The most innovative companies in food of 2023
Explore the full 2023 list of Fast Company’s  Most Innovative Companies , 540 organizations that are reshaping industries and culture. We’ve selected the firms making the biggest impact across 54 categories, including  advertising ,  beauty ,  design , and more. Many of this year’s most innovative companies in food focused on products and packaging that help the planet. Twenty-nine-year-old tea company  Tazo  overhauled its entire supply chain to sell tea from farms that use regenerative farming practices. Similarly,  Forever Oceans  is farming fish in the middle of the ocean to protect coastal environments using tech it developed to process data from dozens of remote farm locations. Spero Foods  is using new ingredients to replace pantry staples. The company, which started making cheese from sunflower seeds and other vegan staples, launched an egg substitute made from seven natural ingredients including pumpkin seeds. Cooking oil company  Zero Acre Farms  launched a new fermented oil made through a process that has a 90% smaller environmental footprint than traditional vegetable oil. Other companies like  Simple Mills  have sought to use unloved, yet vital, ingredients, such as buckwheat, which helps farmers prevent the spread of weeds. Other firms have reduced their environmental footprint by changing their packaging. Graphic Packaging  created a cardboard packaging system for can multipacks that eliminates the need for plastic rings and shrink wrap. SavrPack  launched thermodynamic packets that keep fruit and vegetables stored inside fresher for longer, reducing waste from households and grocery stores. Other companies are being recognized for designing delightful products that expand our palates. YouTube star  MrBeast  launched snacks called Feastables and has used the snacks to create more of his signature stunt-filled content. Newly launched  Heyday Canning has turned a boring pantry staple—canned beans—into tasty meals
MRBEAST
For selling fans on craveable content
While consumer-facing facing brands scramble to sign on influencers as ambassadors, YouTuber  MrBeast  (aka Jimmy Donaldson) turned the tables and developed a breakout restaurant empire on his own, marketing it directly to his 116 million subscribers. In 2020, he created the virtual restaurant MrBeast Burger, announcing the new brand via a YouTube video that has since amassed more than 110 million views. The restaurant, which is now available in 1,700 locations across the U.S. and the U.K, opened its first physical location at the American Dream Mall in New Jersey this past September. The pandemonium that ensued when a reported 10,000 fans showed up at the mall for its debut became a viral moment in and of itself. In 2022, MrBeast used his marketing playbook to expand further into food, spinning out the snack brand Feastables, which makes chocolate bars and cookies. (Jim Murray, the former president of the protein bar company RXBar, is Feastables’ CEO and cofounder.) Within four months, the brand reported $10 million in sales, and in September it launched in Walmart. The key to the success of both brands: MrBeast isn’t just cashing in on his internet fame to sell products: He’s using the products themselves to create stunt-filled craveable content for his followers. He paired his Feastables announcement with a sweepstakes giveaway of $1 million worth of prizes (Teslas, Sea Doos, Beats by Dre earbuds), drawing so much user traffic that his site crashed. And then he took the grand prize winners on an unorthodox tour of his Feastables factory. The resulting video, I Built Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory!, now has 128 million views. For the MrBeast Burger launch at the American Dream mall, he announced that he’d give $10,000 to 100 people who could hide in the mall without being found. One day after the video of the antic-filled game of hide-and-seek (56 million views) went live, MrBeast cut the ribbon of his first brick-and-mortar outpost. TAZO
For making a major commitment to regenerative farming
This year,  Tazo , one of the biggest tea companies in the United States, rolled out a plan to source its entire tea supply chain exclusively from farms that use regenerative farming practices by 2026. The Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey–based company has already started making changes: Under the new plan, every aspect of the business will be reevaluated through a regenerative-focused lens, whether it’s how the company treats and compensates farmers or how it sources ingredients and packaging. As a first step, the brand reformulated its four best-selling blends with ingredients grown using regenerative practices, such as monitoring soil health, providing pollinator habitats on farms, and using cover crops. The new formulations meet requirements from the USDA, Fair Trade USA, and the Rainforest Alliance. By the end of 2023, the tea brand expects that 60% to 80% of its products will reflect regenerative practices, and it plans to use exclusively reusable, recyclable, or compostable packaging by 2025. In 2022, the company also donated approximately $1.475 million to mission-aligned organizations through its 1% for the Planet commitment. ATHLETIC BREWING
