LIFECORE BIOMEDICAL, INC. DE 10-K

Item 1. Business Corporate Overview Landec Corporation and its subsidiaries (“Landec,” the “Company”, "we" or "us") design, develop, manufacture, and sell differentiated products for food and biomaterials markets, and license technology applications to partners. Landec’s natural food company, Curation Foods, Inc. (“Curation Foods”) is focused on innovating and distributing plant-based foods with 100% clean ingredients to retail, club and foodservice channels throughout North America. Curation Foods is able to maximize product freshness through its geographically dispersed family of growers, refrigerated supply chain and patented BreatheWay ® packaging technology. Landec’s biomedical company, Lifecore Biomedical, Inc. (“Lifecore”), is a fully integrated contract development and manufacturing organization (“CDMO”) that offers highly differentiated capabilities in the development, fill and finish of sterile, injectable pharmaceutical products in syringes and vials. As a leading manufacturer of premium, injectable grade Hyaluronic Acid, Lifecore brings 36 years of expertise as a partner for global and emerging biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across multiple therapeutic categories to bring their innovations to market. Landec was incorporated in California on October 31, 1986 and reincorporated as a Delaware corporation on November 6, 2008. Landec’s common stock is listed on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “LNDC”. The Company’s principal executive offices are located at 2811 Airpark Drive Santa Maria, California 93455, and the telephone number is (650) 306-1650. 1 Table of Conten ts Reportable Segments Landec has three reportable business segments – Curation Foods, Lifecore and Other, which are described below. During the fourth quarter of fiscal years 2019 the Company discontinued its Now Planting® business. The operating results for the Now Planting business are presented as discontinued operations in the Company’s accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and the financial results for fiscal years 2021, 2020 and 2019. Curation Foods Curation Foods Overview Based in Santa Maria, California, Curation Foods’ primary business is the processing, marketing and selling of fresh packaged plant based salads and vegetables. Curation Foods serves as the corporate umbrella for its patented BreatheWay® packaging technology and for its portfolio of four natural food brands, including the Company’s legacy and flagship brand Eat Smart® as well as its three more recently acquired natural food brands, O Olive Oil & Vinegar® (“ O ”) products, and Yucatan® and Cabo Fresh® authentic guacamole and avocado products. The major distinguishing characteristics of Curation Foods that provide competitive advantage are insight driven product innovation, diversified fresh food supply chain, refrigerated supply chain and customer reach. We believe that Curation Foods is well positioned as a single source of a broad range of products. Curation Foods also has six processing facilities. In addition to processing, the company has two distribution centers and a nationwide network of third party providers for nationwide delivery of all of its packaged salads, vegetable products, avocado products and specialty oil and vinegar products. Our products are currently available in over 74% of retail and club stores across North America. During fiscal 2019, the Company redefined the strategy for its Curation Foods segment in order to improve the Company’s overall profitability by launching Project SWIFT, a value creation program designed to transform the Curation Foods business by simplifying the business, realigning its resources and seeking to improve the Company’s balance sheet through three strategic priorities - optimizing its operations networks, maximizing strategic assets and redesigning the organization to be more competitive. Curation Foods Brands Eat Smart: The Company sells specialty fresh packaged Eat Smart branded and private label salads, fresh-cut vegetables and whole produce to retailers, club stores, and food service operators, primarily in the United States and Canada. Within the Eat Smart brand, produce is processed by trimming, washing, sorting, blending, and packaging into bags and trays. O Olive Oil & Vinegar: The Company acquired O on March 1, 2017. O , founded in 1995, is based in Petaluma, California, and is the premier producer of California specialty olive oils and wine vinegars. Its products are sold in natural food, conventional grocery and mass retail stores, primarily in the United States and Canada. Yucatan & Cabo Fresh Avocado Products: The Company acquired Yucatan Foods on December 1, 2018. Yucatan Foods was founded in 1991. As part of the acquisition of Yucatan Foods, Curation Foods acquired the newly built production facility in Guanajuato, Mexico. The Yucatan Foods business added a double-digit growth platform, a lower-cost infrastructure in Mexico, and higher margin product offerings that generally exhibit less sourcing volatility. The Company manufactures and sells Yucatan and Cabo Fresh guacamole and avocado food products primarily to the U.S. grocery channel, but also to the