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A group of organizations and companies concerned about food loss in food production have banded together to create he “No Taste for Waste” campaign. The initiative includes an interactive website, “bookazine,”, and social media resources for farmers and ranchers trying to reduce food loss in the fields and for consumers who want to reduce household food waste. One goal of the campaign is to connect consumers with farmers and ranchers who are using sustainable practices in land stewardship while reducing food waste. Participants in the campaign are the American Farm Bureau Federation, Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN, Valent BioSciences Corporation, FLM Harvest, the CropLife Foundation, and Meredith Agrimedia.
"American Farm Bureau Federation Helps Launch ‘No Taste for Waste’ Campaign", News release, AFBF, April 03, 2018
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Innovate U.K. has awarded $1.2 million to an industrial R&D project that will study the food waste problem to determine how robotics might reduce the inefficiencies that cause it. Roboticists engineers, computer scientists, and food specialists will work together to figure out how to eliminate the 51 percent of food waste that is avoidable. The goal of the two-year project is to remove the human error from the crucial early stages of handling, preparing and weighing raw ingredients. The project is led by Olympus Automation (OA), which will collaborate with the University of Lincoln's National Center for Food Manufacturing and supplier English Provender.
"How robots can help reduce supply chain food waste", The Grocer UK, April 06, 2018
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A review of 42 hotels in 15 countries by Champions 12.3 has found that on average facilities achieved a 21 percent reduction of kitchen food waste by weight in just one year. Within the first year, more than 70 percent recouped their investment. The average hotel saved $7 for every $1 invested in reducing kitchen food waste. Within two years, 95 percent had recouped their investment. Nine out of ten sites kept their total investment in food waste solutions below $20,000, less than one percent of sales on average. The data came from budget, mid-range, casino resort, and luxury market hotels. Champions 12.3 comprises 40 executives in government, business, and civil society dedicated to achieving Target 12.3 of the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals.
"Study quantifies cost savings of reducing food waste", Hotel Management, April 06, 2018
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A Portland, Ore.-based foodservice technology company has developed a measurement system that helps restaurants and other establishments reduce overproduction – and waste – of food. LeanPath believes food waste can be prevented in the world’s kitchens through proper measurement using the company’s sophisticated, easy-to-use technologies like scales, cameras, and touchscreen devices that show what’s going into the landfill stream, the compost stream, and even the donation stream. The company last year tracked food waste in more than 1,200 foodservice kitchens in 20 countries. The data and imagery collected from the research revealed that overproduction is the main cause of food waste in foodservice. To solve the problem, kitchens need to: accurately forecast the amount of food needed; learn to properly use knives in food preparation; and creatively use “imperfect produce.”
"How Overproduction is Food Waste’s Biggest Culprit and Opportunity", Waste 360, April 10, 2018
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British consumers are very much into coffee: 2.4 billion cups are consumed each year. But making that coffee creates 500,000 tons of grounds each year, most of it ending up in the landfill. Advocates of better use of coffee grounds have come up with a fairly long list of alternatives to simply trashing them. Among the creative options are using grounds in: making cocktails; insect repellant; skincare exfoliant; fueling vehicles; fertilizing gardens and deterring slugs; cooking; keeping shoes and refrigerators fresh; growing mushrooms; and making paint.
"From skincare to fertilizer and fuel: 10 ways to reuse coffee grounds ", telegraph.co.uk, April 10, 2018
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Chefs and bakers in the U.S. and in the U.K. have begun using an ingredient better known to makers of hummus. The crushed sesame seed paste known as tahini is showing up in yogurt, as a dressing on grilled vegetables or meat, and sprinkled on ice cream. Bakers are also using it to make rye and sourdough breads, as well as cakes. British bakery Nutritiously Naughty makes gluten-free coconut brownies with tahini used in place of nut butter. A London bakery mixes the tahini-based sweet known as halva into its buttery, rich brownies.
"Not just for hummus: why tahini is popping up in brownies, ice-cream and martinis", The Guardian, April 12, 2018
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A California-based company looking to reduce food waste has launched the “Save the Peels” campaign with a goal of redirecting 18 million pounds of banana peel waste from landfills. More than 3.2 billion pounds of bananas are eaten every year in the U.S., adding 780 million pounds of peels to landfills where they decompose, forming harmful methane gas. EatCleaner has developed cleaning solutions that allow peels to be cleaned of agricultural sprays, waxes, chemicals, and germ-laden debris. Ripe, clean peels can then be used to make smoothies, banana breads and muffins are rich in fiber, amino acids, and antioxidants.
"eatCleaner Launches an "a-peel-ing" Campaign to Minimize Food Waste and Boost Nutrition", PR Newswire , April 12, 2018
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A survey among U.S. consumers by N.Y.-based flavor company Comax Flavors found that bread is far from moribund as a diet staple, though preferences are evolving. Consumers are gravitating toward low-calorie, whole grain, artisanal, and gluten-free breads. The survey also found that: taste and price are the most important factors in choosing a bread; whole wheat is the number one flavor; rye and sourdough are equally enjoyed; and a majority (55 percent) prefer eating an open-faced bagel sandwich (45 percent prefer it closed)Among those who don’t eat bread, 16 percent said it was because of its high carb content. The survey, conducted in September 2017, covered attitudes toward sliced bread, English muffins, bagels, pitas, and wraps/flatbreads.
"Knead to know: Survey shows what Americans really think about bread", Bakery and Snacks, April 16, 2018
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Supermarket chains in the U.S. are contributing significantly to the nation’s food waste problems, according to a new report. Nine of the ten largest grocery retailers – Ahold Delhaize is the exception – do not publicly report their total volume of food waste. The study, conducted by the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Ugly Fruit and Veg Campaign, listed five companies – Target, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Costco, and Publix – who earned a “D” grade for efforts to reduce waste. Aldi flunked the evaluation, while Walmart earned a “B.” Food retailers generate 40 percent of the food waste in the U.S., more than restaurants or foodservice providers, the study noted. A CBD spokesperson said food waste squanders farmland and water and puts food security at risk. “We can stop this massive waste, but only if supermarkets are part of the solution," Jennifer Molidor.
