Quest International (Naarden, The Netherlands) sold its food ingredient business to Kerry Ingredients (Tralee, Ireland) for $440 million in order to focus upon building its flavor and fragrance business.
David Michael & Co. (Philadelphia) and Balchem Encapsulates (New Hampton, N.Y.) entered into a strategic alliance to manufacture and market microencapsulated flavors throughout North America.
D.D Williamson (Louisville, Ky.) acquired Cargill's Cerestar caramel color operation in Manchester, England. D.D. Williamson also added Peter Comline as European sales manager.
Darifair Foods Inc. (Jacksonville, Fla.) hired Christaan Avonda as director of culinary sales
MGP Ingredients Inc. (Atchison, Kan.) has added new starch processing equipment at the company's plant in Pekin, Ill.
Givaudan (Geneva, Switzerland) has completed the $20 million expansion of its R&D facility in Woodlands, Singapore, where the company has established a “Global Centre for Expertise in Ethnic Asian Flavours.”
Proliant Meat Ingredients (Ames, Iowa) promoted four directors in the company to vice president: Moisés Contreras has been named vice president of international sales. Dave Del Carlo has been promoted to vice president of operations. Dave Hull has been named vice president of R&D and applications research, and Fred Johnson has been named vice president of sales and marketing.
International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. (IFF—New York) announced the retirement of Neil Numphreys, vice president of global business development, effective March 31. As of that date, Jim Dunsdon will fill the new position of senior vice president of global business development, flavors and functional fragrances. IFF also has begun construction of a new Culinary & Bakery Center at its existing North America Regional Creative Center in South Brunswick, N.J.
Solbar (Ashdod, Israel) is building a specialty soy protein plant in China at the Ningbo Free Trade Zone, southeast of Shanghai.
Buffalo Blends Inc. (Buffalo, N.Y.) opened their newly renovated custom-blending, packaging and warehouse facility.
In a quite busy couple of months at Chr. Hansen (Milwaukee), the company has made a series of changes. Hurl Minnig is now director of Sales for Food & Beverage. Teresa Supnet-Rosa is director of sales for meat & prepared foods. John Brown is global marketing manager with the global business development team. Margot Connor is vice president of sales for human health and nutrition. Linda Sweek is manager of communications and PR. Chuck Riley is account manager for the company's dairy business. John Lyne is director of technical development for the dairy business portion of the company. James R. Dodson is vice president of sales for animal health and nutrition. The company also re-launched Sugar Spheres NF for sustained and time-release applications, previously known in the U.S. as Nu-Pareil Sugar Spheres NF. The company also jointly announced with Forage Solutions LLC that Forage is a working sales partner for Chr. Hansen in North America and will actively promote and support the sales of the company's line of forage inoculants.
Kelatron Corp. (Ogden, Utah) appointed Jared Bowden to its technical services department.
Main Street Ingredients (La Crosse, Wis.) promoted Rudy Rott to vice president of operations.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT—Chicago) named Karen Banasiak assistant editor with its flagship publication and Bato Prostran as sales associate in support of IFT Food Expo booth sales.