U.S. mass retail, Canadian grocery retail and foodservice channels. BreatheWay Packaging Technology : The Company’s BreatheWay membrane technology establishes a beneficial packaging atmosphere adapting to changing fresh product respiration and temperature in order to extend freshness naturally. The BreatheWay supply chain packaging technology extends shelf-life and reduces shrink (waste) for retailers and helps to ensure that consumers receive fresh products. The Company generates revenue from the sale to and/or use of its BreatheWay patented packaging technology and integrated packaging solutions. Windset : Until June 1, 2021, the Company held a 26.9% investment ownership in Windset Holding 2010 Ltd. (“Windset”), a leading edge grower of hydroponically-grown produce. Windset owns and operates greenhouses in British Columbia, Canada and California. In addition to growing produce in its own greenhouses, Windset has numerous marketing arrangements with other greenhouse growers and utilizes buy/sell arrangements to meet fluctuation in demand from their customers. The Curation Foods segment operating results include the dividends and Landec’s share of the change in fair market value of its investment in Windset. 2 Table of Conten ts On June 1, 2021, the Company and Curation Foods entered into and closed a Share Purchase Agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with Newell Capital Corporation and Newell Brothers Investment 2 Corp., as Purchasers (the “Purchasers”) and Windset, pursuant to which Curation Foods sold all of its equity interests of Windset to the Purchasers in exchange for an aggregate purchase price of $45.1 million. Pursuant to the terms of the Purchase Agreement, Curation Foods also retained certain rights to additional purchase price consideration in the event of certain transactions or equity issuances involving Windset until September 2022. The Purchase Agreement included various representations, warranties and covenants of the parties generally customary for a transaction of this nature. Lifecore Biomedical Lifecore, located in Chaska, Minnesota, is a fully integrated CDMO that offers highly differentiated capabilities in the development, fill and finish of sterile, injectable pharmaceutical products in syringes and vials. It is involved in the manufacture of pharmaceutical-grade sodium hyaluronate (“HA”) in bulk form as well as formulated and filled syringes and vials for injectable products used in treating a broad spectrum of medical conditions and procedures. Lifecore uses its fermentation process and aseptic formulation and filling expertise to be a leader in the development of HA-based products for multiple applications and to take advantage of non-HA device and drug opportunities which leverage its expertise in manufacturing and aseptic syringe filling capabilities. Lifecore CDMO provides product development services to its partners for HA-based, as well as non-HA based, aseptically formulated and filled products. These services include activities such as technology development, material component changes, analytical method development, formulation development, pilot studies, stability studies, process validation and production of materials for clinical studies. Built over many years of experience, Lifecore separates itself from its competition based on its five areas of expertise, including but not limited to Lifecore’s ability to: Establish strategic relationships with market leaders: Lifecore continues to develop applications for products with partners who have strong marketing, sales, and distribution capabilities to end-user markets. Through its strong reputation and history of providing pharmaceutical grade HA and products, Lifecore has established long-term relationships with global and emerging biopharmaceutical and biotechnology companies across multiple therapeutic categories, and leverages those partnerships to attract new relationships in other medical markets. Expand medical applications for HA : Due to the growing knowledge of the unique characteristics of HA and Lifecore’s unique strength and history as a trusted manufacturer of pharmaceutical injectable grade HA products, Lifecore continues to identify and pursue opportunities for the use of HA in other medical applications, such as wound care, aesthetic surgery, drug delivery, next generation orthopedics and device coatings, and through sales to academic and corporate research customers. Further applications may involve expanding process development activity and/or additional licensing of technology. Utilize manufacturing infrastructure to meet customer demand : Lifecore has made strategic capital investments in its CDMO business focusing on extending its aseptic filling capacity and capabilities to meet increasing partner demand and to attract new contract filling opportunities outside of HA markets. Lifecore is using its manufacturing capabilities to provide contract manufacturing and development services to its partners in the area of sterile pre-filled syringes and vials, as well as fermentation and purification requirements. Maintain flexibility in product development and supply relationships: Lifecore’s vertically integrated development and manufacturing