Dairy processors Stonyfield Organic, Londonderry, N.H., and Waitsfield, Vt.-based Cabot Creamery said they are joining forces alongside the Farm Powered Strategic Alliance (FPSA) and Dairy Farmers of America to place dairy as a leader in forging a circular pathway to decarbonization and climate change mitigation. The alliance, founded in 2020 by Vanguard Renewables, Unilever, Starbucks and Dairy Farmers of America, aims to accelerate long-term commitments to avoid or eliminate food waste first and repurpose what can’t be eliminated into renewable energy via farm-based anaerobic digesters. The Farm Powered Strategic Alliance has been named one of Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas.

“These two sustainably minded dairy companies are stepping up to a leadership role in climate change mitigation at a time when the eyes of the world are on the UN Climate Change Summit,” said John Hanselman, founder and chief strategy officer of Vanguard Renewables. “Each new alliance member further enables the expansion of this farm-centered program to all major metro areas nationwide.”

Stonyfield Organic also announced a key milestone in its climate efforts: a new commitment to use 100% renewable electricity at its Londonderry manufacturing facility by the end of 2022. The commitment, ahead of schedule, will be met through its purchase of renewable energy credits, on-site solar generation and support of the construction of seven new solar projects in New Hampshire, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Los Angeles-based dairy processor Cacique LLC said it was ranked No. 15 in the United States as one of the Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production by Fortune magazine. The highly competitive ranking follows the company's general certification as a Great Place to Work for the fourth year running this past spring, which unlocked the possibility for Cacique to be considered for related distinctions from Fortune. This is Cacique's second time being named on the publication's prestigious Manufacturing & Production list.

Fortune selected Cacique as one of the Best Workplaces in Manufacturing & Production by gathering and analyzing anonymous survey responses from more than 220,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations. To determine its selections, the publication derives its company rankings from 60 employee experience questions within the Great Place to Work Trust Index™ survey.

Tillamook County Creamery Association, Tillamook, Ore., said it was selected to receive the Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences Hall of Fame award. The Hall of Fame award is the highest honor the College of Agricultural Sciences bestows, and it recognizes those individuals or organizations having an enduring influence on the welfare of Oregon’s agriculture, natural resources, related industries and communities.

Associated Milk Producers Inc. (AMPI), New Ulm, Minn., said Nov. 17, 2021, will mark the first annual National Butter Day. Established by AMPI’s Dinner Bell Creamery cooperative, National Butter Day is dedicated to celebrating butter as a food, appreciating butter’s long history, and honoring the storied tradition of buttermaking in the United States.

“The U.S. makes some of the best butter in the world, much of it produced right here in the Midwest. That alone is worth celebrating,” said Marshall Reece, senior vice president of sales and marketing for AMPI. “Then when you add in all the delicious ways to enjoy butter, you quickly realize one day to celebrate is barely enough!”

Teamsters Local 264 said its members at Friendship Dairy, Friendship, N.Y., hit the picket line on Nov. 3 after voting unanimously to go on strike. The members, who have been working throughout the pandemic, are protesting the company’s attempt to gut their health care and seniority benefits just weeks before Thanksgiving.

Granarolo S.p.A., Bologna, Italy, announced the acquisition of 100% of Calabro Cheese Corp., an East Haven, Conn.-based company that produces and markets fresh dairy products, in particular ricotta, mozzarella and Burrata cheeses.

Calabro Cheese Corp. is an American enterprise founded in 1953 as a distributor of Italian dairy products by Joseph Calabro and his father Salvatore. It boasts a modern production facility and a distribution platform serving the areas of New York, New England and New Jersey, as well as the southern and western areas of the United States, Granarolo said.

Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association, Reston, Va., said it recognized eight members for 25 years of membership to the cooperative during its recent annual District Meetings:

• W. Ray Halteman of Williamsport, Md.
• Shenandoah Jerseys of Boonsboro, Md.
• DJ Renn Farm of McClure, Pa.
• Keiter’s Dairy of Newville, Pa.
• Aaron M. Esh of Delta, Pa.
• Nathan Weaver of Newville, Pa.
• Lester Zimmerman of New Enterprise, Pa.
• Wesley L. Zimmerman of Shippensburg, Pa.

