Category: Food and beverage manufacturing

‘Turning a challenge into a profit’: the start-up converting CO2 into algae

Read the full story at Food Navigator.

FoodNavigator catches up with Denmark’s Algiecel, which wants to make it easy for companies to remove CO2 from industrial processes and turn it into algae-based derivative products for food production.

Coca-Cola invests in new partnerships to upcycle CO₂

Read the full story at Beverage Daily.

CCEP Ventures (CCEPV) has announced two new partnerships with European research groups at Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) in Tarragona, Spain and the University of Twente (UT) in the Netherlands, to accelerate research into carbon capture technology.

Which ‘green’ regulations are impacting food and beverage, and what’s around the corner?

Read the full story at Food Navigator Europe.

From deposit return schemes to ‘dumpster diving’ legislation and single-use plastic bans, sustainability-driven policies are making a mark in Europe. How will this progress in 2023?

Complexity of measuring and reducing emissions in the dairy industry

Read the full story at Food Navigator USA.

The dairy industry is facing new challenges from increasing demand for sustainable milk production and new government laws and policies targeting emissions reduction.

‘This is a holistic approach’: Danone unveils details behind its industry-first methane reduction program

Read the full story at Dairy Reporter.

The dairy giant’s director of sustainability spoke of the ‘important precedent’ its initiative has set – and how it’s planning to enact it.

EPA awards research funding to 25 small businesses to develop environmental technologies

In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $2,497,134 in research funding for 25 small businesses to develop technologies that address some of our most pressing environmental problems. Projects include technologies for detecting methane emissions, methods to prolong the shelf life of foods and reduce food waste, software systems to improve recycling and materials management, and a water sampling device to detect the presence of PFAS.

These awards are part of EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program which runs an annual, two-phase competition for funding. The 25 small businesses below are receiving up to $100,000 in Phase I funding for six months for “proof of concept” of their proposed technology. Companies that complete Phase I can then apply to receive Phase II funding of up to $400,000 to further develop and commercialize their technology.

SBIR Phase I winners and their proposed technologies are:

  • Beta Analytic (Miami, Fla.) to develop a novel method to trace fugitive sources of methane in atmospheric gas mixtures.
  • Can I Recycle This, Inc. (Athens, Ga.) to develop a circular economy solution that provides real-time, geospatial materials recovery information.
  • Censys Technologies Corporation (Daytona Beach, Fla.) to develop an innovative system for remote sensing of fugitive methane.
  • City of Roses Disposal and Recycling, Inc. (Portland, Ore.) to develop a real-time recycling inventory aggregation and management software for construction and demolition waste.
  • Cleaned and Green, LLC (Indian Springs Village, Ala.) to develop an enhanced efficiency poultry litter-based fertilizer that is cost-effective and environmentally friendly.
  • Aquarius Systems (North Prairie, Wis.) to develop an in-water collection and removal device to capture floating debris.
  • EIC Laboratories, Inc. (Norwood, Mass.) to develop a novel technique for rapid, on-site analysis of water quality.
  • Forever Analytical Services, Inc. (South Bend, Ind.) to develop a rapid, field-deployable water sampling device to measure PFAS.
  • GoodGames (Freeport, Maine) to develop a social networking platform to help build community resilience to disasters, threats, and extreme weather.
  • HJ Science & Technology, Inc. (San Leandro, Calif.) to develop a portable, on-site technology to detect PFAS in complex water environments. 
  • Hydrova Inc. (San Diego, Calif.) to develop a novel process for complete resource recovery and hydrogen production from secondary aluminum processing waste.
  • Imvela Corp (Brooklyn, N.Y.) to develop a novel, natural ingredient that reduces microbial spoilage and extends shelf life of fresh fruit.
  • Iterant, Inc. (Berkeley, Calif.) to develop an online platform for regional plastic packaging reuse systems.
  • J-Tech LLC (Lakewood, Colo.) to develop a septic tank technology that enables low-cost, sustainable disinfection of wastewater for on-site non-potable reuse.
  • Kamilo, Inc. (San Francisco, Calif.) to develop a digital verification system to confirm the percentage of recycled content in products to advance plastic circularity.
  • Mesa Photonics, LLC (Santa Fe, N.M.) to develop a methane monitoring network for continuous measurement of methane emissions.
  • Optimized Thermal Systems, Inc. (Beltsville, Md.) to optimize a machine for improved recovery of a refrigerant with high global warming potential.
  • LeapFrog Design (Bend, Ore.) to develop a modular ecological water treatment system for onsite capture and non-potable reuse from single-family residences.
  • Seacoast Science, Inc. (Carlsbad, Calif.) to develop a fully automated analyzer to monitor air toxics in indoor spaces.
  • Sporian Microsystems, Inc. (Lafayette, Colo.) to develop a high-speed, low-cost imaging system for improved identification of microplastics.
  • Ourobio (Charlottesville, Va.) to produce sustainable indigoid dyes and bioplastics using byproducts of dairy processing
  • UES, Inc. (Dayton, Ohio) to develop an innovative air toxic monitoring system for neighborhood-level monitoring.
  • VISIMO, LLC (Coraopolis, Pa.) to develop a machine learning toolkit for screening research published outside of commercial or academic publishing to improve systematic reviews for chemical risk assessment.
  • Wisely, Inc. (Wilmington, N.C.) to develop a smart food storage system to reduce household food waste by allowing users to track perishables.
  • Zabble Inc. (Walnut Creek, Calif.) to develop an artificial intelligence-based tagging platform for contamination monitoring audits to improve recycling.