For taking nonalcoholic beers mainstream
Nonalcoholic brewing company  Athletic Brewing  has developed a cult following since its launch six years ago, becoming the largest alcohol-free craft beer brand in the United States. The brand, which appeals to consumers with its limited-edition drops and social media partnerships with influencers, including college athletes, grew from producing 12,000 cases of beer in 2018 to 1.4 million in 2021. In June, it increased its production capacity dramatically—to more than 5 million cases—with the opening of a new 150,000-square-foot facility in Milford, Connecticut, one of the biggest nonalcoholic breweries in the world. Athletic made moves to further mainstream its brews by taking a $50 million investment from Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. in November, which gave KDP a minority stake in the company. In 2022, Athletic scaled its distribution, and now its brews are sold in all 50 states. The company also recently expanded its U.K. presence via new placements with the grocery chain Tesco. FOREVER OCEANS
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Traditional fish farms in bays and estuaries can wreak havoc on coastal environments. The offshore fish farming company  Forever Oceans  has developed an alternative approach: It raises sashimi-grade fish in the middle of the ocean—more than a mile below the surface. Forever Oceans uses AI-powered cameras, remote-controlled robots, and a single-point mooring system to minimize its farms’ impact on the seafloor and ocean ecosystems. In 2022, at its farm off the coast of Panama, the company finalized the development of its offshore remote technology and systems. These include a software platform capable of ingesting data from dozens of remote farm locations (covering everything from water quality to fish behavior) and submersible growing enclosures that are larger than Olympic-sized pools and capable of withstanding a Category 4 hurricane. Forever Oceans began harvesting its first cohort of fish in 2022. Its Kanpachi is now being served in more than 75 restaurants across the U.S. The company also signed a 20-year lease on a farm off the coast of Brazil, the largest of its kind. SPERO FOODS
For making vegan eggs out of ultra-nutritious pumpkin seeds. Spero , the company behind vegan staples like Sunflower Cheese, created a new plant-based egg in late 2022. The keto- and allergen-safe Pepita Egg is made from just seven ingredients, including pumpkin seeds, which are rich in protein, zinc, and magnesium. According to the company, the Pepita Egg is the only pourable clean label egg substitute on the market, meaning that it is made of natural ingredients of beneficial nutritional value. The Pepita Egg launched in Sprouts Farmers Markets across the U.S. The company’s other products are now stocked in grocery chains that include Fresh Market, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more. SAVRPAK
For tripling the lifespan of perishable fruits and veggies
In 2021,  SavrPak  introduced its flagship product: a small, biodegradable packet that can be placed inside takeout and delivery food containers to capture condensation and keep meals crispy and dry. In 2022, the company turned its attention to grocery stores, launching a thermodynamic packet that can keep delicate produce fresher than traditional packaging. Notably, though other companies have developed ways to extend the shelf life of perishable food, SavrPak is the only one to address produce that doesn’t have protective skins, such as berries and lettuce. In trials with produce growers, SavrPak’s packets extended the shelf life of blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries by four to seven days and Persian cucumbers by 28 days, allowing grocers to keep these items on shelves for longer, reducing food waste. The packaging is already being used at select supermarkets, including Mexico’s Justo chain, and will roll out in Spain, the U.K., Peru, and Canada next year. GRAPHIC PACKAGING INTERNATIONAL
For inventing a greener way to package cans
Atlanta-based design company  Graphic Packaging  developed Keelclip, a cardboard packaging system designed for can multipacks. Launched in Europe in 2019, Keelclip eliminates the need for plastic rings and shrink wrap to hold cans together; it saved an estimated 3 million pounds of plastic in 2019 alone. This year, the company partnered with Coca-Cola to bring the invention to the United States for the first time, installing a Keelclip packing machine at a production facility in New York. The machine is estimated to save 75,000 pounds of plastic annually in the production of 3.1 million cases. To date, the technology has been used to package more than 550 million packs worldwide. Coca-Cola has stated that it plans to roll out the packaging solution across the world. SIMPLE MILLS
For championing biodiversity by making products with unloved ingredients
