Business

Fooditive’s sweetener a revolution in the food industry?

The words ‘healthy’ and ‘natural’ are not often linked to sugar substitutes, but Fooditive BV wants to change that. Over the past decade, the Netherlands-based food ingredient manufacturer has been pear-suing sustain-apple solutions to combat global sugar intake. In 2018, this became a reality with its plant-based and chemical-free sweetener. Since then, Fooditive has focussed on improving the health status of products that use sugar replacements by providing an affordable alternative to other options on the market. As put by Fooditive’s Product Development Manager, Niki Karatza, “developing a sweetener that could successfully replace sugar in food products required us to first understand the true essence of sugar. We managed that by diving into the science behind sucrose, its taste and its unique functionalities.” This was achieved through an innovative process: the reverse engineering of sucrose. By starting with the end product and working backwards, it allowed Fooditive to analyse the ingredients’ properties and therefore understand how it could mimic the characteristics of sugar in its sweetener. Combining this knowledge with apple and pear waste led to the creation of Fooditive Sweetener, which is 70% as sweet as sugar and does not raise insulin or blood glucose levels. With sustainability and transitioning to a circular economy as Fooditive’s core principles, it obtains the raw materials for its sweetener in two ways. Firstly, it collaborates with Dutch farmers to salvage both organic and non-organic unwanted apples and pears, and secondly, it collects the side streams of these fruits from other production processes. Once gathered, a continuous fermentation process, which means that more sweetener can be yielded in a shorter amount of time, is used to extract fructose and convert it into keto-fructose; this end product is the sweetener. For 2021, founder and food scientist Moayad Abushokhedim has set a weekly goal to produce around 30 […]

New Zealand Food Network launches South Island branch for communities in need

The New Zealand Food Network has today announced the official opening of a second warehouse and distribution centre – in Christchurch, helping to provide an even greater level of support for food insecure communities throughout the region and beyond. One year on from the start of New Zealand’s nationwide lockdown, many Kiwis are still grappling with the financial impact of COVID-19 related job losses, redundancies and reduced hours – and the sharp increase in national food insecurity levels that came with that first lockdown has been largely sustained. Canterbury has been one of New Zealand’s hardest hit regions, with COVID-19 compounding challenges created by the 2011 earthquakes and subsequent recovery efforts. In fact, an analysis of 2018 census data reveals that, even prior to the pandemic, the Canterbury region suffered from some of the highest deprivation levels of anywhere in New Zealand. The impact of long-term border closures has also been felt particularly sharply by communities throughout Otago and Southland, as many businesses, once heavily reliant on international tourism, have been left struggling to stay afloat. New Zealand Food Network CEO, Gavin Findlay, says, “The opening of our Christchurch operation will enable us to better serve these hard-hit communities in a number of ways. “The geographic proximity means we’ll be able to respond more quickly to requests for food from food hubs around the region – providing more immediate support for communities in need. It will also enable us to tap into much-needed additional supplies from food donors throughout the South Island, that we’ve previously been unable to collect from our Auckland site. The NZFN acts as New Zealand’s food rescue facilitator, collecting and safely storing bulk food donations, with food then able to be requested on an as-needed basis (and at no cost) by approximately 40 food hubs around […]

