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Interview: Putting Sustainability at Heart of Food Industry
From the farm to the supermarket shelf, the global food industry has a critical role to play in ensuring a sustainable future for all. Dr Christopher Stewart, Global Head Sustainability, ofi (olam food ingredients) discusses what manufacturers can do to ethically source ingredients, reduce their emissions, and bring to market great tasting products that consumers want.
Could you focus on one of your ingredients and take me through the supply chain?
We can work with our customers on sustainable innovation. For example, if they’re looking to co-create a snack bar made with cocoa liquor and cocoa butter, slivered almonds, and hazelnut paste, or a frappé made with cocoa powder, almond milk, and coffee powder that come with documented traceability, then our chefs, innovation and sustainability teams join forces to match the right flavour, with the right origin and sustainability programme.
We could source the almonds from our orchards in California where our teams on the ground are investing in state-of-the-art irrigation systems and creating pollinator habitats. The almonds are then sent to our local processing facility that’s equipped to supply tailored solutions from whole nuts to ingredients. The beans for the coffee powder might come from the farmers we work with in Peru as part of a circular coffee partnership involving a major coffee roaster, Solidaridad, SERFOR and Cooperative Cuencas de Hullega.
The way our teams on the ground manage these supply chains is further exemplified in our dedicated product sustainability strategies which include: Almond Trail, Coffee LENS, and Cocoa Compass. And with the data and footprinting calculator on AtSource+, the customer can see the social impact and carbon emissions for each of their ingredients, and then calculate the overall footprint of their product.
How can companies implement effective workforce nutrition programs?
By Clara Tessler, Nutrition & Health Manager, ofi
Malnutrition and poor health around the world continue to negatively impact businesses as result of working days lost to illness and reduced workforce productivity.
As well as benefiting employees, investments by companies in health and wellbeing can lead to better employee engagement, reduced absenteeism and higher performance and productivity.
We want to create an environment where employees want to come to work every day – it’s in everyone’s best interest.
To that end, at ofi we’ve set a goal that by 2030, everyone in our primary workforce will have access to nutrition support. This is the goal we are working towards to ensure the health and wellbeing of all our employees, driven by our purpose to be the change for good food and healthy future.
In 2021, with support from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), ofi began the roll-out of the Workforce Nutrition Alliance’s Workforce Nutrition Scorecard to assess our baseline and develop or strengthen workplace nutrition programs that tackle issues related to malnutrition across our worksites globally. This includes initiatives across four pillars: healthy food at work, nutrition education, nutrition-focused and breastfeeding support, and resources for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
Discover more from my discussion with GAIN and the Consumer Goods Forum in the Healthier Lives podcast:
ofi expands its innovation capabilities with a new Customer Solutions Center in Singapore
olam food ingredients ("ofi"), a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, has opened its new Customer Solutions Center (CSC) in Singapore. The new facility will enable ofi to better collaborate with brands, grocery retailers and foodservice companies to create their next delicious and nutritious product for consumers. The CSC was inaugurated by guest of honor, Ms. Low Yen Ling - Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
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