Weekly Roundup: Symrise recognized for biodiversity, 94% of US households buying frozen produce

18 Nov 2022 --- This week in industry news, the German Society for Sustainability (DQS) honored Symrise for its commitment to biodiversity. Olam food ingredients (ofi) expanded its innovation capabilities with a new Customer Solutions Center in Singapore, and Koa became the first cocoa fruit brand to join the B Corp community. Meanwhile, food security moves further into the spotlight and The Vegan Society revealed new analysis of plant-based labels.

In brief: Business moves
Symrise has received the Sustainability Heroes Award from DQS for the third time.The jury recognized the winners’ commitment during a recent online conference, out of 60 nominees, six companies received the coveted seal. Symrise impressed the jury in the Biodiversity category. The jury praised the company’s “comprehensive agenda, clear goals, effective organizational structures and development projects.”

ofi opened its facility in Singapore, enabling it to better collaborate with brands, grocery retailers and foodservice companies to create nutritious products for consumers. A team of culinary and pastry ofi opened its new facility in Singapore, enabling it to collaborate with brands, grocery retailers and foodservice companies.chefs, food scientists and category experts will help ofi’s customers develop new products and applications using ingredients from its cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices portfolio. These ingredients are highly complementary and can be combined into recipes and formats that meet consumer trends for exciting new flavors, health benefits, convenience and plant-based solutions.

Admaius Capital Partners has made an undisclosed investment in Power Brands, the parent company of Céréalis – a Tunisian producer of salted snacks and a significant producer of baked goods. Admaius will partner with the current owners of Power Brands, the Gahbiche family and Ekuity Capital, a Tunisian private equity investor, to build a leading branded FMCG platform through organic growth and selective acquisitions to expand and build on Céréalis’s portfolio of strong local brands. 

Swiss technology group Bühler supports Kägi Söhne, the Swiss chocolate wafer producer, in building its smart factory. By 2024, Kägi plans to have its entire machine park digitally networked and all process data visualized.

In brief: Sustainability efforts
Koa has been recognized for its socially responsible business just five years after establishing its innovative cocoa fruit venture. The Swiss-Ghanaian start-up received a B Corp Certification with a score of 95.7 points. 

DSM has confirmed that its target to cut scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has been determined to be in line with the latest climate science and in keeping global warming to no more than 1.5°C by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). An initial target to cut total direct emissions from 2016 levels by 30% by 2030 was confirmed in 2019. This was updated to 50% in 2021 and 59% in August, following an assessment of DSM’s plans to achieve net zero by 2050. This new target is now validated alongside the plans to achieve it by the SBTi. As part of its strategy, DSM aims to source 100% of its electricity worldwide from renewable sources by 2030.

Danone revealed a new global energy excellence program, Re-Fuel Danone. The program will transform the energy footprint of Danone’s sites worldwide, significantly increasing its renewable energy sources. The key commitments of the Re-Fuel program include; improving energy efficiency by 30% by 2025, considerably increasing Danone’s use of renewable energy, such as biogas, biomass, solar and hydrogen and reducing the company’s scope 1 and 2 emissions by a minimum of 42% by 2030. Meanwhile, 100% of electricity will be from renewable sources, and half of all energy will come from renewable sources by 2030. To deliver this program, Danone will harness digital innovation and its existing engineering expertise and expand on partnerships with local renewable energy providers. 

In brief: Plant-based highlights
Future Meat Technologies has rebranded to Believer Meats as part of abroader strategic transformation into a technology-fueled food company preparing for its US launch in 2023. Although the brand name will change, Believer Meats will continue to utilize the company’s proprietary technology in developing animal fibroblasts to replicate the same taste and texture as traditional meat products. 

Kansas Protein Foods, a manufacturer of plant-based proteins for the food industry, manufactures its products onsite at its Hutchinson, Kansas (US) facility, which has received a Level 2 SQF certification. The company’s Imagic Plant-Based Chorizo CS 202 Crumbles are a flavored ready-to-eat textured vegetable protein made from soy flour formulated to resemble cooked chorizo in flavor, aroma, texture and color and is suited for a wide range of applications and food systems. 

In brief: Miscellaneous highlights
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have signed a financial agreement. The EIB will lend IFAD €500 million (US$516 million) in support of IFAD’s targeted loan program that aims to improve food security and reduce poverty in rural areas. The new EIB financing will strengthen IFAD’s urgent response to assist small-scale farmers in adapting to climate change and coping with the current global food, fertilizer and fuel crisis.

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced new resources and new agreements of the USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative, which promotes traditional foodways, Indian Country food and agriculture markets and Indigenous health through foods tailored to American Indian/Alaska Native dietary needs. USDA is partnering with tribal-serving organizations on these projects to reimagine federal food and agriculture programs from an Indigenous perspective and inform future USDA programs and policies. Eighty-three percent of US consumers report that frozen fruits and vegetables help reduce food waste.

In brief: Food research
The Vegan Society has released a report entitled What’s in a name? in light of World Vegan Month (November). An analysis of vegan and ‘plant-based’ labels; the first in a series exploring whether the term ‘plant-based’ is a help or hindrance to the vegan movement. The UK vegan charity has joined forces with The University of Manchester for a research project analyzing the use of ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ labels and how their usage might impact the vegan cause. There is a lack of data on UK markets regarding consumer attitudes toward ‘plant-based’ and ‘vegan’ terminology. However, a previous Vegan Society survey undertaken in 2020, whose key findings included a near 50/50 split between people preferring the term ‘vegan’ (53% of 1,000 respondents) and those preferring ‘plant-based,’ sought to fill this gap. 

A survey found that more than a quarter of shoppers are buying more frozen fruits and vegetables compared to three years ago and identified many benefits. Frozen fruits and vegetables help make it easier for households and demographic groups to increase their produce consumption and quickly reduce food waste. Overall, penetration in the US is high, with 94% of American households buying frozen fruits and vegetables. Among the more than 1,500 consumers surveyed, the majority (86%) agreed that having frozen fruits and vegetables makes it easier to eat more produce. Eighty-three percent reported that frozen fruits and vegetables help reduce food waste and save money due to the critical attributes of frozen food, such as longer shelf life and the ability only to prepare what you need.  

By Elizabeth Green