Food Protection Trends - July/August 2019 - 351

spearheaded by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the
Grocery Manufacturers Association to develop streamlined,
voluntary product code date labeling that would be consistently
applied and that would generate less confusion for consumers.
In early 2017, the group eventually endorsed the following
statements:
§ "BEST if used by..." for shelf-stable products
§ "USE by..." for perishable products
Use of the new statements is voluntary and was recommended to coincide with the new FDA requirements for
Nutrition Fact Panels (for which the compliance date has
changed several times; currently it is January 1, 2020, for large
manufacturers) (9). A white paper and implementation guide
on the new date labeling statements are available on the FMI
website (5).
Money, not surprisingly, plays a large role in how companies
address sustainability. The financial sector itself is recognizing
the importance of sustainability; it is key to the "environmental,
social, and corporate governance" factors that are being increasingly
used to assess the broader ethical implications of investments
by many organizations. As discussed by Rob Celin, venture
investment in agrifood has increased in recent years, with
notable investments in technologies and logistics that promote
sustainability and reduce waste.
Underlying the financial sector's interest in sustainability is
the realization that not only do sustainability initiatives improve
a company's image, they also can improve their bottom line.
Several speakers provided case studies of how waste reduction
strategies saved companies money. Scott Burnett discussed
situations in the food industry where implementing water
reduction measures resulted in substantial financial savings. In
one case study, careful analysis of water used in washes and rinses
during fluid milk processing resulted in changes which conserved
large amounts of water, energy, and money. Other examples cited
by Burnett included the replacement of water with a dry lubricant
for conveyor lubrication and the reuse of wash water during
poultry processing.
Saving money by re-design of existing processes or products
to be more environmentally friendly was discussed by several
other speakers as well. Rob Celin described how food companies
can save significant energy costs by updating their cold chain
infrastructure with taller warehouse and upgraded insulation.
Strategically locating cold storage facilities can also reduce
transportation and storage costs. Celin presented a case study

Figure 5. Armand Paradis (institute for Food Safety and Health).

Figure 6. Food recovery hierarchy (reproduced from ePA).

in which cold-chain warehouses were "multi-purposed" to both
freeze (to kill insects) and sterilize (to kill microbial pathogens)
in cashews at the same facility, greatly reducing shipping expenses.
Eva Almenar described how re-design of Einstein Brothers Bagels
"grab and go" bagel buckets saved the company ~$500,000
annually in packaging costs (6).
In addition to saving money, reducing food waste through
sustainability efforts can also generate new revenue streams
for food companies. Companies can make money by turning
by-products into "co-products." Cole Doolittle described the
food recovery hierarchy (Fig. 1) which delineates a preferred
order in which food waste should be handled when possible.
A niche use lower in the hierarchy (an industrial use) is the
utilization of cherry pits as a road base in orchards. At a higher
level, food companies may turn by-products into alternative food
ingredients for animals or even humans; these levels are high in the
hierarchy and represent areas where the food industry can make a
meaningful difference.
Three speakers explored ways by which different food
industries (meat/rendering, fresh produce, and dairy) are
addressing food waste and sustainability by turning "byproducts" into "co-products." As discussed by David Meeker,
sustainability in the animal agriculture industry means using all
of every animal for the highest purpose. Up to half of the weight
of agricultural animals is not used for human food. The meat
industry has an exceptionally long history of finding profitable
uses for by-products of the meat industry. Protein by-products
are used for livestock, poultry, and pet food when possible. The
use of rendered fats and proteins as animal feed ingredients
replaces corn and soybeans that would require 6.3 million acres
of U.S. cropland for production. Industrial uses of rendering
products include fertilizer applications, personal care and
industrial products, bioenergy, and more.
In the fresh produce industry, Will Daniels described how
blemished produce, rather than being discarded, can be used
to create value-added products such as pre-cut vegetables. He
pointed out that such products do require more processing,
packaging, and proper cold-chain management, but consumers
want these products and are willing to pay premium prices for
them.
The dairy industry generates a significant amount of whey,
with 100 pounds of milk generating 10 pounds of cheese (versus
90 pounds of whey, formerly considered a waste product). Rohit
July/August Food Protection Trends

351

Food Protection Trends - July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - July/August 2019