"Supermarkets don’t make grade in reducing food waste", Supermarket News, April 17, 2018
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Agricultural food ingredients company Arcadia Biosciences has introduced reduced-gluten (RG) wheat lines to its GoodWheat ingredients portfolio. The company says flour made from the RG wheat will be available by the end of the year. The wheat was developed in part with funding from NIH’s Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders Institute. The RG product is a non-GM wheat in which allergenic glutens have been reduced by 75 percent. Overall gluten content has been reduced by 60 percent, but the California-based company says the levels of glutens important for bread making are not changed.
"Arcadia Biosciences Expands GoodWheat™ Portfolio with Reduced Gluten Wheat", News release, Arcadia Biosciences, April 17, 2018
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A new study by university and USDA researchers has found that about 25 percent of all food available to eat in the U.S. – one pound per person, or about 30 percent of available calories – is wasted each day. The environmental costs of such food waste are huge. About 30 million acres of cropland, 4.2 trillion gallons of water, and nearly two billion pounds of fertilizer are used to produce the wasted food. The most wasted foods – fruits and vegetables – are actually the healthiest: produce waste amounts to 39 percent of the food wasted by each person, according to the study published in the journal PLOS ONE.
"The staggering environmental footprint of all the food that we just throw in the trash", The Washington Post, April 18, 2018
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Food writer JeanMarie Brownson says toast is having a long moment in the U.S., thanks to the popularity of avocado spread, and despite the anti-carb trend. But there are other good things to slather or sprinkle on toasted bread, she notes. There’s old favorite cinnamon, for example. Other possibilities include cheese and béchamel sauce; mushrooms sautéed with spicy poblano pepper and glazed with cream; hummus, cucumber, feta and micro-arugula; and hummus and sautéed ground lamb and feta. But it’s not just the toppings that matter. “Crusty, toasted bread also makes lunch better,” she says.
"What to put on toast when you're done with avocados", Chicago Tribune, April 18, 2018
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A New Zealand university scientist who specializes in “smart packaging” says there are a number of viable solutions that can cut food waste. Each type of packaging acts differently depending on the food being protected. According to Dr. Jenneke Heising, “active packaging” extends shelf life by reducing negative factors, such as oxygen, that react with the food. Active packaging can also react to ethylene gas, slowing the ripening process of produce, and can also regulate the level of moisture, other gases, and temperature. Still another type of packaging uses antimicrobial materials to curb bacterial growth on fresh produce, reducing the need for preservatives.
"High-tech packaging means less food waste", Rabobank, April 19, 2018
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Americans are increasingly avoiding sugar, but they still want sweetness, as long as its not synthetic. A Nielsen survey finds that 57 percent of consumers say low-sugar is important in the foods they buy, up from 55 percent last year. Thirteen percent say they follow a specific low-sugar diet, five percent follow a diabetic diet, and others follow popular low-carb diets like paleo, keto, Whole30, and Atkins. Regarding alternative sweeteners, the jury is still out. However, “in most cases, it is natural sweeteners that are winning,” a Nielsen researcher said.
"More Americans are avoiding sugar – but what do they want instead for sweetness?", Food Navigator USA, April 23, 2018
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Bread maker Nature's Own has added two new varieties to its “artisan-inspired” product line. Perfectly Crafted Thick Sliced Multigrain and Perfectly Crafted Thick Sliced White contain no artificial preservatives, color or flavors, no high fructose corn syrup, and are Non-GMO Project Verified. The “bakery style” breads feature thick slices, soft texture, a distinctive flour dusting, and fresh-baked aroma, the company says.
"Nature's Own Introduces Perfectly Crafted Artisan-inspired, Thick-sliced Bakery Bread", News release, Nature's Own, April 23, 2018
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Nestlé Waters North America announced it has acquired the Roaring Spring Water company’s customer list and storefront in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, allowing it to expand ReadyRefresh beverage delivery service to eastern Pennsylvania and eastern Maryland. The ReadyRefresh service delivers Nestlé Waters beverages to homes and business offices. This is the first time ReadyFresh will operatea a storefront where shoppers can purchase Nestlé Waters products, including Deer Park spring water, Pure Life purified water, Perrier, and S. Pellegrino sparkling mineral water.
"Nestlé Waters North America Expands ReadyRefresh Beverage Delivery Service to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania", News release, Nestlé Waters NA, April 27, 2018
Super-Sol, Israel’s biggest supermarket chain, has been selling a cheaper private-label brand of cola whose packaging resembles Coca-Cola’s. To counter that tactic, Coke’s bottler in the country, Central Bottling Company, has acquired a 25 percent stake in BringBring, a new online food retailer. Though the founders and majority owners of BringBring say Coca-Cola’s investment does not amount to a declaration of war against Super-Sol, it does represent a major challenge to Super-Sol, which controls 70 percent of the online grocery market. BringBring promises grocery deliveries within four hours of ordering with no charge for orders over $56. It’s a big improvement over Super-Sol’s service, which promises only same-day service and charges $8 for orders less than $207.
"Coca Cola Israel to Battle With Israel's Largest Supermarket Chain With New Online Retailer", Haaretz, May 01, 2018
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telegraph.co.uk, April 10, 2018
Waste 360, April 10, 2018
The Guardian, April 12, 2018
PR Newswire , April 12, 2018
Bakery and Snacks, April 16, 2018
BevNET.com, April 30, 2018
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