On May 29th, 2024, Upfield had the honour of welcoming H.E. Mr. Bandar Alkhorayf, the Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, to our state-of-the-art Food Science Centre in Wageningen, the Netherlands.

During the visit, our Group CEO, David Haines showcased Upfield's commitment to sustainability by presenting our new paper packaging, a category first for oil-based spreads. He also highlighted the great taste, high functionality, and parity with dairy that many Upfield brands and products including Flora, Violife and Rama offer to consumers within Saudi Arabia and beyond.

Upfield's Executive Chef, Richard Leidekker, prepared a variety of delicious dishes featuring Upfield products, demonstrating their versatility and culinary potential and promoted the benefits of switching from dairy to plant-based.

The Minister also met with Upfield's Chief Operations and Product Officer, Laurent Lavenut, Chief R+D Officer, Miriam Ueberall, General Manager Middle East & North Africa, Reinier Weerman and Chief Communications Officer, Herman Betten to discuss opportunities for collaboration and innovation in the food industry.

We are grateful for the opportunity to host Minister Alkhorayf and showcase Upfield's cutting-edge work at our facility in Wageningen, known as the "Silicon Valley of Food."

This visit underscores our commitment to driving sustainability, nutrition, and innovation in the global food system.