Fi Europe 2025: Food Manufacturing finalists tackle powder handling, bioactive packaging – foodingredientsfirst.com

Report on Food Manufacturing Innovations and Their Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

An analysis of the finalists for the Fi Europe Food Manufacturing Innovation Award reveals a significant trend towards technologies that directly address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The four shortlisted innovations offer solutions to critical challenges in food production, focusing on resource efficiency, waste reduction, and sustainable practices. These finalists were selected from 177 submissions, demonstrating a growing industry commitment to sustainable innovation.

Tetra Pak: Industrial Protein Mixer for Efficient Production

Tetra Pak’s Industrial Protein Mixer is an automated system designed to eliminate foaming during the mixing of protein powders in beverage production. The technology utilizes a dynamic baffle and smart sensors to manage deaeration and ensure complete dissolution.

• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): The system substantially reduces production waste. By preventing foaming, it mitigates product loss, saving large-scale operations over €100,000 annually. It also eliminates the need for chemical defoaming agents, promoting cleaner production methods and reducing chemical inputs.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): By removing the requirement for defoaming agents, the technology supports the formulation of clean label products, meeting consumer demand for simpler ingredients.
• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): This innovation represents a significant upgrade to food processing infrastructure, enhancing operational efficiency by reducing cleaning downtime by up to 455 hours per year.

Tetra Pak: Air Jet Cleaning System for Powder Handling

The Air Jet Cleaning System for Powder is a dry, automated solution that replaces manual and wet-cleaning-in-place (CIP) methods for powder handling equipment. It uses compressed air jets and vacuum extraction to clean internal surfaces within a sealed environment.

• SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation): The primary contribution of this technology is the complete elimination of water and chemical usage in the cleaning process. This removes the need for wastewater treatment, conserving water resources and preventing chemical discharge.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): The system enhances resource efficiency by recovering up to 50 liters of product per batch, reducing annual product losses by as much as 52,500 liters. It also cuts cleaning time from 90 minutes to 30 minutes, improving production uptime.
• SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By significantly reducing food loss at the processing stage, the system contributes to a more efficient and less wasteful food supply chain.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The sealed, dry-cleaning process improves food safety by eliminating moisture-related microbial growth risks and reducing hygiene risks associated with opening equipment for manual intervention.

Handary: Hekon Microporous Membrane for Sustainable Packaging

Handary’s Hekon microporous membrane is a bio-inspired packaging film that extends the shelf life of fresh produce. Using nanotechnology, it creates uniform pores that passively regulate gas and moisture exchange, mimicking a plant’s natural cuticle.

1. SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): This innovation directly targets production and consumption patterns with significant, quantifiable impacts:
   • Reduces food waste by approximately 40%.
   • Cuts energy consumption by an estimated 20% by eliminating the need for energy-intensive Modified-Atmosphere Packaging (MAP).
   • Decreases preservative use by about 70%.
   • Eliminates 100% of MAP gas usage.
2. SDG 2 (Zero Hunger): By drastically reducing post-harvest food spoilage, the membrane helps to minimize food loss, a critical factor in achieving global food security.
3. SDG 14 (Life Below Water) & SDG 15 (Life on Land): The membrane is composed of renewable, biodegradable PLA-chitosan biopolymers. This design choice addresses the global plastic pollution crisis by ensuring the material leaves no microplastic residue.
4. SDG 13 (Climate Action): The reduction in energy consumption associated with eliminating MAP processes contributes to mitigating climate change.

Hosokawa Alpine: Microburst AMB Grinding System for Resource Efficiency

The Microburst AMB is a spiral jet mill designed for ultra-fine grinding of functional food ingredients. Its key innovation is a large central inlet that allows for the direct processing of coarser materials, thereby eliminating the need for a separate pre-crushing stage.

• SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure): The system represents an advancement in industrial processing that simplifies manufacturing workflows, making them more efficient and sustainable.
• SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production): By removing an entire processing step (pre-crushing), the technology reduces the overall energy consumption required to produce finely milled ingredients. This streamlining of the production process exemplifies a more responsible and efficient use of resources.
• SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): The mill facilitates the production of finely ground functional food ingredients, which can improve extractability, solubility, and bioactivity, contributing to the development of healthier food products.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

1. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • The article’s central theme is innovation in food manufacturing aimed at improving sustainability. This directly aligns with SDG 12, which focuses on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. The technologies discussed are designed to “reduce waste and energy consumption,” which are core principles of this goal.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • The article spotlights the “Food Manufacturing Innovation Award,” showcasing new technologies and systems. This aligns with SDG 9’s emphasis on building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. The finalists represent technological upgrades to make industrial processes more efficient and environmentally sound.

3. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • By addressing food waste and product loss, the innovations contribute to SDG 2. Handary’s membrane, which “cuts food waste by roughly 40%,” and Tetra Pak’s systems, which reduce “product loss,” help ensure more of the food produced reaches consumers, thereby enhancing food security.

4. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Tetra Pak’s Air Jet Cleaning System directly addresses SDG 6 by creating a dry cleaning process that “eliminates water and chemical usage” and removes “wastewater treatment requirements.” This promotes water-use efficiency and reduces water pollution from industrial processes.

5. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • The goal of improving energy efficiency is explicitly mentioned. Handary’s Hekon membrane “reduces energy consumption by approximately 20%,” contributing to the objectives of SDG 7, which aims to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

   • Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources. The innovations from all four finalists aim to use resources like raw materials, water, and energy more efficiently.
   • Target 12.3: By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains. Handary’s packaging extends shelf life and “cuts food waste by roughly 40%,” while Tetra Pak’s systems reduce “product loss” during processing, directly contributing to this target.
   • Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle. Tetra Pak’s systems “remove the need for defoaming agents” and eliminate “chemical usage” in cleaning. Handary’s membrane “decreases preservative use by about 70%.”
   • Target 12.5: By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse. All the technologies focus on waste prevention. Additionally, Handary’s membrane is made of “renewable, biodegradable PLA-chitosan biopolymers, leaving no microplastic residue,” addressing waste at the end of its life cycle.

2. SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

   • Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. The article is a showcase of such technologies, from Tetra Pak’s efficient mixers to Hosokawa’s advanced grinding system, all designed to make food production more sustainable.

3. SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

   • Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials. Tetra Pak’s dry cleaning system contributes by eliminating the use of water and cleaning chemicals, thus preventing the generation of contaminated wastewater.
   • Target 6.4: By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors. The complete elimination of water in Tetra Pak’s cleaning process represents a significant increase in water-use efficiency for that specific industrial task.

4. SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

   • Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency. Handary’s membrane technology, which “reduces energy consumption by approximately 20%,” is a direct contribution to improving energy efficiency in the food packaging and preservation sector.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Implied Indicators for SDG 12

   • Indicator 12.3.1 (Food Loss Index): The article provides quantifiable data that can be used to measure progress. For example, Handary’s membrane “cuts food waste by roughly 40%,” and Tetra Pak’s cleaning system “recovers up to 50 liters of product per batch, reducing annual product losses by 35,000 to 52,500 liters.” These figures are direct measures of food loss reduction.
   • Indicator 12.5.1 (National recycling rate, tons of material recycled): While not a direct measure, the use of “renewable, biodegradable PLA-chitosan biopolymers” that leave “no microplastic residue” implies progress towards reducing non-recyclable waste and promoting materials that can be managed sustainably at their end-of-life.
   • Reduction in Chemical Use: The article implies indicators related to chemical waste reduction. Specific figures like a “70% decrease” in preservative use (Handary) and the complete elimination of defoaming agents and cleaning chemicals (Tetra Pak) can be used as metrics.

2. Implied Indicators for SDG 6 & 7

   • Indicator 6.4.1 (Change in water-use efficiency): The elimination of water in Tetra Pak’s cleaning process implies a 100% improvement in water-use efficiency for that task, a clear metric for this indicator.
   • Indicator 7.3.1 (Energy intensity): The statement that Handary’s membrane “reduces energy consumption by approximately 20%” provides a direct, quantifiable measure of improved energy efficiency at the process level.

3. Implied Indicators for SDG 9

   • Indicator 9.4.1 (CO2 emission per unit of value added): Although not explicitly stated, reductions in energy consumption (Handary) and the elimination of process steps (Hosokawa) would lead to lower CO2 emissions, which is the basis for this indicator. The technologies discussed are examples of the “adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies” mentioned in the target.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: foodingredientsfirst.com