Food Business Review

Juan Gabriel Aguiriano Nalda, Group Head of Sustainability at Kerry, has built his leadership career across multiple sectors, including fibres and polymers, specialty chemicals and complex B2B environments. These early experiences shaped a core leadership belief that continues to guide his work today: long-term performance is achieved by connecting robust strategy with a strong, values-driven culture. A defining milestone in his career was his tenure as Vice President and General Manager of Kerry’s European Taste & Nutrition business. During a period of significant transformation, he helped sharpen the portfolio’s focus on sustainability while strengthening alignment between commercial and innovation teams. This closer integration played a key role in lifting business performance from the bottom to the top quartile within 18 months. Since 2019, Aguiriano Nalda has served as Group Head of Sustainability, where he has been closely involved in co-creating Kerry’s Beyond the Horizon sustainability strategy. His work focuses on embedding sustainability into everyday decision-making, capital allocation and innovation development across the organisation. The strategy is anchored in Kerry’s 2030 ambition to reach two billion people with sustainable nutrition, supported by science-based targets and responsible sourcing commitments. Together, these experiences have shaped a leadership style that is purpose-driven, grounded in metrics and built on partnership. Commercial Strategy and Responsibility: Making Sustainability a Competitive Advantage At Kerry, sustainability is not an add on—it is built into how we create value. Our ambition is to deliver sustainable nutrition that performs for consumers, for our customers and for the planet. Every innovation is assessed against four criteria: taste, nutrition, affordability and environmental impact. This disciplined approach is guided by our Beyond the Horizon sustainability strategy and reinforced through transpar

Alternative Proteins and Plant Based Food

HappyVore is the leader of the French plant-based market, uniting French culinary craft with industrial-scale reliability. Guided by a mission to build a France- and Europe-based company that drives positive environmental impact, it is shaping the future of sustainable food production. People try plant-based foods out of curiosity, or a willingness to do well. They return for the great taste, health benefits and positive impact on the environment and animals. HappyVore ranks among the top French brands for taste, confirmed by multiple consumer studies, with more than one in two buyers repurchasing after their first try. Flavor leads the way for HappyVore, making taste the brand’s primary distinction. It built its reputation on flavors that even meat-eaters can’t resist. It combines internal culinary expertise with collaboration from external chefs. Its products have reached the tables of France’s prestigious Atelier Robuchon, showcasing the brand’s commitment to gourmet-quality plant-based food. Working alongside France’s most discerning chefs, the R&D team fine-tunes each recipe until it meets the highest standards of fine dining. HappyVore has built one of the largest portfolios on the French market, catering to the needs of every consumer. “We anticipate what people want to eat in plant-based food and deliver accordingly, rather than copying the competition,” says Guillaume Dubois, CEO and founder.

Foodservice Equipment

On a weekday morning in South Wales, a school kitchen discovers its combi oven has failed. Trays are prepped, staff wait and the day’s service hangs in the balance. The manager calls Catertech Services Limited . A field engineer arrives quickly with the parts, tools and technical knowledge to act and the equipment is running again by the end of the visit. There is no queue, no uncertainty—just a fix. “Managers feel the difference as calm, with no chasing updates and staffs regain kitchen control before downtime becomes the day’s story,” says Joe Plevey, director. That calm comes from a core discipline. Catertech tracks first time fix rates above 92 percent and treats it as the real measure of a service call—more meaningful than how fast a ticket moves or how neatly a fault is logged.

Supplement Manufacturing

The supplement industry is entering a new era of growth, where speed, innovation, and global expansion are reshaping how brands bring products to market. Yet behind every successful launch lies a growing challenge: meeting complex regulatory compliance requirements while moving quickly enough to seize new opportunities. As businesses compete for consumer attention across multiple markets, they require agile, practical regulatory guidance that adapts to changing demands, accelerates decision-making, and supports long-term growth. In an industry where timing, credibility, and compliance can define success, balancing regulatory confidence with commercial ambition has become a strategic advantage. Recognizing this growing disconnect between innovation and regulation, Check My Label has developed a model designed for the realities of today's supplement market. The company's approach shifts compliance from a reactive checkpoint to an integrated part of product strategy, allowing brands to move faster while maintaining regulatory confidence. By becoming involved before formulations are finalized and labels are designed, Check My Label enables brands to make informed decisions that protect regulatory integrity and long-term marketability. “Our role isn't to tell brands what they can’t do,” says Sam Conebar, director. “It's about helping them understand how to achieve their commercial objectives within the regulations, so compliance becomes an advantage instead of an obstacle.”

