Editorial and News

Abstract

Welcome to our latest issue dedicated to the sustainability of the supply chain—a crucial topic as we navigate the complexities of modern food systems. This edition brings together a range of perspectives and insights aimed at advancing sustainable practices and addressing critical challenges.

We begin by examining the alignment of supply chain management with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges requires a cohesive approach, with collaboration being key to driving meaningful change.

Our focus then shifts to the integration of neglected crops and forgotten landraces into contemporary agriculture. These traditional cultivars, often overlooked in modern farming, have the potential to enhance food system resilience through crop diversification and improved resistance to pests and climate change.

We also explore edible insects as a sustainable protein source. Despite their environmental and nutritional benefits, integrating insects into mainstream diets faces obstacles due to consumer neophobia—fear or aversion to unfamiliar foods. Overcoming cultural biases and unfamiliarity is crucial for their acceptance.

Incorporating sustainability and ethics into corporate supply chains is another critical topic. We provide actionable insights for businesses striving to align their practices with broader sustainability goals.

The ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the food industry are also addressed, including challenges such as bias, data privacy, and environmental impact. The role of data-based decision-making and the implications of Industry 5.0 on supply chain traceability is also examined.

The overarching message is clear: securing a sustainable and ethical food future requires a diverse array of strategies that balance traditional knowledge with modern technology. Adaptability, collaboration, and forward-thinking are essential to overcoming the complex challenges ahead.

In a two-year study, the Royal Agricultural University (RAU) explored how cultured meat might affect UK farmers. Researchers assessed farmers’ views through focus groups and modelled farm business impacts if cultured meat becomes a dietary staple. Cultured meat, known for its similarity to conventional meat, has drawn investor interest. Despite significant research into its ethics, health, and climate impacts, the effect on farm businesses was largely unexplored. The study found both threats and opportunities for farming, suggesting that collaboration could benefit both sectors. Partnering with eight farms, the study produced business plans to adapt to cultured meat's rise, and investigated using agricultural by-products in its production. Findings indicate a potential for synergy between traditional farming and cultured meat production.

Read the report here: https://shorturl.at/cBGWt

Afterlife Ag, co-founded by Winson Wong, addresses restaurant food waste with innovative methods. Based in New York, the company initially focused on composting but faced issues with space, labour, and low returns. Their novel approach uses gourmet food waste as a substrate for speciality mushrooms, creating a circular economy by selling these mushrooms back to the restaurants, all supported by the ReFED Catalytic Grant Fund. The food waste used is sterilised and amended for acidity before being inoculated with liquid mycelium. After four weeks, the mushrooms are harvested and returned to the restaurants, completing the waste-to-food cycle. Producing around 1,000 pounds of mushrooms weekly, Afterlife Ag aims to reach 15,000 pounds by early next year. Their business model leverages free raw materials and automation, enabling competitive pricing. The circular model also enhances restaurant engagement with sustainability. Having raised over $3 million in venture funding and several hundred thousand in grants, Afterlife Ag benefits from growing interest in sustainable food practices and speciality mushrooms. Wong is focused on operational efficiency, quality, and strategic partnerships with hospitality firms, waste management companies, and local governments for national expansion. Despite cultivation challenges, Wong emphasises the need for understanding growth variables and maintaining control, ensuring ongoing innovation and efficiency.

It is not news that the global demand for protein is increasing alongside a growing population, and consumers are seeking alternatives beyond traditional animal products. Plant-based proteins are emerging as a growing popular choice, driven by ethical and health-conscious consumers. According to Innova Market Insights, the use of protein ingredients in food and beverage launches grew by 4% from April 2019 to March 2024, with plant-based proteins leading the charge. Meat substitutes were the fastest-growing category, and ‘plant-based’ was the top on-pack claim. Heli Kilpala, strategic marketing and innovation director at Biospringer by Lesaffre, highlighted the rising consumer demand for sustainable and ethical protein alternatives. Biospringer offers yeast protein, produced through fermentation, as a new option for vegan and vegetarian products. Plant-based proteins like soy, wheat, and pea are already popular, but emerging sources such as algae, insects, and lab-grown meat are gaining interest. However, these alternatives are still limited in global availability. ADM's research shows that flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans are open to trying different protein options, creating opportunities for hybrid products that combine multiple protein sources. Alicia Humpert, director for EMEA Protein Marketing at ADM, emphasises the importance of these hybrids in bridging the gap between familiar and new protein sources. The protein market is expanding, offering numerous innovation opportunities. Kilpala noted that Biospringer's yeast protein aligns with consumer trends like sustainability, taste, convenience, and nutrition. Yeast protein, unlike some plant proteins, is not dependent on climate conditions, making it a reliable alternative.

Hybrid products, which blend plant and animal proteins, can address industry challenges and meet consumer preferences for diverse protein sources. The protein market is expected to grow significantly, with alternative proteins projected to reach at least $55 billion by 2032.

