Industry innovations lean toward decarbonization and sustainability to mark Earth Day

21 Apr 2023 --- In the lead up to Earth Day (April 22) the wider F&B industry takes stock of its continuing efforts toward a realistic shift in sustainable practices and products. With many companies announcing decarbonization goals, more sustainable ingredients and general commitments to the planet’s welfare, FoodIngredientsFirst looks at some of the climate-friendly innovations underway.

PepsiCo is working to reduce emissions by using cooking oil to fuel trucks. It uses “hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) to make deliveries of Quaker oats with 80% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions when compared with conventional diesel.” 

The beverage giant is also “installing a thermal storage unit in a site in the Netherlands that gets its heat from sustainable electricity,” as well as having gone live with its first biomethane reactor in Turkey in March, which is used to produce fuel gas from waste potato peelings.

Upcycling methods such as PepsiCo’s biomethane reactor are popular as they mitigate costs and improve efficiency while enabling manufacturers to move toward decarbonization goals. 

In other developments, Kerry has made similar moves with its upcycled cheese powders, which developed from its “novel sourcing model and scientific skillset.” 

“Taking cheese powders as an example, last year we released the GHG emissions of our cheese powders manufactured with upcycled cheese and revealed that our cheese powders are 45% lower in GHG emissions when compared to standard cheese powders,” Leigh Ann Vaughan, senior global marketing director for Taste at Kerry, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Further sustainability efforts at Kerry focus on more environmentally-friendly sugar alternatives.

“Our Tastesense Sweet portfolio allows us to deliver sugar reduction ingredients through our botanical extracts and proprietary in-house biotransformation while having a lower impact on the planet,” says Vaughan. 

“On average, we deliver sugar reduction solutions which are 20% lower in CO2 and use 30% less water when compared to sugar.”

Many manufacturers are adopting decarbonization targets and shifting their production models to reduce the carbon footprint of products.Decarbonization efforts 
Reductions of CO2 across the board are essential but must be monitored and calculated, according to Timo Pajari, senior vice president of business unit powders at Valio.

“In the area of carbon neutral food chains, ingredient suppliers are facing an increasing demand to calculate ingredient specific CO2 footprint for their raw materials,” he notes.

“We acknowledge that in the world of dairy ingredients, this part (primary production) plays a significant role, and Valio’s focus is to develop and implement innovative actions to reduce emissions.” 

To this end, Valio has created a farm-specific calculator that can measure the carbon balance efficiently and reliably. Using those measurements, the correct actions to reduce environmental impacts can be implemented at farm level.

“Carbo environmental calculator is based on a calculation model developed by Valio and it uses the most accurate calculation methods available, and it is based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) formulas,” states Pajari. 

Elsewhere, FrieslandCampina, DSM and Agrifirm recently collaborated to implement the world’s first large-scale use of Bovaer, a methane-reducing feed additive for cattle, on over 158 farms.

“By bringing together our collective expertise, the project resulted in a decrease of 10,000 tons of CO2e in methane emissions, which equates to an average of 28% less enteric methane emission,” says Els Zeeuwen, director of branding and communication at FrieslandCampina Ingredients. 

Earlier this month, Dossche Mills, Agravis Raiffeisen and OCI Global announced a collaboration on a low-carbon wheat flour grown using a fertilizer that generates a lower carbon footprint.

Certifications and beyondBrands are seeking various forms of sustainability certification to implement then prove climate-friendly methodologies.
Many manufacturers and brands are now seeking various forms of environmental certification as a consumer-trusted means of implementing and demonstrating sustainability methods, especially amid ongoing greenwashing concerns. 

In the snack bar space, Clif Bar announced that CLIF Kid “has become the first kid’s snack bar brand to be Climate Neutral Certified,” while plant-based protein brand Aloha has officially obtained Climate Neutral Certification. 

Indeed, many consumers are choosing products and brands that boast environmental benefits.

“The “better for me” approach to health and wellness has begun shifting to “better for us” as shoppers incorporate sustainable elements into every facet of their lives to protect planetary health and the nutrition of future generations,” highlights Kelly Gilroy, vice president of sustainable and natural products at Univar Solutions.

 “Consumers are looking to brands to help mitigate personal environmental impacts and reduce the overall consequences of products they add to shopping carts.” 

Broader solutions
Environmental NGO Slow Food calls for a systemic change in food production, moving toward an agroecological model. 

“As the International Panel on Climate Change continues to warn us, we need to act now: the coming years are crucial for the future of our planet,” flags Edie Mukiibi, president of Slow Food. 

“The best way to celebrate Earth Day is to acknowledge this final warning and put the solutions we have into practice by changing our food systems and adopting agroecological farming methods.” 

 By James Davies