The sustainability understanding in the field of food is a view covering all of the factors such as production, distribution, preservation and consumption of food. The steps are taken and the preferred methods in all these factors affect not only the environment but also public health, animal welfare and the regional economy.
Fortunately, we continue to think about innovations that can be useful in food production and preservation. The list we have compiled from the ideas that emerge in many areas is waiting for you below, from reducing food waste to reducing the use of plastics and making the distribution more transparent.
5 Sustainable Food Ideas in the USA
1- Production of Healthy Food Additives from Agricultural Wastes
Canadian firm Comet Bio has managed to produce sustainable sweeteners and nutritional supplements using agricultural waste. Using the proprietary and two-step conversion technology, the company cooperates with farmers to recycle various products from leaves, stems and other standard harvest waste.
This recycling benefits both the reduction in consumption and the contribution to environmental pollution and sustainability, and provides a profitable option. In this way, it can contribute to countless sectors. Similar conversion methods can be made into building materials for sustainable buildings.
2- Packaging of Foodstuffs with Banana Leaves Instead of Plastic
Some markets in Thailand and Vietnam have started to pack food products with banana leaves. Due to the climates of these countries, banana trees are common species and the leaves of this tree can reach up to 3 meters in length. Thanks to the robustness of the leaves, it can easily be preferred for packaging, and its ability to dissolve in nature and stand on the shelves for months makes them ideal for the packaging of freshly demanded and best-selling foodstuffs.
Many markets in Vietnam have begun to turn to environmentally friendly packaging methods. Lotte Mart’s supermarket chain uses boxes made of sugar cane waste and paper instead of plastic to wrap eggs. Big C, another chain of markets, offers its customers shopping bags made of corn powder and soluble in nature.
Some of the other methods developed for the purpose of storing food in the USA have coating material produced from known and used plant oil produced from naturally degradable plastic can be shown.
3- Determine When Foods Will Be Corrupted With The Help Of Sensors
Inexpensive and environmentally friendly sensors developed by Imperial College researchers in London were fabricated by printing carbon electrodes on paper, making them biodegradable and harmless. These sensors can detect the ammonia and trimethylamine gases they release when the meat and fish begin to deteriorate.
Thanks to the sensors that work with the smartphone application, customers can easily find out whether the product in the foodstuff is suitable for eating. Its developers hope that this packaging technology will be widely used in the future.
Another development that aims to reduce the use of plastic along with food waste; It is suggested that the method of coating foods with edible thin membrane instead of plastic package, which increases the shelf life. Another innovation is the idea of recycling waste foodstuffs in the textile industry.
4- Using 3D Printers to Produce Synthetic Meat
Giuseppe Scionti, who developed the way to produce synthetic red or white meat using protein from vegetables and a 3D printer, is the research fellow of Nova Meat.
Meat can mimic the appearance of red or white meat. The meat printing process comes to life with the use of vegetable proteins that offer proteins similar to those found in red meat. While the total cost of 100 grams of synthetic meat costs only $ 3, fully sustainable raw materials are used.
Today, the number of people who give up eating meat is increasing. At this point, such a sustainable alternative can draw attention. Although soy-based alternatives are among the popular choices, the production of soy cannot always be classified as environmentally friendly.
5- Using Blockchain Technology to Follow Food Production and Distribution Process
Ripe.io, a venture firm established in the United States, aims to monitor food production and provide real-time data so you can learn about the distribution and safety of foodstuffs. In this summary, it means to reflect the supply of food products to digital media, to reveal and globalize it thanks to blockchain technology and to present it to the service of the entire food industry.
One of the first projects implemented by Ripe.io is the “Internet of Tomatoes” (Internet of Tomatoes), which they shorten as IoT. In this project, they produced more efficient tomatoes using the huge data they obtained from the farms. Now, the system they developed will work with a similar logic and will enable a more transparent relationship between manufacturers, distributors, laboratories, restaurants, markets and similar institutions.
Thanks to the innovations and ideas mentioned above, the words “sustainable” and “natural” will not be enough for consumers. People will start to demand products that are environmentally friendly and produced in the best way.
