Kerry’s Food Waste Estimator, announced to mark the UN International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste Reduction, allows consumers and manufacturers to quantify and understand the financial and environmental impact of reducing food waste either in the food chain or in the home.  

With the UN estimating that a third of all food is wasted, the combined effort of consumers and manufacturers to reduce food waste can have a significant impact on creating a more sustainable food ecosystem and will be critical in solving the increasing global challenge of food security.

Using just a few simple inputs, Kerry’s innovative new estimator is designed to inform users about the impact that reducing food waste can have on our planet.

It provides information on the number of additional people that could be fed, as well as the amount of carbon dioxide and water that would be saved by making simple changes to reduce food waste. Too Good to Go, the world’s largest food saving app, provides useful food waste reduction tips for consumers within the estimator.

In addition, the estimator enables food manufacturers to determine the impact they can have in reducing global food waste by using shelf-life extension technology across their portfolios. Research has shown that approximately 50% of consumer waste could be prevented via shelf-life extension technologies – a saving which would meaningfully reduce world hunger.

Bert de Vegt, Global VP for Food Protection & Preservation at Kerry said: “Today is a reminder of the precarious global situation of food security. We all need to act and as an industry we must take immediate action in eradicating food waste within the food system through new technology and innovating together.  

While Kerry partners with manufacturers to extend the shelf-life of products, it is important to remember that individual actions at home can also have a big impact. If the world reversed the current trend of food loss and waste, we could protect enough resources to feed three times the amount of undernourished people on the planet today. Our new tool provides simple but actionable insights for both consumers and the food industry and shows the real impact that shelf-life extension technology can have on food products.”

Solutions

 As the market leader in conventional and clean label preservation, Kerry understands shelf-life protection and extension to be the most actionable method in managing food waste both in the home and throughout the supply chains It has pioneered breakthroughs in the highest food waste categories of bakery and meat, including patented plant-based curing agents and nitrite-free solutions for listeria inhibition, innovative vinegar-based solutions for clean taste in low pH bread applications as well as solutions for process and heat treatment replacement in beverages. With the broadest portfolio of preservation technologies in the industry, each year Kerry extends the shelf-life of over 34.5 billion loaves of bread and 43.5 billion servings of meat globally.

Kerry’s technologies support the reduction of food waste through fermentation, vinegar-based ingredients, plant extracts and enzymes, alongside conventional organic acid-based preservatives like propionates and acetates. Taking a holistic approach, the company also supports manufacturers in creating a more circular flow of resources, repurposing products that would otherwise have ended up as waste. For example, spent coffee grounds being used for authentic coffee flavours and proteins being converted into biofertilizers through fermentation.

The food waste estimator can be accessed here.

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The free-to-download app officially launched in Dublin nine months ago, with Limerick, Galway and Cork following shortly after.

Since then, the app has gathered 150,000 registered users and partnered with nearly 1,000 food businesses across the country, including major names like Fresh, Spar and Applegreen.

Every Surprise Bag rescued through Too Good To Go saves the equivalent C02e emissions that it takes to power a smartphone 442 times. Thanks to the collective efforts of Too Good To Go’s partners and users, over 250 tons of C02e emissions have been saved to date in Ireland, the equivalent needed to power 2,333 flights from Dublin to London or for every person in Ireland to charge their phones 8.8 times.

Sophie Trueman, Too Good To Go Managing Director UK & Ireland, says: “It’s amazing to have reached this incredible milestone so quickly in Ireland! There are so many benefits to preventing delicious food from going to waste – retailers can recover their sunk costs, while consumers can access great food at an affordable price. Everyone wins and together we can do good for our planet too. I’m incredibly excited to see our food waste mission continue to grow in Ireland as we rescue even more great food from going to waste.”

David Field, Managing Director of Fresh, one of the largest partners of Too Good To Go, adds: “Too Good To Go forms part of our overall strategy to reduce our impact on climate change and using it has allowed us to have a real impact. As our name suggests, we have amazing fresh produce available every day. Too Good To Go allows us to minimise this food waste at store level, while also giving something back to our customers and delivering real value. Our partnership started in January of this year and it has been a huge success for us!”

Too Good To Go is a social impact company working with companies to prevent food waste by allowing customers to purchase surplus food from restaurants, convenience retailers and producers for an affordable price. Users download the free Too Good To Go app and search for nearby businesses that offer unsold food, where they can then purchase a ‘Surprise Bag’ filled with delicious food at a third of its original retail value, collect it at an allotted time and enjoy.