Seafood Suppliers

Long before the Falkland Islands’ Patagonian Toothfish fishery became a global success story, Consolidated Fisheries Limited (CFL) was laying its foundations. Founded in 1994 to create a locally owned fishing industry, the company helped develop the expertise, capability and long-term resilience that continue to drive the sector today. Through responsible stewardship, continual innovation and a long-term commitment to improvement, CFL has helped build a fishing industry that continues to benefit both the Falkland Islands and the sustainability of the fishery. Today, the company is a trusted producer of premium Patagonian Toothfish, serving customers around the world while remaining firmly connected to the Falkland Islands. From Local Pioneer to Global Leader As the only 100 percent Falkland Islands-owned fishing company, CFL began by chartering Chilean vessels, learning every aspect of vessel management, marketing, fisheries operations and crew leadership before acquiring its first locally owned vessel, the CFL Pioneer, in 1997. Continued investment followed with additional vessels and culminated in the purpose-built CFL Hunter in 2016—the first fishing vessel financed entirely with Falkland Islands capital, marking the company’s evolution from industry pioneer to an industry benchmark.

IN MY OPINION

Food and Beverage Consulting

Ensuring Safe and High-Quality Nutrition Through Expertise and Innovation

Christine Lodder, Senior Director Global Quality Assurance, Mérieux NutriSciences

LAST WORD

Coffee And Tea

Artificial Intelligence and the Daily Trading of F&B Operations

Alessandro Macchion, Director of Food and Beverage, Hyatt Regency Rome Central

IN FOCUS

Connecting Quality and Responsibility in Europes Patagonian Toothfish Supply Chain

Quality is maintained through responsible sourcing, strict processing, cold chain management, transparent documentation, continuous monitoring, employee training, and sustainable supply chain practices.

Learn more

Meeting European Market Demands: Effective Food Supplement Labelling Strategies

Food supplement labelling compliance services help manufacturers meet regulations, improve transparency and support successful market access.

Learn more

EDITORIAL

Building a Stronger Food System Through Better Decisions

Across Europe, food businesses are balancing changing consumer expectations with demands for quality, sustainability, compliance and commercial performance. The decisions made across product development, sourcing, processing and service increasingly shape both business results and consumer trust. This edition of Food Business Review Europe explores companies and leaders approaching these priorities through practical expertise, stronger systems and closer collaboration across the food chain.

Our cover story features Kerry, where sustainability is being integrated into commercial strategy, innovation and everyday decision-making. Under the leadership of Juan Gabriel Aguiriano Nalda, Group Head of Sustainability, the company connects environmental goals with nutrition, affordability, product performance and customer value. Its approach includes food waste reduction, responsible sourcing, decarbonisation and the use of biotechnology, supported by measurable targets and cross-functional collaboration.

Also recognised is Check My Label as the Top Food Supplement Labelling Compliance Services in Europe 2026, for helping supplement brands address regulatory requirements early in product development and across international markets. Consolidated Fisheries, recognised as the Top Patagonian Toothfish Fishing Company in UK 2026, combines responsible fishing, product quality and long-term stewardship of the Falkland Islands fishery. Catertech Services, recognised as the Top Catering Equipment Service Company in UK 2026, builds its service around first-time fix reliability, qualified engineers and responsive support for commercial kitchens.

The issue also features perspectives from leaders across the food sector. Christine Lodder, Senior Director Global Quality Assurance at Mérieux NutriSciences, explores predictive quality, supplier qualification and the use of analytical data to strengthen food safety. Alessandro Macchion, Director of Food and Beverage at Hyatt Regency Rome Central, examines how AI can help F&B teams improve forecasting, menu decisions, training and compliance while keeping hospitality centred on human connection.

Together, these stories show how stronger food businesses are built through decisions that connect quality, sustainability, compliance and performance. We invite our readers to explore these perspectives and discover how practical expertise and thoughtful leadership continue to shape the European food industry.