VOG Products guarantees certified organic apple products year-round thanks to its unique regional supply chain. The organic raw materials come directly from the producer organisation’s members, among which are some of the largest organic apple organisations in Europe.

Sustainable origin and processing

Established in 1967 by apple farmers, today VOG Products – the fruit processing company from South Tyrol (northern Italy) – is a key partner of the international food and beverage industry – especially in the organic sector. The raw material is exclusively procured from the Trentino-South Tyrol region, which ensures sustainable, regional processing.

Year-round availability and strict control

Alongside continuous product availability, VOG Products offers seamless traceability and strict quality controls. Coupled with the highest certification standards, these measures safeguard customer trust around the globe.

Direct procurement creates trust

“We procure organic raw material directly from our members – two producer organisations and 17 fruit cooperatives – to ensure maximum reliability in terms of the origin, traceability and identity of our products,” stated Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products.

Diversity and quality in the organic range

The organic portfolio of VOG Products has constantly expanded. The company supplies high-quality products with the seal of the Bioland and Demeter organic farming associations and also has Bio Suisse and Naturland certifications. The guidelines of these associations go above and beyond those of the EU regulation and include specifications for social sustainability.

VOG Products processes between 300,000 and 400,000 tonnes of fruit every year – pears, apricots, peaches, kiwis and cherries in addition to apples. The raw material in certified organic quality is also available monovarietal in order to fulfil customer requirements.

www.vog-products.it/en/

FoodChain ID, a pioneer in global sustainability certification, and ReSeed, the first provider of full lifecycle carbon credit traceability, have announced a partnership to increase transparency in measurement and verification of sustainable practices in the agri-food supply chain. With the goal to support a healthy planet, the partnership will leverage each company’s unique, world-class expertise to incentivise, measure and verify the progress of carbon sequestration through regenerative agriculture practices under a new carbon credit verification standard.

The food and agriculture industry currently contributes over one-third of the total global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. However, less than 1 % of carbon credits on the market are sourced from agriculture.¹ As consumer awareness of the industry’s role in accelerating global warming has grown, food companies have responded with more sustainable products and product claims. In fact, on-pack carbon emission contribution claims for new products grew at 33 % CAGR between July 2018 and June 2023,² making such claims one of the fastest growing sustainability claim categories in food and beverage. In response to the claim proliferation, the carbon credit verification partnership is designed to increase measurement transparency and accountability for sustainability progress and carbon credit offsets in the agri-food supply chain.

Additionally, the carbon credit verification partnership incentivises farmers to invest more in regenerative agriculture practices while complying with European Union deforestation-free regulatory requirements (EUDR). Finally, by combining the program with other farm-level audits, such as Organic (EU, USDA and others), GLOBALG.A.P., RTRS, RSPO, Bonsucro or ProTerra, the program offers efficiencies for farmers. The first joint programs have launched with close to a thousand farmers in Brazil to implement deforestation-free, regenerative practices.

ReSeed, with its AI-powered digital ledger transparency platform, will collect and process data for carbon credit measurement protocols to allow monetisation and incentivisation for farmers deploying sustainable practices in the field. ReSeed’s team will also leverage their legal and technical knowledge to validate carbon estimates under international standards and provide field technical assistance to sort eligible farmers based on sustainability standards for farming activities.

FoodChain ID, with over 25 years of experience in global sustainability certifications, will serve as the exclusive verifier for the carbon credit partnership under ISO 14065 accreditation. FoodChain ID’s independent technical experts will perform yearly audits of farm practices under international sustainability standards, adding third-party credibility to the measurement of carbon sequestration in soil.

¹Ivy S. So, Barbara K. Haya, Micah Elias. May 2023. Voluntary Registry Offsets Database, Berkeley Carbon Trading Project, University of California, Berkeley.
²Innova Insights/Nutrition Insights, July 2018 to June 2023.

Building upon the successful partnership established in 2022 (with the aim to produce the first heat exchanger made with fossil-free steel) Alfa Laval will now incorporate SSAB’s unique fossil carbon emission free and recycled steel (SSAB Zero™), into its heat exchangers. This represents an important milestone towards achieving a global carbon neutral supply chain.

