Food & Drink International

Food brand Mr Whippy has unveiled its new £15m, custom built production facility in Sheffield with a successful, full factory test launch. The heritage brand completed the specialist food production fit out last month and went live with test doughnut production under the watchful eye of investor and company chairman Scott Fletcher MBE and the 10-strong management team.

Better-for-you snack brand Rip Van has appointed Todd Tillemans as chief executive as it expands its US retail footprint. Tillemans succeeds co-founder Rip Pruisken, who will remain involved in the business and continue serving on the board. Pruisken will support the company’s strategy, product innovation and fundraising. Co-founder Marco De Leon will remain chief financial officer and a board member. Tillemans has held senior roles at Perdue Farms, The Hershey Company, Unilever and General Mills.

Jenton International, an innovative packaging, automation and UV specialist for over 53 years, have won the ‘Innovative Processing System’ award at the Automate UK Awards 2026.

HealthTech Bio Actives (HTBA) has acquired Specnova, a US biotechnology company specialized in next-generation ingredient delivery technologies designed to improve the bioavailability, performance and efficacy of active ingredients. It marks HTBA’s first acquisition. While both companies will continue to operate independently, following the agreement they will also work together to enhance and develop their science-backed ingredient portfolios for the supplement, food and beverage industries.

Danish Crown Beef CEO Finn Klostermann will leave the company at the end of the year as the meat group moves ahead with a wider organisational restructuring. The changes will see Danish Crown Beef integrated into a new shared operating structure alongside six other business units. The new organisation will bring manufacturing, sales and product development under common global leadership.

As breweries and distilleries seek to reduce energy use, waste and operating costs, attention is increasingly turning to areas beyond traditional heat-intensive processes. Peter Irwin, Sales Lead UK at SEEPEX, explains how product transfer systems can support efficiency, improve process control and unlock value throughout the brewing and distilling process. Why is product transfer becoming an important part of sustainability discussions in brewing and distilling?

FrieslandCampina has partnered with seven transport companies in the Netherlands and Germany to reduce emissions from milk transport operations. The group plans to introduce more trucks running on biomethane, or bio-CNG, as existing vehicles are replaced. Around half of the fleet is expected to switch to the fuel over the coming years, covering transport operations across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.

Food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly taking a closer look at energy consumption across their production lines. Dan Anjos, business development manager for Hyroic Systems, explains how targeted drying can provide the required moisture removal while reducing reliance on compressed air. When food and beverage manufacturers look at reducing energy consumption, are some of the smaller processes on a production line easily overlooked?

Corbion has begun the search for a new chief executive after Olivier Rigaud confirmed he will step down when his current term ends in May 2027. Rigaud, who has led the company for eight years, will remain CEO until Corbion’s annual general meeting on 12 May 2027. The company said he will continue to focus on operational performance and its strategic priorities during the transition.

Sojitz has years of experience in the seafood processing and wholesale business, including the company’s tuna farming and tuna processing operations. In April 2022, Sojitz Group acquired the seafood processor The Marine Foods Corporation, followed a year later by the acquisition of the frozen tuna processing company TRY Inc. in April 2023.