EcoStruxure solution meets Mataura Valley Milk’s requirements

Building the world’s best nutritional business is the ambitious goal that New Zealand dairy company Mataura Valley Milk set out to achieve in August 2016. Now the company’s milk production plant is an impressive accomplishment that comfortably justifies its early ambition. Mataura Valley Milk is now benchmarking innovation and performance for other milk plants. Situated north of Gore at the bottom of the South Island, the state-of-the-art facility was delivered on-time and within budget, an impressive achievement for a greenfield project. “To achieve our goal, we knew that choosing only the best people, partners, and infrastructure was crucial,” says Brent Robinson, Mataura Valley Milk’s Projects Manager. “The success of the project was a consequence of meticulous planning and strategy. We sought out and hired the most skilled staff; we chose construction partners with proven expertise; we purchased best-in-class plant and equipment; and we partnered with industry-leading suppliers and fabricators.” Schneider Electric was one such expert partner that delivered its EcoStruxure solution, tailored to Mataura Valley Milk’s strict requirements for a fully connected and integrated facility with real-time visibility of every process. Connectivity At Mataura Valley Milk’s core is its dedication to customers. “We must have agility around what we produce with no sacrifice of quality. Producing nutritional products is a complex, high reward approach so the plant must be nimble and our expertise unmatched. To confidently make these decisions, visibility and trust in our data is crucial” says Robinson. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Plant solution delivers and provides context to live, real-time data on every process at the plant through AVEVA’s System Platform, Batch Management and Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software. In short, Mataura Valley employees receive any data they require immediately and know they can trust it. Goal Mataura Valley Milk wanted to build a business that could quickly tailor production […]

Global seed Sector commits to UN goals

Nyon, Switzerland – Seed companies and associations representing all regions of the world have come together to sign a Declaration committing to actively support achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and proactively demonstrate their extensive and diverse contributions towards sustainable food systems, while calling for more urgent public private cooperation. The “Seed Sector Declaration”, signed by seed companies of all sizes and geographic representation and by seed associations representing hundreds of companies per country, was launched as a part of the sector’s engagement with the UN Food Systems Summit, scheduled for September 2021. The document acknowledges the enormous challenge for agriculture to produce sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for a global population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, amid rising pressure from climate change, effective biodiversity preservation and natural resource scarcity. On current trends, the number of hungry people is expected to reach 840 million by 2030, from 690 million at present. Through the Declaration, the seed sector players outline a common set of principles for global action supporting sustainable agriculture. “We, the actors of the private seed sector, representing its diversity, acting as individuals or as representatives of cooperatives, family-, small-, medium sized- or multinational companies, based around the world, are committed to a future where enough affordable, safe and nutritious food is produced for all without compromising the economies, societies or environments of future generations,” says the Declaration. Michael Keller, Secretary General of the International Seed Federation said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the world’s food and nutrition crisis, but it has also shown us what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together to produce solutions. “The Declaration is an opportunity for us to demonstrate the private seed sector’s diversity and unique contributions. We believe that transforming the world’s food […]

Environmental leaders inspire and challenge farmers at dairy forum

Dairy farmers at the Dairy Environment Leaders Forum in Wellington have heard first-hand what will be required of all New Zealanders in order to meet our climate change obligations. The Wellington forum’s first day opened on Tuesday (17 March) with keynote speaker Climate Change Commission chair Dr Rodd Carr, followed by Climate Change Minister James Shaw and speakers from other sectors. Dr Carr told the group of around 40 Dairy Environment Leaders at the two day forum that all New Zealanders have a responsibility to begin reducing emissions if we are to rise to the climate challenge. “Human beings have a carbon footprint, no matter what we do,” said Dr Carr. “So it’s about containing it, and how we contain it. The climate waits for no-one. As a nation, we can choose what we do, but we can’t choose not to reduce emissions. “So it’s about our share of the responsibility. The science is now so clear that we have to act because greenhouse gases are causing the climate to change. The needle on the dial is moving toward doing what we can, when we can. “There is technical feasibility, economic effects and social acceptance we need to address. I think the journey is underway, we just have to configure how we do it. Long-term, we will need a technological break-through.” Climate Change Minister James Shaw echoed that view, saying there are diverse tools farmers can use in different farm conditions across New Zealand and there is time to achieve the changes. “We can get to where we need to, over the next 30 years, with the options we have now,” said Mr Shaw. “Fortunately, we are not starting from scratch, there’s been a lot of good work done in the last five years, including through the He Waka Eke […]

