Cacique, a Monrovia, Calif.-based company that manufactures Hispanic dairy products and other Hispanic food products, announced a new business name: Cacique Foods LLC. As the brand ushers in the next era of expansion across a variety of food categories and eating occasions, this refreshed name reflects both its growth and continued commitment to the core values on which it was founded.

Stellar, Jacksonville, Fla., said it officially completed its design-build project for Fairlife LLC in Goodyear, Ariz. The approximately 300,000-square-foot production and distribution facility boasts advanced manufacturing technologies and equipment to enable continued growth, while supporting the increased demand for fairlife products. Fairlife, a unit of Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, produces ultrafiltered milk and other dairy products, Stellar said.

Stellar first broke ground on the project in March 2019. The plant incorporates efficient, energy-saving equipment to minimize power consumption. It was also designed for future expansion to accommodate Fairlife's continued growth. In fact, Stellar said it recently began designing a "phase two" expansion of the facility that adds cooler space, dry warehouse storage and additional processing capacity.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) said it and 15 other top trade associations in the food and beverage sector sent a letter on Dec. 13 to leadership of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions endorsing the nomination of Dr. Robert Califf to head FDA. The letter also urged those congressional leaders to examine and highlight the importance of a renewed focus at FDA on the food component of FDA’s responsibility.

IDFA and the other associations said Califf should aim to balance the agency’s commitment to food and medicine and ensure greater transparency, accountability and collaboration as we embrace science-based innovations, changing consumer dietary needs and the need for expedited rules and analysis.

Feeding Tomorrow, the foundation of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), Chicago, announced that applications are now open for more than 30 undergraduate scholarships and more than 20 graduate scholarship opportunities. Founded in 1985, Feeding Tomorrow encourages, promotes and rewards the excellence of students pursuing food science careers through various efforts including a variety of academic tuition scholarships.

The application deadline for both undergraduate and graduate scholarships is March 1, 2022, Feeding Tomorrow said. To learn more about the scholarship opportunities, please visit: ift.org/community/students/scholarships.

Natural gums supplier Alland & Robert, headquartered in Paris, said acacia gum now can be classified as a fiber for nutrition labelling purposes in the United States. This decision from FDA was made public on Dec. 17, 2021, and will consequently allow acacia gum to count as a dietary fiber on American Nutrition and Supplement Facts labels.

Südpack, Ochsenhausen, Germany, said it is one of the first film producers to have successfully completed the initial audit for ISCC PLUS certification (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification). All of its German sites were certified in October and November 2021 and will gradually be followed by other locations.

Paris-based Synerlink, a Barry-Wehmiller Packaging Systems company, said it joined the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group (EHEDG). By joining EHEDG, a global nonprofit foundation and worldwide knowledge-sharing community, the filling and packaging machine provider will bolster its ability to identify and pursue top hygiene and food safety practices on behalf of its customers.