Deals this week: Barry Callebaut, Univar, Sattviko

Barry Callebaut has extended its long-term supply agreement with Garudafood.

Based in Switzerland, Barry Callebaut is a chocolate manufacturer, while Garudafood is a food and beverage firm based in Indonesia.

Barry Callebaut will provide an additional 7,000t of compound chocolate a year to the Rancaekek biscuit factory belonging to Garudafood.

The delivery of additional volumes of chocolate is expected to begin in mid-2019.

Barry Callebaut will invest approximately CHF2.8m ($2.8m) to install ‘plant in the plant’ concept in Garudafood’s Rancaekek factory.

Garudafood supplies biscuits, nuts, pilus, chips, confectionery, milk drinks and chocolate powder under five brands, including Gery, Garuda, Chocolatos, Leo and Clevo.

Univar has signed an agreement with Tata Chemicals for the distribution of fermented, digestive health ingredients in Canada.

Based in the US, Univar is an ingredients supplier, while Tata Chemicals is a chemical, crop nutrition and consumer products manufacturer based in India.

Tata Chemicals’ nutritional solutions division, Tata NQ, provides health ingredients based on consumer trends.

Univar will be responsible for the distribution of Tata NQ’s Fossence and Gossence prebiotic dietary fibre portfolio of ingredients in Canada, under the agreement.

Tata NQ’s in-house fermentation technology is used for the production of Fossence and Gossence fibre products.

Sattviko intends to raise Rs350m ($5m) through a venture funding round.

Established in 2014, Sattviko is a traditional snacking brand based in India. It sells Khakhra chips, Makhane, Paan raisins, Gur-Chana and Ajwaini flax seeds.

Sattviko raised Rs50m ($0.7m) from individual investors in 2017.

The second funding round will allow the company to expand its business.

Newstrike Brands and Neal Brothers have agreed to form a co-branded speciality food products joint venture (JV) company for the development of cannabis edibles.

The JV will focus on producing and selling certain co-branded speciality food products to be infused with cannabis.

Newstrike’s licensed Niagara operations will be responsible for developing edible cannabis products, where an in-house research and development facility is being constructed.

Newstrike Brands will hold a 60% stake in the JV, while the remaining 40% will be owned by Neal Brothers.

Newstrike Brands will consequently acquire a minority stake in Neal Brothers, upon completion of the share purchase agreement (SPA).

Natural Food International Holdings intends to raise funds between HK$682.02m ($87.13m) and HK$884.1m ($112.96m) through a global offering of 421 million shares, priced between HK$1.62 ($0.21) and HK$2.1 ($0.27) a share.

Based in China, Natural Food International is a natural health food company.

A total of 421 million shares will be offered under the global offering, of which 378.9 million shares will be available for the international offering.

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, Shu Jin Law Firm and Maples and Calder (Hong Kong) LLP are the legal advisors to Natural Food International for the transaction.