The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has published Food Waste Booklet, a compilation of real-life examples from the CGF members on how they are measuring and reducing food loss and waste.

The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) has published Food Waste Booklet , a compilation of real-life examples from the CGF members on how they are measuring and reducing food loss and waste. The booklet comes on the heels of other recent successful food waste initiatives involving the CGF and its members, such as the 2015 CGF resolution to halve food waste within the individual operations of its members by 2025, the launch of the Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Standard and participation in Champions 12.3. While these accomplishments and milestones are great frameworks to use in our collective journey to reduce food waste, concrete actions are necessary to achieve tangible results.  This case study booklet therefore serves as inspiration and guidance to others wishing to accelerate their food loss and waste measurement and reduction by showcasing an array of successful approaches to food waste from consumer goods companies.  Food loss and waste is an enormous environmental, social and economic problem and arguably one of the greatest collective challenges of our time, CGF said, adding, Given the magnitude of this issue, collaboration is key and the sharing of best practice through the case study booklet is a positive way to do so.  The booklet is the third CGF case study booklet  in a series focused on environmental sustainability, along with the CGF Refrigeration Booklet that highlights how CGF members are phasing out HFCs and implementing natural refrigeration alternatives, and the CGF Climate Change Booklet containing examples of how members are making business changes to have a positive impact on the climate with the goal of keeping global temperature rises below 2°C. For more information, visit CGF's food waste case studies platform or www.tcgfsustainability.com .    

The depth of the damage from Chipotle Mexican Grill's food safety scare showed up in yet another quarterly earnings on Oct. 25, in which net income fell 95% and missed estimates compared to the same quarter in its high-flying days a year ago.

The depth of the damage from Chipotle Mexican Grill's food safety scare showed up in yet another quarterly earnings on Oct. 25, in which net income fell 95% and missed estimates compared to the same quarter in its high-flying days a year ago, USA Today reports. The Denver-based company reported third-quarter net income of $7.8 million, a dramatic fall from $144.9 million a year ago. Per-share earnings totaled 27 cents, compared with $4.59 a year ago. That was well short of the $1.60 estimated by analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Revenue sank 14.8% year-over-year to $1 billion during the quarter despite even though the fast-casual dining chain opened 54 new restaurants with only one closing.

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The product is an inline floor drain trap seal used in the outlet connections of floor drain bodies or the inside of floor drain strainers in commercial facilities.

Green Drain from Diversified Sales & Marketing is an inline floor drain trap seal used in the outlet connections of floor drain bodies or the inside of floor drain strainers in commercial facilities such as restaurant kitchens, bars and food-processing facilities to help seal the drain opening to prevent odors, sewer gases and insects (like drain flies and fruit flies) from entering up through the floor drain.

The firm says Green Drain’s four flexible silicone sealing ribs ensure easy installation into openings that may have variations in size and the silicone rubber sealing flapper will open to allow drainage and close when there is no water flow. The Green Drain can be used in either new construction or as a retrofit. Green Drain is available in 2-, 3-, 3.5- and 4-inch sizes. For more information, visit www.divsales.com .

The $59-billion merger between Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. may be delayed as European antitrust officials take more time to consider potential competition issues in pesticides and crop seeds.

The $59-billion merger between Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. may be delayed as European antitrust officials take more time to consider potential competition issues in pesticides and crop seeds. The $59-billion merger between Dow Chemical Co. and DuPont Co. may be delayed as European antitrust officials take more time to consider potential competition issues in pesticides and crop seeds. Dow’s Chief Executive Officer Andrew Liveris told Bloomberg News that the European farm lobby is one of the strongest in the world and that the merger may be delayed until February. The plan was originally planned to close late this year. Meanwhile, DuPont is planning to sell a business making herbicides to help reduce potential antitrust sticking points. DuPont CEO Edward Breen said he expects the deal to close by the end of March. Upon sealing their deal, DuPont and Dow now expect to be able to split the combined entity into three separate companies within 18 months, versus the 18 to 24-month range projected when the deal was announced, Breen told the Wall Street Journal. A host of competitors from BASF to FMC Corp. are monitoring opportunities to pick up assets as the biggest-ever wave of consolidation in the agrochemical and seeds business spurs antitrust reviews and forced sales, according to USAgNet. DuPont boosted its 2016 earnings outlook amid global cost cutting and increased sales volumes, according to Bloomberg. Dow will report financial results Oct. 27. Breen is eliminating 10 percent of DuPont’s workforce as part of a plan to reduce annual expenses by $700 million. The merger, agreed on in December, would create a company with a combined market cap of about $122 billion before splitting it up into three separate entities focused on plastics and chemicals, agricultural seeds and pesticides, and specialty products like food ingredients and safety equipment.

Having achieved FDA compliance in target end-use applications, Chromatic Technologies Inc. (CTI), a pioneer in the use of temperature-sensitive inks and coatings based in Colorado Springs, Colo., set out to become a market leader in thermochromic “Masterbatch."

When food companies began looking at plastic utensils having the capability to change color based on temperature, the first question was always the same: Are these innovative plastics compliant with FDA?

Having achieved FDA compliance in target end-use applications, Chromatic Technologies Inc. (CTI), a pioneer in the use of temperature-sensitive inks and coatings based in Colorado Springs, Colo., set out to become a market leader in thermochromic “Masterbatch” (the industry term for a solid or liquid additive used for achieving color in plastics). In the process, CTI launched its own version with the color-changing capability, calling the process Powercapsules.

Unveiled by CTI in November 2014, Powercapsules are the result of the company’s breakthrough chemistry which includes thermochromic color concentrate pellets. Powercapsules offer customers the benefits of an enviable let-down ratio, temperature indication, and powered by new technology that drives vibrant color and UV stability, all combined with U.S.-based manufacturing utilizing good manufacturing practices.

CTI’s Powercapsules have been qualified in such popular applications as polypropylene (PP), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polystyrene (PS) and high-impact polystyrene (HIPS).

Powercapsules serve to enhance the consumer experience across a diverse range of products including QSR utensils, soda closures, ice cream spoons, ice trays, baby bath toys, coffee lids and soup bowls, the company said.

According to WorldCentric.org, among plastics utensils, an estimated 40 billion are used every year in the U.S. alone. Additionally, according to American Chemistry Council, 34% of plastics in the U.S. today are earmarked for packaging applications (making plastics the largest market). And PlasticsEurope Market Research Group (PEMRG) showed that, in Europe, packaging accounts for nearly 40 percent of plastics demand.

Research from Freedonia Group has also shown that, “Demand for foodservice disposables in the U.S. is projected to increase 3.9% per year to $21.9 billion in 2019. Packaging will remain the most common product segment and will outpace service ware, napkins and other foodservice disposables.”

CTI established three temperatures for use in the plastics industry: 59° F, 64° F, and 104° F. Custom temperatures are also available and Powercapsules are available in the CMYK and blue colors, which can be mixed to make a virtual rainbow matching most Pantone colors. A major accomplishment was achieved when CTI validated regulatory compliance in several categories concerning the food application of Powercapsules including RoHS directives, CONEG and EN 71-3 regulations, Dodd-Frank Conflict Mineral legislation, TSE requirements, California Proposition 65 legislation, no use of BPA, no use of phthalates, no use of ITX or benzophenone, manufactured in a facility free of FDA allergens or derivatives, and manufactured from materials not expected to contain genetically modified organism (GMOs), the company said.

CTI also produces photochromic, glow-in-dark and security taggants for plastic. For more information on Powercapsules, visit www.thermochromicplastic.com or www.thermochromicmasterbatch.com.  .