Future Food Cast

In today's episode, we spoke with Toni Bucci, Chief Operating Officer of AgBiome, Inc., about how they help growers protect their crops and farm sustainability. She describes how today's growers are highly knowledgeable about soil health and strategies for farming more sustainably, and they are searching for creative solutions to decrease synthetic inputs while maintaining the microbial diversity that leads to higher yield. We spoke about how they use microorganisms to improve global food production. Toni talks about AgBiome's products, agriculture's expanding biological section, and how consumer purchasing habits have changed producers' input options. We discussed the challenges in the supply chain industry and how live organisms need to be kept in cold. She also shared about they have received the B-Corp Certification and how they also work their products from the consumer buying trends perspective and why clean labels matters in the products.

Luan Blancher, Category Manager- Beverages at Givaudan, spoke with us about the various trends in tastes, taste nutritional, and functional solutions in the beverage category. She mentioned how Givaudan is not just in tastes but also in ingredients such as botanicals and nutraceuticals, and how their main goal is to collaborate with B2B customers. We also spoke with her about trends in a variety of ways, including economic, social, and political trends, as well as extensive research to identify consumer needs and how they may be met. She also discusses the significance of data research in terms of market trends. She gave a quick overview of evolving consumer patterns in the beverage market. She also discussed how Givaudan focuses on sustainable product procurement. Luan also mentioned that Givaudan is in the process of becoming B-Corp Certified, which looks at sustainability, employee wellbeing, carbon emissions, and how to decrease wastewater, among other things. We also spoke about how they are giving back to the community and ensuring that the farmers are well compensated for the future.

In this episode, we speak with Aidan Mouat, CEO, and Co-Founder of Hazel Technologies, Inc., about how they are creating innovations to increase food's shelf life and reduce waste to become more sustainable. Aidan shared a brief on how they planned to use a new category of biochemistry to improve the shelf life of perishable items and combat spoilage in order to decrease food waste. He talked about small molecule signaling processes in perishable foods and how food is safeguarded in existing packaging versus commercial packaging. We also discuss the ROI generating process flow and how waste estimations are performed for their customers to assist them in acquiring their profits. He also discusses how they collect data for logistics and how Hazel Technologies works on the supply chain side to track perishables. He discussed supply chain challenges and how they protect through chemistry in a way that gives consumers confidence.

To commemorate the 100th episode, we have a very special guest, Caroline Morissette, Vice President-Digital and Data at McCain Foods discusses how the digital revolution is transforming the agriculture industry and supporting the achievement of sustainability goals. She discussed her position at McCain Foods in collecting data from suppliers across agricultural, sales, commercial, and manufacturing. She discussed how the company is committed to sustainability and how they help growers. They aim for environmentally friendly farming and manufacturing practices. She provided brief insights into the regenerative agricultural framework, which aims to lessen environmental impact. She highlighted the data and digital technologies they are working on, as well as a project precision harvest, which is assisting farmers in understanding when to harvest in order to maximize their payables and overall output so that they can obtain the greatest quality potatoes. We also addressed the supply chain problems and how they are striving to make the products available to consumers. We talked about how McCain Foods is investing in three Farms of the Future to enhance sustainable farming techniques and explore innovative agricultural technologies.

McCain Foods is based out of Toronto, is a privately held family business with over 60 years of expertise, and has a presence in over 160 countries. Their principles and culture are essential to all they do. They remain a global leader in prepared potato products, including famous French fries and appetizers.

In today's episode, we talk with Olaf Van Der Veen, Co-Founder, and CEO of Orbisk talks about how they are leveraging cutting-edge technology to reduce food waste in the restaurant industry. He provided brief insights into how AI image recognition benefits in tracking food waste at scale in restaurants. From a technological standpoint, he described how the monitor screen works. We also discussed how they assist with food waste issues and advise clients on what they are planning for more sustainable resource usage. He explained why his clients want to collaborate with them to accomplish the same goal of reducing food waste. He expressed an interest in global growth and leveraging successful companies. We also discussed why transparency is important in resolving problems in the food system.

