Product recalls are costly and damaging to brand reputation, but most are preventable with the right food safety systems, writes Tammie Van Buren, compliance manager at Safe Quality Food Institute. Van Buren and Denise Webster, vice president of food safety at SCS Global Services, emphasize that recall prevention involves embedding food safety throughout operations, including supplier management, environmental monitoring and allergen control.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, and Washington State University are investigating ways to enhance the antimicrobial activity of food-grade waxes used on produce. Funded by the Center for Produce Safety, the study found that adding olive pomace extract or propyl gallate to wax, combined with heat treatment, significantly reduces pathogens. However, the efficacy varies between apples and oranges, with apples showing less reduction, possibly due to different wax formulations. The researchers are exploring a two-step treatment to improve results on apples.

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Nestlé is implementing SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition globally as a central platform for innovation and business process management. The upgrade, already live in more than 110 countries, is intended to enhance agility and utilize AI for process automation.

Scope 3 emissions, particularly those related to farming inputs, packaging and distribution, pose the most significant challenge for food and beverage companies aiming for net-zero emissions. This has led to a surge in sustainable ingredient innovation, with regenerative agriculture being a key trend. Companies like PepsiCo and Unilever are investing heavily in regenerative practices to build resilient supply chains, while the plant-based sector is shifting towards hybrid products and functional foods.

In response to rising cocoa costs and changing market demands, chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has teamed up with start-up NotCo AI to utilize artificial intelligence in developing new chocolate recipes. The partnership will leverage NotCo's Giuseppe platform, which can simulate and replace ingredients, potentially reducing reliance on cocoa. This move aligns with industry trends of using AI for cost-cutting and innovation, although Barry Callebaut has not disclosed expected financial gains from this strategy.

H-E-B has partnered with celebrity chefs Andrew Zimmern and Barton Seaver to promote seafood sustainability through events tied to the release of "The Blue Food Cookbook." The grocer also has collaborated with Fishwise to enhance seafood sourcing, traceability and ethical practices. "This collaboration allows us to share creative ways to prepare nutritious recipes while amplifying the importance of responsibly sourced seafood that preserves our environment," says Jason Driskill, vice president of seafood at H-E-B.