has FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

few ill effects. (A drink equals 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits, 5 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer.) However, a recent British study seems to have bad news for moderate drinkers, indicating that even moderate drinking is associated with shrinkage in areas of the brain involved in cognition and learning.

WHAT THE STUDY SAID A team of researchers from University of Oxford looked at data from 424 men and 103 women who are participating in JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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KEY NUMBERS

10,000 NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE WHITEHALL STUDY.

the 10,000-person Whitehall Study, an ongoing investigation of the relationship of lifestyle and health among British civil servants. At the beginning of the study in 1985, all of the participants were healthy and none were dependent on alcohol. Over the next 30 years, the participants answered detailed questions about their alcohol intake and took tests to measure memory, reasoning, and verbal skills. They underwent brain imaging with MRI at the end of the study.

When the team analyzed the questionnaires, the cognitive test scores, and the MRI scans, they found that the amount of shrinkage in the hippocampus — the brain HARVARD RESEARCHERS ALSO FOUND THAT BRAIN VOLUME SHRANK IN PROPORTION TO ALCOHOL CONSUMED AND THAT ATROPHY WAS GREATER IN LIGHT AND MODERATE DRINKERS THAN IN TEETOTALERS area associated with memory and reasoning — was related to the amount people drank. Those who had the equivalent of four or more drinks a day had almost six times the risk of hippocampal shrinkage as did nondrinkers, while moderate drinkers had three times the risk. However, the only link between drinking and cognitive performance was that heavy drinkers had a more rapid decline in the ability to name as many words beginning with a specific letter as possible within a minute.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? The study results don’t come as news to Dr. Kenneth J. Mukamal, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Mukamal and his colleagues reported similar findings in 2001. His team studied 3,376 men and women who were enrolled in the Cardiovascular Heart Study and who had also undergone MRI scans and had reported their alcohol consumption. The Harvard researchers also found that brain volume shrank in proportion to alcohol consumed, and that atrophy (shrinkage) was greater even in light and moderate drinkers than in teetotalers.

Yet the meaning of the MRI scans is still far from clear, Dr. Mukamal says. “There’s a great deal of doubt about 74

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whether the atrophy seen on MRI is due to loss of brain cells or to fluid shifts within the brain.” He explains that this type of atrophy shows major improvements within weeks when alcoholics stop drinking, which wouldn’t be the case if it were caused by brain cell death. “The study offers little indication of whether moderate drinking is truly good, bad, or indifferent for long-term brain health,” he says.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? If you’re a moderate or light drinker trying to decide whether to cut back for health reasons, you probably want to consider a variety of factors: Moderate drinking still seems to be good for your heart.

More than 100 observational studies have linked moderate drinking to a reduced risk of heart attack, ischemic (clotcaused) stroke, peripheral vascular disease, sudden cardiac death, and death from all cardiovascular causes.

Moderate drinking has also been associated with a lower risk of gallstones and diabetes.

For women, even moderate drinking can increase the risk of breast cancer. If you’re a woman at average risk, a drink per day can increase your lifetime risk of breast cancer from 8.25% to 8.8% The social and psychological benefits of moderate

alcohol consumption. One thing health statistic haven’t measured is the enjoyment of moderate drinking. It is fine to enjoy a glass of wine as the perfect accompaniment to a good dinner or celebrate a happy occasion with a cocktail with friends.

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FOOD INGREDIENTS: ENZYMES

Enzymes play a wide role in food industry: From merely optimizing production to enhancing food quality

By Catherine Wanjiku

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or centuries, human beings have exploited the impressive catalytic efficiency of enzymes in food processing. Further to that, the food industry has discovered that enzymes are a secret weapon of enhancing quality of product such as nutritional profile, texture, appearance, flavour and fragrance, shelflife, purification, among others.

The use of these ubiquitous biomolecules can be traced back to the tradition of wrapping meat in papaya leaves to tenderize it with papain or the harvest of rennet from a calf’s stomach for processing liquid milk into cheese.

However, rapid technological advancements in

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the last century have paved the way for a plethora of new applications, as manufacturers’ understanding of microbiology as well as enzyme-producing microorganisms and genetic engineering have taken a leap of growth. This has marked the transition of harvesting the enzymes the old-fashioned way from animal and plant tissues to microbial fermentation by use of yeast, bacteria and fungi.

