March 14, 2025

Please see below for a listing of what the North Point Food & Beverage Team has been tracking this week. We hope that you find the content insightful and a nice way to summarize the most noteworthy Food & Beverage events of the week.

Have a nice weekend!

Glen Clarke

Head of Food & Beverage

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Kellanova/Mars: EC reviews USD 35.9bn EV deal under FSR.

• The proposed acquisition of Kellanova by Mars was notified to the European Commission (EC) under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), according to a website update.

Source: Mergermarket

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One Rock Capital monetizes Primo Brands stake in tight deal - ECM Deal Alert.

• New York-based private equity firm One Rock Capital sold an 11.8% stake in North American branded beverage company Primo Brands according to Dealogic.

Source: Mergermarket

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Zing Zang in early stages of sale process, sources say.

• Zing Zang, a sponsor-backed manufacturer of non-alcoholic cocktail mixers, is in the early stages of a sale process led by Jefferies, according to four sources familiar with the situation.

Source: Mergermarket

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PepsiCo closer to acquiring Poppi for over USD 1.5bn – report.

• PepsiCo Inc. is closer to acquiring Poppi for over USD 1.5bn, a newswire reported quoting people in the know.

Source: Mergermarket

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FlavorSum eyeing a sale, sources say.

• FlavorSum, a flavor producer backed by The Riverside Company, is gearing up to explore a sale, four sources familiar with the situation said.

Source: Mergermarket

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What 6 food and beverage companies are saying about tariffs.

• CEOs of major food and beverage companies, including General Mills, Tyson Foods, and Coca-Cola, are monitoring the impact of new U.S. tariffs and potential retaliatory measures, with some predicting higher costs but minimal immediate price increases.
• Companies with agricultural and packaging dependencies, such as Campbell’s and Mondelēz International, anticipate higher costs on imported materials like steel, canola oil, and Canadian oats, while Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman warns that product boycotts in response to tariffs may be more damaging than the tariffs themselves.
• Tyson Foods is preparing contingency plans for potential retaliatory tariffs from Canada and Mexico, as exports play a significant role in its pork and poultry businesses, while Coca-Cola considers shifting toward plastic bottles to offset rising aluminum costs.

Source: Food Dive

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Meat Institute responds to USTR inquiry.

• The Meat Institute submitted a response to the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), urging the removal of non-tariff barriers and expanded market access for U.S. meat and poultry exports to support economic growth and farm communities.
• The response highlighted challenges in key markets, including China's retaliatory tariffs on U.S. meat, restrictions on beef and pork exports to Taiwan, and regulatory impediments in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
• The Meat Institute emphasized the importance of trade diversification, advocating for greater access to Southeast Asian markets and full implementation of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) to enhance export opportunities.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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EU retaliates against US steel, aluminum tariffs.

• The European Union is reinstating 2018-era retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, including bourbon, orange juice, and peanut butter, in response to newly imposed U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, with additional countermeasures expected by mid-April.
• The tariffs will impact U.S. exports worth up to 26 billion euros ($28 billion), potentially extending to agricultural products such as poultry, beef, seafood, dairy, and vegetables.
• The European Commission criticized the U.S. tariffs as disruptive and unjustified but expressed willingness to negotiate with the Trump administration to resolve the trade dispute.

Source: Food Dive

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Ag groups call for Stephen Vaden’s confirmation as deputy secretary of agriculture.

• Over 200 agricultural organizations have expressed support for the confirmation of Stephen Vaden as deputy secretary of agriculture, citing his extensive experience and commitment to American agriculture.
• Vaden previously served as general counsel for the USDA from 2017 to 2020 and is currently a judge on the U.S. Court of International Trade, with a background in law from Yale and hands-on experience working on his family's farm in Tennessee.
• Industry groups, including the National Pork Producers Council, the Meat Institute, and the American Farm Bureau Federation, believe Vaden’s leadership will help stabilize the farm economy, strengthen supply chains, and support the implementation of a new farm bill.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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New proposal looks at livestock disaster assistance.

