By Agbor Ndoma Agbor

In a world grappling with population growth, climate change, and the urgent need for healthier diets, one company stands out as a true pioneer: AGT Foods.

As a global leader in pulses and plant-based ingredients, AGT Foods is not just supplying food — it is championing a more sustainable and nutritious future for billions. From the fertile fields of Saskatchewan to tables across 127 countries, AGT embodies the shift toward plant-powered proteins that nourish people and the planet.

Founded with deep roots in Canadian agriculture, AGT Foods has grown into a diversified powerhouse. With over 3,000 employees worldwide, 39 global facilities, and a vast network spanning Canada, the U.S., Turkey, Australia, China, and beyond, the company seamlessly connects producers to consumers. Specializing in lentils, peas, chickpeas, and other pulses, AGT transforms these nutrient-dense crops into high-quality ingredients and consumer products.

What truly sets AGT Foods apart is its unwavering commitment to sustainability. Pulses are among the most environmentally friendly protein sources: they require low water usage, minimal inputs, support zero-tillage farming, and naturally enrich soil through nitrogen fixation. By scaling these crops, AGT helps close the global “protein deficit” without the heavy environmental toll of traditional animal agriculture. The company’s ESG initiatives go further — from upcycling pea, lentil, and oat hulls into climate-positive fertilizers, such as those developed by Soileos, to broader efforts that utilize plants and biomass for food, fuel, and feed.

AGT’s leadership in plant-based innovation addresses critical challenges. As demand for high-protein, low-fat, gluten-free, and non-GMO options surges, AGT delivers functional ingredients — proteins, fibers, and extruded products — that empower food manufacturers to create better-for-you options. Their work supports the booming plant-based market while promoting regenerative agriculture and supply chain transparency. AGT continues to invest in value-added processing and global distribution, ensuring high-quality, affordable nutrition reaches diverse markets.

Beyond business metrics, AGT Foods represents a values-driven model. By sourcing responsibly from growing regions, minimizing waste, and prioritizing food safety and quality, they prove that profitability and planetary health can coexist. Their products don’t just feed bodies — they foster resilient food systems and healthier communities. As we navigate toward 2050, when the world will need to feed nearly 10 billion people sustainably, companies like AGT Foods are essential apostles of change. They remind us that the future of protein is plant-based, and that true leadership means delivering solutions that are good for people, profitable for business, and gentle on the environment. Let’s build a better plate, together.

Agbor Ndoma is the Executive Director, Center for Sustainable Agricultural Development (CSAD), and a Regenerative Sustainability Specialist. He can be reached via csad.agric10@gmail.com

New Bern, NC – Aylward Enterprises, a recognized leader in oral solid dose (OSD) packaging automation, highlights two complementary bulk handling solutions engineered to optimize product transfer and inspection prior to feeding: the Bulk Product Conveyor (BPC) and the BPC Sorter. Designed to seamlessly integrate with upstream feeding systems, these accessories deliver reliable product transport, chip removal, and automated inspection, helping manufacturers maintain high throughput and product quality across pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and healthcare operations.

The Bulk Product Conveyor transports bulk tablets from a 32-liter capacity hopper directly to the feed system, ensuring continuous production flow. Standard features include a vacuum attachment for chip removal and de-dusting, along with a low-level product sensor that enables automatic loading, reducing operator intervention and downtime. By maintaining consistent product delivery, the BPC enhances efficiency and supports smooth line performance in high-volume packaging environments.

Building on this functionality, the BPC Sorter incorporates an integrated sorting system for enhanced quality control. Capable of handling both tablets and softgels, it removes chipped and partial product, as well as under- and oversized units, before material reaches the feed system. By eliminating defective pieces at the source, the BPC Sorter safeguards downstream equipment, ensures uniformity, and improves overall batch integrity.

Together, the Bulk Product Conveyor and BPC Sorter provide manufacturers with scalable, user-friendly solutions that increase automation, reduce manual handling, and maintain product quality at every stage of the feeding process. With robust construction and cGMP-ready designs, these systems exemplify Aylward’s commitment to advancing efficiency and compliance in solid-dose packaging operations.

