Degussa AG, Germany, has agreed to sell its food ingredients operations to Cargill, Inc. , for $670 million (U.S.). The transaction is contingent on the approval of the Degussa Supervisory Board and the relevant regulatory authorities. In a consolidating food ingredients industry, the Degussa Management Board decided in August 2004 to divest its Food Ingredient business in order to provide it with the opportunity for a further development into a leading global position. After selling the Fruit Systems activities in early 2005, today the Degussa Food Ingredients Business Unit consists of the Texturant Systems and Flavors Business Lines.

Last year Neilson Dairy’s Dairy Oh!™ became the first milk in the world to offer health-enhancing, naturally-occurring DHA Omega-3 fatty acids. And in June it became the first in North America to use the PURE-PAK® Curve carton from Elopak, Inc. Elopak says the Curve carton’s distinguishing feature is an innovative curved fifth panel that makes it stand out from traditional gable-top cartons. Dairy Oh!™ uses this extra surface to highlight its DHA nutrient, which promotes brain, eye and nerve development. The Curve panels of the two-liter cartons are printed to match the product’s fat-level color coding.

Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies will unveil the results of a new partnership with International Truck and Engine Corp. at the Worldwide Food Expo (booth N601). The new product utilizes International’s Diamond Logic™ electrical system and its latest upgrade, the PowerPack 3, a self-contained power supply system built into the vehicle. Johnson’s new product will employ these International systems to increase the range and flexibility of Eutectic cold plate refrigeration technology. Jophnson has also recently redesigned its Website, www.johnsontruckbodies.com.

Vision Technologies Land Systems Inc. , a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Engineering, has entered into an agreement to purchase the Kidron and Hackney divisions of Specialized Vehicles Corp. Kidron said the sale would provide the resources to reaffirm Kidron’s industry position, and the corporate relationship with Vision Technologies also is expected to open new access for Kidron into more global supply chains, and create greater opportunities in more international markets.

A&B Ingredients and Duas Rodas, a Brazilian food and flavor company with headquarters in Jaraguá do Sul, have entered an agreement through which A&B Ingredients will represent Duas Rodas’ broad range of flavors and foods in North America. Duas Rodas is a food processing and food and flavor marketing company with operations throughout South and Central America and Africa. Some of the many products that A&B Ingredients will offer include organic banana puree, flakes and pieces.

Tradewinds Tea has rolled out the first commercial application of Amcor PET Packaging’s panel-less PowerFlex™ bottle, which can be run on existing glass filling lines with little or no equipment modification. Amcor says the PowerFlex takes hot-fill (182°-192° degrees Fahrenheit) packaging options to a new level by offering brand owners a large, completely smooth, label panel—free of any kind of ribbing.

Alcan Packaging will feature a number of innovations at Worldwide Food Expo (booth S5651) . These will include Maraflex® Vacuum Shrink Bags, Chub Film and Non-Forming Film, Q4® Forming Film, and EVOH® Encapsulation Technology LaserTear® Scoring Technology.

Chr. Hansen has joined the organic ingredients market, introducing an ingredient portfolio of colors, flavors, seasonings, and dairy and probiotic cultures for use in foods labeled “made with organic ingredients,” as defined by the National Organic Program. For these applications, the company formulates its ingredient products to be NOP compliant, which is a self-assessment that involves a thorough review of its suppliers and processes that include purchasing, regulatory, development and manufacturing.

Ecovation, Inc. and Biorem, Inc. , Guelph, Ontario, have entered into an exclusive license agreement to use Biorem’s biofilter odor control technology in the food & beverage markets in the United States and Mexico. Under the terms of the license agreement, BIOREM will receive royalties, which are payable over the five year term of the agreement, plus continuing revenues generated from the sale of Biosorbens™ filter media used in the licensed applications. Ecovation manufactures the patented Mobilized Film Technology anaerobic wastewater treatment system for industrial manufacturers.

SPX Process Equipment, Delevan, Wis., has launched a newly enhanced website. The new site is updated for easy access to information regarding all products and brands of SPX Process Equipment and the markets served. Access the site by going to www.spxpe.com and clicking on the bottom logo buttons for details on each brand.

Chilean President Ricardo Lagos recently visited the construction site of Orafti Group’s new processing plant. Located in a 180 hectare green field south of Santiago, this factory is the most significant recent investment of Orafti. The company is building the facility to produce the natural food ingredients Raftiline® (inulin) and Raftilose® (oligofructose) from chicory root. The construction is proceeding according to plan and the first production campaign is scheduled for the first half of 2006.

Thiele Technologies, Inc. , Minneapolis, has completed acquisition of Edmeyer, Inc. of St. Paul, Minn. Thiele has transitioned operations from St. Paul into the Thiele facilities in Northeast Minneapolis and Fergus Falls, Minn. The acquisition of Edmeyer brings together Edmeyer’s Dairy case packing, case stacking/unstacking, conveying and palletizing product lines with Thiele Technologies’ full line of high speed cartoning, case packaging, palletizing, placing and their full line of flexible packaging machinery systems.