Interval —the Trappes, France-based export department of 12 French dairies specialized in terroir products and flagships of the French savoir-faire — said Diane Sauvage and Nicolas Lecuq are its new owners. After living in the United States for 16 years, they moved back to France to acquire the company, which was previously owned by Antoine Marsot.

The U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) and National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF), both headquartered in Arlington, Va., applauded USDA’s announcement this week that it has joined the Pathways to Dairy Net Zero initiative as a formal supporter. The dairy groups said they also welcome this week’s formal launch of the Agriculture Innovation Mission (AIM) for Climate.

These global agriculture efforts align with the approach U.S. dairy is taking to reduce its environmental impact through its Net Zero Initiative, USDEC and NMPF said, which aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and will help the U.S. dairy industry be an environmental solution now and in the future.

Pathways to Dairy Net Zero is a ground-breaking multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to accelerate climate change action across the dairy sector. It is well-aligned with the U.S. dairy industry’s own Net Zero Initiative, launched last year, that reinforces its leadership within global agriculture as a source of climate solutions, the organizations said. AIM for Climate accelerates climate-smart agriculture and food systems innovation over the next five years by embracing practical solutions identified through investments in research and pilot programs. This is very similar to dairy’s Net Zero approach.

The New York-headquartered Private Label Manufacturers Association (PLMA) announced that in collaboration with Chicago-based market research firm IRI, it is offering PLMA members access to near real-time customized market data. The complimentary service is available to members and retailers on plma.com.

Using IRI’s dynamic, user-friendly Unify data visualization platform, PLMA members and retailers may access store brand category, aisle and department performance across multiple time periods, measures and product selection. Refreshed monthly, the sales data cover numerous channels, including food outlets, drug stores, mass merchandisers, military commissaries, dollar stores, club stores and convenience stores, across 317 categories and 967 subcategories, PLMA said.

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA), Harrisburg, Pa., said it elected its association officers and members of the board of directors for 2021-2022 at its annual board of directors meeting, which was held virtually on Oct. 20, 2021.

Kevin Schwab, executive vice president sales and marketing for The Pictsweet Co. was elected to serve as chairman of the board. Other officers announced at the meeting, NFRA said, include John Arnold, Sargento Foods, chairman-elect; Neil Ritchey, InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, secretary; Mark Tarzwell, Ateeco Inc./Mrs. T’s Pierogies, treasurer; Tye Anthony, Associated Wholesale Grocers, vice chairman – Frozen; and Joey Bates, Harris Teeter, vice chairman – Refrigerated.

Newly elected to the board of directors, NFRA said, were: Tracy Aquila, Southeastern Grocers; Todd Bostian, Lowes Foods; Jim Buchta, Crossmark; Amanda Klane, Yasso Inc.; Lauren Corprew, General Mills; Mike Ridenour, Kraft Heinz Co.; Shannon Sherrard, Graeter’s Ice Cream; and Marcelle Smalley, Oliva International Foods.

Re-elected to the board of directors, NFRA said, were Chris Groll, Florida’s Natural; Risa Jenkins, C&S Wholesale Grocers; Bill Kynast, Chobani Global Holding; and Jeff Nelson, Impact NSS.

The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA), McLean, Va., announced the 2021 Women’s Alliance Network Red Circle Honors recipients. The honors recognize three women and an FPSA member company that have had a positive impact on women’s careers and gender balance in the food and beverage industry. The Red Circle Honors were presented at the Women’s Alliance Network Breakfast on Nov. 4 during Process Expo in Chicago.

FPSA said the Women’s Alliance Network Red Circle Honor recipients include:

Rising Star: Morgan Larson, application specialist with Handtmann. The Rising Star honor recognizes a woman with less than five years of industry experience who has made a noticeable impact via professional achievements and personal influence in the food and beverage industry.

Innovation and Inspiration: Sarah Hurley, lead mechanical engineer, Marlen. The Innovation and Inspiration honor recognizes a woman who has brought game-changing innovation or an inspiring idea in the last 18 months to her company and/or industry.

Career Excellence: Kathi Gilleland, director of engineering, Marlen. The Career Excellence honor recognizes a woman who is dedicated to the food and beverage industry and has taken a proactive approach to both personal and professional development.