Key highlights:

• Tackling global carbon emissions: Steel production accounts for 7 percent of the world’s carbon emissions, making it a critical industry in the fight against climate change. The collaboration between Alfa Laval and SSAB aims to address this challenge, with emissions being predominantly generated from a limited number of locations.
• Reducing carbon footprint: By integrating SSAB’s fossil carbon emission free, recycled steel, produced through renewable-based processes, into Alfa Laval’s heat exchangers, the collaboration takes an important step towards achieving a global carbon neutral supply chain.
• Double impact on global emissions: Initially more than 100 heat exchangers will be delivered this year – and significantly more the coming years. These heat exchangers will be deployed to improve energy efficiency in numerous areas such as HVAC, marine, process and food industries.

“Alfa Laval’s commitment to sustainability is further strengthened through our collaboration with SSAB,” says Thomas Møller, President of the Energy Division at Alfa Laval. “By incorporating their recycled steel in our heat exchangers, we are not only reducing our own carbon footprint but also driving the entire value chain towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.”

”SSAB is really accelerating the roll-out of zero-emission steel with our newest product SSAB Zero,” says Thomas Hörnfeldt, Head of Sustainable Business at SSAB. “We are now expanding our partnership with Alfa Laval to include SSAB Zero, and can look forward to visible results already this year. This is great news, and also allows us to help mitigate climate change even faster.”

Klaveness Digital announces its latest partnership with Citrosuco, a global leader in orange juice concentrate production, as the company adopts CargoValue to optimise supply chain operations. Citrosuco is the latest to join a growing community of industrial companies taking the lead in how they manage their seaborne supply chain.

In today’s highly competitive market, Citrosuco recognises the value of incorporating advanced technologies to support its standing in the global citrus industry. The company’s dedication to creating top-quality products and embracing environmentally responsible practices has encouraged its pursuit of innovative solutions for enhancing its supply chain.

With the adoption of CargoValue, Citrosuco can now efficiently plan and manage their entire shipping and inventory schedule in one solution with a single source of information, from planning to production, allowing the company to reduce risks and costs. Citrosuco currently has 5 marine terminals located in: Santos (BR), Wilmington (USA), Gent (Belgium), Toyohashi (Japan) and Newcastle (Australia), as well as 5 dedicated ships and 1 multi-cargo vessel.

According to Luiz Fernando Ragonha Jr, the Director of Supply Chain Planning at Citrosuco’s Santos Port Terminal, the adoption of CargoValue by Citrosuco reaffirms the company’s prominent position in the global citrus industry. By embracing this cutting-edge technology, Citrosuco demonstrates its unwavering commitment to keeping pace with the latest industry trends and advancements. The implementation of this solution not only enables Citrosuco to streamline its operations and decrease operating costs, but also plays a crucial role in reducing the company’s environmental impact. By identifying opportunities for more sustainable transportation and storage practices, Citrosuco actively contributes to its CO_₂ emission reduction targets, thereby aligning itself with a more environmentally conscious future.

Greater efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability in the supply chain

“By incorporating CargoValue into their operations, Citrosuco demonstrates their forward-thinking approach and commitment to excellence,” said Aleksander Stensby, CEO at Klaveness Digital AS. “We’re excited to partner with Citrosuco to help them achieve greater efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability in their global supply chain.”

Across all age groups, strawberry consistently ranks among the top fruits consumed around the world. It forms an ubiquitous ingredient in applications ranging from beverages, baked goods, cereals, confections, dairy foods, and plant-based products to consumer health products for sports nutrition and dietary supplementation. To help meet this demand, Symrise has developed a broad diana food™ portfolio of strawberry ingredients that includes powders, flakes, crunchies, and crunch’flakes.

To reliably deliver such a broad portfolio of high-quality strawberry ingredients, Symrise has built a worldwide network of sourcing capabilities. Today, the company responsibly sources strawberries from Chile, Morocco, Spain, and Italy. This global strategy enables Symrise to provide a broad range of strawberry ingredients meeting different features whether it relates to competitiveness, a specific quality such as Baby Food, a specific certification such as organic, a composition up to 100% from fruit or diverse organoleptic properties. It also ensures a reliable supply chain all year long. Our long-term relationships with farmers, supported by regular visits and audits from our in-house agronomists, guarantee the high quality of the selected fruit, the full traceability of agricultural practices, and the ability to supply certified ingredients that meet the client’s specific needs.

