In recognition of this International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, CP Kelco is proud to help their customers take action. According to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, cutting food waste in half by 2030 is one of the United Nations’ top priorities. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 calls for ‘halving per-capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains.’ Although millions of people face hunger across the globe, there is a big problem with food waste at retail and consumer levels in industrialised countries.
In the yogurt industry, sometimes confusing ‘sell by,’ ‘enjoy by’ and ‘best before’ dates on product labels are a key cause of food waste. According to Chr. Hansen, 80% of all yogurt waste is related to the expiry date. A recent article published in the Washington Post goes one step further, stating: “A lot of good food goes to waste, as consumers misinterpret expiration dates and throw away refrigerators full of edible food.”
Ambient yogurt and yogurt alternatives help prevent food waste by extending shelf stability for months. With no need for refrigeration, ambient yogurt can be enjoyed anywhere at any time, which adds to its convenience and snackability. For dairy and alternative protein manufacturers, ambient yogurt increases geographical reach through the world of e-commerce with no cold chain distribution challenges.
In collaboration with Chr. Hansen, CP Kelco has developed an array of great-tasting, shelf-stable ‘vegurts,’ plant-based alternatives to dairy yogurt in drinkable and spoonable thicknesses.
GENU® Pectin is the ingredient that started it all for CP Kelco. Upcycled from citrus peels, an abundant and sustainably sourced by-product of the juice industry. At their plant in Brazil, whatever is left over from the production process is recovered and turned into beneficial side products, including d-limonene, fertigation (fertiliser + irrigation) for nearby crops, and molasses and feed for 30,000 local farm animals.
This very consumer-friendly ingredient has been a staple for jams, jellies, yogurt fruit prep and acidified protein drinks. It provides a juicy bite to plant-based meat alternatives, a creamy mouthfeel to dairy applications and heat stability for formulating gelatin-free gummies.
Citrus Fibre is likewise upcycled from spent citrus peels, an abundant by-product of the juice industry and locally sourced near CP Kelco’ manufacturing facility in Brazil. Leftover materials from the citrus fibre production process are repurposed to support a circular mindset. Nutrients in the process water are used to fertilise local crops such as sugar cane. In addition, any peel by-product left over is turned into animal feed that supplements the diets of 30,000 farm animals per year.
NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber is a highly versatile food ingredient that can be listed simply as citrus fibre on the label. It supports dietary fibre intake while providing emulsion stability, viscosity, mouthfeel enhancement, syneresis control and water-holding capacity. Easily recognisable by consumers, it can be beneficial for applications as diverse as baked goods, beverages, condiments, sauces, dairy, dairy alternatives, and meat and meat alternatives. In addition, NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber supports the replacement or reduction of ingredients including traditional emulsifiers and stabilisers, starch, egg, butter, xanthan gum, tomato solids and fruit pulp. For more visit cpkelco.com
