Sustainability, Purity, Simplicity Are Dannon's New Watchwordsl

Yogurt maker Dannon is requiring its milk suppliers to adhere to the company’s animal welfare standards and to improve and conserve soil. The new requirement is part of Dannon’s response to a growing consumer concern about the source and wholesomeness of food. Consumers increasingly seek fewer synthetic ingredients in their foods, want their food to be more pure, and want food animals treated humanely. A slew of new food companies represent fairly tough competition for Dannon – which sells a third of all yogurts in America – by touting the simplicity and purity of their products.

"Yogurt Buyers Send Dannon Back to the Farm", The New York Times, April 26, 2016

Chef Works To Ensure Bright Future For Coffee Flour

A Seattle chef is convinced there’s a bright future for coffee flour, made from discarded coffee berry pulp. He has converted part of his restaurant’s kitchen into a sort of lab where he and colleagues test new formulations that use coffee flour to develop new applications beyond pastas, salad dressings, dips and batter. Thousands of tons of coffee fruit pulp – everything but the beans themselves – are thrown away each year. But Jason Wilson believes the waste product can not only be transformed into a valuable cooking ingredient, it can help raise the living standards of coffee farmers, benefit the environment, and boost the economies of coffee-producing countries. Coffee flour is the brainchild of Dan Belliveau, a former director of technical services at Starbucks.

"Coffee flour: How innovators turned a waste product into a superfood", The Seattle Times, April 27, 2016

Dannon Promises Greater Sustainability, More Natural Ingredients, Label Transparency

Yogurt maker Dannon has pledged to farmers, retailers, and consumers that it will improve sustainable practices for its milk supply. It also promises greater transparency for its products as uses more natural – and fewer – ingredients. Improving its sustainable agriculture practices and technology will lead to better soil health, better water management, an increase in biodiversity, and a decrease in carbon emission. Moving to natural ingredients means fewer synthetic and more non-GMO over a three-year transition period. The company will ensure that by the end of 2017 any GMO ingredients will be clearly indicated on product labels.

"Dannon Announces Breakthrough Sweeping Commitment for Sustainable Agriculture, More Natural Ingredients and Greater Transparency", News release, Dannon, April 27, 2016

Japan Tests AI For Food Waste Reduction

A Japanese weather services provider says it is determined to apply artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to reduce the 6.4 million tons of edible food that is thrown out annually. The Japan Weather Association (JWA), working with retailers, food producers and other companies, has developed a system that predicts food demand. It analyzes weather information, sales data, and other factors to project trends. Companies can use the information to scale back excess production and cut inventory losses. Included in the research is data on several dozen products, including cold ramen sauce, tofu, coffee and carbonated drinks. Adjusting production by using the data could reduce wasted noodle sauce by 40 percent and discarded tofu by 30 percent.

"AI could solve Japan's food waste problem", Nikkei Asian Review, April 28, 2016

Millenials Drive Growth In Sustainable Packaging For Beauty Products

Millennial consumers and young executives are driving growth in the cosmetics industry's adoption of sustainable packaging. Although significant progress has been made in developing environment-friendly packaging for beauty products, many factors, including lack of recycling facilities, non-oil-based materials, costs, and demand, are slowing down adoption. With millennials becoming stronger in corporate management, they are expected to push for more adoption of sustainable packaging, prompting major suppliers in the beauty sector to work harder to develop environment-friendly packaging and practices. This trend has been gaining strength in the past several years, with the cosmetics industry adding more post-consumer recycled materials into packaging. Neenah Packaging’s director of marketing Mark Sng said, millennials account for an increase in customer requests for ecology-friendly packaging.

"Simply ‘Green’ Packaging", Beauty Packaging, April 28, 2016

Lush Would Rather Sell Naked Products Than Use Non-Environment-Friendly Packaging, Buying Manager Says

Beauty brand Lush is selling solid products, such as shampoo bars, soap, and Bath Bombs, that do not need as much packaging as conventional personal care products. When a product needs packaging for protection, Lush uses packaging made from recycled materials. One of its recycling programs, Black Pot, has helped collect more than 300,000 black pots, which were later recycled into new black pots. Lush's ethical buying manager Heather Deeth said creating packaging-free products is a main part of the company's business philosophy, with the company's emphasis on focusing on product quality instead of packaging. Lush uses 100-percent recycled content material for plastic, paper, or cardboard packaging, Deeth said.

"Online Exclusives: Lush Takes An Ecological Approach to Retailing", Beauty Packaging, May 02, 2016