Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/567722
& A look at the events, issues, and innovations shaping specialty food, plus industry news, trends, and more. trends happenings Spoiler Alert One-third of all food available in the United States goes uneaten each year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, totaling about 133 billion pounds of wasted food. A team of MIT Sloan graduates has created a timely app to keep this excess food out of landfills by connecting retailers, producers, and suppliers with nearby nonprofits accepting those items for donation. For products that are no longer edible, the app , called Spoiler Alert connects users to companies that make fertil- izer and animal feed for composting. All transactions are recorded in the app, which makes it easier for donors to prepare tax deductions. The iOS app is currently avail- able for the Massachusetts B2B mar- ket. Co-founders Ricky Ashenfelter and Emily Malina are considering other strategic markets, with plans for nationwide expansion. TechCrunch reports the duo ultimately wants to build a food analytics platform to help companies prevent waste. Can It Aluminum is no longer just for soda. In June, Noah's Spring Water debuted its first canned water, packaged in a Rexam 24-ounce resealable CapCan, which is 100 percent recyclable and keeps water cold for longer than plastic. The water is available in still and sparkling varieties. From an ecological perspective, "aluminum recycling rates are much higher that plastic bottle rates, even though PET plastic is also 100 per- cent recyclable," notes Anthony J. Varni, president of Varni Brothers Corp., owner of Noah's and one of the few family franchise bottlers left in the U.S. (and the only one in California). The resealable wide mouth adds extra appeal over a traditional can format. 9 million metric tons of dry pea protein concentrate was produced in 2014, valued at a $29.9 million market value, with sales skyrocketing in China, North America, and Western Europe. PHOTO: NOAH'S SPRING WATER 18 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com