capabilities allow it to establish a variety of contractual relationships with global corporate partners. Lifecore’s role in these relationships extends from supplying HA raw materials to providing technology transfer and development services to manufacturing aseptically filled, finished sterile products, and assuming full supply chain responsibilities. Deliver consistent quality: Lifecore has built a world class quality and regulatory system that is demonstrated in their results, processes and customer relationships. With over 35 years of a superior track record with global regulatory bodies (FDA, EMA, ANVISA, etc.), Lifecore is the partner of choice for companies looking for proven experience in delivering QbD, cGMP compliance, and manufacturing excellence with pharmaceutical elegance and quality. Lifecore’s world class quality and regulatory system and excellent track record with the global regulatory bodies ensure partners that they will safely bring innovative therapies to market. 3 Table of Conten ts Other Included in the Other segment is Corporate, which includes corporate general and administrative expenses, non-Curation Foods and non-Lifecore interest income and income tax expenses. COVID-19 Pandemic There are many uncertainties regarding the current novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic, including the scope of scientific and health issues, the anticipated duration of the pandemic, and the extent of local and worldwide social, political, and economic disruption it may cause. The COVID-19 pandemic has had and we believe will continue to have significant adverse impacts on many aspects of the Company’s operations, directly and indirectly, including with respect to sales, customer behaviors, business and manufacturing operations, inventory, the Company’s employees, and the market generally, and the scope and nature of these impacts continue to evolve each day. The Company expects to continue to assess the evolving impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and intends to continue to make adjustments to its responses accordingly. Sales and Marketing Curation Foods is supported by dedicated sales and marketing teams located throughout the U.S. and Canada. Lifecore relies on name recognition and referrals regarding its biomedical-based CDMO and manufacturing experience and expertise to attract new customers and offers its services with minimal marketing and sales infrastructure. Manufacturing and Processing Seasonality Curation Foods can be affected by seasonal weather factors, which can result in higher costs of sourcing and processing its produce products due to a shortage of essential produce items. Lifecore is not significantly affected by seasonality. Curation Foods Eat Smart Fresh Packaged Salads and Vegetables Fresh packaged salads, vegetable products and fresh-cut packaged green beans are processed in the Company’s facilities located in Guadalupe, California and Bowling Green, Ohio. Cooling of produce is done by third parties as well as our own cooling systems. As part of Landec’s Project SWIFT, during the second quarter of fiscal year 2021, the Company sold the Hanover building and assets related thereto for net proceeds of $8.0 million. O Olive Oil & Vinegar O uses third parties to crush, process, and bottle its olive oil products, primarily within California. The fermentation, production, and processing of vinegar is performed at the Company’s facility in Petaluma, California, using ingredients sourced from various third parties primarily within California. O uses third parties in California to bottle its vinegar products. Yucatan and Cabo Fresh Guacamole for the Yucatan and Cabo Fresh brands is primarily produced and packed at the Company’s facility in Guanajuato, Mexico, using ingredients sourced from various third parties within the United States and Mexico. BreatheWay BreatheWay packaging systems use polymer manufacturing, membrane manufacturing, and label package conversion. Contract manufacturers currently make virtually all of the polymers for the BreatheWay packaging system and breathable membranes. The Company performs the label package conversion in its various processing facilities. 4 Table of Conten ts Lifecore Biomedical The commercial production of HA requires fermentation, separation, and purification and aseptic processing capabilities. HA can primarily be produced in two ways, either through bacterial fermentation or through extraction from rooster combs. Lifecore produces HA only from bacterial fermentation, using an efficient microbial fermentation process and an effective purification operation. Lifecore’s facilities in Chaska, Minnesota are used for the HA and non-HA manufacturing process, formulation, aseptic syringe and vial filling, analytical services, secondary packaging, warehousing raw materials and finished goods, and distribution. Lifecore provides versatility in the manufacturing of various types of finished products and supplies several different forms of HA and non-HA products in a variety of molecular weight fractions as powders, solutions and gels, and in a variety of bulk and single-use finished packages. As of the date of this report, the Company believes that its