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In just six short months since bringing its food waste solution to Ireland, 140,000+ Irish citizens and 600+ food business partners have signed up to save 85,000+ Magic Bags from waste.

“We’re so excited to expand our presence to Limerick, having received lots of requests from locals in the area,” said Sophie Trueman, newly appointed Managing Director for Too Good To Go Ireland & the UK.

“Our Irish users have already made a big impact in reducing food waste since our launch last year, and it’s only just getting started! It’s shocking to think that 250,000 tonnes of food is wasted in Ireland every year, but we can make a difference. I encourage businesses and consumers in Limerick to join us in reducing food waste and paving the way for a brighter, greener future.”

Available in Ireland since October 2021, Too Good To Go has already partnered with more than 600 businesses countrywide including local favourites like KC Peaches and Fresh to save delicious food from going to waste.

In a survey conducted by Too Good To Go in 2021, Limerick citizens ranked among the top cities in the country committed to cutting down food waste. Dozens of Limerick food shops have joined already ahead of the launch including Fika Coffee, Chill The Beans and Volcano Wings.

“We joined Too Good To Go to help reduce food wastage along with our carbon footprint. The amount of perfectly edible food thrown away daily in this country is staggering and we wanted to help out in any way we can,” said Cian Murphy, Owner & Director of Fika Coffee in Limerick.

“Along with reducing waste, Too Good To Go has helped us as a marketing tool in getting our brand out there.”

Anna, Owner of Braw Chocolate & Bakery adds, “I joined Too Good To Go as we often have a small amount of irregular sized or slightly imperfect brownies and chocolates at the end of the week. Too Good To Go is also a good reminder that a zero waste kitchen is possible. There are no bad brownies!”

Food waste is a massive global issue that needs to be tackled at every level and requires everyone to join in to create a greener system and planet. 15% of all habitable land on Earth is used to produce food that we waste. The average Irish household throws out 150 kg of food waste each year at a cost of approximately 700 euro.

How the app works as a solution: The app connects consumers with businesses who have surplus food at the end of each business day. Too Good To Go believes in a world without food waste and is making it possible to ensure that delicious food doesn’t get thrown out. The app provides a simple, easy to use and manage solution for businesses to work into their daily operations. Businesses can immediately start generating incremental revenue from selling Magic Bags of food and also draw new customers into their stores. Consumers purchase Magic Bags of that surplus food at ⅓ the retail cost, saving meals and money while getting great food from a variety of local spots, and working to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Limerick citizens can start reserving Magic Bags today and should expect to see many more businesses added daily as expansion continues.

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The more consumers use the Maxol Loyalty App, the more they are rewarded by Ireland’s convenience forecourt retailer.

The Maxol Loyalty App is the result of extensive research and a six-figure investment by the forecourt retailer, which claims it is the most technologically advanced app in its sector.

FuelPay works by using geo-fencing and the user’s phone GPS to determine which service station the customer is located at, and customers can turn on the fuel pump with their phone by entering the specific pump number on the app without exiting their car.

The app, designed and developed with Liquid Barcodes, a loyalty technology company specialising in the convenience store and food services industries, will be available to customers across 76 Maxol locations in Ireland.

Brian Donaldson, Maxol Group CEO, said: “As a family-owned Irish company we have a strong network of loyal customers that have helped us grow from strength to strength. This app is another milestone in continuing to reward and retain loyal customers and help move our business forward, both digitally and technologically.

“FuelPay will also be available shortly for all Maxol fuel card customers, which includes small to medium businesses, large corporate organisations and state governing bodies.”

Maxol said the loyalty proposition was conceived following in-depth research on global best practice and includes two main elements: “digital stamps” to reward frequent purchases of coffee and car washes, and “stars” to reward recent visits and customer referrals who sign up for the app.

The app has a wide range of offers and rewards for members across products such as ROSA Coffee (buy five, get a sixth free), car wash (buy four, receive a complimentary car wash) and lots more.  All members will also receive exclusive monthly offers that will rotate between confectionery, snacks, and beverages during the year.

The app also has a station finder that will locate the nearest Maxol service station quickly and if a customer is having an issue trying to figure out the right oil for their car, they can use the Maxol Engine Oil Advisor feature to steer them in the right direction.

The app also introduces a new community of Gold Star members for customers, offering a gold star for those who spend €5 in-store or €30 on fuel.  When a customer collects 10 gold stars over a 90-day period, they become a Gold Member, which gives them access to more offers and special treats.

Maxol has invested more than €210m in expanding and upgrading its service station network over the past decade, acquiring 23 freehold properties and completing large-scale developments of 25 others, together with 50 smaller site projects.

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