New York-based mochi ice cream company Mochidoki said founder and CEO Ken Gordon is stepping down from his role as CEO, remaining on as chairman. Claudio LoCascio is the company’s new CEO and president.

Prior to joining Mochidoki as president in March 2020, LoCascio served as chief operating officer of Joyride Coffee, where he oversaw business development, production and supply chain.

Yuengling’s Ice Cream Corp., Orwigsburg, Pa., announced that it signed a Letter of Intent for the acquisition of an ice cream production facility. The counterparty to the sale has requested that its name remain confidential for the moment. Both parties expect the transaction to close by the end of March 2022. Additional details of the deal will be released in the next few weeks.

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), released the following statement on Jan. 31 on the Biden administration’s announcement to seek additional capacity at the Port of Oakland and improve service for shippers of U.S. grown agricultural commodities including dairy exports:

“On behalf of the businesses throughout the dairy supply chain, IDFA is pleased to see the Biden administration committing federal resources toward new solutions for prioritizing the export of U.S. dairy and other agricultural goods along the West Coast where acute supply chain challenges are hampering American competitiveness. It is encouraging to see governments and businesses working together in a coordinated fashion to develop market-based solutions.

“IDFA recently announced a Dairy Exports Working Group with the Port of Los Angeles and shipping company CMA CGM to identify and address similar supply chain issues hindering U.S. dairy product exports. We are hopeful that these announcements together signal a new group of ‘supply chain problem solvers’ to create momentum to smooth current obstacles and avoid significant future disruptions so that American agriculture can continue to thrive.”

The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association, Madison, Wis., said the next meeting of the Dairy Food Safety Alliance — on Feb. 17 — will offer a detailed look at critical food safety practices by nationally renowned speakers, as well as a tour of a state-of-the-art dairy processing facility. Visit WisCheeseMakers.org/Events today to register for the gathering.

3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. (3-A SSI), McLean, Va., announced the legal registration in China of the design mark and the word marks used for the 3-A SSI Replacement Parts and System Component Qualification Certificate program. Registration of the trademarks by the National Intellectual Property Administration of the People’s Republic of China provides 3-A SSI certificate holders in China essential new protection against counterfeits and enhances broader international protection of the 3-A SSI marks.

The National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association (NFRA) said its National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Convention will be held Oct. 15-18, 2022, at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla.

It will be a “working” convention that connects nearly 1,300 top executives for the purpose of conducting one-on-one business meetings with their trading partners. Call 717-657-8601 or visit www.NFRAConvention.org for more information. Registration opens in March 2022.

Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative said Brody Stapel was re-elected as president on Jan. 19 during the co-op’s annual business meeting at the Dairy Strong conference. Stapel, of Double Dutch Dairy in Cedar Grove, Wis., has been Edge president since 2018.

Easton, Md.-based Caloris Engineering LLC said it hired Peter Torseth for the role of chief financial officer. Torseth joins Caloris from Foley & Mansfield PLLP, where he served as CEO. He has more than 20 years of progressive financial experience in various businesses, most notably in project-centered manufacturing.

Klöckner Pentaplast, a provider of recycled content products and high-barrier protective packaging, announced its intention to expand its post-consumer recycled content (PCR) PET capacity in North America with a significant investment to further grow its sustainable innovation offerings in consumer health, pharmaceutical and food packaging markets. The London-based company said it currently leads the industry, with over 20% of its volumes made from PCR material. The expansion will add an extrusion line and two thermoformers, delivering a total of 15,000 metric tons of new rPET/PET capacity.

Vanguard Renewables, a Boston-based specialist in farm-derived renewable natural gas, announced the appointment of David Darr as its chief sustainability officer. Darr joins Vanguard Renewables from Dairy Farmers of America in Kansas City, Kan.

ProAmpac, a Cincinnati-based specialist in flexible packaging and material science, said it partnered with Rutgers University Department of Food Science professor, Kit Yam, Ph.D. This partnership is being integrated with ProAmpac’s Material Science and Innovation teams to support the company’s commitment to developing active and intelligent food packaging.

BW Integrated Systems, a Barry-Wehmiller Packaging Systems company headquartered in Romeoville, Ill., announced the appointment of Karl Odegaard to the role of vice president of operations. As a member of BW Integrated Systems’ executive leadership team, Odegaard will direct leadership for the engineering, manufacturing and assembly teams across the company’s U.S. locations.

Most recently, Odegaard served as the senior director of operations for the American water technology company Xylem. He brings extensive senior operational leadership experience to his new position with BW Integrated Systems, including 20 years working with Honeywell.

SIG, Neuhausen, Switzerland, said it is once again offering new food and beverage innovators a no-strings opportunity to get their exciting new product ideas to market. Interested startups may apply at no cost via www.sigcubator.com until Feb. 28, 2022.

SIG’s Sigcubator  program takes innovative startup ideas on a “consumer-centric” journey, from testing prototypes in SIG’s test center in Germany through to a successful launch to market. SIG said it is there to help at every step, giving expert advice, consumer-focused insights and access to its extensive global network within the food and beverage industry.

Barentz, an Avon, Ohio-headquartered distributor of life science ingredients throughout North America, said it was appointed as the exclusive North American distributor for ACT Polyols Limited (ACT), a Pakistan-based manufacturer of Non-GMO Project Verified and certified organic rice-derived sweeteners and proteins. Strategically located within Karachi, ACT is well-positioned to source a unique and distinctive selection of the highest quality rice, Barentz said.

FrieslandCampina, Amersfoort, Netherlands, said that a three-year collaboration between it and Danone has led to an over 17% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This reduction was realized through FrieslandCampina’s dairy farmers implementing sustainable farming practices and green energy projects for dairy ingredients specifically provided to Paris-based Danone.

FrieslandCampina said it used the Annual Nutrient Cycling Assessment to track progress resulting from the sustainable farming practices. This extensive monitoring tool is used by almost 10,000 FrieslandCampina member dairy farms and gives farm specific insights such as the size of their carbon footprint.

Fluid management solutions provider Industrial Flow Solutions, based in New Haven, Conn., announced an agreement to acquire Dreno Pompe, a Monselice, Italy-headquartered designer and manufacturer of high-quality electrical submersible pumps for wastewater applications. The news follows the October 2021 acquisition of Scotland-based Clearwater Controls, further expanding Industrial Flow Solutions' growing European presence.

QualiTru Sampling Systems, an Oakdale, Minn.-based specialist in the science of aseptic and representative sampling, said it received its 2022 3-A Sanitary Standards certification from 3-A Sanitary Standards Inc., an independent not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing food safety through hygienic equipment design.