The Nestlé board of directors approved the creation of new geographic Zones as of Jan. 1, 2022. The new architecture will strengthen the company's market-led approach and further Nestlé's ability to win in a rapidly changing environment. Vevey, Switzerland-based Nestlé said the structure also underscores the company's deep commitment to succeeding in all parts of the world, including its two top markets: North America and Greater China.

Nestlé said it will organize into five zones as follows:

• Zone North America, which comprises the United States (the group's largest market) and Canada.
• Zone Latin America, which includes Brazil and Mexico — among Nestlé's leading markets by sales — and the Caribbean region.
• Zone Europe, which continues to develop its category-focused operating model.
• Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa, which will now include the Middle East and North Africa region.
• Zone Greater China, which is one of the fastest-moving food and beverage markets in the world and offers significant growth potential for Nestlé.

As a result of the new zone structure, the company announced the following changes to the executive board, effective Jan. 1, 2022:

• Chris Johnson, executive vice president and CEO Zone Asia, Oceania and sub-Saharan Africa, will retire from the board on Dec. 31, 2021. He will continue to advise the newly formed Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa during the transition period and will leave the company on Jan. 31, 2022.
• Steve Presley, current chairman and CEO Nestlé USA, will join the executive board as executive vice president and CEO Zone North America.
• David Zhang, current CEO of Totole, Nestlé's food seasoning business, and business executive officer for Food in Greater China, will join the executive board as executive vice president and CEO Zone Greater China. Rashid Qureshi, current market head of Greater China Region, decided to leave the company will hand over responsibility of the region on Dec. 31, 2021.
• Remy Ejel, current market head Middle East North Africa, will join the executive board as executive vice president and CEO Zone Asia, Oceania and Africa.
• Laurent Freixe will lead the newly established Zone Latin America as executive vice president and CEO Zone Latin America.
• Marco Settembri will lead Zone Europe as executive vice president and CEO Zone EUR.

Stonyfield Organic, a Londonderry, N.H., organic yogurt-maker, announces plans to help save at-risk Northeast organic family farms by inviting a number of farms into its direct-supply program during the coming months. The move comes after more than 89 regional family farmers recently received notice that their contracts will be terminated by Horizon Organic brand.

Stonyfield Organic said it has long championed organic family farms. Over 20 years ago, the organic yogurt maker was the lead funder of the UNH Organic Dairy Research Farm to help the region’s family farmers. In 2014, it helped found the Organic Dairy Farmer Training Program at Wolfe’s Neck Center in Maine — a first of its kind, two-year residential apprenticeship which aims to increase the number of organic dairy farmers entering the industry.

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC), Ottawa, Ontario, said is teaming up once again with “The Great Canadian Baking Show” for the series' fifth season, which premiered on Oct. 17 on CBC and CBC Gem. As part of this innovative partnership, DFC will work with an influential chef and former participant to showcase the high standards behind 100% real Canadian dairy.

Dairy Management Inc., the Rosemont, Ill.-based planning and management organization that oversees the national dairy checkoff program on behalf of America’s dairy farmers and importers, said it recently posted its 2020 annual report.

Apura Ingredients, a supplier of high-quality, low- and no-calorie sweeteners based in Chino, Calif., announced a partnership with EPC Natural Products Co., Beijing, which offers integrated sensation optimization through its portfolio of taste and flavor modulators. The partnership will offer global food, beverage and nutrition manufacturers a new toolbox to formulate sugar-reduced applications that retain great taste and mouthfeel.

Apura Ingredients said EPC’s portfolio of flavor modulators includes Proust, an enhancer designed to modify and boost flavor intensity and mouthfeel and reduce bitterness; Savarin, a series of plant-based flavors that block off-tastes and off-notes that are often intertwined with plant-based food and beverages made with herbal, soybean or other alternative proteins; and Zestaroma, a modulator that restores the freshness and juiciness to fruit-based or fruit-flavored foods and beverages.

Mérieux NutriSciences, a provider to the food sector across the world, said it adopted a new logo and brand identity highlighting the following mission: Better Food. Better Health. Better World.