Learn more about the winning companies.

Nestlé pilots recyclable paper in Australia

Read the full story at Environment + Energy Leader.

Nestlé, the parent company of KitKat, has announced a new pilot program to test compostable and recyclable paper packaging for their chocolate bars. The pilot is exclusive to Coles supermarkets in Australia and will provide customers with a convenient and eco-friendly way to enjoy their favorite chocolate. This initiative is part of Nestlé’s commitment to reducing plastic waste by transitioning away from single-use plastic packaging.

The pilot program will feature KitKat bars wrapped in recyclable paper packaging rather than the traditional plastic wrapper. To ensure customer feedback on the new packaging, each bar will include a QR code that customers can scan to leave their comments on the product. Local retailer Coles will have exclusive distribution rights.

Uncommon grounds: Sustainable, ‘beanless’ coffee unveiled

Read the full story at The Food Institute.

Annie Morris, editor in chief of Made in CA magazine, said that sustainable coffee, like the one being launched soon by Minus Coffee, is one way that companies can reduce their environmental footprint while still delivering a delicious product. Sustainable coffee offerings have the potential to really catch on, according to industry insiders.

McCormick is working to make its supply chain more sustainable

Read the full story at Environment + Energy Leader.

McCormick & Company is a food company that manufactures, markets, and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavoring products to retail outlets, food manufacturers, and food service businesses. The Baltimore-based company has 14,000 employees based worldwide. Its investments have tangible benefits for farmers and customers and throughout its supply chain.

It is doubling down on its commitment to climate change, environmental compliance, and raw material procurement. It aims to be net zero in 2050, and it has joined the UN”s Science-Based Targets Initiative, which wants to keep temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. At the same time, the company has made significant progress toward its sustainable packaging goals.

ESG Case Study: How corporate purpose strengthens Kellogg’s ESG communications with stakeholders

Read the full story from Thomson Reuters.

Multinational food manufacturing giant the Kellogg Company (Kellogg’s) is among those companies that consistently link their global purpose platform to their sustainability agenda and ensures their purpose is centered on the well-being of their employees and other stakeholders. More specifically, the company, through its Kellogg’s™ Better Days Promise, aims to advance sustainable and equitable access to food by addressing the intersection of well-being, hunger, sustainability, and equity, diversity & inclusion to create better days for 3 billion people by the end of 2030.