Deals this week: Zell Founders Fund, Stauber USA, Lactalis Group

Zell Founders Fund has agreed to invest $100,000 in SMPL, an organic snacks company based in the US.

SMPL intends to use the seed investment to extend its brand to the health and fitness market in New York City. The fund will also be used for marketing, branding and distribution purposes.

The Zell Founders Fund is a venture fund run by the students of Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the University of Michigan.

Stauber USA has finalised a distribution agreement with Parabel USA for the commercialisation of its Lentein plant protein.

The product is processed from the water lentils grown by Parabel USA in open hydroponic systems.

Stauber USA intends to enhance its annual plant protein production capacity from 300t to 3,000t by opening a new facility next year.

Based in the US, Parabel USA is a plant protein production company, while Stauber specialises in the distribution of high-quality ingredients to multiple industries.

Lactalis Group has agreed to purchase the global nutritionals business of Aspen Pharmacare Holdings (APN) in a transaction worth €740m ($867.9m).

The purchase enables dairy products company Lactalis to support its global product range and develop into a multi-national infant nutrition business.

A sum of €62m ($72.7m) will be used to buy out the shares of Aspen’s joint venture (JV) partners in New Zealand and China.

Upon divestment, Aspen intends to enhance the performance of its pharmaceutical businesses in the Asia Pacific, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.

Burton’s Biscuit Company has decided to offload its chocolate manufacturing assets to Swiss chocolate products company Barry Callebaut.

Under the agreement Barry Callebaut will acquire Burton’s chocolate production facility in Moreton, Wirral, UK.

Barry Callebaut further enhanced its association with the biscuit company by signing a long-term supply agreement for the annual supply of 12,000 metric tonnes of chocolate and compound.