current manufacturing capacity plan will be sufficient to allow it to meet the needs of its current customers for the foreseeable future. Competition The Company operates in highly competitive and rapidly evolving fields, and new developments are expected to continue at a rapid pace. Competition from large food-products, industrial, medical and pharmaceutical companies is expected to be intense. In addition, the nature of our collaborative arrangements may result in our business partners and licensees becoming our competitors. Many of our competitors have substantially greater financial and technical resources and production and marketing capabilities than we do, and may have substantially greater experience in conducting clinical and field trials, obtaining regulatory approvals and manufacturing and marketing commercial products. The food industry is highly competitive, and further consolidation with our customers would likely increase competition. The Company’s principal competitors, Taylor Farms, Fresh Express and Dole, have substantial financial, marketing, and other resources. Increased competition can reduce our sales due to loss of market share or the need to reduce prices to respond to competitive and customer pressures. Competitive pressures also may restrict our ability to increase prices, including in response to commodity and other cost increases. We sell branded, private brand, and customized food products, as well as commercially branded foods. Our branded products have an advantage over private brand products primarily due to advertising and name recognition, although private brand products typically sell at a discount to those of branded competitors. In addition, when branded competitors focus on price and promotion, the environment for private brand producers becomes more challenging because the price difference between private brand products and branded products may become less significant. In most product categories, we compete not only with other widely advertised branded products, but also with other private label and store brand products that are generally sold at lower prices. A strong competitive response from one or more of our competitors to our marketplace efforts, or a consumer shift towards more generic, lower-priced, or other value offerings, could result in us reducing pricing, increasing marketing or other expenditures, or losing market share. Our margins and profits could decrease if a reduction in prices or increased costs are not counterbalanced with increased sales volume. In addition, substantial growth in e-commerce has encouraged the entry of new competitors and business models, intensifying competition by simplifying distribution and lowering barriers to entry. The expanding presence of e-commerce retailers has impacted, and may continue to impact, consumer preferences and market dynamics, which in turn may negatively affect our sales or profits. Patents and Proprietary Rights The Company’s success depends in large part on its ability to obtain patents, maintain trade secret protection and operate without infringing on the proprietary rights of third parties. The Company has 19 active U.S. patents as of May 30, 2021 with expiration dates ranging from 2021 to 2035. Government Regulation Curation Foods The Company’s food products and operations are also subject to regulation by various foreign, federal, state, and local agencies, with respect to production processes, product attributes, packaging, labeling, advertising, import, export, storage, transportation and distribution. In the U.S., food products are primarily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), which has the authority to inspect the Company’s food facilities, and regulates, among other things, food manufacturing, food packing and holding, food additives, food safety, the growing and harvesting of produce intended for human consumption, food transportation, 5 Table of Conten ts food labeling, food packaging, and food supplier controls including foreign supplier verification. In addition, advertising of our products is subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), and operations are subject to certain health and safety regulations, such as those issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (“OSHA”). All of our U.S. facilities and food products must be in compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDC Act”) as amended by, among other things, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (“FSMA”). In addition, our operations in Mexico are subject to Mexican regulations through the SAGARPA, and our food products sold into Canada must be in compliance with applicable Canadian food safety and labeling regulations. Lifecore The FDA regulates and/or approves the clinical trials, manufacturing, labeling, distribution, import, export, sale and promotion of medical devices and drug products in or from the United States. Some of the Company’s and its customers’ products are subject to extensive and rigorous regulation by the FDA, which regulates some of the products as medical devices or drug products, that in some cases require FDA approval or clearance, prior to U.S. distribution of Pre-Market Approval (“PMA”), or