Nuts and Dried Fruits : “Crunch and Originality”

“Sustainability is very important for us, it’s our self-understanding, our philosophy.”

The XXI century is defined, among other things, for society making an effort to try to leave a better planet for the next generations. It’s not only about recycling, reducing and re-using. It’s much more. It’s also about changing the paradigm and believing that another type of business can be done.

The need for a third-party laboratory is almost a must in today’s marketplace. If you are a food processor, you know that many customers buying food products, regulations, and most Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarks require testing. You want to have the confidence that your testing is getting done quickly, and done right the first time. But finding the right fit for your company is easier said than done.

The rise of the electric car is being held back due to the lack of batteries with a high level of autonomy and low environmental impact. Spanish investigators demonstrate the potential of almond shells as a sustainable solution to the problem.

Nanotechnology is the understanding and manipulation of material at the nanoscale (typically 1-100 nm) to provide new products with special properties. Nanotechnology can benefit the food industry mainly in the areas of agriculture, packaging and health supplements.

Macadamia is native to Australia but most of the world’s cultivated macadamia trees were bred in Hawaii from seed collected in Australia in the late 19th century. Recent genetic research suggests that the global macadamia industry originated from a site near Gympie in Queensland and possibly a single tree.

Food losses represent up to 40% for fruits and nuts. With that, the almond industry, spearheaded by the Almond Board of California, has committed to zero waste by 2025, meaning that the industry needs to create viable end-uses for their coproducts – everything from orchard to table.

This article is the result of a study involving research, development and innovation. It describes the problem of the overabundance of peanut husks in places where the selection and processing of peanuts takes place. Peanut husks, or shells, are the natural packaging of the seed, which grows underground. The natural properties of the husk which are essential to the growth and protection of the seed while underground are the very properties which mean they do not easily biodegrade. Using this by-product from the peanut industry, this project has created agglomerated polymer matrix panels with properties similar to those of industrialized wood panels, whose applications are oriented towards architecture and object design.