Campbell Soup Company acquired the Wolfgang Puck soup business from Country Gourmet Foods. Separately, Campbell entered into a master licensing agreement with Wolfgang Puck Worldwide, Inc. for the use of the Wolfgang Puck brand on soup, stock and broth products in North American retail locations, with an option to extend the brand into other related categories and channels.

Muhtar Kent is Coca-Cola Company’s new chief executive officer. Kent joined The Coca-Cola Company in Atlanta in 1978 and has held a variety of marketing and operations roles throughout his career. Kent, 55, follows Neville Isdell, 65, who will remain chairman of the board. Kent remains president of the company.

Groupe Smithfield Holdings, S.L., Smithfield Foods’ 50/50 joint venture with funds controlled by Oaktree Capital Management LLC, will merge with Campofrio Alimentacion, S.A., the largest processed meats company in Spain. The merger will form the biggest pan-European company in the processed meats sector with sales of more than $3 billion.

Multisorb Technologies, a provider of active packaging solutions, has received the 2008 IFT Food Expo Innovation Award for the development of its active oxygen barrier enhancement technology, featuring FreshBlend as an effective oxygen scavenging material. 

John Dulchinos, president and chief operating officer of Adept Technology, was elected to serve for his second term as a member of the board of directors of the Robotics Industry Association (RIA).

Dan Throne accepted a position as sales and marketing manager for Bosch Rexroth's Electric Drives and Controls division. He is responsible for planning, directing and implementing all activities for the Electric Drives and Controls sales and marketing group.

Toray Plastics named Kojiro Maeda as chairman of the board, a newly created position. Maeda’s career with Toray Industries, Inc., and its subsidiary, Toray Plastics (US), Inc., spans 32 years. Richard Schloesser was appointed president and chief operating officer.

The Open Modular Architecture Control Users’ Group (OMAC) is now the Organization for Manufacturing Automation and Control (OMAC). This name change reflects the evolution of the organization’s mission.

The Buhler Technology Group acquired all the shares of Aeroglide Inc. through the signing and closing of a definitive agreement with US-based Compass Diversified Holdings.  Aeroglide is a mechanical engineering company specializing in drying and other thermal processes.