To learn more about the Bulk Product Conveyor, BPC Sorter, and other accessories that improve solid-dose packaging performance, visit

www.aylwardenterprises.com

MoistTech Corp., a global leader in moisture measurement, will exhibit at SNACKEX 2026, booth #435, taking place 17–18 June at FIL Expo in Lisbon, Portugal, the only international trade fair dedicated exclusively to the savoury snacks and snack nuts industry. At the show, MoistTech will showcase its IR-3000F series, a non-contact, online moisture sensor designed to deliver precise, real-time measurements that help snack manufacturers improve product quality, reduce waste and optimize line efficiency.

Engineered for integration directly over the production line, the IR-3000F utilizes advanced near-infrared (NIR) technology to continuously monitor moisture and other key parameters, enabling processors to make immediate adjustments to maintain tight specifications and consistent product characteristics from batch to batch. By eliminating the delays and variability associated with manual grab sampling and laboratory testing, the IR3000-F supports more stable frying, baking and seasoning operations, contributing to improved texture, yield and energy use across a wide range of snack formats.

MoistTech’s IR3000-F platform has been deployed in thousands of installations worldwide across food, snack and broader industrial applications, where its rugged construction, simple installation and low maintenance requirements have made it a preferred solution for continuous moisture measurement. At SNACKEX, MoistTech’s team will be available to discuss application-specific configurations for chips, crackers, nuts, extruded snacks and other savoury products, and to demonstrate how real-time moisture data can be integrated with plant control systems to support advanced process automation strategies.

SNACKEX brings together decision-makers from every part of the snack value chain to explore new technologies, supplier partnerships and growth opportunities in the global market. As snack manufacturers continue to face pressure to improve efficiency, reduce waste and maintain consistent quality across increasingly diverse product portfolios, MoistTech’s presence at SNACKEX underscores its commitment to helping producers leverage accurate, stable moisture measurement as a core driver of operational performance.

For more information, visit www.moisttech.com.

CERRITOS, Calif. (May 21, 2026) — California-based T. Hasegawa USA Inc., one of the world’s top food and beverage flavor manufacturers, is launching an advanced powdered flavor technology to help food and beverage brands replicate the taste of real milk without dairy ingredients.

This week, the company is introducing HASEMILK™, a dairy-free product that delivers a creamy, milk-like flavor by mimicking the external and internal flavor characteristics naturally found in milk fat. For manufacturers, the product offers a dairy-free solution that provides the familiar flavor, aroma, and satisfying mouthfeel of real milk across both dairy and non-dairy foods and beverages.

Roughly two-thirds of the global population and 36 percent of people in the United States experience some degree of lactose malabsorption – a reduced ability to digest lactose after infancy. Combined with dairy-alternative use rising to 56 percent in the U.S., up from 40 percent in 2020, due to intolerance or dairy allergy, food and beverage manufacturers are seeking to meet evolving consumer demand. HASEMILK masks unpleasant tastes and smells in difficult-to-flavor products, including protein-based applications, while improving overall flavor performance across both sweet and savory products. It also offers a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to traditional milk ingredients, and its dry format provides greater flexibility for manufacturers in formulation and supply chain.

"Taste and texture remain one of the biggest barriers to adoption in the dairy alternatives category. Mintel research shows that while consumers aged 18 to 54 are open to dairy-free products, many are still skeptical that alternatives can deliver the same satisfying experience as traditional dairy," said Mark Webster, vice president of sales and marketing at T. Hasegawa USA. "HASEMILK gives manufacturers more flexibility to enhance dairy flavor, improve overall taste performance, and support reduced-dairy formulations without sacrificing the experience their consumers expect.”

HASEMILK was a multi-year development as part of T. Hasegawa’s “Bridge to Tokyo” program, which combines the R&D expertise and innovations of the company’s global headquarters in Japan and its California-based U.S. subsidiary. It is available in fresh whole milk, whole milk powder, and skim milk powder types. HASEMILK meets FDA guidelines for natural flavors, supports clean-label formulations, is vegan, non-allergen, dairy-free, kosher, non-GMO, and Prop 65 compliant.

For more information on T. Hasegawa’s HASEMILK, visit www.thasegawa.com/hasemilk or call (866) 965-0502.