Robertet Flavors, Piscataway, N.J., appointed Martin Ongteco as vice president of innovation within the research and development group, reporting to John Scire, senior vice president. In his new role, Ongteco will provide thought leadership and direction for all commercial activities within the company’s flavor development, sample and flavor application laboratories.

Symrise, Teterboro, N.J., was the sole U.S. VIP sponsor of the Rencontre Sportive Malgache (RSM) event on July 6 and 7 at the College of Staten Island in New York. The sponsorship enables Symrise to support the people of Madagascar, from which it sources its vanilla, as well as Madagascar natives living in the United States, a spokesperson said.

Bridgeton, Mo.-based SensoryEffects Flavor Systems, a business unit of SensoryEffects, announced the completion of a new 40,000-square-foot warehouse facility in Bridgeton, providing additional warehouse and production space for its growing flavor systems business. The new space provides six additional dock doors; technically advanced inventory management; narrow aisle racking; segregated allergen storage; and space for frozen, refrigerated and ambient raw materials and finished products.

Fona International, Geneva, Ill., promoted Jorge Pena to inventory control and warehouse manager as well as Jonathon DiMaggio to analytical laboratory supervisor. The company also hired Dan Morgan as applications technologist for grain.

D.D. Williamson, Louisville, Ky., conducted a poll of 41 food and beverage technologists at the 2013 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Food Expo that found that 34 percent of participants ranked pH as the greatest stability challenge in working with naturally derived coloring for new product development. Twenty-two percent said heat was the greatest challenge; 17 percent selected light; 15 percent chose distribution or storage; 7 percent said interaction with other components; and 5 percent noted solubility.

Eagan, Minn.-based Biothera entered into a strategic alliance with Sunstar Suisse SA, Schaumburg, Ill. Under the agreement, Sunstar plans to launch a variety of products using Wellmune WGP and other Biothera immune-boosting ingredients in functional foods and beverages, oral care and skin care products. Biothera and Sunstar will collaborate to undertake clinical research in each of these applications.

CSM NV, Diemen, the Netherlands, changed its name to Corbion and debuted a new logo. Its new name and strategy for growth mark the latest stage of transformation of the company into a leading provider of bio-based products, with activities in bio-based food ingredients and biochemicals, it says.

Teawolf, Pine Brook, N.J., joined forces with Lera Global Inc. (LGI) to expand on adaptogen-based beverage formulas.

Frutarom Health, Switzerland, and AB-Biotics, Spain, signed an exclusive global agency sales and marketing agreement for marketing AB-Fortis, an encapsulated iron solution for the functional food and beverage market.

Westchester, Ill.-based Ingredion Inc. announced that Health Canada approved its Hi-Maize resistant starch as a novel fiber source. The approval enables Hi-Maize resistant starch to be declared as a fiber source in food products as permitted by the Canadian Food Regulations.

Taiyo International, the North American sales office for Taiyo Kagaku Japan, announced that its Sunphenon green tea manufacturing facility, Taiyo Green Power, has achieved Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 certification, as recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), from Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance (LRQA). Additionally, research published in the Jan. 14 issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology shows that its Sunfiber soluble fiber, traditionally used by hospitals to help manage adult irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, might also be effective for children.

Under the terms of a strategic alliance agreement, Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) will be the exclusive distributor of certain sweetener and lysine products manufactured by Global Biochem Technology Group Co. Ltd. and/or its subsidiary, Global Sweeteners Holdings Ltd., to various markets in Asia and South America.

During the 2013 Vision Congress, hosted by Des Moines, Iowa-based Kemin Industries and Kaiseraugst, Switzerland-based DSM Nutritional Products Europe Ltd., experts presented the latest research and insights regarding the role of lutein and zeaxanthin in eye health and visual performance.

Bio Springer North America, Montreal, launched a new website at biospringer-na.com. The goal of the new website is to provide an updated and expanded presentation of Bio Springer as a North America-based company and further distinguish the company from its competitors through the uniqueness of its services and capabilities.

FlavorActiv has moved to a new head office in Thame, Oxfordshire, U.K., after quadrupling its customer service base in recent months, it says.

Tate & Lyle plc, London, signed an agreement with Xuzhou Yitong Food Industry Co. Ltd., Jiangsu, China, to form a Sino-Foreign joint venture through the acquisition of a 51 percent equity interest in Jiangsu Howbetter Food Co. Ltd., a leading food systems business in the People’s Republic of China. Under the terms of the agreement, Tate & Lyle will acquire 22 percent of its equity interest from Yitong and the balance of 29 percent from S.B International, a wholly owned subsidiary of a Europe based global food business. Tate & Lyle also has an option to acquire Yitong’s remaining 49 percent equity interest in Howbetter at a later stage. The transaction is subject to government approval, which is expected in the fall.