New Institute of Packaging To Lead Nestlé’s Drive To Address Plastic Waste

Nestlé has formally inaugurated a new unit, the Institute of Packaging Sciences based in Lausanne, Switzerland, to double down on the development of new environmentally-friendly packaging solutions that address plastic waste. It will have a science and technology focus on a number of packaging areas, such as refillable and reusable options, simplified materials, recycled materials, and materials that are plant-based, compostable or biodegradable. The move was welcomed by Sander Defruyt, the New Plastics Economy Lead at the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. The new unit also reaffirms Nestlé’s commitment to reinforcing the Swiss innovation ecosystem.

"Nestlé inaugurates packaging research institute, first-of-its-kind in the food industry", Nestlé, September 12, 2019

Nestlé Introduces Nutritional Beverage For Cancer Patients Dealing With Side Effects Of Treatment

N.J.-based Nestlé Health Science has launched a nutritional drink targeted at cancer patients. BOOST Soothe clear nutritional drink provides protein and calories as well as “a cooling, soothing effect” to help cancer patients get needed nutrition while dealing with certain side effects of cancer treatment, including oral discomfort and taste changes. Up to 80 percent of patients may experience sore mouth or mucositis during cancer treatment; 46-77 percent of patients receiving chemotherapy report changes in taste. The clear liquid drink contains no artificial colors, flavors or sweeteners, and provides 300 calories and 10 g of protein per serving.

"Nestlé Health Science Launches Unique Innovation for Oncology Patients", PRNewswire , September 09, 2019

Consumers Are At The Heart Of Plastic Reduction Efforts, But Retailers Are Responding

According to Euromonitor, nearly two-thirds (63%) of containers for food, drinks, home, beauty and pet food are plastic, because of its durability, versatility and other characteristics. Recycling or reuse rates, however, are not high enough, partly because of consumer confusion over what can be recycled, perpetuated by a lack of standardization in packaging. Few countries have the recycling infrastructure and rates of Germany, which runs deposit schemes for plastic bottles, but the effort to increase rates is also hampered by consumers being used to disposing of items. Change is afoot. Consumers are more alive to plastic waste issues. Surveys suggest they are more willing today than two years ago to pay more for options that are better for the environment. Retailers like IKEA and UK-based Iceland are reacting to this change. IKEA is stopping the use of oil-based plastics, pledging to manufacture 100% of its products from recycled materials from August next year. It is also ending the ...  More

"Un mundo libre de plástico – A world free of plastic", Euromonitor International, August 30, 2019

The Better McDonald’s Berlin Store Gives The Company Food For Thought

In June this year, McDonald’s opened a concept store for 10 days in Berlin aimed at exploring plastic-free options, eliciting customer feedback and starting debate. The Better McDonald’s Store offered paper straws and wooden cutlery, and edible waffle cups for condiments, wrapped sandwiches in grass-based packaging, and presented Chicken McNuggets in paper bags instead of cardboard boxes. The company said that the response was “very positive”, the grass wrapper was a “hit in terms of eco-friendliness and ease of use”, and the waffle cups were seen as a good way of replacing condiment sachets and containers. Customers were happy with the eco-friendliness of the paper straws, but less so about their ease of use and durability, and believed they wouldn’t miss lids on containers. The wooden cutlery experiment wasn’t a hit. 

McDonald’s also said that it is working on other options in its normal restaurants. In Germany, in-house hot drinks are served in porcelain or glass mugs, and McCafé ...  More

"What we learned from Berlin’s plastic-free McDonald’s experiment", McDonald’s, August 28, 2019

Restaurant Sales Growth Ebbs As Delivery Emerges As Growth Area

Sales growth for the top 500 U.S. restaurant companies slid in 2018 to 3.3 percent compared to the average 3.8 percent for the restaurants in the last five-year period, according to Technomic research. And while the fast-casual segment outpaced all other segments, its sales growth slipped to eight percent from an average 9.8 percent gain for the past five-year period signaling a cooling-off period. Meanwhile, delivery has emerged as a major growth area for all restaurants. This has caused companies to explore packaging that allows food quality to sustain itself in transit. It is also causing chains to reconsider their store designs to include a separate entrance for delivery drivers. 

"Is the honeymoon over for the fast casual segment?", FastCasual.com, July 08, 2019

Established Foods Are Repositioning As “Real Foods” For The Sports Crowd

Creating new foods, or repositioning established, traditional foods, as sports nutrition products is proving to be a profitable business tactic. As sports nutrition products move into the mainstream, so-called “real foods” – devoid of artificial ingredients – are moving into the world of professional and amateur sports. Example include: Veloforte's sports twist on a traditional Italian treat packed with fruit and nuts; California-based Clif Bar, now firmly tethered to sports and activity;  Soreen, a fruit-based cake from the U.K. repositioned for recreational cyclists; low-sugar protein bar Grenade Carb Killa, marketed as a real food alternative to sports nutrition bars. The trend is powered by sports dietitians whose first principle is that whole foods are the best fuel.

"Veloforte's sporty twist to Italian treat shows repositioning opportunity", Food & Beverages News, July 01, 2019

DuPont: Plant-Based Nutrition Is Better Served By Combinations Of Synergistic Ingredients

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences says plant-based nutrition is moving beyond single-source ingredients to synergistic combinations that strengthen the nutritional and sensorial profile of final products. Providing single ingredients was once the most common way to serve the plant-based diet market. But now DuPont’s application and development teams are increasingly blending plant-based ingredients that include proteins, stabilizers, antimicrobials and antioxidants, among others. The idea is to take the best of each plant ingredient to develop higher-performance formulations, bringing synergy and leverage of one ingredient to another. An example would be combining soy with almond, or soy with pea or rice and pea. The combinations are better than a single source of protein, because one can bring texture and the amino acids, while another can bring a different sensorial aspect or better hydration.

"Plant-based future is combined vegetable sources 'the golden solution is not a golden ingredient', says DuPont", NutraIngredients.com , June 28, 2019