WIDE APPLICATIONS IN FOOD INDUSTRY Production of enzymes by fermentation has led to manufacturing of the natural biocatalysts at a commercial scale in response to the high demand and specificity to JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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players such as Novozymes, Kerry, Royal DSM, Chr. Hansen, BASF, IFF, among others.

“There have been significant changes in the role enzymes play in food and beverage production over recent years. From primarily being used to optimize processes in industrial applications and enabling lower water and electricity use, we’ve seen a shift towards using enzymes to produce products that are better for the planet and improve the health and wellness of consumers, such as through removing chemicals or enabling plant-based products,” said Frederik Mejlby, vice president marketing food and beverage, Novozymes in an interview with Food Ingredients First.

application. For instance, carbohydrase, one of the most widely utilized enzymes, is chiefly applicable in baking and brewing industries as it performs function of converting carbohydrates into simple sugar.

Meanwhile, amylase, a subtype of carbohydrase has significant application in the production of baked goods as a texture and flavour enhancer and an anti-staling agent to improve bread quality. In addition, it is used in the beverage industry for beer formulation to produce thick, rich beer with distinct taste.

On the other hand, glucoamylases are extensively employed to produce modified starches such as glucose syrups and high-fructose corn syrups. Proteases, just as the name suggests, play a crucial role in protein modification by reducing its toughness. Another key enzyme, lipase finds its application in the dairy sector for flavour improvisation, producing free fatty acids on hydrolysis that help provide the characteristic taste and aroma of products such as cheese.

Still in the dairy category, lactase diminishes the quantity of lactose to deliver low lactose milk. In fermented milk, the utilisation of lactase quickens the reaction and enhances the fermentation process. Lastly, hydrolysates are utilized in the fortification of infant formulae, soft drinks, and juices. They also facilitate quicker preparation of dough, reduced mixing time, and regulate gluten strength in baked commodities.

These are just a handful of the enzymes utilized by food and beverage manufactures to produce novel products that meet market preferences.

High demand of the commodities drives the multibillion food enzyme market, which was valued at US$2.3 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach US$ 3.3 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6.2%, according to Research and Markets. Steering the lucrative market are multinational 76

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BETTER-FOR-YOU PRODUCTS DRIVE ADOPTION Recent studies have shown a gradual shift of consumers from chemical ingredients to naturally processed food products that are safe and healthy.

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), long-term exposure of chemicals at highly concentrated levels through food may have a toxicological effect on humans. Though they are essential building blocks, synthetic chemicals as additives have an adverse effect on health when consumed.

Enzymes, on the other hand, aid in the manufacturing ACCORDING TO EFSA, LONG-TERM EXPOSURE OF CHEMICALS AT HIGHLY CONCENTRATED LEVELS THROUGH FOOD MAY HAVE A TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECT ON HUMANS of food or food ingredients but do not have a function in the final product. This makes them a better alternative to synthetic chemicals which most consumers are already trying to avoid.

Increasing awareness among people regarding the health concerns associated with the consumption of synthetic ingredients is expected to surge the demand for better-for-you products, driving the adoption of enzymes compared to chemical or synthetic processing aids.

In response to this, DuPont, prior to the acquisition of its Nutrition & Biosciences business by International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) in 2021, was the first company to launch an ascorbic acid alternative, Hexose oxidase, for the baking industry in 2018.

The alternative launch was timely for the food industry as previous studies have showed that synthetic vitamin C may contribute to the formation of genotoxins that can lead to cancer. The hexose oxidase technology can utilize many different sugar molecules as a substrate rather than just glucose alone, improving the gluten network in dough systems during mixing and fermentation.

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GO TO INGREDIENT FOR CLEAN LABEL PRODUCTS Other than demand for natural and wholesome products, consumers have become more conscious, informed, and connected as they closely examine the nutritional composition of products. This has triggered the trend of consuming clean-label, free-from, minimally processed products with shorter or preferably recognizable ingredients list. Food enzymes fit well with this ongoing trend.