In today's show, Mitch Jacobsen, CEO of Rvitta Inc, discusses how the future of beverage packaging, recycling, and low carbon footprint is evolving. He gave a brief explanation of how he got started with Rviita Inc, while he was exploring healthier alternatives to drink. We discussed how they get the ingredients and briefly discussed the carbon footprint as they looked for eco-friendly packaging. He gave thoughts on deep diving into data and calculating greenhouse gases to improve product packaging. Mitch offered his thoughts on how they strive toward sustainability from the consumer's viewpoint while looking at and purchasing items. He spoke on market trends in terms of sustainability and sales value. We discussed marketing strategies as well as his ideas on developing the business using technology for global expansion. Mitch also expressed his interest in blockchain technology and how it could improve transparency in the food supply chain and help consumers discover more about where their products come from. He explained the obstacles as well as how they continue to innovate in recyclable and biodegradable packaging

Lonica Kufner, Chief Growth Officer of GTFO It's Vegan, highlights how technological innovations in the food industry are elevating in this episode. She discussed how she began her career in retail and moved into the food industry when the internet of things and selling online items were booming 20 years ago. She provided brief insights on the significance of certifications and recognizing what is in our food. Lonica also covered Non-GMO, high-quality items, and why people value them. She discusses the relevance of blockchain technology and how, through product packaging, one may learn where a specific meal originates from. She discusses upcycled foods and how many businesses are combating food waste. She gave an overview of how she learned about traceability, the need for tracking and tracing, and how companies may ensure the sustainability of the food supply chain. She discussed food safety and the importance of transparency. We also covered product packaging and why branding is important in the food sector while keeping social mission, environment, and emotions in mind. She also discussed clean labeling in products and why they are important to customers.

In this episode, we talk with Douglas Frazier, Executive Director of Dining Services at a university in Washington DC, about how the food service industry is evolving in the education sector and how they are offering the finest services to students. Douglas talked about his experience in foodservice and how he got into the university industry. He discusses his collaborative process with over 95 external partners, which enables students to use their declining dollars to go around, pick and choose where they want to go, so they can hang out with their friends and various locations across Washington DC restaurant tours on campus and in the surrounding campus area.He gave a quick overview of the residential dining plan, which comprises three dining halls spread around campus to ensure students have access to food late at night and early in the morning. He spoke briefly on the technological trend of developing the cashier list shop, which aids in tracking the products students demand from the store. He also mentioned how they had different food for students with food allergies. He discussed the issues in the food supply chain and how they have been resolved with food service management companies.

In this episode, Anette Larrson, Founder and Managing Director of North International discuss how she assists food brands with business consultancy, strategy, and international expansion. She gave a quick overview of her background and how she started her business consulting firm. We also discuss her interest in consumer goods products, which helps in the launch of the product, and in understanding how people in different nations perceive brands and products, as well as the manner in which they consume them. She highlights how business consulting, data, and having an affordable product for consumers are all vital for having a successful firm. She discussed net sustainability and how the company's aim now is to help the natural ecosystem. Consumers are increasingly interested in a brand's story and how they function behind the scenes. She presented her thoughts on transparency from the perspective of customers, which may help companies succeed in the market. She discusses the key movements and trends in the food sector, and how online grocery shopping has altered as a result of customers' decision-making power. She also discussed how she assists brands in terms of quality, packaging, waste recycling, and renewable energy.

In this episode, Leslie Lampert, Founder of Ladle of Love, describes how trashed food may be transformed into healthy and nutritious meals. She talked about how she started her company and how she makes healthy, tasty meals from local farms for individuals in need, such as the Mount Kisco Boys and Girls Club. She revealed her favorite methods for reducing food waste. Leslie offered ideas for transforming rotten food into tasty, healthful dinners and for reducing food waste at home. We also discussed the #restaurant industry and how no food waste is important in the food industry. She also discussed how to make excellent dishes out of refrigerated rejects and food. She discussed the need for food pre-composting. She also expressed a need for sustainability in local sourcing food.