While many companies start with a pre-existing product and try to find more sustainable ways of producing it, ten-year-old  Simple Mills  has adopted a strategy of identifying ingredients that promote biodiversity and using them to develop products. The company launched two milestone products this year: Simple Mills’ Nut Butter Stuffed Sandwich Cookies and Nut & Seed Flour All Purpose Baking Mix. Both are made with buckwheat, a fast-growing plant that can rejuvenate soil and help prevent the spread of invasive weeds. With distribution in more than 28,000 stores, Simple Mills is helping expand market demand for buckwheat and other sustainable ingredients. This year, the company also started working with farmers in Java, Indonesia, to implement regenerative agricultural practices in coconut sugar harvesting, and it launched an initiative to make almond farming more sustainable in California. HEYDAY CANNING
For creating a new category: premium beans
Canned food startup  Heyday Canning  has taken a cheap pantry staple—canned beans—and turned it into a tasty meal. Cofounded in fall 2022 by Kat Kavner, a Clif Bar alum, and Jaime Tulley, who worked at Sweet Earth Foods, the brand launched six varieties of flavored beans, including harissa lemon chickpeas and kimchi sesame navy beans. The cans are priced at $4.99 and designed to compete with $0.99 beans in the canned goods aisle. The brand was created during the pandemic, when the cofounders saw many consumers reaching for canned food, only to find canned beans pretty bland. In November, Heyday began selling direct to consumer and in Sprouts grocers nationwide. It’s rolling out to Whole Foods in 2023. ZERO ACRE FARMS
For fermenting cooking oil that’s healthier and more sustainable than other oils
Zero Acre Farms  produces guilt-free cooking oil that has a 90% smaller environmental footprint than traditional vegetable oil. Using fermentation, a process by which microbial cultures convert sugarcane into fat, Zero Acre Farms can create oil in days, compared to the months or years it takes for farmers to harvest oil from crops. Zero Acre’s oil can be produced with 17 times less land than traditional olive oil requires, and 11 times less water than sunflower oil. Released in July 2022 and sold (for now) direct-to-consumer, the oil is starting to draw in a faithful consumer base: The month after launching, Zero Acre saw a 500% increase in its returning customer rate. The company raised $37 million in February 2022 to help scale its production and bring its oils to a wider market. Recent News

The most innovative companies in food of 2023

Fight to curb food waste increasingly turns to science
4 minute read
Apples are washed and inspected at the BelleHarvest packing and storage facility on October 4, 2022 in Belding, Mich. BelleHarvest is the second largest packing and storage facility for apples in the state of Michigan. Hate mealy apples and soggy french fries? Science can help. Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste. Some are testing spray-on peels or chemically enhanced sachets that can slow the ripening process in fruit. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell—more precisely than a label—when meat is safe to consume. And packets affixed to the top of a takeout box use thermodynamics to keep fries crispy. Experts say growing awareness of food waste and its incredible cost—both in dollars and in environmental impact—has led to an uptick in efforts to mitigate it. US food waste startups raised $4.8 billion in 2021, 30 percent more than they raised in 2020, according to ReFed, a group that studies food waste. “This has suddenly become a big interest,” said Elizabeth Mitchum, director of the Postharvest Technology Center at the University of California, Davis, who has worked in the field for three decades. “Even companies that have been around for a while are now talking about what they do through that lens.”
In 2019, around 35 percent of the 229 million tons of food available in the US—worth around $418 billion—went unsold or uneaten, according to ReFed. Food waste is the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, which notes that rotting food releases methane, a problematic greenhouse gas. ReFed estimates 500,000 pounds (225,000 kilograms) of food could be diverted from landfills annually with high-tech packaging. Among the products in development are a sensor by Stockholm-based Innoscentia that can determine whether meat is safe depending on the buildup of microbes in its packaging. And Ryp Labs, based in the US and Belgium, is working on a produce sticker that would release a vapor to slow ripening. SavrPak was founded in 2020 by Bill Birgen, an aerospace engineer who was tired of the soggy food in his lunchbox. He developed a plant-based packet—made with food-safe materials approved by the US Food and Drug Administration—that can fit inside a takeout container and absorb condensation, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier. Nashville, Tennessee-based hot-chicken chain Hattie B’s was skeptical. But after testing SavrPaks using humidity sensors, it now uses the packs when it’s catering fried foods and is working with SavrPak to integrate the packs into regular takeout containers. Brian Morris, Hattie B’s vice president of culinary learning and development, said each SavrPak costs the company less than $1 but ensures a better meal. “When it comes to fried chicken, we kind of lose control from the point when it leaves our place,” Morris said. “We don’t want the experience to go down the drain.”
