Sweet Sales For Cerestar
Increasing market demand has prompted Cerestar Food & Pharma Specialties Europe to expand its isomalt production in Krefeld, Germany, increasing its capacity to meet worldwide consumer needs. The move will boost the company?s position in this global market. According to the company, demand for isomalt is driven by strong consumer trends and demand for sugar-free and low-calorie confectionery products. Cerestar Food & Pharma Specialties Europe is a business unit of Cargill Inc.

FONA Expands And Hires
Flavors of North America (FONA) has founded FONA UK Ltd, which will offer a commercial office and R&D facility in Surrey, UK, embedded within the facilities of Leatherhead Food International. In addition, Michelle Green has been named European commercial manager. Green brings more than seven years of experience in the food and flavour industries to FONA?s international expansion initiatives.

Pronova Expands Facilities
Norwegian company Pronova Biocare?s board of directors has approved an expansion of its production facilities, with the major investment being in the ?lesund, Norway, plant. The total investment is estimated at more than $6 million. The company says the move will strengthen Pronova Biocare?s commitment to the production, development and commercialisation of omega-3 fatty acids. Full capacity is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2004 and the new plant is being built according to strict standards for Good Manufacturing Practices.

Changes At Proliant
Keith A Barnes, president and chief executive of Proliant Inc, has retired. Barnes has been with Proliant for 13 years and will remain active in a consultant role. Also, the four divisions of Proliant will be separated into individual entities. New presidents and CEOs of the newly formed companies are Chris Snyder for Proliant Dairy Ingredients, Chia-Wei Chang for Proliant Meat Ingredients, Stephen Welch for Proliant Biologicals, and Dr Eric Weaver for Proliant Health Ingredients.

Kemin?s Got The Vision Thing
Kemin Foods of Des Moines, Iowa, has been awarded Frost & Sullivan?s Brand Awareness Development Award 2003 in recognition of its success in developing awareness of its FloraGLO lutein brand. The measurement criteria applied to the award category included brand significance within the industry, competitor products, customer loyalty and market share improvements. Award sponsors Frost & Sullivan noted that Kemin Foods had been chosen for their dominance in customer loyalty, superior brand recall, and higher margins as well as other competitive advantages such as trade leveraging and brand extensions. FloraGLO lutein is included in over 150 products globally, around 30 of which are currently on sale in Europe.

Financing Boosts Linguagen
Linguagen Research, a New Jersey?based developer of ingredients used to improve the taste of food, beverages and pharmaceutical products, has announced a commitment of $10.2 million in new equity financing. NJTC Venture Fund, Cargill Ventures, Danisco Venture, DuPont Ventures, Aperature Venture Partners and RK Ventures Group all participated in the first round of financing. The funding will be used to expand Linguagen?s taste receptor research. Also, Robert Chefitz of NJTC, David Patchen of Cargill and Lars Dybkjer of Danisco have all joined Linguagen?s board of directors.

New President And Patent For ZeaVision
Missouri-based ZeaVision, a nutraceutical company with a focus on eye health, named Terry B Hatfield president. Hatfield brings to ZeaVision more than 30 years experience in the foods and nutraceuticals business. They also announced that the European Patent Office has fully examined and approved a patent application. The new patent increases ZeaVision?s rights covering formulations and uses for zeaxanthin, a natural carotenoid that plays a role in protecting human eyesight.

Personnel Changes For Solbar
Additions and changes to the Israel-based Solbar Industries marketing team will cover four continents and include both soy protein and isoflavone markets. Henri de Kerchove, Brazil, is assuming responsi-bilities for Solbar?s South and Central American soy protein markets. Paul Hargarten, USA, will support de Kerchove and Solbar?s North American marketing team as regional technical sales manager. Jose Ladd, Germany, is now responsible for marketing and sales of soy proteins for all of Europe. Thomas Lee, president of New Asia Ingredients in Singapore, will co-ordinate Solbar?s marketing efforts in China. Assistant marketing director Karina Bedrack is now sales manager for SPE soy isoflavones. Dani Silberman was named technical sales manager and is also product manager for Solbar?s Solpro 900.