Early 2021, IFF targeted label-friendly baking demands with the launch of its new dough strengthener, EnoveraTM 3001, in the North American market. The “enzyme-only” ingredient was found to perform “equivalently or better than” traditional chemical emulsifiers and with a reduced dependence on aids to compensate for inconsistencies.

Further hacking the clean label craft in bread and buns, the food ingredient supplier, has unveiled GRINDSTED POWERBake Clean, a blend of soy lecithin, enzymes, and natural soluble fiber.

ENZYMES PUT AT BAY LACTOSE INTOLERANCE Other than minimizing the ingredient list, enzymes are also used to eliminate undesirable components off a food product.

For instance, lactase is used to convert lactose in milk into digestible simple sugars. Lactose, the sugar found in dairy products, can cause problems like bloating, acid reflux and other gastrointestinal discomfort in people with intolerance of the compound. Lactase enzymes overcome the problem as they enhance the digestion of food even in people with compromised digestive systems.

Therefore, Danish biological solutions company, Novozymes launched Saphera Fiber, a new lactase enzyme which enables manufactures to increase the content of fibers while also reducing sugar in fermented and nonfermented dairy products, as the break-down of lactose results in glucose and galactose, making them sweeter.

GIVING PLANT-BASED FOODS A KICK Consumers globally are increasingly adopting plant-based foods in the diets, as it confidently waves the sustainability card. But while consumers are increasingly adopting plant proteins, they’re not willing to compromise on taste or mouth feel as they indulge.

To this end, the plant-based food segment is highly utilizing enzymes to make alternative foods more acceptable to consumers, with next level sensory experience from taste to texture and even appearance.

For example, plant-based beverages like oat or rice milk can have poor emulsion stability, meaning products might separate out over their shelf life instead of remaining a consistent mixture. Enzymes like amylase can help improve stability of the product. Much like lactase, amylase can also reduce the need for added sugar because the products of starch hydrolysis are sweeter than FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

KEY NUMBERS

US$3.3 BILLION ESTIMATED VALUE OF FOOD ENZYME MARKET IN 2020 the starch itself. This can be achieved by solutions such as Novozyme’s BAN enzyme.

When it comes to plant-based meat, the company has unveiled a wide range of enzymatic solutions aimed to make the first bite count. For instance, its Methyl cellulose is frequently used as a thickener in meat alternatives and enhances emulsification, cold binding, hot binding, and juiciness of the product. Meanwhile, with its Protana range, processors can produce enzymatically hydrolyzed vegetable protein (EHVP), a natural solution to flavour enhancement.

EHVP increases the perceived saltiness of plant-based meat alternatives by activating taste buds that are linked to umami receptors. Through this it enables customers to reduce their use of salt.

In Japan, food ingredients giant Amano Enzyme released Umamizyme Pulse in May 2021, designed to use in a wide variety of plant protein products to produce the savory, umami flavor. Additionally, the new ingredient also imparts kokumi, a sensation of richness and complexity.

FIGHTING FOOD WASTE BY EXTENDING SHELF-LIFE Still in the sustainability front, enzymes have a crucial role to play in preventing and reducing food waste and its associated carbon emissions, most notably within the bakery, brewing and the meat industry. Globally, there is a big challenge with food waste and a staggering one-third of all food produced goes to waste, with an economic cost of US$936 billion to the world’s economy. Consumers are becoming increasingly more receptive to it, with about half of consumers globally willing to pay extra for food and beverage products that help solve food waste.

Jacques Georis, global R&D fermentation sciences director at Kerry Group in an interview stressed, “Enzymes can be an ally in this sustainability journey as these natural and invisible powerhouses can effectively help manufacturers improve their sustainability metrics. Kerry has expanded its enzymes portfolio used within bakery and brewery beyond traditional applications, to actively tackle climate change – food waste reduction and supporting circular economy – using nature’s own resources.”

Based on the company’s deep understanding on the baking process, Kerry has developed a range of clean label enzyme solutions dubbed Biobake. “This technology helps JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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FOOD INGREDIENTS: ENZYMES

distilleries meet liquefaction challenges, satisfy consumer demand for locally sourced ingredients, and improve profitability.