French startup Gourmey has filed the first-ever application to sell cultivated meat in the European Union. This landmark submission introduces cultivated foie gras—produced in a lab rather than through traditional animal farming—into the EU's regulatory framework. Gourmey is not limiting its efforts to the EU alone; it has also sought approval for its cultivated foie gras in Singapore, Switzerland, the UK, and the United States. This ambitious approach reflects a broader shift towards sustainable and innovative food production methods. Seth Roberts, Senior Policy Manager at the Good Food Institute (GFI) Europe, welcomed the move, highlighting the blend of innovation with tradition. A recent survey by YouGov, commissioned by GFI Europe and conducted across 15 European countries, showed strong support for cultivated meat. More than half of respondents in 13 countries favoured its approval, provided it meets safety and nutritional standards. Notably, support was evident in Italy and Hungary, despite ongoing discussions about banning cultivated meat. Gourmey's submission comes nearly a year after Aleph Farms’ application for cultivated beef in Switzerland and the UK. The US approved two cultivated chicken products in 2023, while Singapore authorised cultivated meat in December 2020. Cultivated meat offers a promising alternative to conventional meat by significantly reducing resource use and environmental impact. In the EU, the approval process for cultivated meat falls under the rigorous Novel Foods Regulation. This thorough assessment by the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority is expected to take at least 18 months, evaluating both safety and nutritional aspects, along with the potential socioeconomic impacts.

Eight new networks have been established to address antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a significant global health threat expected to cause ten million deaths annually by 2050. These networks are supported by £4.8 million from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as part of its strategic theme on tackling infections, with an additional £7 million allocated for new research programmes next year. The networks unite experts from various fields, including agriculture, food, environment, human and animal medicine, policy, behavioural studies, engineering, and social science, to develop holistic solutions.

The networks focus on specific areas: the AMAST network addresses AMR in the agri-food sector; CLIMAR examines the link between AMR, climate change, and pollution; ARREST-AMR develops diagnostic tools within a One Health context; and the Fungal One Health and AMR network tackles anti-fungal resistance. The Futures AMR Network (FAN) supports early career researchers in AMR, while IMPACT AMR focuses on policy interventions for AMR mitigation. The People AMR Network studies community antibiotic use and behavioural changes, and the TARGet network uses genomic advances for AMR surveillance and control.

This initiative is part of UKRI's broader strategy to combat infectious diseases, improve national defence and response capabilities, and enhance preparedness for epidemics. By advancing knowledge and developing new vaccines and therapeutics, UKRI aims to better detect and disrupt the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, thus supporting world-class discovery science and furthering the understanding of disease.

A Dutch court has ruled against Upfield's plant-based butter, Roombeter, stating that the use of the word ‘room’ (Dutch for ‘cream’) in the product name violates European regulations that protect dairy-related terms exclusively for dairy products. The court determined that even without using the word ‘butter’, the term ‘room’ falsely implied that the product contained dairy. Upfield's branding was seen as misleading due to the similarity of the name ‘Roombeter’ to the Dutch word for butter (roomboter). In late 2023, Dutch consumer rights organisation Foodwatch even selected Roombeter as the ‘most deceptive product of the year’. The Dutch dairy industry expressed significant dissatisfaction, particularly with a campaign that included slogans like ‘Still prefer cow butter? Typical herd behaviour’. This backlash led supermarket chain Albert Heijn to remove in-store adverts featuring these slogans. The Dutch dairy producers organisation (NZO) challenged Upfield in court, welcoming the judgement for protecting dairy names under European law. This ruling ensures that consumers are not misled about the composition of dairy products. Upfield has been ordered to cease the sale and marketing of Roombeter within three months, while the company maintains that consumers could distinguish its plant-based nature. The European Union has strict regulations regarding the labelling of dairy and non-dairy products. EU Regulation 1308/2013 specifies that milk and ‘milk products intended for human consumption’ exclusively refer to ‘the normal mammary secretion obtained from one or more milkings without either addition thereto or extraction therefrom’. The term ‘cream’ is also explicitly reserved for milk products. These rules, however, are subject to interpretation and enforcement by individual member states, leading to varying applications and challenges for companies across different markets. In the UK, the High Court ruled in favour of Oatly using the term ‘milk’ on its packaging in January 2024, concluding that the term ‘Post Milk Generation’ did not mislead consumers, thus recognising that modern consumers can distinguish between dairy and non-dairy products based on packaging and branding. Similarly, in the Netherlands, plant-based milk products like oat milk have been rebranded as oat drink to comply with EU regulations. The varying national rulings require manufacturers to undertake a detailed, case-by-case analysis to ensure compliance while finding informative and appealing product descriptions.

A recent scandal has raised serious concerns about safety in China's food industry. The Beijing News has revealed a troubling practice where fuel tankers, previously used to transport coal-derived substances, are being repurposed for carrying cooking oil without proper cleaning. This discovery highlights significant lapses in food safety protocols and has sparked widespread outrage. An undercover investigation uncovered that these tankers, originally meant for hazardous chemicals, are being filled with edible oil, putting public health at risk. The report detailed a trucker's journey from Ningxia to Hebei, where he transported oil in an unwashed tanker, exposing a dangerous disregard for regulations intended to ensure clean food transport. The scandal, echoing the 2008 Sanlu milk crisis, has led to a drop in shares for the implicated companies. Sinograin and Hopefull Grain and Oil Group, central to the controversy, have pledged to conduct thorough internal reviews. Meanwhile, on Weibo, millions are expressing their concerns and frustration, questioning the reliability of food safety measures. In response, the Chinese government has launched a rigorous investigation and promised severe penalties for those found guilty. This incident underscores the urgent need for strict adherence to food safety standards and vigilant enforcement.

Meatly has announced that it has received regulatory clearance to sell cultivated meat for pet food in the UK, becoming the world's first to gain such authorisation. This milestone makes Meatly the first cultivated meat company approved for sale in any European country. The approval follows extensive collaboration with UK regulatory bodies, including the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). Meatly's cultivated chicken for pet food has passed rigorous inspections and complies with all necessary regulations. The company has also prepared a detailed safety dossier and conducted thorough testing to ensure its product is free from bacteria, viruses, GMOs, antibiotics, and other contaminants. The company plans to launch its first pet food samples this year.