Conference focuses on new future for pastoral industries

An international virtual conference that focuses on cultivating a shift towards more sustainable and ethical grazing systems will involve presentations from experts all over the world. Hosted by Lincoln University, the series includes six weekly online workshops, to take place between 31 May and 5 July 2021. Livestock Production Professor Pablo Gregorini says the event is not to be missed, as no other scientific convention in the world offers such breadth of topic coverage. “We’re aiming to influence future theoretical and practical models of pastoralism with a series of talks from a wide range of experts. Participants will be exposed to cutting-edge thinking and practice, with an international audience of scientists, academics, postgraduate students and policymakers, as well as farmers from around the world.” Discussions will centre on re-imagining models of pastoralism by referring to what Prof Gregorini refers to as “grazing in future multiscapes”. The “multiscapes” include thoughtscapes (ways of thinking), landscapes (environments including soil, water and air), foodscapes (dietary perceptions and health), socialscapes (societal demands), and wildscapes (issues relating to interactions between agriculture and wildlife). Keynote speakers will cover subjects as diverse as system thinking, rangeland, grasslands, grazing management, ecology, indigenous development, agroecology, environmental ethics and sustainability, economic sociology, natural resources management, and landscape design. Prof Gregorini is Head of Lincoln University’s Centre of Excellence: Designing Future Productive Landscapes, director of the Lincoln University Pastoral Livestock Production Lab and Chair of the International Scientific Committee for the Nutrition of Herbivores. These organisations all seek to explore and re-imagine future agricultural and pastoral industries while considering the sociological and cultural context for an evolving world.

New pastures on the horizon

The Blue Sky Pastures board is pleased to announce its appointment of a new CEO for the company, Jim Goodall. The announcement comes as former CEO Todd Grave departs the Southland meat processor, taking up a new role as CEO of Meadow Mushrooms in Christchurch. Board chairman Scott O’Donnell said he was looking forward to welcoming Goodall to the team and was confident his extensive red meat industry experience would continue to strengthen the company’s forward trajectory. “Jim’s skillset and experience are a great fit for Blue Sky – we’re looking forward to Jim leading the business into its next chapter, where the focus will turn to capturing more value for the company and suppliers,” he said. Goodall brings with him a long career in the meat industry. He began his career at Weddel Tomoana in the Hawke’s Bay in 1988 and has spent time working in New Zealand, Australia, the UK and USA, bringing with him a diverse portfolio of knowledge and business development. His governance and leadership experience is extensive. Currently, Goodall is a director of Lean Meats Ltd and Atkins Ranch Holdings Ltd, and CEO of Atkins Ranch – a US retail-focused lamb marketer. He is also CEO of Progressive Meats, a specialist toll processor of lamb, mutton, goat and beef in the Hawke’s Bay. Goodall said value extraction from quality produce linked to point of difference supply programmes which provide premium returns to farmers were among some of the building blocks he hoped to bring to his new role. “I’m looking forward to joining the Blue Sky Pastures team, discovering its point of difference and getting alongside all stakeholders, particularly our farmer suppliers,” he said. Departing CEO Todd Grave was pleased to see Blue Sky’s leadership in good hands and wished Goodall well. “Working with Blue […]

