We also have our weekly look at the global dairy markets with Charlie Hyland at StoneX.
Tetra Pak study looks at food waste
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, estimates if food waste was a country, it would be the third highest emitter of greenhouse gases, after the US and China.
And the findings from the latest Tetra Pak index indicate that consumers are increasingly alert to the impact of this issue, with over three quarters (77%) of respondents considering food waste an environmental concern.
Despite this, 50% of respondents throw away food a few times a month or more often. In contrast, just under a quarter (20%) claim to never waste food. However, in a bid to reduce the household waste ‘footprint’, 55% are planning meals more carefully to avoid throwing away food.
Typically, the younger generation are more concerned with environmental issues. However, Tetra Pak’s research found consumers aged 18-24 discard milk roughly 168 times per year, whereas consumers aged 65 and above only discard milk around 93 times a year.
This could be due, in part, to the greater proportion of plant milk drinkers in this younger cohort - on average, plant milk drinkers discard milk 1.4 times more often than cow milk drinkers. In the UK, shelf life is the biggest reason for milk waste – 35% of people waste milk because it has not been used within its use-by date. Whereas in the US, the size of the package is the most common reason for wasting milk.
While 77% of respondents consider food waste an environmental concern, 50% of respondents throw away food a few times a month or more often, and only 20% claim to never waste food.
However, the 14th annual Tetra Pak Index found post-pandemic, 48% said they are more concerned about the amount of waste their household is producing. In a bid to reduce the household waste ‘footprint’, over half (55%) are planning meals more carefully to avoid throwing away food. Meanwhile, just under half (47%) are making a greater effort to eat more locally produced food.
Typically, the younger generation is more concerned with environmental issues. However, our research found that consumers aged 18-24 discard milk roughly 168 times per year, whereas consumers aged 65 and above only discard milk around 93 times a year.
Older consumers report discarding of milk much less frequently than younger consumers do and the difference doesn’t stem from type of milk consumed (chilled vs ambient).
Milk and other dairy products are significant categories in terms of food waste, with 5 to 10% of consumers indicating they often throw away milk. In the UK, shelf life is the biggest reason for milk waste – 35% of people waste milk because it has not been used within its use-by date. Whereas in the US, the size of the package is common reason for wasting milk.
Also, chilled milk consumers throw away milk twice as often than ambient milk consumers.
The study said on average, plant milk drinkers discard milk 1.4 times more often than cow milk drinkers.
Food waste does not just occur in consumption. For example, 48% of food is wasted in the supply chain. Much of this waste is due to challenges with farming and growing, such as climate conditions and inadequate harvesting times.
Only 23% is wasted at distribution and retail, yet much of this is due to expiration dates and aesthetics standards. 29% of food is wasted at consumption, by either households or food services.
Tetra Pak said it has expertise in deploying various solutions that help reduce food waste, across the supply chain. For example, retailers can implement ‘dynamic pricing’, enabling retailers to track which products are close to the end of shelf life, and should be sold quicky. Additionally, food products can be labelled with a QR code, which is scanned when the product leaves the factory, creating a “digital twin.”
When the products reach a consumer’s home, the QR code can be scanned to provide consumers with real shelf life information, such as bacteria count, thereby reducing waste.
Christmas cooking issues – no butter woes says Land O’Lakes
In North America, there have been concerns for some time over an apparent shortage of cream cheese at bagel stores.
And 2021 has seen some issues when it comes to distribution, and those have been affecting the food industry in countries around the world.
The holiday season in the US typically starts with Thanksgiving, and with Christmas approaching, there have been concerns over other food supplies, especially when it comes to baking ingredients, which traditionally see a sales spike in the latter part of the year.
However, according to US dairy company Land O’Lakes, there may be issues with some supplies of food, but butter isn’t going to be one of them.
This holiday season, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin projects Americans will buy 161m pounds of butter from the second week of November through Christmas Day. Despite this huge demand, Land O’Lakes is confident there will be no shortage of butter for holiday cooking and baking.
Land O’Lakes said being a cooperative makes it more immune to some of the supply chain struggles some other companies are having.
We spoke about butter with Heather Anfang, senior vice president of U.S. dairy foods at Land O’Lakes.
FrieslandCampina Ingredients and AGT Foods partner on plant-based protein solutions
FrieslandCampina Ingredients has entered the plant-based protein market with two powder solutions developed in collaboration with AGT Foods, one of the world’s largest suppliers of value-added pulses, staple foods and ingredients.
Dairy ingredients provider FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ first plant-based offering, co-developed with AGT Foods using pulse ingredients, is the Plantaris range.
It will first feature Plantaris Pea Isolate 85 A and Plantaris Faba Isolate 90 A. Both solutions have been designed to overcome common formulation challenges associated with plant proteins – particularly the flavor off-notes of pea proteins, which consumers can find unappealing. The new, light cream-colored protein powders will help brands expand protein product offerings and meet high consumer expectations for taste, texture and performance.
Herman Ermens, president of FrieslandCampina Ingredients, said, “Demand for plant-based products is a trend that is shaping the future of how we eat. As consumers become more health and planet-conscious than ever, demand for plant-based proteins is increasing. More people are identifying as flexitarian, and therefore want a wider range of protein options, from plant and dairy sources, to suit their changing needs.
“At FrieslandCampina Ingredients, we know protein. It’s in our DNA. And because of that, we know we have value to add in this space. By partnering with AGT, a leading innovator in plant-based ingredients, we want to help our customers seize the opportunities in this growing market by presenting high-quality dairy and plant-based proteins, side by side. Our partnership opens up huge scope for innovation and the creation of precisely-targeted end-products for today’s consumers.”
FrieslandCampina Ingredients said research shows 47% of consumers find the taste of plant proteins less appealing than animal proteins. However, it said sensory panel tests show products formulated using Plantaris have an overall cleaner taste than other products available on the market. Plantaris Pea Isolate and Plantaris Faba Isolate deliver a neutral-tasting base and are highly heat stable, meaning they can be formulated with a variety of flavors and in multiple formats.
Both ingredients are extracted using a gentle, chemical-free manufacturing process, and are specially processed to ensure dispersibility, solubility, stability, and low dusting. Suitable for a range of applications, they are also gluten free and a good source of essential amino acids, such as leucine and branch chain amino acids (BCAA). These ingredients have a very high protein content, which helps to optimally stimulate muscle protein synthesis.
“The world of food and nutrition reacts quickly to changing consumer demands. Collaboration and innovation are key elements for unlocking opportunities in the plant-based market,” said Murad Al-Katib, president and CEO of AGT Foods.
“This partnership was borne out of mutual desire to deliver an effective, sustainable solution for today’s health-conscious and environmentally aware consumers. By combining our knowledge of pulses as a healthy and sustainable source of protein, with FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ market understanding and formulation expertise, Plantaris is the ideal solution for brands looking to develop protein products with staying power as the nutrition market continues to evolve.
“We’re looking forward to our continued partnership and seeing how, together, we can serve the market better to help brands realize the full potential of plant proteins.”