• U.S. Senators John Thune and Ben Ray Luján have reintroduced the Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act, which aims to improve the accuracy of the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) and enhance USDA disaster programs for agricultural producers.
• The proposed legislation seeks to expedite aid by adjusting eligibility for federal programs, such as allowing earlier payments under the Livestock Forage Program and streamlining processes for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) applications during drought emergencies.
• By making USDA programs more responsive and efficient, the bill aims to provide faster relief to farmers and ranchers affected by drought, wildfires, and extreme weather, ensuring better support for agricultural communities and food security.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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JBS furthers partnership with IT management solutions company.

• JBS Foods is expanding its long-standing partnership with IT management solutions provider ManageEngine to streamline and standardize its global technology infrastructure, enhancing security, integration, and operational efficiency.
• The partnership will consolidate JBS’s IT management across 25,000 endpoints and 70,000 users in the U.S., improving compliance, automating patching, and integrating acquired companies more seamlessly.
• By implementing ManageEngine’s software, JBS has achieved a 90% faster response to software vulnerabilities, a 30% reduction in help desk ticket volume, and improved IT support for its hybrid workforce, including mobile self-service options for employees.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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What Coca-Cola has learned on its generative AI journey so far.

• Coca-Cola has been a leader in integrating generative AI into marketing, launching initiatives like “Create Real Magic” and a conversational AI-powered Santa, leveraging partnerships with OpenAI and Microsoft Azure.
• The company’s approach involves a decentralized AI team with members across different functions and geographies, focusing on both consumer-facing experiences and internal AI governance to streamline innovation.
• While some AI-driven campaigns, such as the recreation of Coca-Cola’s 1990s Christmas ad, received mixed reactions, the company continues to refine its strategy, emphasizing human oversight, creative control, and extensive consumer research.

Source: Food Dive

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Kevin’s Natural Foods debuts new items.

• Kevin’s Natural Foods has introduced a new line of refrigerated stir-fry kits that include fully cooked protein, sauce, and vegetables, designed to be gluten-free, soy-free, and made without refined sugars.
• The stir-fry kits come in flavors such as honey garlic chicken, Sichuan chicken, and General Tso’s chicken, providing up to 17 grams of protein per serving.
• Available at major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Kroger, these kits align with the company’s mission to make clean eating more convenient and accessible.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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General Mills enters ramen noodles with Old El Paso and Totino’s.

• General Mills is introducing ramen noodles under its Old El Paso and Totino’s brands, featuring flavors like Fajita, Beef Birria, Cheese Pizza, and Buffalo-Style Chicken Pizza, launching at Walmart in April.
• The move capitalizes on the growing demand for convenient and affordable ramen noodles, particularly among younger consumers who enjoy customizing their dishes with gourmet ingredients.
• By leveraging well-known brands, General Mills differentiates itself in the competitive ramen market while expanding exposure for Old El Paso and Totino’s in new grocery store sections.

Source: Food Dive

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Hershey hires PepsiCo executive as chief growth officer.

• Hershey appointed former PepsiCo executive Stacy Taffet as chief growth officer, tasking her with overseeing its expanding snack portfolio, including brands like Reese’s and Dot’s Pretzels, starting April 14.
• The hiring follows other executive shifts at Hershey, including Andrew Archambault leading its North American confectionery business and Veronica Villasenor overseeing the salty snacks segment, as the company prepares for CEO Michele Buck’s planned 2026 departure.
• Taffet’s experience in brand strategy and consumer snacking trends will help Hershey navigate challenges such as rising cocoa costs, changing dietary habits, and inflation-driven shifts in consumer spending.

Source: Food Dive

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Oreo-maker Mondelēz wants a slice of the $97B cakes and pastries space.

• Mondelēz International is expanding its presence in the $97 billion global cakes and pastries market by leveraging its well-known brands, such as Oreo and Milka, to offer premium alternatives to traditional cupcakes, brownies, and muffins.
• The company has already established a strong foothold in the sector, generating over $2 billion in annual sales, and aims to more than double that by 2030 through brand extensions, new product launches, and strategic acquisitions like Give & Go and Evirth.
• With cakes and pastries growing at an accelerated rate, Mondelēz sees the category as a key driver of future growth, benefiting from similarities in production and ingredients with its existing cookie and cracker business.