But cost can still be a barrier for some companies and consumers. Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery chain, ended its multiyear partnership with Goleta, California-based Apeel Sciences this year because it found consumers weren’t willing to pay more for produce brushed or sprayed with Apeel’s edible coating to keep moisture in and oxygen out, thus extending the time that produce stays fresh. Apeel says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while citrus fruit lasts for several weeks. The coating is made of purified mono- and diglycerides, emulsifiers that are common food additives. Kroger wouldn’t say how much more Apeel products cost. Apeel also wouldn’t reveal the average price premium for produce treated with its coating since it varies by food distributor and grocer. But Apeel says its research shows customers are willing to pay more for produce that lasts longer. Apeel also says it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology. There is another big hurdle to coming up with innovations to preserve food: Every food product has its own biological makeup and handling requirements. “There is no one major change that can improve the situation,” said Randy Beaudry, a professor in the horticulture department at Michigan State University’s school of agriculture. Beaudry said the complexity has caused some projects to fail. He remembers working with one large packaging company on a container designed to prevent fungus in tomatoes. For the science to work, the tomatoes had to be screened for size and then oriented stem-up in each container. Eventually the project was scrapped. Beaudry said it’s also hard to sort out which technology works best, since startups don’t always share data or formulations with outside researchers. Some companies find it better to rely on proven technology—but in new ways. Chicago-based Hazel Technologies, which was founded in 2015, sells 1-methylcyclopropene, or 1-MCP, a gas that has been used for decades to delay the ripening process in fruit. The compound—considered non-toxic by the EPA—is typically pumped into sealed storage rooms to inhibit the production of ethylene, a plant hormone. But Hazel’s real breakthrough is a sachet the size of a sugar packet that can slowly release 1-MCP into a box of produce. AP National Writer and Visual Journalist Martha Irvine contributed from Belding, Michigan. Mike Mazie, the facilities and storage manager at BelleHarvest, a large apple packing facility in Belding, Michigan, ordered around 3,000 sachets this year. He used them for surplus bins that couldn’t fit into the sealed rooms required for gas. “If you can get another week out of a bushel of apples, why wouldn’t you?” he said. “It absolutely makes a difference.”
The science is promising but it’s only part of the solution, said Yvette Cabrera, the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Most food waste happens at the residential level, she said; lowering portion sizes, buying smaller quantities of food at a time or improving the accuracy of date labels could have even more impact than technology. “Overall as a society, we don’t value food as it should be valued,” Cabrera said. AP National Writer and Visual Journalist Martha Irvine contributed from Belding, Michigan.

Fight to curb food waste increasingly turns to science

An undated photo provided by SavrPak shows one of the California-based company's chemical-free, biodegradable packets that control moisture inside the package and fend off external moisture. A growing number of agri-tech companies are using science to try to extend the life of produce — and help prevent food waste. — AP Photo via SavrPak
Hate mealy apples and soggy french fries? Science can help. Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste. Some are testing spray-on peels or chemically enhanced sachets that can slow the ripening process in fruit. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell – more precisely than a label – when meat is safe to consume. And packets affixed to the top of a takeout box use thermodynamics to keep fries crispy. Experts say growing awareness of food waste and its incredible cost – both in dollars and in environmental impact – has led to an uptick in efforts to mitigate it. US food waste startups raised US$4.8bil (RM21.13bil) in 2021, 30% more than they raised in 2020, according to ReFed, a group that studies food waste. “This has suddenly become a big interest,” said Elizabeth Mitchum, director of the Postharvest Technology Center at the University of California, Davis, who has worked in the field for three decades. “Even companies that have been around for a while are now talking about what they do through that lens.”
