Member News
Member and Industry News BelGioioso Cheese, Inc., has entered into an agreement to acquire Polly-O, the historic cheese brand founded in 1899, for an undisclosed purchase price. The Polly-O brand will expand BelGioioso’s footprint in the dairy category in addition to its existing Casaro brand. Last year, Polly-O achieved net sales of roughly $177 million. Chobani announced a limited-edition Complete Shake featuring Peloton instructor and fitness star Cody Rigsby. The product has 25 grams of high-quality protein with all the essential amino acids needed for building muscle – making it a functional and delicious pre- and post-workout snack for everyday athletes and fitness professionals. In other Chobani news, the company donated 300,000 products to Hurricane Ida victims and Afghan refugees. The company delivered food to Mamaroneck, New York, which was hit hard by Hurricane Ida. Other trucks traveled to New York City, Louisiana and New Jersey. Approximately 200,000 food products went to hurricane victims, and another 100,000 went to Afghan evacuees in temporary housing, as well as the U.S. servicemen and women supporting them. Mauricio Graber, CEO of Chr. Hansen, reported 7% organic growth for 2020-2021 in a recent statement. “Our performance of 7% organic growth and our EBIT margin b.s.i. of 27.7% both ended at the upper end of our initial outlook range for the full year,” he said. “Free cash flow before acquisitions and special items ended at EUR 196 million and was higher than the full-year outlook, in part, due to a positive 52 • Northeast Dairy Foods Association, Inc.
impact from timing of payables. Graber noted that it was a year of transition for Chr. Hansen, as it executed changes to its portfolio, including the divestment of Natural Colors and the acquisitions of HSO Health Care, UAS Labs and Jennewein. Positives included the all-time high product launch activity in dairy, animal health, bioprotection and fermented plant bases, as well as a new partnership with UPL in plant health. Bel Brands USA and Dairy Farmers of America have teamed up to launch a sustainable milk cooling program designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The companies intend to implement and measure sustainable cooling practices in an effort to cut energy usage and reduce the carbon footprint on dairy farms. A 12-month pilot program will see the companies support the adoption of the energy-efficient cooling methods – such as natural well water cooling – by a dairy farm in Iowa that supplies milk to Bel Brands. Ultimately, the goal is to implement these new cooling methods on other U.S. dairy farms to ensure sustainability throughout the supply chain. Ecolab, Inc., the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, has expanded its wipes manufacturing capabilities with the acquisition of National Wiper Alliance, a 500,000-square-foot wipes manufacturing facility located outside of Asheville, North Carolina. For decades, Ecolab has been a leader in developing cleaning and disinfecting solutions for customers in more than 40 industries. The acquisition of National Wiper Alliance is a critical step in Ecolab’s continued commitment to serve as a leading
