20 Dec 2022
It’s become increasingly evident that sustainable changes need to happen in the food industry to ensure we’re contributing to a better tomorrow. As the world’s population has increased, so has the demand for food. As a result, food is being produced at a faster rate requiring more land and resources to meet demand.
Currently, food production accounts for one-quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions (Our World In Data), which directly contributes to the damaging effects on our planet. It’s our responsibility in the food industry to ensure sustainable measures are in place so that we can not only meet demand but do it in an ethical and responsible way that protects our environment.
In order to do this, we must ensure all of our own working practices are as sustainable as possible and, in addition to that, hold everyone along the supply chain accountable, too. Tracing the environmental impact of products along the supply chain is an essential part of ensuring the process is as sustainable as possible. We must have transparency of the entire food production process and the ability to share this information with suppliers and customers along the supply chain.
At Puratos, it’s woven throughout our entire ethos to commit to a sustainable future. We put measures in place to ensure Better Health, Better Planet and Better Life in everything we do and every process we put in place.
What we do with our suppliers
We don’t turn our backs on what happens outside of Puratos; we commit to 100% responsible sourcing and work with suppliers with the same ethics.
We pride ourselves on our high-quality products, and one of the ways we maintain this quality is by sourcing raw ingredients from all over the world.
However, we are aware of the global demand for some of the raw ingredients we use, such as palm oil, cocoa, flour, and sugar, which can put pressure on our ecosystems and local communities. This is why we source responsibly and collaborate with everyone involved in our supply chain to ensure the same level of care and consideration is in place.
We also work with suppliers that follow global sustainability standards, such as RSPO, SAI, Bonsucro, UTZ/RFA, Fairtrade, etc., to guarantee the best sustainable methods are being used. We can then pass this guarantee on to you and your environmentally-conscious consumers.
We do this for our commitment to the planet, but we also do this for our customers and consumers. Our Taste Tomorrow research revealed that consumer focus has shifted to supply chains, sourcing, and ethics, showing consumers want to be informed about where their food comes from and how it is made. It’s our responsibility to offer this transparency and ensure we’re following sustainable practices.
You’ll find more information about our commitment to responsible sourcing here.
What we do at Puratos
We don’t just change one thing; our entire process is built around Better Health, Better Planet, and Better Life.
Our commitment to Better Health
Food has an extraordinary power to impact our health and our overall well-being. Our health and well-being directly impact our quality of life, and we don’t take this responsibility lightly.
As innovators in the food industry, we are continually researching ways to make our products better and healthier. We seek to use ingredients that we know improve things such as our gut health where we can and always aim to use fewer ingredients that our bodies need lower quantities of. We strive to offer alternative products that are cleaner and healthier wherever we can.
Our Taste Tomorrow research allows us to gather in-depth insights into consumers' choices and behaviors, allowing us to stay on top of health trends and demands.
Read more about our commitment to Better Health here.
Our commitment to a Better Planet
We implement sustainable practices in our food production methods making sure to reuse, recycle, and reduce as much as possible.
To quantify our sustainable efforts, we use the LCA method, which assesses the complete environmental footprint of products throughout their entire lifecycle (raw material sourcing to end of life).
We’ve set clear goals to commit to our promise: to become carbon neutral by 2025 for our operations, water-balanced by 2030, and zero-waste-to-landfill worldwide by 2030.
Read more about our commitment to a Better Planet here.
Our commitment to Better Life
Puratos will always put people first. Every person we come in contact with, whether our employees, farmers, our customers, or the communities we are a part of, we are committed to providing a better life for all.
We innovate in every aspect at Puratos, and innovation goes hand-in-hand with continuous learning for everyone. We are fortunate to have the resources to keep adding to our deep knowledge of food production and do our utmost to share this with as many people as possible. We have our own Puratos University, which we opened in 2006, to offer training and upskilling in multiple countries for many aspects of food production.
We also have our Bakery School Foundation, which aims to provide quality education to underprivileged youngsters in developing countries to give them the opportunity of a future in this industry.
We also have our Next Generation Cacao Foundation, which aims to improve the standard of living for cocoa farmers, ensuring they receive a fair share of the value generated in the chocolate supply chain.
It’s the people at Puratos who make us. Read more about our commitment to Better Life here.
What we do with and for our customers
We offer our customers solutions that mean they can accelerate their sustainability ambitions and demonstrate their sustainability credentials to their customers.
Taste Tomorrow Research shows consumers purchase more consciously with the environment in mind. Consumers have many options when it comes to food, and a company's corporate social responsibility has become one of the deciding factors. It’s not only imperative that we make sustainable changes to impact the planet positively, but it’s also essential to do this for consumers so that they make informed purchases with accurate information about their food's impact on the world. Puratos makes this possible.
We can help to:
Lower the environmental impact of products
We can help our customers measure the product environmental footprint (PEF) of their finished goods so that:
- They have this information available to share with consumers
- They can make changes to lower the overall environmental impact (we can provide recommendations for these changes)
We also offer alternative solutions with our Plant Forward product range, allowing our customers to make a simple ingredient switch and lower their overall carbon footprint.
Contact us today if you’d like to discuss how we can help you make these changes.
One to watch: Our corporate venture arm, Sparkalis, has joined forces with Glimpact to build a digital platform that will enable companies in the bakery, patisserie, and chocolate industries to assess the environmental impact of all of their products, and equip them with the tools and knowledge to reduce it.
Offer transparency and digital traceability to customers
We can offer digital traceability for our ingredients and products. This is extremely handy for those customers who’d wish to share all product information (including where it was made and how it was made) with their customers. Some of our chocolate customers choose to share this information through a QR code on their chocolate packaging. Once scanned, it shows consumers information such as the farmer, our partnership with them, and our contributions to the community.
We know from our Taste Tomorrow research that consumers want transparency and want to be informed about where their food comes from. Our digital traceability system means you can offer this to your customers without hesitation.
Read more about what we offer our customers in the bakery, chocolate, and patisserie sectors in our latest blog article.
Improve the nutritional credentials of their products for the health & well-being of their consumers
Our latest Taste Tomorrow insights show that healthier alternatives are in high demand by consumers. Over 1 in 2 customers (58%) are looking for other options that support their holistic health. It’s our responsibility to meet this demand and ensure we’re considering consumers' health in the products we sell.
We offer various healthier alternatives that don’t compromise quality or taste. Such as; reduced fat products, sugar-free chocolate, sourdough alternatives, our Happy Gut range, and products that incorporate ‘power ingredients’.
Read our latest guide on making healthier products that sell for more information.
Want to know more about the sustainable ecosystem that we’re creating?
We’re always happy to talk about the sustainable practices we have in place and how these can benefit our customers too.
Contact us today for a chat about our responsibility to protect our planet.
