Whole Earth Brands, Inc., formerly known as Act II Global Acquisition Corp., announced  the completion of its business combination transaction with Flavors Holdings Inc. subsidiaries Merisant Company, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of calorie-FREE and low-calorie sugar substitutes, and MAFCO Worldwide LLC, a leading manufacturer of natural licorice products.

As a result of this transaction, Sensient will be named a core supplier of flavors, colors, and other related products used by Frulact in its fruit preparation business. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020.

Sesajal S.A. de C.V. announced that it has taken a minority investment in Rhythm Superfoods, a US-based manufacturer of organic and non-GMO innovative plant-based superfood snacks. As part of the investment, the two companies will partner to continue to drive growth, expand capacity, as well as increase investments in marketing initiatives and new product innovation.

AAK USA Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of value-adding specialty vegetable fats and oils, announced that Anthony JaliJali has joined as head of finance and a member of AAK USA’s leadership team.

Construction of Merit Functional Foods’ 94,000-square foot production facility is underway.Merit’s facility will produce the high purity and quality pea and canola protein

BlueNalu, Inc., a food technology company developing cell-based seafood products, announced several key strategic developments including a substantial expansion of the company’s operations, the hiring of a chief financial officer, and the enhancement of its R&D, project management, and engineering teams. 

The LIVEKINDLY co., a collective of heritage and startup brands on track to become one of the world’s largest plant-based food companies, announced the acquisition of Oumph!, a multi-award winning plant-based brand from Sweden.

Aunt Jemima, one of the long-time brands of The Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, Inc., announced it will remove the image of Aunt Jemima from its packaging and change the name of the brand. Packaging changes without the Aunt Jemima image will begin to appear throughout Q4 of 2020.

Air Protein, a modern food company which makes meat from CO2 and renewable energy, received the Technology Pioneer Designation for its contributions in the field of food technology.

General Mills has partnered with consultants Understanding Ag and dairy cooperative Foremost Farms to pilot regenerative practices and provide support to participating dairy farmers. Implementing regenerative practices on dairy farms requires a holistic approach to managing land, cows and manure.