Biotechnology Awards 2020

GHP / 2020 Biotechnology Awards 15 , Jan20381 For more than thirteen years, Yamco has been producing aseptic vegetable purees. After several years of research and development in collaboration with the North Carolina State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Food Science Research unit, Yamco was built. Owned by famers, Yamco understands better than most the importance of being a fully-integrated, sustainable, zero-waste facility when it comes to food. The current waste amounts are incredibly damaging, when in fact, there is a far better use for the food that is left behind. With its state-of-the-art process facility. Yamco utilizes patented microwave technology to produce purees of unsurpassed quality that would make a fine addition to any meal. Yamco utilizes the “pick outs”, more commonly known as the ugly produce. Taking these rejected vegetables, the firm creates aseptic purees that are packed into bulk packaging. In doing this and addressing this Best Aseptic Vegetable Puree Facility 2020 & Best in Sustainable Food Waste Solutions 2020 Food waste accounts for a great deal of most landfills. According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2018, an estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of food is wasted globally each year accounting for one third of all food produced for human consumption. Since 2007, Yamco has been offering a different solution, ensuring that all that food doesn’t get thrown away unnecessarily. To find out what makes this firmworthy of its double award- winning success, we took a closer look at its services. flaw within the food production system, Yamco is estimated to save more than twenty million pounds of produce per year, either from being left in the fields or being sent to landfill. Being aseptically processed and packaged, the firm is able to store its products at room temperature whilst not having the same cold-chain constraints as its main competitors within the industry. In everything the firm does, from development to packaging, Yamco abides by the numerous regulatory standards to ensure food stays at the front of its core values, and is approved by the FDA, NCDA, USDA, and a number of others. Throughout the process, the highest levels of quality are maintained at Yamco. With the unique microwave technology, the firm is able to heat up its products in a matter of seconds, which creates a commercially- sterile product whilst retaining up to 98% of the color, texture, taste, and nutritional values. This level of nutritional retention is unmatched within the industry by any of the other processors, and has formed much of the core success of Yamco’s vegetable purees. The firm has recently commercialized beet, cauliflower, and blueberry puree, as well as acidified versions of all its commodities. Unlike typical processors using conventional methods that can take more than ten times the time and energy to process foods, Yamco’s unique microwave technology allows for rapid heating and cooling to ensure the best quality and highest nutritional values are retained. Being tied to local universities involved in the commercialization of the technology has meant that Yamco is able to make use of a lot of resources that most food processors have. Yamco also holds training classes and hosts tours for food science education on a regular basis. In order to continue the sustainability throughout the entirety of the process, even the bulk packaging is considered. Carefully selected to contain only the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials, Yamco’s bulk packaging process uses approximately 45% less energy that other typical and conventional processors. Furthermore, what materials and vegetable parts aren’t used in the purees are consumed in Yamco’s award-winning Covington Sweet Potato Vodka. Everything has a place, and serves the core mission of ensuring sustainability rather than contributing to the global problem of food waste. Combatting this global issue of food waste is one that everyone should be on board with; it is something that everyone can take an active part in fighting against. Whether it be picking up a slightly more misshapen vegetable on the next shop, or creating a flavoursome and delicious puree that effectively reduces the amount of food waste in landfills and fields, everyone can do their part. Yamco certainly is, and to tremendous success. Company: Yamco Contact: Tyler Brown Website: www.yamco.net