For daily industry news updates, see the homepage of www.PreparedFoods.com and www.NutraSolutions.com.

  • International Specialty Products Inc. (ISP, Tadworth, Surrey) acquired the food stabilizer systems business of Creative Food Systems Ltd. (Marlow, Buckinghamshire).

  • The Fuchs Group announced a restructuring of its North American operations that has resulted in some recent changes to the senior management team at Baltimore Spice Inc. Fuchs North America has formed three distinct strategic business units: Baltimore Spice-Seasoning Systems, Global Source Food Ingredients and Fuchs Foodservice, led by Gary Ramsy, Stephan Jenkins and Stephanie Frisque. The company also announced the addition of Dan Cooper as vice president of global supply chain.

  • Commercial Creamery Company (Spokane, Wash.) has broken ground on the third expansion in three years at its manufacturing and spray drying facility in Jerome, Idaho. The addition of four new blending bays will boost production capacity to meet increased product demand.

  • The Almond Board of California (ABC, Modesto, Calif.) announced that Harbinder Maan has accepted the position of manager, foodservice and industrial marketing, for the industry's grower-funded federal marketing order. Also, Almond Cone-coxions, an innovative snack item engineered by a team of food science students from University of Wisconsin-Madison, captured the top prize in the 2005 Almond Board of California Almond Innovations student contest.

  • Astaris (St. Louis) has appointed Mike Taylor business director, food.

  • DSM Pharmaceutical Products, DSM's (Heerlen, The Netherlands) business group that develops and manufactures products for the pharmaceutical industry, has acquired the 40% share interest in DSM Biologics Holding from its joint venture partner, Société generale de financement du Quebec (SGF). With this transaction, DSM has gained full ownership of DSM Biologics.

  • Fortitech Europe ApS (Gadstrup, Denmark) has announced the appointment of Else Nygaard Baasch to the position of technical director.

  • Dairy Management Inc. (DMI, Chicago) launched a new website--www.innovatewithdairy.com.

  • Solbar Industries Ltd. announced a new market cooperation with Ingredients Inc. (Chicago). Solbar's joint venture NutriCognia launched a new interactive website--www.Nutricognia.com.

  • Cognis unveiled a new 20 million euro ($24 million) high-performance facility for the production of plant sterol esters and conjugated linoleic acids in Illertissen, Germany.

  • FONA International Inc. (Geneva, Ill.) launched a new website--www.fona.com. FONA also has moved into its new worldwide headquarters in Geneva.

  • Sargento Foods Inc. (Plymouth, Wis.) hired Marta Turley as national accounts manager of its foodservice division and Guy Beardsmore as its corporate chef.

  • Robertet Flavors Inc. (Piscataway, N.J.) named Kathy Boyce sales service coordinator, Jennifer Petrillo as associate regulatory coordinator and James Przyborowski as facility engineer.

  • D.D. Williamson (Louisville, Ky.) has acquired the natural colors business from Artemis International Inc.

  • Geni Herbs (Noblesville, Ind.) hired Keith Browning as logistics director.

  • Dr. Lester Crawford was confirmed as the full commissioner of FDA on a vote of 78 to 16 in the Senate.

  • Under terms of an agreement recently reached between Cargill (Minneapolis) and the Indiana Soybean Board (ISB, Indianapolis), Cargill will receive exclusive rights to market and distribute candle patent technology owned by ISB.

  • ConAgra Foods Inc. (Omaha, Neb.) will sell its remaining 15.4 million shares of Pilgrim's Pride Corp. (Pittsburg, Texas) to that company for an estimated $482 million before tax.

  • In the U.K., Coca-Cola (Atlanta) has announced plans to leverage its Sprite brand to battle Red Bull (Fuschl am See, Austria). Sprite3G will be an energy drink in silver cans and include such stimulants as caffeine and guarana. Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), meanwhile, named new officers to its North American Business Unit management teams: Jon R. Parker, Jr., to senior vice president of strategic initiatives, North America; Alex Jackson to vice president of quality; Daniel J. Markle to vice president of U.S. field sales; Cril J. Turner to vice president of capital planning and value management; and Brian E. Wynne to vice president of North American human resources.

  • Robert C. Lachky will fill the newly created position of executive vice president of global industry development with Anheuser-Busch Inc. (St. Louis).

  • Interstate Bakers Corp. (IBC, Kansas City, Mo.) named Richard C. Seban chief marketing officer.

  • Kellogg Co. (Battle Creek, Mich.) moved its Asian headquarters from Singapore to Seoul, South Korea.

  • The Hershey Co. (Hershey, Pa.) acquired Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker Inc. (San Francisco), a company specializing in premium dark chocolates.

  • Cott Corp. (Toronto) named Clyde Preslar executive vice president and chief financial officer.

  • SABMiller (London) plans to buy Colombian brewer Bavaria (Bogotá, Colombia) for $7.8 billion.

  • H.J. Heinz Co. (Philadelphia) acquired Nancy's Specialty Foods Inc. (Newark, Calif.), producers of appetizers, quiche entrees and desserts.

