Food industry: How climate-friendly innovations can advance companies in terms of technology and communication
1. introduction
For most companies, reducing emissions and saving resources are key levers for achieving their sustainability goals. On the one hand, they generally pursue economic goals that go hand in hand with a reduction in electricity or energy consumption, for example. On the other hand, many of them are now also legally obliged by the requirements of the CSRD Directive to take measures to protect the climate and sustainability has become a key issue for communication. Companies that credibly demonstrate their commitment to environmental and social issues can also gain a communicative advantage over their competitors. However, the danger – as demonstrated by the large number of lawsuits brought against companies by environmental organisations and NGOs – lies in greenwashing: do sustainability claims stand up to critical scrutiny or is it more a case of marketing with a green veneer?
This article links the topic of climate-friendly innovations with findings from previous German Food Innovation Reports. It shows what opportunities lie in innovations that contribute to climate protection, what challenges they pose for communication in particular, and provides recommendations for companies.
2. Climate-friendly innovations: Technical possibilities
Figure 1 describes the energy flow of the majority of companies in food production: Useful energy is often obtained from fossil fuels – gas, nuclear power or coal – is converted into electricity in a power plant and finally arrives at the factory with transmission losses. Studies show that almost 60 % of the energy originally used is lost along the way. Only 40 % can actually be utilised as useful energy (see Fig. 1).
But that is not all: an enormous amount of energy is required to process food, for example to heat it for the cooking process or to preserve it.
There are therefore two levers for more climate-friendly and energy-saving food production. One is the direct supply of alternative energy sources without detours and losses. More and more companies have already initiated this, and are considering their own wind turbines, photovoltaic systems, etc. The other lever relates to technology within production. Together, these two factors result in an almost ideal scenario for climate protection: (nearly) CO2-free production.
a. Direct energy supply
Alternative energy sources such as photovoltaics or wind power not only have the advantage that they supply energy without fossil fuels, but also that the electricity can be generated directly on site and fed into the production plant. Long transport routes are eliminated if the PV system is installed directly on the roof of the factory or the wind turbine is located on or next to the factory premises. This direct route minimises energy losses that would otherwise occur during conversion and transmission over long distances. The result is a significantly more efficient energy supply, which not only reduces operating costs but also supports the company’s sustainability goals. Another advantage: in addition to direct feed-in, surplus energy can be stored in battery storage systems or fed into the local power grid. This flexibility makes it possible to optimise electricity consumption and better manage outages or peak loads.
b. Emission-free technology: the example of ohmic heating
While direct energy supply is already the subject of many companies’ energy concepts, there is much more potential for the second lever for more climate-friendly food production: the use of emission-free technologies for heating food.
The heating of food is a fundamental part of both industrial food production and food preparation. It is used to preserve, pre-treat, cook or even change the texture. In recent years, consumers have increasingly emphasised the preservation of functional ingredients as well as the visual and sensory characteristics of food. This has led to a growing interest in efficient and gentle heating processes in the food industry. Ohmic heating is an example of a gentle heating process that can also be carried out in an almost CO2-neutral manner.
Ohmic heating, also known as resistance heating or joule heating, is an innovative method of heating food based on the principle of electrical resistance. An electric current is passed through food placed between two electrodes. Due to the ohmic resistance, heating occurs: the electrical energy is converted into thermal energy in the food itself. This means that the heating takes place exactly where it is needed, in the food itself. Compared to conventional thermal processes, ohmic heating offers a whole range of advantages: shorter heating times, more even and gentle heating and the ability to heat large quantities at the same time, as the heat is generated simultaneously throughout the entire volume of the food. The process also enables better preservation of colour and nutrients due to the shorter treatment times.
This contrasts with the traditional heating of food, which can be described as indirect heating. Here, a substance such as water, steam or air is heated to transport the thermal energy, which is then transferred to the food. This two-stage process can lead to uneven heating (e.g. due to hot surfaces) and high energy losses. Direct heating methods such as ohmic heating, on the other hand, avoid these problems as the electrical current is converted as the primary energy in the food. This means that no additional conversion of the primary energy is required, which reduces potential loss levels.
The only requirement for ohmic heating is that the food must have a certain electrical conductivity so that the current can flow through the food. The electrical conductivity in many foods is given by the presence of a certain amount of water and charged particles (e.g. salts). Drinks, sauces, soups, dressings, baked goods, fish and meat products, dairy products, egg products, vegetables and fruit, tinned food as well as gels, puddings and creams are therefore generally suitable for ohmic heating.