Meanwhile, DSM, launched Maxadjunct ß L, an adjunct brewing enzyme to enable the use of unmalted raw materials in beer making.

manufacturers significantly reduce waste and improve production line efficiency, while still producing superior products that maintain their quality and functionalities,” details Georis.

Meanwhile, IFF recently unveiled a new range of bakery enzymes dubbed Powerfresh and Powersoft for the Chinese market, which is seeing a boom in sweet baked goods.

The anti-staling solutions were developed to deliver the desired taste, texture and shelf-keeping characteristics in cakes, sweet rolls and buns while maintaining the desired shape and volume.

BOOST LOCAL SOURCING Another trend that is driving growth of the food enzyme market is food processor’s turn towards use of local and ancient grains to produce products. Working with ancient grains could however pose formulation challenges in terms of texture, softness, and freshness. This creates a need for enzyme to enhance the production process.

“Globally, malt-based beverages such as beer and several non-alcoholic beverages rely on malt that’s been imported from Europe. We’ve developed enzyme solutions that enable the use of locally sourced raw materials instead. To our customers, this saves shipping costs, but it also saves greenhouse gas emissions when you can source materials locally instead of transporting them around the world,” notes Frederik Mejlby, vice president marketing food and beverage, Novozymes. The company has a wide range of solutions under its brewing line such as Ceremix, Ondea, Neutrase, among others.

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences has also been at the forefront championing the local sourcing agenda, through the launch of its innovative solutions such as POWERMill, with tests carried out on soft, hard, and semi-hard wheat types, taking into consideration the local water quality.

In addition, the company launched POWERPasta, aimed to explore the saving potential of less expensive locally or regionally sourced wheat. This was followed with the company’s launch of a new enzyme solution for adjunct liquefaction, the Amylex 6T, aimed to help breweries and 78

JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

HICCUPS IN STANDARDIZATION AND REGULATIONS The rise of food enzymes as processing ingredients in the food industry has led to the continuous evolution and upgrade of their safety regulatory framework. In terms of food legislation, enzymes are categorized into food additives and food processing aids.

The categorization of food enzymes is vital due to premarket approval, including safety evaluation, which is mandatory only for additives in some countries.

However, the definitions for additives and processing aids vary across countries and regions, which create regulatory uncertainties that negatively impact market growth. This scattered and piecemeal approach to regulate enzymes is expected to negatively impact the growth of the market.

“Achieving standardized labelling for enzymes would expedite manufacturers’ ability to launch innovation to several markets simultaneously, benefiting those global customers that have processing facilities across the world,” says Jacques from Kerry.

AFRICA’S GROWING MARKET Despite the glaring hitch experienced in the sector, the food enzyme market in Africa is witnessing rapid growth at an expected CAGR of 4.5% during the period 2020 – 2025, highlights Mordor Intelligence. Innovations in food technology in the region and the growing awareness about better-quality products from utilization of enzymes, are some of the factors that are further driving the market growth.

Tapping into the growing market, Barentz International, a leading global distributor of a comprehensive portfolio of specialty ingredients including food enzymes, announced a joint venture with SK Chemtrade Services in 2019, to continue its expansion in South Africa.

That same year, Novozymes, opened a regional office in Nairobi, Kenya in a bid to broaden its presence in East Africa. In 2021, another global leader, AIT Ingredients, producer of technical solutions such as improvers, correctors, enzymes and aromatic solutions for the milling and baking industries, set base in the East African nation.

Enzyme technologies continue to provide a healthier, environmentally friendly, safe, and effective solution for future food processing, and as global giants enter the African market and establish local facilities, the continent’s food companies are set to harvest abundantly from the huge benefits brought by new enzyme technologies.

FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW: BAKING TECHNOLOGY

Kaak Group and the opportunities in the bakery business in Africa

By Paul Ongeto

S

tarting a bakery requires you to not only conduct market research on the potential of the business but to also have a deeper understanding of the kind of equipment you will need to produce the kind of bread that will keep your customers coming back for more.

Roy Jansen, Area Sales Manager at Netherland-based global supplier of bakery technology solutions Royal Kaak, and his colleague Ton van der Pas, the Product Sales Manager, Mixing at the company shared with our Food Business Africa team some FOODBUSINESSAFRICA.COM

of the key factors that one should consider when acquiring bakery equipment.

