Chilean

SANTIAGO, Chile, Sept. 4 (UPI) — Chilean holding company Cencosud (Centros Comerciales Sudamericanos) announced it has acquired full ownership of premium supermarket chain The Fresh Market after purchasing the remaining 33% stake held by investment fund AP VIII Pomegranate Holding.

The sale was valued at $295 million, according to a filing Cencosud made with Chile’s Financial Market Commission, the country’s financial regulator.

The Fresh Market was founded in 1982 by Ray and Beverly Berry in Greensboro, N.C., and specializes in high-quality fresh and healthy products, baked goods, prepared foods, floral arrangements and other items. The chain operates 172 stores in 22 states, mainly in Florida, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia.

In 2022, Cencosud purchased a 67% stake in the company for $676 million, marking the Chilean retailer’s entry into the U.S. market.

“We are very pleased to have reached this agreement, which marks an important milestone in our strategy to strengthen Cencosud’s presence in the U.S. market,” Cencosud CEO Rodrigo Larraín said in announcing the full acquisition of the supermarket chain.

“The supermarket business in the United States has shown positive performance and is entering a new stage of growth that excites us greatly,” he said, adding that the acquisition will allow the company to accelerate integration of the chain into its operations.

Cencosud, one of Latin America’s largest retailers, was founded in 1963 by Horst Paulmann. His family remains the majority shareholder in the holding company, which operates supermarkets, home improvement stores, department stores, shopping centers and financial services.

The company operates in six countries: Chile, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and the United States. In the United States, it has focused only on the supermarket segment, which grew 12.8% in sales in 2024 thanks to store expansion and online sales.

Claudio Pizarro, a researcher at the Center for Retail Studies in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Chile, said Cencosud’s latest move underscores the Chilean supermarket operator’s strategy to expand in the U.S. market.

“The United States is the largest supermarket market — it’s where Walmart started, and today it is the global leader. The performance of The Fresh Market has been very positive and shows strong growth potential,” he said.

He added that 80% of Cencosud’s revenue comes from its supermarket business, where it has developed its own private-label products, such as Cuisine & Co.

“It is an increasingly important and distinctive asset in its supermarket business,” Pizarro said.

With the full acquisition of The Fresh Market, Cencosud aims to become a major global player in the supermarket sector, said Jorge Berríos, academic director of the finance program at the University of Chile’s School of Economics.

“Cencosud is a company with a strong presence in Latin America. Its natural path was to pursue expansion into the United States and become a global player through a niche supermarket, where it has found a significant opportunity,” Berrios said.

“Today, people want to buy quality food, and they are willing to pay for that service,” je added.

May 30 (UPI) — Scientists at the University of Concepción in Chile have developed the world’s first patented probiotic designed to prevent gastric cancer. The oral supplement is 93.6% effective and targets Helicobacter pylori, a key bacterial factor in the disease.

The probiotic forms a protective coating along the stomach lining, preventing the bacteria from attaching when contaminated food or water is consumed. The supplement is approved for use starting at age 8 and also functions as an immunobiotic, helping regulate the body’s immune response.

Chilean biochemist and Ph.D. in biological sciences Apolinaria García led the research, using Lactobacillus fermentum as the base of the probiotic compound.

Gastric cancer is among the most common cancers worldwide and ranks as the fourth-deadliest. Often called a “silent killer,” its early symptoms are difficult to distinguish from more common and benign digestive conditions.

Helicobacter pylori is found in about half the global population and is linked not only to gastric cancer but also to precursor conditions such as stomach ulcers and MALT lymphoma.

In the United States, the American Cancer Society estimates that nearly 30,000 new stomach cancer cases will be diagnosed in 2025, with more than 10,000 deaths expected.

In Latin America, countries such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia report some of the highest incidence rates and lowest survival rates for gastric cancer, said Dr. Patricio Mardónez, president of Chile’s National Health Network.

He noted that countries like Japan and South Korea have significantly reduced mortality through widespread early detection and screening programs.

“Regionally, what was once a cancer seen mostly in people over 65 is now being detected in patients under 50,” Mardónez said.

While the exact causes behind the rise in gastric cancer diagnoses among younger people are still under investigation, several hypotheses have been proposed.

Changes in diet and lifestyle may be contributing, including increased consumption of highly processed foods high in sodium and low in fresh fruits and vegetables. Sedentary behavior and obesity are also risk factors, along with prolonged use of medications such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI), commonly prescribed for acid reflux.

SANTIAGO, Chile, May 23 (UPI) — Antofagasta, a city in northern Chile, has become the first in Latin America to meet 100% of its drinking water needs with desalinated seawater.

A $130 million investment expanded an existing desalination plant, originally built in 2003, to supply potable water to the city’s 500,000 residents, Public Works Minister Jessica López has announced.

Situated in one of the driest regions in the world, northern Chile faces growing freshwater scarcity. In response, major mining companies, partnering with the government, have turned to innovative and sustainable solutions to secure water for local communities and mining operations.

“Investment from mining companies in these types of projects is crucial. It ensures a permanent and stable water source for operations and benefits the community by freeing up freshwater for human consumption, farming and livestock. It also eases pressure on aquifers and rivers,” said Jorge Vargas, spokesperson for the non-governmental organization Red Ciudadana.

The North Desalination Plant increased its seawater treatment capacity to 1,436 liters per second this year from 602 liters per second in 2003.

Seventy percent of Chile’s 24 desalination plants serve the mining sector, which uses about 4% of the country’s total water. In Antofagasta, major copper producers like Codelco and BHP have reduced their reliance on continental freshwater sources. The model has been adopted in other mining cities in the region, including Tocopilla and Taltal.

Amid a nationwide water crisis, other regions are launching their own desalination projects. In Coquimbo, the government has opened bidding on a $350 million plant that could serve 600,000 people.

That project attracted interest from 43 companies across 12 countries, including firms from China, Europe, Israel, the United States and Chile.

Chile’s Ministry of Public Works projects that by the end of the decade, most major cities in northern Chile will be partially or fully supplied with desalinated seawater.