Achievement in Developing and Promoting Women: Rome Grinding Solutions. This honor recognizes an FPSA member company that actively supports and develops the careers of women and works toward professional gender balance in their organization.

Graham Packaging, a Lancaster, Pa.-based specialist in the design and manufacturing of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, said its Evansville, Ind., location received its International Sustainability and Carbon Certificate (ISCC) PLUS. This certification enables the site to sell customers ISCC PLUS certified post-consumer resin (PCR) created through advanced recycling.

ISCC PLUS is an internationally recognized system of certifying products that result from advanced recycling using mass-balance attribution of plastic waste, the company said. This certification provides traceability along the supply chain and verifies that certified companies meet strict environmental and social standards. SCS Global Services — an Emeryville, Calif.-based specialist in third-party certification, validation and verification for environmental, sustainability — and food safety awarded the certificate to Graham.

Tate & Lyle PLC, a London-based provider of food and beverage ingredients and solutions, said it delivered on its commitment to eliminate the use of coal-based energy in all its operations across the world. This commitment, targeted for delivery by 2025, was met four years ahead of schedule.

Tate & Lyle also said it signed an exclusive five-year partnership agreement with Nutriati, Henrico, Va., for Tate & Lyle to distribute high-quality, sustainable chickpea protein and flour. The partnership will make Nutriati’s chickpea-derived solutions, which were launched into the market in 2018, more widely available in the food and beverage and nutrition spaces. It will focus on solutions and opportunities that align with the shared goal of providing customers with healthy and highly nutritious plant-based products that are produced responsibly.

Nexira, a family-owned supplier of acacia fiber and natural plant-based ingredients for the food, nutrition and health industries, announced its acquisition of the Swiss company Unipektin Ingredients AG, a specialist and leader in natural hydrocolloids and premium ingredients.

"This acquisition consolidates our position as a key player in natural plant-based ingredients — a dynamic market that caters to consumers seeking new sensory experiences and plant-based, natural, sustainably produced alternatives," said Olivier Houalla, managing director of Somerville, N.J.-based Nexira.

This acquisition is fully consistent with Nexira's external growth and diversification strategy, strengthening its position in its core business – the production of natural plant-based ingredients for a variety of food product categories. With the addition of this new range of functional ingredients to its portfolio, Nexira consolidates its leadership in the fast-growing market segments of plant-based alternatives, dairy alternatives and meat substitutes.

Endress+Hauser, Greenwood, Ind., and the International Society of Automation (ISA), a Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based nonprofit professional association for leaders in industrial automation, announced their current and future collaboration efforts for training and certification. ISA will provide select certified training courses in conjunction with Endress+Hauser’s instrumentation training courses, with these courses offered on-site at Endress+Hauser’s process training units located across the United States.

To learn more about ISA certifications and training, visit: www.isa.org. To learn more about Endress+Hauser training offerings, visit: http://www.us.endress.com/Training.

ProMach, a Cincinnati-based provider of packaging machinery solutions, said it acquired Oconomowoc, Wis.-based CL&D Graphics and CL&D Digital, Hartland, Wis. CL&D is a leading provider of high-quality flexographic and digital web packaging and converting solutions for consumer product companies. The addition of CL&D significantly expands ProMach’s portfolio of flexible and rigid packaging systems and strengthens its ability to provide complete machinery and material solutions for a broad range of packaging applications.

The Water Council, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit membership organization driving freshwater innovation and advancing water stewardship, announced its new Water Champion membership program with Emeryville, Calif.-based SCS Global Services as its first member. The Water Champion program was created for companies outside the water sector that want to show their support for The Water Council’s mission to solve global water challenges through water innovation and stewardship.

FruitSmart, Prosser, Wash., said Terry Chambers, the company’s president, announced his retirement. Chambers has overseen FruitSmart since its inception, growing the company into a global brand sourcing ingredients and serving customers across the world.

SKF, a Lansdale, Pa.-based supplier of bearings, sealing solutions, lubrication systems, condition-monitoring systems and services said it committed to using 100% carbon-neutral steel in its global supply chain by 2050. The company joined SteelZero, a global initiative bringing together forward-looking organizations to speed up the transition to a net-zero steel industry.