March/April 2020 - 26

THE PULSE
INDUSTRY
INSIDER
B&G Foods acquires veggie-fries maker Farmwise
B&G Foods Inc. has acquired Farmwise LLC, the creator of
Veggie Fries, Veggie Tots and Veggie Rings. B&G Foods funded
the acquisition with cash on hand. Terms of the transaction were
not disclosed.
Based in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Farmwise was founded
by Dave and Cristina Peters with a mission of developing
healthier alternatives to some of America's favorite foods without
compromising on taste. Farmwise Veggie Fries, Veggie Tots and
Veggie Rings are vegan, non-GMO project verified and free of
the top eight allergens, including gluten, wheat, soy, dairy, tree
nuts and peanuts.
Based in Parsippany, New Jersey, B&G Foods and its
subsidiaries manufacture, sell and distribute branded shelfstable
and frozen foods across the U.S., Canada and Puerto
Rico. B&G Foods' portfolio of more than 50 brands includes
Back to Nature, B&G, B&M, Cream of Wheat, Green Giant, Las
Palmas, Le Sueur, Mama Mary's, Maple Grove Farms, Mrs.
Dash, New York Style, Ortega, Polaner, SnackWell's, Spice
Islands and Victoria.
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produceprocessing.net
Vanmark introduces equipment to reduce
water treatment
Vanmark, an industrial potato and produce processing
equipment manufacturer, has introduced two new machines that
reduce water treatment usage from the company's line of abrasive
peelers. These solutions allow potato and produce processors to
operate more sustainably.
The Water Reclamation System (top photo) recirculates process
water from Vanmark's Peeler/Scrubber/Washer - reducing water
usage up to 90%. The skid-mounted system removes peel waste
from process water, collecting it to be sold and avoiding the drain
system. Filtered water is then recirculated back into the peeler
in a closed loop. It can integrate with and support up to three
machines, with each now operating on less than 1.5 GPM (5.7 l/
min) of freshwater input.
The Waste Separating Auger filters solid waste out of Peeler/
Scrubber/Washer process water - reducing waste to the drain
system and resulting water treatment costs. Peel waste is
removed through a self-cleaning screen and collected to be sold.
Its small footprint and ease-of-use allows it to be implemented
quickly without impacting equipment line flow. More info can be
found at vanmark.com.
Tropical Fruit Congress to focus on avocados
The 2020 Tropical Fruit Congress will focus on a rising star in
Europe: the avocado.The event, to be held May 6-7, 2020, during
Macfrut in Remini, Italy, will highlight the tropical fruit, which
increased in European consumption by 19% last year.
An estimated 636,119 tonnes of avocados were consumed
by Europeans in 2018-19, led by France, the UK, Germany and
Spain. Denmark ranks first in per capita consumption at 2.69
kilogram per year. Norway, the Netherlands, France and Sweden
also rated above 2 kilos per capita, according to data processed
by CIRAD, based on EUROSTAT and professional sources.
Ten international speakers will share thoughts during the event.
They include:
* Roberto Della Casa, Agroter/Bologna University
* Daria Lodi, CSO Italy
* Thomas Padilla, Senior Director of Export Sales, Mission
Produce
* Said Bannany, Director of Total Exotics
* Pierre Escodo, Director of Eurofresh Distribution
* Michael Horney, Peruvian Agritrade
* Jorge Restrepo, Executive Director, Corpohass
* Andrea Passanisi, Sicilia Avocado
* Therese Bruwer, Westphalia
* Eelke Westra, Wageningen University
Roundtable discussions and workshops also are planned. For
more information, visit tropicalfruitcongress.com.
26 MARCH/APR I L 2 02 0
China to allow fresh US potatoes for chipping
China has taken numerous actions to start implementation of
its agriculture-related commitments under the landmark U.S.China
Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement on schedule.
The agreement entered into force in mi-February.
These actions include:
* Signing a protocol that allows the importation of U.S. fresh
chipping potatoes.
* Lifting the ban on imports of U.S. poultry and poultry products,
including pet food containing poultry products.
* Lifting restrictions on imports of U.S. pet food containing
ruminant material.
* Updating lists of facilities approved for exporting animal
protein, pet food, dairy, infant formula and tallow for industry
use to China.
* Updating the lists of products that can be exported to China
as feed additives.
* Updating an approved list of U.S. seafood species that can be
exported to China.
In addition, China has begun announcing tariff exclusions for
imports of U.S. agricultural products subject to its retaliatory tariffs
and it announced a reduction in retaliatory tariff rates on certain
U.S. agricultural goods. These types of actions will facilitate China's
progress toward meeting its Phase One purchase commitments.
http://www.produceprocessing.net http://www.vanmark.com http://www.tropicalfruitcongress.com
March/April 2020

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