In 2019, around 35% of the 229 million tons of food available in the US – worth around US$418bil (RM1.84 trillion) – went unsold or uneaten, according to ReFed. Food waste is the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, which notes that rotting food releases methane, a problematic greenhouse gas. ReFed estimates 500,000 pounds (225,000 kilogrammes) of food could be diverted from landfills annually with high-tech packaging. Among the products in development are a sensor by Stockholm-based Innoscentia that can determine whether meat is safe depending on the buildup of microbes in its packaging. And Ryp Labs, based in the US and Belgium, is working on a produce sticker that would release a vapor to slow ripening. SavrPak was founded in 2020 by Bill Birgen, an aerospace engineer who was tired of the soggy food in his lunchbox. He developed a plant-based packet – made with food-safe materials approved by the US Food and Drug Administration – that can fit inside a takeout container and absorb condensation, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier. Nashville, Tennessee-based hot-chicken chain Hattie B’s was sceptical. But after testing SavrPaks using humidity sensors, it now uses the packs when it’s catering fried foods and is working with SavrPak to integrate the packs into regular takeout containers. Brian Morris, Hattie B’s vice-president of culinary learning and development, said each SavrPak costs the company less than US$1 (RM4) but ensures a better meal. “When it comes to fried chicken, we kind of lose control from the point when it leaves our place,” Morris said. “We don’t want the experience to go down the drain.”
But cost can still be a barrier for some companies and consumers. Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery chain, ended its multiyear partnership with Goleta, California-based Apeel Sciences this year because it found consumers weren’t willing to pay more for produce brushed or sprayed with Apeel’s edible coating to keep moisture in and oxygen out, thus extending the time that produce stays fresh. Apeel says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while citrus fruit lasts for several weeks. The coating is made of purified mono- and diglycerides, emulsifiers that are common food additives. Kroger wouldn’t say how much more Apeel products cost. Apeel also wouldn’t reveal the average price premium for produce treated with its coating since it varies by food distributor and grocer. But Apeel says its research shows customers are willing to pay more for produce that lasts longer. Apeel also says it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology. There is another big hurdle to coming up with innovations to preserve food: Every food product has its own biological makeup and handling requirements. “There is no one major change that can improve the situation,” said Randy Beaudry, a professor in the horticulture department at Michigan State University’s school of agriculture. Beaudry said the complexity has caused some projects to fail. He remembers working with one large packaging company on a container designed to prevent fungus in tomatoes. For the science to work, the tomatoes had to be screened for size and then oriented stem-up in each container. Eventually the project was scrapped. Beaudry said it’s also hard to sort out which technology works best, since startups don’t always share data or formulations with outside researchers. Some companies find it better to rely on proven technology – but in new ways. Chicago-based Hazel Technologies, which was founded in 2015, sells 1-methylcyclopropene, or 1-MCP, a gas that has been used for decades to delay the ripening process in fruit. The compound – considered non-toxic by the EPA – is typically pumped into sealed storage rooms to inhibit the production of ethylene, a plant hormone. But Hazel’s real breakthrough is a sachet the size of a sugar packet that can slowly release 1-MCP into a box of produce. Mike Mazie, the facilities and storage manager at BelleHarvest, a large apple packing facility in Belding, Michigan, ordered around 3,000 sachets this year. He used them for surplus bins that couldn’t fit into the sealed rooms required for gas. “If you can get another week out of a bushel of apples, why wouldn’t you?” he said. “It absolutely makes a difference.”
The science is promising but it’s only part of the solution, said Yvette Cabrera, the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Most food waste happens at the residential level, she said; lowering portion sizes, buying smaller quantities of food at a time or improving the accuracy of date labels could have even more impact than technology. “Overall as a society, we don’t value food as it should be valued,” Cabrera said. – AP
Article type: free

Fight to curb food waste increasingly turns to science, tech

DAILY PRESS
Hate mealy apples and soggy french fries? Science can help. Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste. Some are testing spray-on peels or chemically enhanced sachets that can slow the ripening process in fruit. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell — more precisely than a label — when meat is safe to consume. And packets affixed to the top of a takeout box use thermodynamics to keep fries crispy. Experts say growing awareness of food waste and its incredible cost — both in dollars and in environmental impact — has led to an uptick in efforts to mitigate it. U.S. food waste startups raised $4.8 billion in 2021, 30% more than they raised in 2020, according to ReFed, a group that studies food waste. “This has suddenly become a big interest,” said Elizabeth Mitchum, director of the Postharvest Technology Center at the University of California, Davis, who has worked in the field for three decades. “Even companies that have been around for a while are now talking about what they do through that lens.”
