Reducing food waste using nature's own resources!
Characterized by high turnover, fragile supply chains and relatively short shelf lives, the consumption of dairy products in developed markets is a significant contributor to global food waste and losses. Actually, up to 17% of all yogurt is wasted every year in the EU, which equals a total of 1.5 million tons of yogurt.
Delay spoilage with food cultures
Chr. Hansen’s food cultures can delay spoilage in fermented dairy products like yogurt which can potentially reduce yogurt waste in the EU with up to 440,000 tons. According to an impact study carried out by QBIS and external consultants and reviewed by leading consulting experts, there are economic incentives for all parts of the value chain such as dairy manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
Study shows consumers can't taste the difference
An independent consumer study was carried out in Germany with a research organization in order to explore how extending shelf life affects consumer acceptance. Blind sensory tests documented that there was no difference in consumers’ liking a yogurt with standard shelf life and one with seven days' additional shelf life.
The study also showed that the consumer purchase intention was influenced positively and even favored the yogurt with longer shelf life if consumers were presented with information about the food waste reduction potential. The results reinforce our ambitions to continue to reduce food waste in yogurt, and to activate this opportunity even further at customer level.
Reducing yogurt waste by 2 million tons by 2025
We are committed to reducing yogurt waste by 2 million tons by 2025. This is part of our sustainability goals and it contributes positively to the UN Global Goal number 12.