Pandemic exposes fractured global biosecurity system

The world needs a new approach to biosecurity that can identify and deal with potential pandemics however they arise, says biosecurity expert Distinguished Professor Philip Hulme. Dist Prof Hulme, of the Bio-Protection Research Centre, says Covid-19 has shown it’s time for a holistic approach to biosecurity that integrates threats to human, animal, plant and environmental health, recognising that disease or invasions in one sector often spill over into the others. “The world is witnessing a global rise in the number of emerging alien species, including insect pests, noxious weeds as well as diseases of plants, animals and humans. Currently there is no effective international regulation that addresses all these threats and, as a result, these species pose a significant challenge to biosecurity interventions worldwide. “Inward-looking policies that solely address human, animal, plant, or environmental health are no longer fit for purpose because of the significant cross-sector impacts of invasive alien species.” As an example, due to its painful sting, the imported red fire ant causes significant impacts on human and livestock health, but it also directly destroys crops at the seedling stage and dramatically reduces the diversity of native invertebrates through predation. This species has been intercepted multiple times at the New Zealand border and if it established the impacts would be felt across numerous sectors. “Similarly the factors driving pandemics that threaten human, animal, plant, or environmental health share many parallels and include climate change, increasing intensification of agriculture, trade and human migration, greater urbanisation and a loss of specialist expertise. In a new paper in the leading journal BioScience (attached) Dist Prof Hulme discusses the challenges arising from a piecemeal approach to biosecurity and outlines key steps to remedy the situation. He calls for One Biosecurity, a concept that pulls together all the different threads of biosecurity into […]

Melissa-Slattery-Dairy-Environment-Leaders-chair

Dairy Environment Leaders converge on the capital

Rising to meet environmental challenges and supporting each other through change will top the agenda when Dairy Environment Leaders meet in Wellington for their annual forum on March 16-17. Dairy Environment Leaders (DELs) are leading farmers from across the country, who work with other farmers, their communities and decision makers to drive positive change. DEL chair Melissa Slattery said the forum is timely as the sector responds to climate change and water quality regulations, and farmers are supported with profitable and sustainable practices. The forum’s theme this year is Manaakitanga – supporting through change. “Dairy farming has changed over the years and will continue to evolve to meet the expectations of our communities and consumers. There will be huge challenges – but there are also huge opportunities,” said Melissa. “We all want the same things: clean water, low emissions and a strong economy. We can’t solve the challenges ahead in isolation and all New Zealanders need to make changes. “Most farmers are open to change but they want confidence what is being asked is fair and practical, and assurance that if they invest, the goalposts won’t shift. “Farmers also need support to succeed – and that includes significant Government investment in R&D and rural broadband.” Speakers at this year’s forum include Climate Change Commission chair Dr Rodd Carr who will give the keynote address, Climate Change Minister James Shaw and speakers from other sectors. “It’s important we hear from other sectors to highlight we aren’t alone and to learn from their approach. All New Zealanders will need to make changes to address climate change and dairy farmers are committed to playing their part,” said Melissa. “We will also meet with a number of MPs in Parliament to discuss the […]

CropLife Asia’s online forum draws Asian policymakers and global experts

A first-of-its-kind virtual conference on drone use for pesticide application in Asia concluded this week after three days of dialogue and discussion among stakeholders from across the food supply chain. The event focused on perspectives ranging from those of regional governments, manufacturers as well as commercial adopters, and experts in the field forecasting future innovations. “Our industry takes seriously its commitment to ensure responsible use of plant science technologies and sustainable agricultural practices. Drones are a new tool that can support and strengthen that effort – and have the potential to play a transformative role in Asian agriculture,” said Mr. Gustavo Palerosi-Carnerio, CropLife Asia President. “As with any innovation, the most critical components are the best practices that reflect responsible use and the policies that underpin them. Through this week’s conference, we’ve heard vital insights from agricultural drone use experts in these areas and what the future may hold. We look forward to continuing these constructive conversations, and working with regulators and other key stakeholders across the food supply chain to help deliver drone use for pesticide application in Asia that is conducted responsibly.” Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly being used by large and small-scale farmers globally. This includes use for mapping, crop surveillance and scouting, pesticide application, and monitoring both irrigation as well as grazing livestock. According to a recent Industry ARC report, “Agricultural Drones Market – Forecast (2021-2026)”, the market for agricultural drones is projected to reach more than $5.8 billion by 2026. In Asia, the use of drones for pesticide application is rapidly growing in popularity due to the advantages it provides, namely: efficiency with use of inputs; enhanced spray precision; reduced water consumption; and less dependence on labor, resulting in lower associated costs. “As food and agricultural stakeholders, we all have a duty […]

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