Source: Food Dive

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Target heats up its grocery assortment.

• Target plans to expand its Good & Gather and Favorite Day grocery brands by adding 600 new items in 2025, including products co-created with renowned chefs, as part of its strategy to drive $15 billion in additional sales by 2030.
• The retailer introduced Good & Gather Collabs, featuring new private-label items developed with tastemakers like chef Ann Kim, whose frozen pizzas and appetizers will be available in 1,800 stores.
• The grocery expansion aligns with Target’s broader strategy to introduce 2,000 new products, mostly under $20, as it works to boost sales following a 3% decline in net sales and a 21% drop in operating income in Q4 2024.

Source: Food Dive

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Jack Link’s starts job fair for new Georgia plant.

• Jack Link’s is holding a job fair this week to hire employees for its new $450 million meat snack production facility in Perry, Georgia, which is set to open in the summer and will create 800 jobs.
• The hiring event will take place at Central Georgia Technical College’s Larry Walker Arena on March 13 and March 15, with open positions including production operators, manufacturing engineers, sanitation specialists, and supervisors.
• The new facility, built on a 120-acre site, was developed in collaboration with state and local economic development groups and will be part of Jack Link’s global operations, which include plants in the Midwest, New Zealand, Brazil, and Germany.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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Sweetening the deal: How Taffy Town stretched innovation further with automation.

• Taffy Town, a family-owned candy manufacturer, has implemented robotic palletizing to improve employee satisfaction and safety, shifting workers from physically demanding tasks to problem-solving roles.
• The company partnered with Formic, a robot rental firm, to integrate end-of-line automation at a fixed monthly rate, eliminating the need for a large upfront capital investment while ensuring ongoing technical support and maintenance.
• With a focus on continuous improvement, Taffy Town is expanding automation efforts, including adding a continuous kitchen system for product batching, reinforcing its commitment to employee retention and operational efficiency.

Source: Food Dive

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Monster Beverage founder to step down as co-CEO.

• Monster Beverage co-founder and co-CEO Rodney Sacks will step down in June, leaving Hilton Schlosberg as the company’s sole CEO, while Sacks is expected to continue serving as chairman through 2026.
• The leadership transition comes at a challenging time for Monster, as it faces growing competition from brands like Celsius and Ghost, while its alcohol venture has struggled, resulting in $130 million in impairment charges.
• Despite these challenges, Monster’s energy drink portfolio continues to expand, with the company reporting $1.8 billion in sales in its most recent quarter, a 4.7% increase year-over-year.

Source: Food Dive

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FMD surfaces on cattle ranch in Hungary.

• Hungary’s National Food Chain Safety Authority (Nébih) confirmed its first case of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in over 50 years on a cattle farm in Kisbajcs, affecting 1,400 cattle and prompting immediate quarantine and eradication measures.
• National Chief Veterinarian Szabolcs Pásztor ordered strict biosecurity protocols, including banning the transport of susceptible animals and launching an epidemiological investigation to contain the outbreak.
• This follows a recent FMD case in Germany’s water buffalo herd, raising concerns about the virus’s spread, though the affected farms are approximately 475 miles apart and Hungary does not share a border with Germany.

Source: Meat + Poultry

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Mondelēz and Biscoff parent expand partnership into ice cream.

• Mondelēz International and Lotus Bakeries are expanding their partnership into ice cream, collaborating with Froneri to produce and distribute Biscoff-branded frozen novelties in Europe starting in 2026.
• The partnership builds on the success of Biscoff ice cream launched in 2019 and follows a previous collaboration on chocolate products combining Biscoff with Mondelēz brands like Cadbury and Milka.
• The expansion aims to strengthen Biscoff’s presence in the global ice cream market, leveraging Mondelēz’s established distribution network and Froneri’s expertise in frozen desserts.

Source: Food Dive

JUST FOR FUN

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Leftovers: DiGiorno infuses pizza with Hidden Valley Ranch | Ritz spices up with hot honey – Food Dive

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