In 2019, around 35% of the 229 million tons of food available in the U.S. — worth around $418 billion — went unsold or uneaten, according to ReFed. Food waste is the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which notes that rotting food releases methane, a problematic greenhouse gas. ReFed estimates 500,000 pounds (225,000 kilograms) of food could be diverted from landfills annually with high-tech packaging. Among the products in development are a sensor by Stockholm-based Innoscentia that can determine whether meat is safe depending on the buildup of microbes in its packaging. And Ryp Labs, based in the U.S. and Belgium, is working on a produce sticker that would release a vapor to slow ripening. SavrPak was founded in 2020 by Bill Birgen, an aerospace engineer who was tired of the soggy food in his lunchbox. He developed a plant-based packet — made with food-safe materials approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration — that can fit inside a takeout container and absorb condensation, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier. Nashville, Tennessee-based hot-chicken chain Hattie B’s was skeptical. But after testing SavrPaks using humidity sensors, it now uses the packs when it’s catering fried foods and is working with SavrPak to integrate the packs into regular takeout containers. Brian Morris, Hattie B’s vice president of culinary learning and development, said each SavrPak costs the company less than $1 but ensures a better meal. “When it comes to fried chicken, we kind of lose control from the point when it leaves our place,” Morris said. “We don’t want the experience to go down the drain.”
But cost can still be a barrier for some companies and consumers. Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery chain, ended its multiyear partnership with Goleta, California-based Apeel Sciences this year because it found consumers weren’t willing to pay more for produce brushed or sprayed with Apeel’s edible coating to keep moisture in and oxygen out, thus extending the time that produce stays fresh. Apeel says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while citrus fruit lasts for several weeks. The coating is made of purified mono- and diglycerides, emulsifiers that are common food additives. Kroger wouldn’t say how much more Apeel products cost. Apeel also wouldn’t reveal the average price premium for produce treated with its coating since it varies by food distributor and grocer. But Apeel says its research shows customers are willing to pay more for produce that lasts longer. Apeel also says it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology. There is another big hurdle to coming up with innovations to preserve food: Every food product has its own biological makeup and handling requirements. “There is no one major change that can improve the situation,” said Randy Beaudry, a professor in the horticulture department at Michigan State University’s school of agriculture. Beaudry said the complexity has caused some projects to fail. He remembers working with one large packaging company on a container designed to prevent fungus in tomatoes. For the science to work, the tomatoes had to be screened for size and then oriented stem-up in each container. Eventually the project was scrapped. Beaudry said it’s also hard to sort out which technology works best, since startups don’t always share data or formulations with outside researchers. Some companies find it better to rely on proven technology — but in new ways. Chicago-based Hazel Technologies, which was founded in 2015, sells 1-methylcyclopropene, or 1-MCP, a gas that has been used for decades to delay the ripening process in fruit. The compound — considered non-toxic by the EPA — is typically pumped into sealed storage rooms to inhibit the production of ethylene, a plant hormone. But Hazel’s real breakthrough is a sachet the size of a sugar packet that can slowly release 1-MCP into a box of produce. Mike Mazie, the facilities and storage manager at BelleHarvest, a large apple packing facility in Belding, Michigan, ordered around 3,000 sachets this year. He used them for surplus bins that couldn’t fit into the sealed rooms required for gas. “If you can get another week out of a bushel of apples, why wouldn’t you?” he said. “It absolutely makes a difference.”
