Krones, a German technological service provider has acquired a 45 percent equity stake in Perfinox, a Portugal-based food processing business.
Krone did not disclose the cost of the acquisition but noted that the deal will strengthen its presence in the food processing industry, particularly in West Africa.
Anthony Osunde, head of sales for Krones, who disclosed this at the Agrofood and Plastprint Conference on Tuesday, revealed that with the new acquisition, the organisation will now be able to process heavy liquids such as ketchup, soups, puree, and sauces in both small and large scales.
The deal, which was sealed in April of 2024, also provide Krones with applications for pasteurisation by using scraped surface heat exchangers.
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“Krones is well known for a lot of light drinks such as carbonated drinks and water,” he said.
However, he noted that now the business also has a new acquisition in the family – heavy liquid foods, which means soups, ketchup, sauces, hummus, and desserts.
He added that Perfinox will be providing solutions for the preparation and preservation of high viscous food products, including fruit preparation.
Osunde said the organisation was always innovating and looking for how best it would serve the people better, hence this new acquisition.
“I’m very excited about what it means for Nigerians,” he said. “If we now have this technology where we can process more complex fluids, the sky’s the limit.”
He revealed that Perfinox brings a lot of value addition to the work that Krones does in the processing industry, especially for some big brands like Coca-Cola.
“With Perfinox, we are talking about technology for mixing, emulsifying, cooking and cooling.”
“I’m excited at the kind of opportunities and flavours and other types of African foods that can now be produced at a very good scale with all the preservations, proper packaging and new products.”
The global viscous market is estimated at over $2.5 trillion in 2023 and projected to grow even higher in the coming years. The market is driven by packaged foods, dairy and beverages.
According to him, Krones is conscious of its green emissions, ensuring that it pays attention to the circular economy by operating an efficient recycling system.
“There’s a gap in the circular economy that we are filling. After we invent bottles, when you’re done using them, we can recycle them.”
He stressed that the organisation is focused on value addition, and this is evident in the several companies it has acquired and partnered with over the years.
“Krones is a technological corporation and service provider at the heart of the beverage liquid food industry, so whether it’s drinks or liquid food, this is what we do,” he said.
Osunde also said there are about 15 lifecycle centres scattered across 10 countries globally, with one located in Lagos, with the sole aim to encourage recycling. He urged companies to own recycling mediums in their premises as this will also cut down on plastic waste.
“When Krones get involved, we really get involved. What is, therefore, most exciting about coming into the food space is that we bring the typical Krones support and structure. However, it’s not just about local support. There is also innovation through technology here,” he said.
