10
FOOD FOCUS
Nestlé asks consumers what they would do in the quest for sustainable palm oil
Tasty opportunity for Ireland’s food and drink start-ups Food Works, the collaborative tri-agency initiative run by Bord Bia, Enterprise Ireland and Teagasc, is looking for ten high potential, innovative and exportdriven food and drink start-ups to join its next Accelerator programme. Fiid, The Lismore Food Company and Nobó, some of Ireland’s rising stars, are among over 100 companies that have already completed the programme since it began in 2012. Participating start-ups will be supported to get investor-ready with a comprehensive business plan focused on them scaling internationally. Participants will also be eligible to apply for feasibility grant funding of up to €35,000 through Enterprise Ireland. The unique food and drink entrepreneurship programme runs annually over 10 months from March to December. It includes workshops with national and international industry experts across various disciplines such as strategy, finance, product development, marketing and other areas. Start-ups also receive customised support from business advisors, facilitated peer-to-peer
Owen Madden, Beth-Ann Smith and Ken Madden of The Lismore Food Company, which previously participated in the Food Works Accelerator programme
learning and networking opportunities across the industry - at home and abroad. The closing date for applications for the 2022 programme is 3 December 2021. Full details and an application form are available at FoodWorksIreland.ie.
Clonmel-based tortilla chip producer expands into the UK and Nordics Following a period of rapid growth spurred by the pandemic, Blanco Niño - the Clonmel-based tortilla and tortilla chip producer - is currently expanding into the UK and Nordic territories. The Blanco Niño team has forged partnerships in the UK with wellknown retail outlets including Ocado and Daylesford Farm, in addition to securing listings with leading premium wholesale distributors, Cotswold Fayre, Auguste Noel and Holleys. Meanwhile in Sweden, Blanco Niño has entered into a distribution partnership with House of Liquids. These developments complement the company’s success at home in Ireland - where it has grown from humble beginnings to selling in more than 360 stores. “Only a few months ago the odds were stacked considerably against us,” said founder and CEO of Blanco Niño, Philip Martin. “When the pandemic hit and the hospitality and foodservice shuttered almost overnight, we had little choice but to fast-track our plans to launch our tortilla chips to retail in Ireland. We did that, and now our tortilla chips are being sold by over 360 retailers across Ireland and counting.”
ShelfLife September 2021 | www.shelflife.ie
Every batch of Blanco Niño tortilla chips takes three days to make - using an ancient Aztec process known as nixtamalization, and grinding corn using beautifully hand-carved volcanic stones from Mexico. Blanco Niño tortilla chips retail at €4.50 in Dunnes Stores, SuperValu and Fallon & Byrne among others.
Blanco Niño founder and CEO, Philip Martin is optimistic about future growth, noting that “feedback has been incredible so far”
To raise awareness among consumers about the complex sustainability issues within the palm oil supply chain, Nestlé has launched ‘Beneath the Surface’. The interactive video platform allows viewers to directly experience some of the challenges that Nestlé faces in sourcing palm oil. Viewers are asked to make a series of decisions to ensure a transparent and sustainable palm oil supply chain on the global scale. In 2010, Nestlé pledged to ensure palm oil supply chains are free from deforestation, and as of December 2020, 70% of purchased palm oil was assessed as deforestation-free. Nestlé’s goal is to be 100% deforestation-free by 2022.
A sticky situation: Ban stickers on apples to stop 100 million pieces of waste a week Waste disposal experts are calling for plastic stickers on fruit to be banned, saving over 100 million extra pieces of waste a week - calling it a “fruitless waste”. BusinessWaste.co.uk 94% of survey respondents says that the cumulative said stickers on fruit were effect of the familiar a waste of plastic sticker on each piece of fruit is an example of a completely unnecessary addition to landfill. Consumers agree. In a street survey of 2,600 people conducted by BusinessWaste.co.uk, the overwhelming majority - 94% - said that the stickers were a waste. Ingenious ideas have been suggested to tackle the issue - including edible barcodes that sit on the skin of fruit - but, so far, nothing has taken off.
Milkshakes off the menu in GB McDonald’s restaurants 1,250 McDonald’s restaurants in England, Scotland, and Wales have been left without milkshakes and bottled drinks as it experiences “some supply chain issues”. Fortunately, a spokesperson said there are “no current issues” in the chain’s Irish restaurants. Previously, Nando’s had been forced to shut down some restaurants due to a chicken shortage. KFC also warned some menu items were out of stock. It is understood that the problems are resulting from a shortage of lorry drivers following post-Brexit EU immigration rules, Covid-19 restrictions, and self-isolation rules. Fionnuala Carolan explores these issues further within our cover feature Supply chain issues have affected on page 18. ■ 1.250 McDonald’s outlets
