At the beginning of May, VH Devro was proudly unveiled at IFFA in Frankfurt. VH Devro is the new name and identity for the unified commercial team, bringing together two leading global brands in sausage casings, and combining the strengths to serve the customers worldwide.

IFFA is the world’s leading trade fair for innovations in process technology for meat and alternative proteins. It covers the entire market for processing, packaging and selling of meat and alternative proteins.  With over 63,000 visitors from 144 countries, and over 1,000 exhibitors, IFFA is one of the key opportunities to showcase our new and existing products, gather market insights, and connect with new customers as well as strengthening our existing relationships.

Linking everything together

The new identity for VH Devro was displayed on the stand, accompanied by the tagline ‘linking everything together’.   This new positioning generated a lot of interest from existing and new customers, keen to learn more about who VH Devro is and what the future looks like. The stand was very busy for much of the show, with many discussions around the product portfolio. One of the highlights was the opportunity to sample a range of sausages, expertly cooked and presented in a selection of natural and collagen casings. Everyone agreed that VH Devro delivered on the promise of ‘linking hungry people with tasty sausages’.  

Peter Whitmore, CCO – Core Markets VH Devro, said: “Our attendance at IFFA was very rewarding. It provided a valuable opportunity to meet directly with our customers and business partners and to introduce VH Devro to them – resulting in very positive feedback. We also communicated how our strategy and solutions are designed to meet their needs now and in the future, and reinforced the quality and reliability of our product portfolio.” Networking played an important role throughout the event and the team made the most of the opportunity by meeting with existing clients, forming new connections, and visiting other exhibitors to gain insights into new innovations and technologies for the industry.

New Chief Commercial Officer

In line with VH Devro’s growth strategy, the company also announced the appointment of Ben Wilson as Chief Commercial Officer – Emerging Markets. Ben brings over a decade of experience within Van Hessen, having held several senior commercial roles across North and Latin America, most recently serving as Global Director of Commercial Excellence and Operations Director, North America. In his new role, he will lead sales and market development across key emerging regions including Central and South America, China, Southeast Asia, and the global Gels business. He will additionally oversee New Markets, International Key Accounts, Market Insights, Market Development APAC, and Planning for natural casings. Ben’s extensive commercial leadership and deep product knowledge will support VH Devro’s ambition to expand its presence in high-potential markets.

All in all, a successful IFFA and VH Devro is already looking forward to the next one in 2028!

In addition to annually producing enough collagen casing to reach the moon and back, Devro’s biomedical facility in Bathurst, Australia, has been processing bovine collagen for use in medical devices for nearly 40 years. This work began when Devro was a division of the US healthcare company Johnson & Johnson.

The facility’s location has always been strategic – situated to source high-quality bovine material from Australia’s disease-free cattle herd. This became especially critical in the late 1990s, when global concerns over BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) significantly impacted the beef industry. In response, medical device manufacturers began seeking bovine tissue exclusively from countries with “disease-free” status, leading to substantial growth in Devro Australia’s customer base.

Today, Devro’s biomedical facility operates with a small, dedicated team that sources, processes, and exports animal tissue intermediates to medical device manufacturers across Europe, USA and Asia. The team works within a tightly regulated environment, complying with international standards such as ISO 13485 and ISO 22442, as required by clients and regulatory bodies.

The collagen supplied by Devro’s biomedical facility is incorporated into a wide range of medical devices, including wound care patches, surgical haemostats, and coatings for vascular grafts. Collagen’s biocompatibility ensures that implanted devices are well-tolerated by the body and support accelerated healing. As one long-standing customer has often remarked, “The inclusion of Devro’s collagen in our devices contributes to saving hundreds of lives every day.”

Devro’s biomedical facility is recognized as a natural fit within SARIA Food & Pharma’s portfolio. In collaboration with the Collagen Expertise Centre (CEC), we are actively strengthening our ties with Bioiberica to explore further opportunities for growth and innovation. Our shared mission is clear: individually strong— even better together.