FBA: Tell us about Kaak and the opportunities in the baking industry in Africa.

Jansen: Kaak is a turnkey supplier in a lot of products in bakery industry.

We are a family-owned business and recently celebrated our 175th birthday.

Our main market is tin bread, where we are global market leaders.

We also have solutions for baguettes, free-standing bread and last but not

least, pizza. Those are four main product categories but of course we have several others like flat bread.

Kaak stands out in the marketplace because we have different solutions for different parts of each line - we have classical dough makers and we also we have dream shifting lines which in the end do exactly the same but in different processes.

We also have different types of ovens, including the indirect fired ovens, thermo-oil ovens and direct fired ovens, among many other bakery solutions. From a bakery perspective, at Kaak you can choose JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

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EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW: BAKING TECHNOLOGY

Ton van de Pas - Team Manager, Mixers at Kaak

your preference and you don’t need to look around or shop around for different solutions because we got everything inhouse.

FBA: Mixing sounds like a very basic process in a bakery, but what do you think is the importance of mixing in a bakery?

Ton: Mixing is very important because we are actually making bread with dough. If you get a bad quality dough, your output won't be better, because once the dough is bad, any other treatment you do afterwards will not improve the quality of the bread.

It’s therefore very important that your dough is well developed because it determines your end product. If the dough is not well-mixed during the mixing process, its stability during proofing is also affected.

FBA: Given mixers are key in the dough mixing process, what kind of mixers are out there that maybe bakers could adopt?

Ton: Generally, we have spiral mixers, horizontal mixers, and continuous mixers. Flour is very important in the ingredients of your dough but our type of mixers especially the high-speed mixer can handle low quality flours and with them, you can still make a good dough.

FBA: What could be some of considerations that someone that is 80

JAN/FEB 2022 | FOOD BUSINESS AFRICA

getting into baking should look for when acquiring a dough mixer?

Ton: What is important in mixing systems is the capacity of the bakery.

Sometimes you’ll see bakers with mixers with very low capacities, which constrain their current operations and limit their ability to expand. Also very important is flexibility. We had earlier discussed continuous mixing - that’s for one type of dough. If you want to have more flexibility in different types of dough with inclusions, with different types of wheat, think about that, because otherwise you could get a mixer that binds you to only one type of product. Automation is also becoming another important factor, especially now that we have Covid-19 with us. With automation, you not only save on labour costs but are assured of continuous production as the line is not susceptible to illness as people do. With automation, you can also be AT KAAK, WE HAVE A LOT OF WAYS TO DO SERVICE FROM A DISTANCE, MAINLY THROUGH THE INTERNET AND GOOGLE GLASSES guaranteed of a certain type of quality as the product is no longer dependent on people but on the machine. And of course, ease of operation should also be considered when buying a mixer you have to ask yourself how easy can you operate the line once you acquire it.

Jansen: In addition to that, hygiene is also a very important aspect, especially in Africa. We have seen several bakeries all over the continent that have had problems with hygiene and with bacteria infecting their factories. With our type of mixers there is no intervention by any operator, so nobody touches the dough. The dough mixing process is all done automatically, this way you are guaranteed that the dough going into the oven is bacteria and virus free.

Roy Jansen- Kaak Area Sales Manager for Africa, Middle east & China What should an investor in Africa look at when seeking to invest in the bakery Industry?

Jansen: I think the quality of machines is the most important thing that investors should look at when seeking to invest in new equipment.

The main issue that I've seen in Africa is that servicing machines is still a problem. First of all, travelling now with Covid-19 especially is still difficult, so getting mechanics and engineers into your bakery and serving your machines is quite difficult.

With Kaak we have a lot of ways of doing service from a distance, mainly through the internet but we have also introduced Google glasses. This enables us to have local engineers fix machine with us monitoring using new technologies.

I would also advise bakeries to look for quality turkey solutions and strive to have the least number of suppliers on the line and have one point of contact. Further, the investor must look into products that your country is demanding and focus on those lines of products.

Tin bread is important but you can also look into flexible lines where you can also make buns and rolls or baguettes. Flexibility is very important so you can diversify your product range and maybe even increase your margin on different products.

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