10/15/21, 11:15 AM

Bonumose to partner with Hershey to develop reduced- and zero-sugar products in Virginia facility - Bakers Journal

News Business and Operations Ingredients Technical

Bonumose to partner with Hershey
to develop reduced- and zero-sugar
products in Virginia facility
October 14, 2021
By Bakers Journal

Company CEO and co-founder with Virginia Governor Ralph Northam. Photo courtesy Virginia Economic
Development Partnershiphttps://www.bakersjournal.com/bonumose-to-partner-with-hershey-to-develop-reduced-and-zero-sugar-products-in-virginia-facility/

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10/15/21, 11:15 AM

Bonumose to partner with Hershey to develop reduced- and zero-sugar products in Virginia facility - Bakers Journal

Bonumose, Inc. will partner with Hershey to research and develop reduced- or zerosugar chocolate products. The company will invest $27.7 million to expand inAlbemarle County, Virginia.
Bonumose will move into 36,000 square feet of the former State Farm building toexpand production capabilities and relocate its existing research and development lab
from North Fork—a University of Virginia Discovery Park. Virginia successfullycompeted with Florida, Idaho, and North Dakota for the project, which will create 64
new jobs.
“We are thrilled to celebrate the growth of Bonumose as it expands production andcollaborates with other valued partners in the Commonwealth,” said Governor
Northam. “This innovative company continues to advance our food and beverage
processing industries. We look forward to a long and productive partnership with thecompany.”
Bonumose developed and patented the methods for continuous production of highpurity rare sugars, such as tagatose and allulose. These sugars come from plant-based
feedstock, specifically starch. Earlier this year, The Hershey Company announced itwould grow its confections offerings using Bonumose’s products.
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The company was founded in 2016 in Charlottesville. It is supported by investors andcollaborators across the world. Its cost-effective process makes the use of rare sugars
possible. Bonumose uses the starch byproduct left over from its supply chain partners’
food production to develop the sugar. The company is also developing enzyme
solutions for dietary supplements, crop protection, animal nutrition, and otherindustries.

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Bonumose to partner with Hershey to develop reduced- and zero-sugar products in Virginia facility - Bakers Journal“Virginia, and more specifically, Albemarle County, has been important to Bonumose’sgrowth to date,” said Bonumose chief executive officer and co-founder Ed Rogers.
“Several of our employees have been affiliated with the University of Virginia. The
Commonwealth’s leading research universities, thriving food production industry,natural beauty, and quality of life in Central Virginia are second-to-none. We areblessed with a skilled workforce in this region and can also recruit talented individuals
from anywhere in the world. Access to the world-class Port of Virginia was aconsideration, too. Due to Bonumose’s business partners in other states and othercountries, we have had opportunities to grow outside Virginia, but we are happy withour choice to deepen our roots here at home.”“The new Bonumose facility represents a big next step in our commitment to providing
consumers better-for-you confection that is both affordable and accessible,” said The
Hershey Company Chief Development Officer Kris Meulen. “By bringing together thenecessary expertise, capabilities, and resources all under one roof, scalingtransformative uses of rare sugar alternatives will become a reality–helping to create
new jobs and to reach new consumers.”

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