The German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL) in Quakenbrück is also currently researching various applications of ohmic heating. The first industrial applications date back to the 1930s, but the process was only used sporadically for a long time due to the high cost of electricity. In recent decades, increased interest in sustainable production processes and lower electricity prices have led to the rediscovery of this technology.
Challenges exist with inhomogeneous or multiphase food systems, as different electrical conductivities of the components can lead to uneven heating. Adjustments must be made here to avoid hot spots or cold spots.
In the German Innovation Report Food 2023, 31 % of the companies surveyed stated that they see so much potential in ohmic heating that they can imagine using the technology in their company in the future. This is almost twice as many as in the 2021 survey, when 16 % named ohmic heating as a possible future technology in their company. More and more companies are apparently recognising the potential of ohmic heating. The figures are also impressive in light of the fact that not all respondents who took part in the study even manufacture products that are suitable for ohmic heating.
3. CO2-free technologies: communicative opportunities and challenges
Let’s summarise: Overall, ohmic heating offers an energy-efficient alternative to conventional heating methods, can achieve higher efficiencies through the direct utilisation of primary energy , and on top of that does not require the use of fossil fuels if, for example, it is connected to its own wind power or photovoltaics via a direct energy supply. This makes it a promising technology for sustainable and efficient food production and could be a piece of the puzzle for virtually CO2-free energy utilisation.
What does this mean for communication? At first glance, the conditions seem good: it is a technology that ideally uses 100% renewable energy and can also operate without any significant energy loss. Nevertheless, there are a number of further questions regarding communication that need to be answered:
How relevant is the technology for your own carbon footprint? A sustainability topic can only be used communicatively if it is relevant to the overall picture. In other words, if the use of a technology only accounts for a negligible proportion of the overall footprint, there is a risk of greenwashing if a company uses it too heavily in its communications. The measure would be a fig leaf without any real added value for sustainability.
Is there a unique selling point through the use of the technology? A new technology can advance a company in many ways, not only because it helps to operate more sustainably or save costs. But if its use is already common practice within the industry or if many competitors are already using it, there is no news value and it is not a communicative topic. This is not the case with ohmic heating. Companies that already use this technology today still have a unique selling point that they can utilise for communication purposes.
How much explanation does the technology need? This is where it gets complicated. The German Innovation Report Food from 2023 confirmed a thesis from previous reports: The communication of processes is perceived to be more challenging overall than that of product-related innovations such as new recipes or packaging. For example, 72 % of respondents stated that they consider the communication of new technologies to be predominantly challenging. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that technological innovations are neither relevant nor visible to the two most important target groups: retailers and consumers. In addition, processes such as ohmic heating are technologically highly sophisticated and their benefits can only be communicated with an enormous amount of explanation.
How can technologically complex climate-friendly innovations still be communicated to the relevant target groups? Here are some tips:
- Explain clearly: Even if it seems difficult at first glance – there are various ways to present even complex issues in an understandable way. Charts, graphics, explanatory videos or factsheets: Visual communication tools are particularly useful for digital communication with end consumers (in social media), but also in retail communication. Figures such as the degree to which reduction targets have been achieved can also be visualised very clearly in this way.
- Demystify: Many a complex technology failed to gain the acceptance of the target group because prejudices against it existed. However, these often arise due to ignorance. Let’s take the example of ohmic heating again: the idea of heating food using waves of electricity may seem unusual (‘artificial’) to some consumers. Yet almost all households have been using a similar technology as a matter of course for decades: the microwave. Explaining that consumers’ concerns have been recognised and that the technology does not pose a health risk, for example, is an important task of communication.
- Place in the overall context: For credible communication, it is important to place individual measures in an overall context. In addition to technological innovation, a company should therefore be able to refer to a range of other measures as part of its sustainability strategy, in which technology is another piece of the puzzle.
4. conclusion
Climate-friendly innovations are undoubtedly a benefit for your own carbon footprint and are worthwhile not only from an ecological but also from an economic point of view. When it comes to communication, however, a balance must always be struck: How much effort does it take to explain a complex topic and to whom do I want or even need to explain it?
The German Food Innovation Report
Engel & Zimmermann and the DIL Deutsches Institut für Lebensmitteltech e.V. have been regularly analysing innovation activity in the German food industry for four years now as part of a joint study. The German Food Innovation Report, which has been published three times since that time and in which decision-makers from German food manufacturers are surveyed, consists of several parts: on general innovation activity in products and processes, on financing and on the communication of innovations. The topic of sustainability is always a focal point.
The ‘Flashlight Innovation Report’ focuses on specific topics in the period between two studies – currently on climate-friendly innovations. All three reports published to date are available for download at https://innovationsreport-food.de/.
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