The Chicago-based company said its purpose is focused on improving food products and searching for efficient solutions to present and future issues across the supply chain — from analytical microbiology and chemistry services to consulting, audits, training, labeling and regulatory support, sensory studies and more. Mérieux NutriSciences further pushes its research, striving not only to offer analytical results, but also to develop tailor-made solutions and seamless experience to its customers allowing them to address their most challenging needs along the food value chain.

In support of this evolution, the company said it decided to redefine its brand to match its innovative and aspirational strategy, focused on collaborating to build a better tomorrow, through food safety, quality and sustainability. This is expressed in the company’s new logo, which introduces the color green, in the leaf shape, highlighting the commitment to food sustainability. A light blue circle symbolizes the planet, “therefore our future.”

Darifair Foods, a Jacksonville, Fla.-based culinary and food science-focused provider of flavor and functional ingredients for restaurants and food manufacturers, announced a new company name and brand identity: Rubix Foods. The change reflects the company’s evolution beyond its dairy roots; today, it serves a wide variety of business-to-business customers with a full spectrum of food solutions.

The Rubix Foods logo features bright blue type as a reference to the company’s historic branding, complemented with an eye-catching orange block that subtly nods to the Block family, which founded the company and has operated it for four generations. The company said its new identity went live Oct. 22 across all of its platforms and will appear on the new 50,000-square-foot corporate headquarters and Innovation Center, which is slated to open in early 2022 about 10 miles away from the company’s current location in Jacksonville.

Loftware Inc., the largest software company in the world specializing in enterprise labeling and artwork management solutions, announced a brand refresh, solidifying the unification of Loftware and NiceLabel into one integrated Loftware global brand. The refresh comes after a momentous year for Loftware, which experienced record growth in customer sales and deployments in 2021 following the acquisition of NiceLabel, the Portsmouth, N.H.-based company said. The Loftware corporate brand will now extend across the entire product portfolio with NiceLabel solutions maintaining the NiceLabel brand name.

The new corporate identity, which highlights the company’s vision “to enable companies of all sizes to digitally transform their business and revolutionize their supply chains,” includes a mission, strategy, visual brand and core values that reflect the spirit of the combined organization. Loftware said it plans to launch a single combined website in the future that will highlight the new brand, vision and organization. The site, to be optimized for customers, partners and visitors, will continue to offer a blend of product and corporate information; product resources, including downloads and a partner portal; and educational resources on labeling and artwork management. It also will provide insights on how Loftware teams with customers and partners to help them accelerate their business and succeed with innovative enterprise labeling and artwork management solutions.

London-headquartered Tate & Lyle PLC, a provider of food and beverage solutions and ingredients, said it opened its new technical application center in Dubai. At the new US$2 million state-of-the-art center, Tate & Lyle’s food scientists will work with food and beverage customers to address growing demand for solutions that lower sugar, fat and calories, as well as add fiber, in consumer products.

Döhler, a Darmstadt, Germany-headquartered producer of technology-driven natural ingredients, ingredient systems and integrated solutions for the food and beverage industry, and Sacco System, a biotech company for the food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries based in Cadorago, Italy, said they formed a strategic partnership in the area of plant-based dairy alternatives and food cultures. This partnership aims to boost the development and success rate of new products and brands in this dynamic and growing market segment.

Industrial pumping solutions provider Industrial Flow Solutions, headquartered in New Haven, Conn., announced an agreement to acquire Clearwater Controls Ltd., based in Glasgow, Scotland. Clearwater Controls offers a broad line of wastewater solutions, ranging from its deragging intelligent systems to solve specific pumping problems to more advanced monitoring technology to optimize and manage entire water networks. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Clearwater Controls will retain its company name and brand.

Bunting, Newton, Mass., said it officially acquired MagDev Ltd., a Swindon, England-based magnet and magnetic assembly manufacturer. This acquisition will expand the range of magnetic solutions and technical expertise Bunting is able to offer as a global magnetics group. Bunting’s ability to offer an extended product portfolio and additional magnet engineering knowledge confirms Bunting’s premier position in the global magnetics sector.