Healthy eating is essential for good health and improving nutritional value in the body. We can see an emerging entrepreneurial spirit venturing into growing organic foods high in macronutrients consisting of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, which are plant-based nutrition that our body needs in large amounts to function.
“Everybody needs food and protein, most importantly. But that protein cannot be reaped from fruits, vegetables, grains and even meats alone”, said Pranav Shah, Global Market Director & Global Product Manager, SPX FLOW.
Shah spoke on the factors causing a disruption in the food and dairy industry in a recent interaction with CEO Insights India magazine.
A leader’s guidance is crucial in the battle against global nutritional issues. Their guidance can help cater to food security, improve nutrition, promote sustainable agriculture, and end hunger.
Leadership Approaches to Nutritional Challenges
Leaders in the food industry can help make a difference by enabling small farmers to access digital platforms, networks, fair trade, microfinance, etc. Not only do these efforts help pay off for the livelihood of farmers, but they also leave a positive social effect that spreads the word, encouraging others to also commit to the same.
Policy Reforms
Now, taking view of the policy reforms, we can see a significant number of food industry leaders making way to weather changes in initiatives and aiding governmental bodies in implementing their social justice policies.
The Problem
Successful food policy and advocacy at the local, national, and international levels is also one of the reasons for food insecurity. A lot of food systems are governed by rules and regulations that appear to highly place emphasis on trade agreements, subsidies and big businesses rather than considering the rights of small farmers, consumers and the environment.
The Solution
Social entrepreneurs getting involved in food policy and advocacy can formulate the power to alter laws and customers that have control over food systems like those related to food sovereignty, food justice and food democracy. How can this be done through campaigns, initiatives, and networks? Through these efforts, actions to increase public awareness and hold institutions, businesses, and governments accountable can transpire.
Slow Acceptance from People
The common man’s gradual acceptance to adapt to the changing needs and tastes of customers also causes food insecurity. Besides that, more people are looking for individualized, ethical and sustainable food choices sparked by the pandemic, biodiversity loss and climate change.
How Leaders Can Turn This Around
A food industry leader can be the change maker here by introducing new approaches that can change the way food is produced, distributed and consumed; a revolutionary road to food technology innovation can be the result of this. These approaches can promise to decrease the social and environmental costs while boosting food security, diversity, and quality.
Delving more into food processing, conventional methods to process and preserve food are becoming a chapter of the past, thanks to modern food processing firms.
Introducing New Innovative Ways into Food Processing
A clear leadership or venture in these respects indeed brings out their capability, which results in an increase in food’s nutritional value, cutting down on waste, and improving efficiency from the farm to the table.
According to Shah’s observations, there are many similar food processing methods in the food and dairy industry. But in the Western world, plant-based diets, beverages, fermented products like yogurts and cheese, plant-based ice creams, culture meat, precision fermentation, and seaweed proteins are mushrooming. Currently, insect protein is also coming up.
Shah shed light on how; “we are only utilizing tomato or potato from the plant, discarding their leaves, stem and roots which are added up to the waste. Even these parts of the plants can be utilized if they are processed properly. This helps you select ingredients you want and process them into something that is of value”.
Robots and Automation Doing the Weight Lifting
The most groundbreaking technologies here are robotics and automation, which largely take care of the physically straining and harmful activities of human employees. Robots can now lift the weights off of human personnel, such as large objects, deal with sharp and dangerous materials and even operate in conditions that are extremely cold or humid for human beings.
He further went on to say that the reason for many disruptions in the industry is primarily due to the growing number of the global population.
“We need new methods like precision fermentation, seaweed protein, plant proteins and plant-based food, and insect protein. Those are making the West into the best”, said Shah.
Wastage Can be Reduced, and Efficiency Can be Increased
The training of these robots wired to carry out tasks involving a high degree of precision is, in fact, beneficial in the food process sector that prioritizes consistency and quality. Take the packaging task, for instance; a robot’s hand can swiftly pack items with precise nature, thereby reducing wastage and clearing the room for more efficiency to take place. More on that aspect, automation and robots can help reduce the dangers of food contamination. This is particularly important in a world that barely made it out of the many devastating pandemics and illnesses that still linger today.
Computerized Systems Tracking Food from the Manufacturing Stage
The next technological advancement in the food process sector is the use of computerized systems. Here, sensors help identify impurities, guaranteeing that the food processed is done in the best possible way. These sensors help assess the temperature, humidity, and other variables in food processing facilities and ensure that products are produced under ideal circumstances. These systems keep watch on the flow of completed goods and raw materials during the manufacturing stage, making room for effective inventory control and quality assurance. In case of a possible mishap concerning food safety, computerized systems will help track the products across the supply chain, ensuring traceability.
The clear advantage of why food industry leaders involve these technologies in food preservation is immense.
Increase in Shelf Life
They help increase the food’s shelf life and lower the risk of contracting foodborne diseases. The way food is processed is tepid, which annihilates bacteria, making it safe for consumption. This is how canned food like meats, vegetables, slurries and soups are manufactured. Freezing is also considered a good method of preserving food. Storing food at lower temperatures makes it a less thriving environment for bacteria and other microbes while extending the lifeline of fruits, vegetables and meats, which can be used or consumed for longer periods.
Edible Insects Gaining Fame in the Food Sector
During childhood, a lot of us have heard that eating ants is good for our eyesight. While there is no scientific basis proving that consuming ants is good for eyesight, the insects are, in fact, considered to contain a source of protein and other nutrients. Other insects like crickets and grasshoppers are claimed to be rich in protein, iron and vitamin B12. For one, crickets are known to comprise nine of the required amino acids that serve as an excellent source of high-quality protein. But it's not just the ants, crickets and grasshoppers that are from the bug world alone; there is a whole plethora of a nutritious menu crawling the nooks and crannies of the environment.
Less Impact on the Environment
Edible insects are proven to have less environmental impact, which is said to be the main reason for their emergence in the food sector. Cultivating edible insects requires less area, water and feed that are comparatively less than those for cattle rearing, for instance. Let’s take the example of crickets; crickets can consume up to 12 times less feed than cattle to generate the same quantity of protein.
Edible Insects Make Way for Leaders to Experiment and Bring Out New Dishes
Edible insects are made possible thanks to a bunch of creative and adaptable culinary techniques. This helps chefs and food entrepreneurs to experiment with a wide range of insects, whether it is to make pasta, burgers or protein bars and snacks in the food business. For example, chefs and entrepreneurs have found a way to replace ordinary flour with cricket flour, resulting in nutty flavor-induced baked goods. Similarly, the texture of salads can be a little enhanced through the addition of mealworms, which, when roasted, make way for a crunchy topping. Due to their adaptable nature, edible insects are becoming a likable ingredient in the chef’s kitchen, inspiring culinary innovation, and finding growing appeal among food enthusiasts and daring consumers.