New Drug Applications (“NDA”), or Pre-Market Notifications, or other submissions and by foreign countries, which regulate some of the products as medical devices or drug products. Other regulatory requirements are placed on the design, manufacture, processing, packaging, labeling, distribution, record-keeping and reporting of a medical device or drug products and on the quality control procedures. For example, medical device and drug manufacturing facilities are subject to periodic inspections by the FDA to assure compliance with device and/or drug requirements, as applicable. The FDA also conducts pre-approval inspections for PMA and NDA product introduction. Lifecore’s facility is subject to inspections as both a device and a drug manufacturing operation. For PMA devices and NDA drug products, the company that owns the product submission is required to submit an annual report and also to obtain approval, as applicable, for modifications to the device, drug product, or its labeling. Similarly, companies that own FDA Pre-Market Notifications for marketed products must obtain additional FDA clearance for certain modifications to their devices or labeling. Other applicable FDA requirements include but are not limited to reporting requirements such as the medical device reporting regulation, which requires certain companies to provide information to the FDA regarding deaths or serious injuries alleged to have been associated with the use of its devices, as well as product malfunctions that would likely cause or contribute to death or serious injury if the malfunction were to recur. FDA also maintains adverse event reporting requirements for drug products, among other post-market regulatory requirements. Human Capital Our mission The strength of our team and our workplace culture is essential to our ability to achieve our broader mission. Attracting, developing and retaining exceptional employees is vitally important to us, and we invest in creating a differentiated culture for our team that enables continuous innovation at scale. We want to be a force for good, a team that is helping to improve the quality of life for our customers and employees. As of May 30, 2021, Landec had 905 full-time employees, of whom 675 were dedicated to research, development, manufacturing, quality control and regulatory affairs, and 230 were dedicated to sales, marketing and administrative activities. Landec intends to recruit additional personnel in connection with the development, manufacturing and marketing of its products. Our employee engagement and culture Our hiring process has been designed to provide an equitable candidate experience, facilitate the inclusion of new perspectives, foster innovation and creativity and leverage technology and data analytics to address gaps in representation. We developed a COVID-19 Taskforce to assure employee health and safety throughout the workplace and encourage employees to carry this information into their communities. We also partner with local health departments in our various locations to supply our employees with COVID-19 communications to keep them informed in the ever-changing environment. We provide training to all employees in the areas of Food Safety, Human Safety and Human Resources. Individual training plans for continued growth are developed between employees and supervisors or managers. Frontline supervision workers at factory locations are provided continuous improvement tools for training in line with our "ZEST" efforts as well as employee interface training covering topics such as how to provide feedback or how to have difficult conversations regarding performance. ZEST is our manufacturing operational system that will empower our people to work in a different way, changing their mindset and behaviors leading to an acceleration of our performance across our operations. 6 Table of Conten ts • Zero Mindset - Zero breakdown, zero defects, zero recalls, zero accidents, zero pollution. • Empowerment - Empower employees to impact change. I operate. I maintain. I own the outcomes. • Standardization - Implementing the same practice across the network for efficiency. • Training - The cornerstone of success and employee engagement. We empower our employees to own their career path and seek out training programs to take them to the next level. We are currently in the process of developing a platform for growth opportunities and ways to understand and communicate career pathways. We have also invested in our training and development programs and infrastructure for our employees. Available Information Landec’s website is www.landec.com. Landec makes available free of charge copies of its Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and all amendments to these reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material electronically with, or otherwise furnishing it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition, these materials may be obtained at the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. The reference to the Company’s website address does not constitute incorporation by reference of the information contained on the website, and the information contained on the website is not part of this document.