The science is promising but it’s only part of the solution, said Yvette Cabrera, the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Most food waste happens at the residential level, she said; lowering portion sizes, buying smaller quantities of food at a time or improving the accuracy of date labels could have even more impact than technology. “Overall as a society, we don’t value food as it should be valued,” Cabrera said. NEWSLETTER
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By DEE-ANN DURBIN - AP Business Writer
Dec 9, 2022
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Apples are washed and inspected at the BelleHarvest packing and storage facility, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 in Belding, Mich. BelleHarvest is the second largest packing and storage facility for apples in the state of Michigan. Carlos Osorio - staff, AP
This undated photo provided by SavrPak shows one of the California-based company's chemical-free, biodegradable packets that control moisture inside the package and fend off external moisture. A growing number of agri-tech companies are using science to try to extend the life of produce -- and help prevent food waste. Handout - handout one time use, SavrPak
Boxes of apple packages are stacked for delivery to grocery stores at the BelleHarvest packing and storage facility, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in Belding, Mich. This process happens repeatedly throughout the year as apples are taken out of special storage rooms that help them stay fresher. Increasingly, customers are demanding crisp apples year-round, and growers and packers are finding more ways to try to meet that demand. Carlos Osorio - staff, AP
Flasks containing pieces of fruit swirl in flasks on June, 28, 2022, at Hazel Technologies headquarters in Chicago. Hazel is one of several companies that's using science to try to help fruit growers keep their product fresher, especially as consumers demand fresh fruit all year round. The goal is also to prevent food waste and ultimately the release of methane, a greenhouse gas that rotting fruit emits and that impacts the climate. Martha Irvine - staff, AP
Elizabeth Pauls of Wittenbach Orchards stands among apple trees, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, at the orchards in Belding, Mich. Pauls is a fifth-generation apple grower and attended Michigan State University to study agriculture. She says science-based technology for storing apples has improved markedly, even in the past few years. That means more of her familyâs apples make it to consumers throughout the year. Carlos Osorio - staff, AP
BelleHarvest facilities and storage manager Mike Mazie, describes, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 in Belding, Mich., how the process of "putting the apples to sleep" to slow ripening is a "bit of a maze" that involves adjusting the temperature, oxygen and CO2 levels of storage rooms and often using treatments that inhibit release of a natural hormone in apples and other produce known as ethylene. BelleHarvest is the second largest packing and storage facility for apples in the state of Michigan. Carlos Osorio - staff, AP
Workers sort and package apples at the BelleHarvest packing and storage facility, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in Belding, Mich. This process happens repeatedly throughout the year as apples are taken out of special storage rooms that help them stay fresher. Carlos Osorio - staff, AP
Apples speed along as theyâre sorted for size and quality at the BelleHarvest packing and storage facility, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022, in Belding, Mich. This process happens repeatedly throughout the year as apples are taken out of special storage rooms that help them stay fresher. They are then sent to grocery stores. Carlos Osorio - staff, AP
Apples are washed at the BelleHarvest packing and storage facility, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2022 in Belding, Mich. BelleHarvest is the second largest packing and storage facility for apples in the state of Michigan. Carlos Osorio - staff, AP
In this photo taken Monday, Oct. 24, 2022, in Chicago, Patrick Flynn, a co-founder of Hazel Technologies, holds a sachet designed to slow the ripening of process of various fruits. The ingredients of the packet use scientific concepts to inhibit the naturally occurring hormone ethylene, which causes produce to ripen. The product is used for apples, table grapes, peaches, avocados and other items. Martha Irvine - staff, AP
Hate mealy apples and soggy french fries? Science can help. Restaurants, grocers, farmers and food companies are increasingly turning to chemistry and physics to tackle the problem of food waste. Some are testing spray-on peels or chemically-enhanced sachets that can slow the ripening process in fruit. Others are developing digital sensors that can tell â more precisely than a label â when meat is safe to consume. And packets affixed to the top of a takeout box use thermodynamics to keep fries crispy. Experts say growing awareness of food waste and its incredible cost â both in dollars and in environmental impact â has led to an uptick in efforts to mitigate it. U.S. food waste startups raised $300 billion in 2021, double the amount raised in 2020, according to ReFed, a group that studies food waste. âThis has suddenly become a big interest,â said Elizabeth Mitchum, director of the Postharvest Technology Center at the University of California, Davis, who has worked in the field for three decades. âEven companies that have been around for a while are now talking about what they do through that lens.â