According to Aurélie Pellé, Global Fruit Product Line Director at Naturals Business Unit, Symrise Food & Beverage: “As a customer-driven organization, we offer the ideal solution with year-round availability whatever application and product form requirement our customers may address.”

To assist global customers in choosing the most appropriate strawberry reference for their application needs, Symrise has created a new product brochure for the diana food™ portfolio specifically designed to guide them through the company’s comprehensive strawberry offerings. With this resource, customers’ product development teams can more easily identify the strawberry ingredient that best suits their functional and sensorial requirements.

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak across Europe the European fresh fruit and vegetable sector has increased efforts to ensure a continuous and diverse supply of safe, high quality fresh fruit and vegetables for consumers in Europe and around the world. With at-home consumption increasing as the outbreak develops, ensuring consumers can maintain a healthy, balanced diet with access to fresh fruit and vegetables remains a top priority for the European fruit and vegetable sector.

Freshfel Europe together with its members has been closely monitoring the implications of the COVID0-19 outbreak for the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain across Europe. Now officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the closure of border crossings in Europe for people has delayed some operations in the fresh produce supply chain. However, all possible measures have been taken across the chain to maintain supply of high quality fresh produce. With the closure of restaurants and cafés in many Member States, consumers are increasingly reliant on the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables in retail outlets for at-home consumption. The fresh fruit and vegetable sector is holding discussions with public authorities to guarantee a ‘fresh corridor’ to fast-track trucks transporting highly perishable fresh fruit and vegetables to guarantee timely supply. This includes securing vehicles and drivers in a timely manner in the right locations and introducing protocols to ensure trade flows. Discussions are also being centred on securing resources for the upcoming picking season, such as having enough employees picking in orchards and working in packing stations and further down the supply chain.

Measures are being taken by all European fresh produce companies to provide the highest protection to workers in the supply chain. Non-essential staff are working from home, distances between essential operating staff have been increased, the highest hygiene precautions in pack-houses and wholesale markets are being taken and truck drivers are being isolated to decrease the risk of shortages of these crucial personnel in maintaining operations. In retail outlets staff and consumer safety is of the highest priority. Precautions have increased to ensure the highest level of safety for essential staff re-stocking shelves to meet heightening demand for products and for consumers expecting safe, high quality fresh products.

The highest levels of food safety and hygiene are being met by operators in the fresh fruit and vegetable supply chain amid the COVID-19 outbreak. While the European Food Safety Authority has stated that there is no evidence that transmission through food consumption could occur, the sector reminds consumers to follow the precautionary recommendations issued by the WHO on good hygiene practices during any food handling and preparation. This includes washing hands, using different chopping boards and knives for raw meat and cooked food and avoiding potential cross-contamination between cooked and uncooked foods. All these efforts by the sector are facilitating consumers in continuing to have a healthy balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables throughout the outbreak.

The global packaging producer, Ecolean has been awarded the prestigious Gold Medal Recognition 2020 for its sustainability work. The certificate is awarded by the independent and trusted provider of sustainability ratings, EcoVadis. In the overall rankings, Ecolean is placed in the top 5 percent of a total of 60,000 companies assessed from 155 countries.

Ecolean’s high score is based on the company’s strategic work with clear objectives within significant areas of sustainability such as environment, including renewable energy and climate impact and social aspects – as well as via monitoring and transparent reporting of sustainability data of its lightweight packages and filling machines. For Ecolean, this is the first year the company participates in the ratings by EcoVadis.

EcoVadis is an independent provider of business sustainability ratings, which evaluates companies’ sustainability work in global supply chains annually. The assessment focuses on four key areas: environment, labor and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement. EcoVadis uses international standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative and the UN Global Compact.

About Ecolean
Ecolean develops and manufactures innovative packaging systems for the dairy and liquid food industry. Ecolean’s modern lightweight packaging is consumer convenience and environmental concern in one. Ecolean is a global company with its headquarters in Sweden. Established in 1996, the company has commercial activities in over 30 countries, with China, Pakistan and Russia being its largest markets. Ecolean has 450 employees.