New Standards in Sustainable Practices
Sustainability is a core business value, otherwise it can’t have a real impact on a company’s carbon footprint or the financial bottom line. By integrating sustainable practices, the baking industry can contribute to a healthier environment, achieve economic benefits, comply with regulations, and fulfill social responsibilities, all while meeting the evolving demands of conscious consumers.
Sustainable practices in the baking industry are important for a series of key reasons. The baking industry, like many other food production sectors, can have a significant carbon footprint due to energy consumption and emissions from transportation and production processes. Implementing energy-efficient practices and using renewable energy sources can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the same line, efficient waste management practices, including recycling and reducing food waste, are crucial. For instance, unsold bakery products can be donated or repurposed, and packaging materials can be recycled or made from biodegradable substances.
Well planned sustainable practices lead to cost savings in the long run. Energy-efficient equipment, waste reduction, and optimized resource use can lower operational costs. And, as consumers are increasingly seeking environmentally friendly and ethically produced products, bakeries can differentiate themselves in the market, potentially leading to increased sales and customer loyalty.
Last, but not least, an important part of sustainability consists of resource preservation. Sustainable practices help preserve natural resources, ensuring that raw materials remain available for future generations. This is particularly important for ingredients like wheat and other grains used in baking. In addition, ensuring that ingredients are sourced ethically supports fair trade practices and improves the livelihoods of producers in developing regions.
We asked four global ingredient companies how they approach sustainability, both for their production processes and for their customers, the bakers and manufacturers who need their expertise to improve their own sustainable practices.
SVZ: 100% Sustainable Fruit and Vegetables by 2030
SVZ supplies high quality processed fruit and vegetable ingredients to food and drink manufacturers around the world. With over 150 years of experience, SVZ’ operation is built on sustainable agricultural practices.
“One of our top priorities as a business is to increase the share of sustainably-grown fruit and vegetables,” says Silvi Navarrete, Sustainability Manager. “This year, we achieved 74% sustainable sourcing of core ingredients in our supply chain and have set an ambitious goal of reaching 100% sustainable core ingredients by 2030.” To support this objective, SVZ provides year-round assistance with auditing and certifications to our partner growers, encouraging them to make incremental improvements that collectively lead to a significant impact.
One of the biggest challenges the company faces is energy usage. To address this, they implemented strategies that significantly reduce our environmental impact. For example, in 2022 they acquired a new pasteurizer for the Belgium processing plant, to significantly increase the capacity of the aseptic puree filling line, while reducing heat consumption and consequently CO2 emissions. “We expect the new pasteurizer will reduce emissions by 19% — a crucial step in SVZ’s journey to decarbonization,” says Navarrete.
At SVZ Spain, they installed 220 solar panels on the roof of our plant, generating 200 MWh annually – about 3.5% of the facility’s total energy consumption and reducing CO2 emissions by 44 tons. Currently, they’re installing solar panels in Belgium too, which will meet 100% of the energy needs, in compliance with Flemish government requirements for 2025.
“Here, our focus extends beyond technology implementation; we aim to monitor our highest energy consumption areas and explore opportunities to share surplus electricity,” says Navarrete. “This forward-thinking approach not only supports our sustainability goals but also contributes to the broader energy grid.”
The SVZ expert considers the lack of industry-led initiatives a significant challenge:”many companies operate in silos rather than collaborating on industry-wide sustainability projects. This fragmented approach hinders the sharing of best practices and the development of standardized sustainability metrics.” Accurate measurement and data collection are essential for tracking progress, but many companies lack the necessary tools and systems, making it difficult to identify areas for improvement and demonstrate the impact of sustainability initiatives. “There is a perception that being more sustainable is a charitable endeavor, rather than a core part of business, but that mindset is changing,” says Navarrete. “It’s now possible to calculate your impact on the planet in financial terms. Everything can – and should – be measured, which is how companies will thrive moving forwards.”
While the definition of sustainability is widely understood the same way, “a fundamental step in our journey has been recognising that sustainability means different things in different countries,” says the SVZ expert. “The approach of a grower in Spain can significantly vary from that of a farmer in Poland. Therefore, we have adapted our strategies to align with local definitions and practices of sustainability to ensure that our efforts are both relevant and effective in each region.”
dsm-firmenich: Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2045
“Much like the ingredients in a recipe, there are many different aspects to our sustainability strategy,” says Fatima Zoundri – Director of Sustainability. “On an organizational level we are working towards our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2045 by switching to renewable energy sources, optimizing efficiency across our operations, and boosting our R&D efforts in the realm of lower carbon ingredients.”
Looking at the baking and confectionery market specifically, the sustainability concerns proving most challenging for dsm-firmenich’ customers are minimizing food waste, product, safety and ‘naturalness’ and lowering energy consumption.
It’s a staggering statistic, says Zoundri, but the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates that between 33-40% of all food produced globally is wasted, generating up to 8% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. “The main concern here is of course the impact on the planet, but food waste is as much an economic issue as one of sustainability. Food and beverage manufacturers around the world lose significant portions of potential profit to wasted food, at the production and retail level. Add to this the fact that there are expected to be 11 billion people on our planet by 2100 – all needing consistent sources of safe, wholesome nutrition – and it’s clear that bakers need to act to prepare their businesses for the challenges – and opportunities – ahead.”
One approach with a big impact is investing in R&D for ingredients that help combat food waste, such as label-friendly baking enzymes. “Take our solution BakeZyme Master for instance – by producing softer, more resilient bread with delayed staling for a longer shelf life, it helps bakers cut down on the estimated 10-15% of bread discarded at a retailer or consumer level,” says Zoundri. “The result is a more than 10% reduction in a bread product’s carbon footprint, and increased consumer satisfaction thanks to bread that stays fresher for longer.”
Because eggs are the biggest contributor to the carbon footprint of a cake or pastry product, their CakeZyme Smart enzyme helps optimize egg usage for lower raw ingredient needs through advanced lipase technology which improves the emulsifying properties of egg lecithin. Better emulsification results in a lower volume of egg being used to create the same effect, delivering a 6% reduction in a cake’s carbon footprint.
Puratos: Carbon Neutral by 2025
Puratos evaluates the impact their products have on the planet using the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF), the EU recommended Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) based method. They measure the environmental impact of a product throughout its life cycle, from the sourcing of all raw materials and resources to the end of its life.
“One of our main environmental objectives is to become carbon neutral by next year,” says Francesca Angiulli, Group Sustainability Director. “In order to achieve this, we have transitioned fully to 100% renewable energy and are simultaneously improving our energy efficiency. Alongside our efforts to reduce our environmental footprint, responsible and transparent sourcing is a key focus for us. Our certified Cacao-Trace program and product range exemplify this commitment by allowing us to trace the entire journey from cocoa bean to finished product. Cacao-Trace also provides farmer training and resources such as schools and hospitals to cocoa-growing communities.”
Read the rest of the article in the July-August issue of European Baker & Biscuit.