Innovations in ingredients and processing provide the key
In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, we focus on the role innovation in ingredients has to play in creating a more sustainable global food system.
The demand for plant based and vegan ingredients is soaring globally as consumers become ever more health and environmentally conscious in their food and lifestyle choices.
Manufacturers are incorporating new ingredients into their food portfolios to meet this demand.
So, how can we accelerate ingredient innovation? And will these new ingredients meet the need for improved flavours, textures and greater nutritional value?
This episode was recorded live at the Food Matters Live Sustainable Food in London in September 2023.
Shayna Fertig, Senior Advisor to the President, The Good Food Institute
Shayna Fertig is the Senior Advisor to the President at The Good Food Institute (GFI), where she works to advance the alternative protein ecosystem.
She primarily works on growing GFI’s high level relationships across the climate, biodiversity, and global health communities.
Prior to GFI, Shayna worked in the alternative protein industry at Impossible Foods, building out sales strategy and analytical capabilities.
Shayna believes in a future where alternative proteins are no longer alternative.
Gil Horsky, Founding Partner, FLORA Ventures
Gil Horsky is the Founding Partner of FLORA Ventures, a new early-stageVC fund that is identifying, backing, and partnering with the best purpose-led entrepreneurs redefining the $8T AgriFood & Sustainability industries, to make food that is good for people, and kind to the planet.
Gil is a food industry executive with 16-plus years of global leadership experience from Mondelēz, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, and Nestle. Gil co-founded the Mondelēz corporate venture investment and incubation hub (CVC), SnackFutures, and has vast experience in incubating and commercializing new branded food innovation and FoodTech platforms that generated more than $800 million in revenues.
Throughout his career, Gil worked in a variety of commercial roles around the globe on some of the most iconic international food brands: Milka, Pepsi, Quaker Oats, Toblerone, Cadbury, Oreo, Tropicana, and Nestle Purina.
Gil is recognised as a prominent figure in the global AgriFood-Tech ecosystem and is a regular speaker at leading international industry conferences.
Wouter Zwagemakers, Chief Commercial Officer, The Seaweed Company
Wouter is acting as the CCO of The Seaweed Company, a mission-driven impact enterprise founded in 2018. In 2021, Wouter joined TSC’s founding team to help build a regenerative, impact platform to make our food systems healthy again.
Wouter and TSC are driven to make impact at scale through the use of seaweed, one of the most sustainable ingredients available to catalyze key transitions such Less Meat (protein transition) and Less Chemicals (regenerative ag), whilst decarbonizing at scale.
Prior to TSC, Wouter has for 15 years in corporate settings, of which 10 years in food retail with AholdDelhaize in various roles, for example as head of strategy of Albert Heijn.
Wouter is also active in the AgriFoodTech networks, amongst others as mentor in Wagening’s StartLife start-up ecosystem.
