Openness is essential for the future of food
The Future Food-Tech conference took place in San Francisco on March 22–23. Among the cutting-edge ideas that were presented were fish fillets made from stem cells and curds and whey made without using cows. The forum brought together a number of experts from the food sector, such as manufacturers, suppliers, investors, and entrepreneurs, with the common objective of providing safe and sustainable food to the world’s expanding population.
Although there are a lot of new developments that could change the food industry in the future, Linda Eatherton, a partner and managing director at the international PR firm Ketchum, stated that customers need to be informed about these technologies as soon as possible.
In a panel discussion at the conference, Ms. Eatherton stated, “There are going to be more and more uses for technology to make our world better, starting with our food supply, whether it’s in the ground or on our table, but the truth of the matter is a lot of consumers still get a little queasy about the idea of science and food in the same sentence.”
Consumers of today seek to understand more about the food they consume, but Ms. Eatherton asserted that “transparency does not mean more information.” Instead, consumers look for opportunities to interact with businesses through cues, indications, signals, and exclusive experiences.
“Food Business News will continue to receive information that consumers will not relinquish.” Ms. Eatherton stated. And they’re requesting that we notify them as soon as possible, not later. Not after it’s placed on display. They do not wish to have to stand in the food aisle doing their homework.
“Treat them as stakeholders, not objects you are marketing at,” she added, emphasizing that businesses shouldn’t write off customers as ignorant or uninterested.
“This industry has experienced a situation where we attempted to introduce foods made with some new technologies, but we felt it would be best to keep it to ourselves because it was too difficult, too complex, and too much for consumers to ever understand,” Ms. Eatherton stated. “That didn’t work out.”
A “big is bad” mentality
Ms. Eatherton noted that consumers’ perception of health has changed over time to encompass social, environmental, and human health, and that this may be the reason behind their distrust of food science and technology. According to her, businesses now need approval before launching and selling goods to consumers.”We live in a permission-based society,” she remarked. “High skepticism is what you’re up against if you don’t have permission.”
Deborah Arcoleo, director of product openness at The Hershey Co., who also took part in the transparency panel discussion, had the same opinion.Regarding huge agriculture and big food, there is undoubtedly a “big is bad” mentality, and the truth isThe American people no longer think that we are acting in their best interests, according to Ms. Arcoleo. “Obviously, they have more faith in smaller businesses and family farms than in larger ones, but even in these cases, the numbers aren’t very good. Therefore, there is undoubtedly a serious trust crisis in our nation.
In an attempt to win back consumer trust, Hershey is one of several packaged food businesses that have chosen to disclose ingredient and sourcing details online. An interactive map that traces the ingredients in Hershey’s Milk Chocolate with Almonds and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups is a new feature on the company website.
Transparency, in Ms. Arcoleo’s words, “is the currency of trust.” “You have to start working on your portfolio right away. You must communicate as much as you can right away with your customer.
Hershey collaborated with the Grocery Manufacturers Association to create SmartLabel, a digital platform that enables consumers to conduct quicker product research through the use of websites, apps, QR codes, and other features. According to Ms. Arcoleo, nearly 50 food and beverage companies with more than 24,000 stock-keeping units (s.k.u.s) have embraced the technology.
“SmartLabel is an amazing program available to anyone of any size, whether you’re a small, medium, or multinational retailer or food manufacturer with a private label portfolio,” Ms. Arcoleo stated. It will be very helpful to “tell the whole story and engage the consumer with as much information as you can share.”
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“Involve everyone” to build confidence
Blockchain is a new technology in the food sector that promises to completely change how transparent products are. According to Brigid McDermott, vice-president of blockchain business development and ecosystem at IBM, during the panel discussion, blockchain technology offers enhanced visibility throughout the supply chain, from the farmer to the retailer. It is described as a shared, immutable ledger for recording the history of transactions.
She stated, “At IBM, we think blockchain has the potential to transform transactions in the same way that the internet transformed communications.”
According to Ms. McDermott, one of the main advantages of blockchain technology for the food business is its capacity to quickly identify the origin of foodborne illnesses.”The last time there was a Salmonella outbreak in the summer, it took the CDC three weeks to identify the Mexican farm from which the papayas were sourced,” the spokesperson stated. “Three weeks when good food could go to waste, people could be eating bad food, and small farmers who grow papayas for a living could potentially lose their livelihood.”According to her, traceability is accelerated by blockchain from weeks or days to only a few seconds.
According to Ms. McDermott, “this is about the entire food ecosystem.” “Such as when discussing a Hershey’s bar… If there is an issue with any of those three—milk, almonds, or cocoa—there is an issue. Additionally, if there is an issue, it may arise from the farmer, the cold chain, or the warehouse. Therefore, in order to build trust, you must interact with everyone and obtain knowledge from them.
“Is gene editing safe?”
Regarding gene editing, which is a new technology that entails making precise modifications to the genetic makeup of plants and animals used in food production in order to increase food safety, decrease food waste, and use less water, land, and other resources, communication is essential.
Customers will inquire, “Is this safe? ” During a Future Food-Tech panel discussion, Greg Jaffe, the director of biotechnology at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, asked, “And how is that question going to be answered?” “Everyone involved in the food chain, from the farmer to the consumer and every company in between, needs to be aware that there are crops or animals that have been genetically altered in the food chain. I’m not really speaking About declaration or labeling under the recently passed bioengineered disclosure law, but I believe Customers inquire as to why anything is being kept secret from them. “Why am I not being told about this?”
Vice-president of food safety and quality assurance of Costco Wholesale, Craig Wilson, is a member of the Coalition of Responsible Gene Editing in Agriculture’s steering committee. He stated that getting the word out to consumers about “this novel science” clearly is one of the main goals.”I feel like we won’t have a problem if we’re honest, upfront, and tell people what we’re doing,” Mr. Wilson stated.He clarified a crucial difference between genetic engineering and gene editing.
“We’re basically turning switches on and off; we’re not transferring material from genome to genome or organism to organism,” he declared. “No matter what we do, there will always be a group of people who will look at the science and say, ‘No, this has cooties.'”
The signature dish of Impossible Foods, the plant-based Impossible Burger, is made with components including potatoes, wheat, and coconut oil in addition to genetically modified yeast that creates heme, a naturally occurring protein in plants and animals that gives meat its flavor and scent. Hundreds of restaurants now sell the burger, including “a lot of restaurants that proudly label themselves organic,” according to Impossible Foods founder and CEO Patrick Brown, Ph.D.
Despite using genetic modification, he claimed, the Impossible Burger’s product and brand philosophy are in line with the ideals of organic customers.
Because of the integrity of what we do, our commitment to consumer nutrition and health, and our preservation of a healthy environment, we fit in perfectly with those who label their foods as organic, according to Dr. Brown’s experience working with people who do so. These goals align perfectly with the reasons why the majority of people choose to purchase organic products.
“The food system is by a huge margin the greatest destructive agent for the global environment,” he continued, speaking about gene editing. Every resource at our disposal must be used to discover answers to this continuous environmental disaster that is our food system. Currently, one of the most valuable tools we have is the ability to intentionally alter genomes.