  • A U.S.-led effort to create an international standard for Parmesan cheese that could be produced anywhere has failed, after Italy and the E.U. insisted the cheese must come from the area around Parma, Italy.

  • Atkins Nutritionals (New York) filed for bankruptcy protection.

  • RFI Ingredients (Blauvelt, N.Y.) has added personnel to its quality control/R&D applications lab. Thanyaporn Siriwhoharn joins RFI as product development manager, while Jacquelyn Schaffner has been named QC chemist.

  • Lydia Funk was promoted to corporate director of internal audit at MGP Ingredients Inc. (Atchison, Kan.).

  • The Solae Company (St. Louis, Mo.) expanded its partnership with Henan Luohe Shineway Industry Group, among China's largest meat processing companies, to build and operate an isolated soy protein manufacturing facility in China.

  • Chr. Hansen (Milwaukee, Wis.) promoted Teresa Supnet-Rosa to vice president of sales for foodservice.

  • Devansoy (Carroll, Iowa) named Tom Woodward vice president of business development.

    Spectrum Organic Products' (Pomona, Calif.) California Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil has won a gold medal at the L.A. County Fair's Extra Virgin Olive Oils of the World Competition in the Manzanilla Blends category.

    The International Lecithin & Phospholipid Society announced that Willem Van Nieuwenhuyzen was elected to fill the newly created executive director position for a term of three years.

    The IZZE Beverage Company (Boulder, Colo.) announced the hiring of Maile Buker as vice president of marketing.

    Ruth's Hemp Foods (Toronto) hired C. Wesley Crain as national sales manager for the U.S.

    Ruiz Foods (Dinuba, Calif.) appointed Gary G. Bell as vice president of sales and marketing--foodservice.

    BEMA (Overland Park, Kan.) elected Michael Gude to the position of chairman of the BEMA board of directors; Kenneth Newsome to BEMA's executive committee as third vice chairman; and Ron Bean, Len Kilby and Kurt Miller to three-year terms on the board of directors. In addition, BEMA relocated its administrative headquarters to Overland Park, Kan., a suburb of Kansas City. The new address and phone numbers are 7101 College Boulevard; Suite 1505; Overland Park, KS 66210; phone: 913-338-1300 and fax: 913-338-1327.

    KGK Synergize Inc. (KGK, London, On.) named Dr. Rinee Mukherjee to its team of scientists. Mukherjee will head the company's new product development (NPD) division, bringing new nutraceutical products to market.

    Continental Packaging Solutions (Chicago) hired Jack Corcoran as packaging consultant. Corcoran will manage Continental's presence on the east coast of the U.S. from New York/New Jersey to Florida.

    LesserEvil Snack Company (Santa Fe, N.M.) is now being carried by United Natural Foods Inc.

    Ocean Cuisine International (Danvers, Mass.) has been appointed the exclusive marketing agent for Canadian Mussels Ltd.'s line of frozen vacuum pack mussels. Through Ocean Cuisine's sales network, Canadian Mussels products will now extend across the North American marketplace. Ocean Cuisine will manage the marketing, sales, distribution and supply-chain functions related to the mussels.

    John Cope's Food Products Inc. (Rheems, Pa.) has retained Equity Partners Inc. of Maryland (EPI) to seek an investor, partner, or buyer for its food processing and manufacturing company.

    Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM, Decatur, Ill.) acquired additional patents for the combination of soy protein and sterols in functional foods.

    Institut Rosell (Montreal) has signed an agreement with U.K. distributor Quest Vitamins Ltd. (Birmingham, U.K.) for the exclusive rights in the U.K. to launch capsules based on probiotic Lp299v into health food stores and professional therapists.

    Frutarom USA Inc. (North Bergen, N.J.) named Luc Hobson as the company's Canadian sales representative for all of Frutarom USA's divisions. The company also selected Eugene “Gene” Jezek as functional food account executive. In addition, Frutarom purchased the flavoring extracts business of A.M. Todd Botanical Therapeutics (Logan, Utah).

    Hunter Associates Laboratory Inc. (Reston, Va.) added Dave Quinn of Qwest Scientific Group to its sales team, representing the company in California, Nevada and Hawaii.

    Food Marketing Institute (Washington) named Claudia Peters vice president of communications and marketing.

    Vegetable Juices Inc. (Bedford Park, Ill.) hired James E. Hurley as president and CEO.

    Silliker Inc. (Homewood, Ill.) opened a new food testing facility in Cypress, Calif.

    Faribault Foods (Minneapolis) completed the acquisition of the fruit juice division of SoftPac Industries (Elk River, Minn.).

    Riviana Foods Inc. (Houston) has begun expanding its wild rice facilities at Gourmet House in Clearbrook, Minn.

    Kahiki Foods (Columbus, Ohio) named Alan Hoover acting president, following the death of Michael Tsao.

    Wils Oats Markets Inc. (Boulder, Colo.) selected Dan Bolstad as senior vice president of operations.