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In 2019, around 35% of the 229 million tons of food available in the U.S. â worth around $418 billion â went unsold or uneaten, according to ReFed. Food waste is the largest category of material placed in municipal landfills, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which says rotting food releases methane, a problematic greenhouse gas. ReFed estimates 500,000 pounds of food could be diverted from landfills annually with high-tech packaging. Among the products in development are a sensor by Stockholm-based Innoscentia that can determine whether meat is safe depending on the buildup of microbes in its packaging. And Ryp Labs, based in the U.S. and Belgium, is working on a produce sticker that would release a vapor to slow ripening. SavrPak was founded in 2020 by Bill Bergen, an aerospace engineer who was tired of the soggy food in his lunchbox. He developed a plant-based packet â made with food-safe materials approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration â that can fit inside a takeout container and absorb condensation, helping keep the food inside hotter and crispier. Nashville, Tennessee-based hot chicken chain Hattie Bâs was skeptical. But after testing SavrPaks using humidity sensors, it now uses the packs when itâs catering fried foods and is working with SavrPak to integrate the packs into regular takeout containers. Brian Morris, Hattie Bâs vice president of culinary learning and development, said each SavrPak costs the company less than $1 but ensures a better meal. âWhen it comes to fried chicken, we kind of lose control from the point when it leaves our place,â Morris said. âWe donât want the experience to go down the drain.â
But cost can still be a barrier for some companies and consumers. Kroger, the nationâs largest grocery chain, ended its multi-year partnership with Goleta, California-based Apeel Sciences this year because it found consumers werenât willing to pay more for produce brushed or sprayed with Apeel's edible coating to keep moisture in and oxygen out, and thus extending the time that produce stays fresh. Apeel says treated avocados can last a few extra days, while citrus fruit lasts for several weeks. The coating is made of purified mono- and diglycerides, emulsifiers that are common food additives. Kroger wouldnât say how much more Apeel products cost. Apeel also wouldnât reveal the average price premium for produce treated with its coating since it varies by food distributor and grocer. But Apeel says its research shows customers are willing to pay more for produce that lasts longer. Apeel also says it continues to talk to Kroger about other future technology. There is another big hurdle to coming up with innovations to preserve food: Every food product has its own biological makeup and handling requirements. âThere is no one major change that can improve the situation,â said Randy Beaudry, a professor in the horticulture department at Michigan State Universityâs school of agriculture. Beaudry said the complexity has caused some projects to fail. He remembers working with one large packaging company on a container designed to prevent fungus in tomatoes. For the science to work, the tomatoes had to be screened for size and then oriented stem-up in each container. Eventually the project was scrapped. Beaudry said itâs also hard to sort out which technology works best, since startups donât always share data or formulations with outside researchers. Some companies find it better to rely on proven technology â but in new ways. Chicago-based Hazel Technologies, which was founded in 2015, sells 1-methylcyclopropene, or 1-MCP, a gas that has been used for decades to delay the ripening process in fruit. The compound â considered non-toxic by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency â is typically pumped into sealed storage rooms to inhibit the production of ethylene, a plant hormone. But Hazelâs real breakthrough is a sachet the size of a sugar packet that can slowly release 1-MCP into a box of produce. Mike Mazie, the facilities and storage manager at BelleHarvest, a large apple packing facility in Belding, Michigan, ordered around 3,000 sachets this year. He used them for surplus bins that couldnât fit into the sealed rooms required for gas. âIf you can get another week out of a bushel of apples, why wouldnât you?â he said. âIt absolutely makes a difference.â
The science is promising but it's only part of the solution, said Yvette Cabrera, the director of food waste for the Natural Resources Defense Council. Most food waste happens at the residential level, she said; lowering portion sizes, buying smaller quantities of food at a time or improving the accuracy of date labels could have even more impact than technology. âOverall as a society, we donât value food as it should be valued,â Cabrera said. AP National Writer and Visual Journalist Martha Irvine contributed from Belding, Michigan. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

Jüsto provides a vertically integrated online grocery platform. The company offers a wide range of products, from fresh fruits and vegetables to household items, all available for home delivery. Its services are primarily targeted towards the electronic commerce industry. The company was founded in 2019 and is based in Mexico City, Mexico.

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Online Supermarket Jüsto Partners with SAVRpak to Deliver Longer-lasting Berries Straight to Consumer Doors

Sysco is a company that focuses on selling, marketing, and distributing food products, primarily in the foodservice and hospitality industries. The company offers a wide range of products including food items, equipment, and supplies for restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, and other establishments that prepare meals away from home. Sysco primarily serves sectors such as the restaurant industry, healthcare and senior living, higher education, government, food service management, travel, leisure, and retail. It was founded in 1969 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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SAVRPak develops technology to eliminate moisture from a container before food deteriorates, extending shelf life by up to two weeks. It manufactures and sells patented, non-woven air-laid sachets to remove excess moisture from the air inside food containers. SAVRPak was formerly known as Soggy Food Sucks. The company was founded in 2020 and is based in San Juan Capistrano, California.

Name	Work History	Title	Status
Bill Birgen	Honeywell	Founder, Chief Technology Officer	Current
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