Südzucker AG, Europe’s largest sugar producer and a leading German food group, announced at FI Europe on Oct. 30 the creation of a new Functional Food Group – Beneo. Orafti, Palatinit and Remy will form the newly created Functional Food Group, Beneo, and be known individually as Beneo-Orafti, Beneo-Remy and Beneo-Palatinit. “Connecting nutrition and health” is the group’s united mission, Südzucker AG says. The decision to unite Orafti, Palatinit and Remy came in response to emerging opportunities in the functional food market, increasing globalization and growing importance of adequate nutritional policies, the company says.

Tate & Lyle opened a satellite research and development facility in Shanghai, China. The technical service and research team in Shanghai initially will specialize in beverage, dairy and bakery applications. Customers in Asia will have better access to Tate & Lyle’s portfolio of ingredients, which include sweeteners such as Splenda sucralose; texturants such as starch and gums; and wellness ingredients such as Promitor fibers, proteins and prebiotics. The R&D team will develop prototypes of Asian and ‘Western’ foods and beverages to demonstrate how Tate & Lyle’s ingredients work in these applications.

Solae LLC, St. Louis, said that global prices for most of its soy protein ingredients will increase by 12 to 24 percent as of Nov. 1, depending on the product line. The company cited the pressure that market conditions are putting on the food chain as the reason for the increase.

Wixon Inc. has promoted Mariano Gascon from flavor lab director to vice president of research and development.