Times change, and so do consumers’ tastes. After all, there’s a reason the phrase “flavor of the month” exists. Capturing interest, and the harder job of holding onto it, is a constant challenge for food and beverage producers. 

JUST, a company that applies cutting-edge science and technology to create healthier, more sustainable foods, announced a host of partnerships to manufacture and distribute its award-winning JUST Egg across North America, Latin America, Europe and East Asia.

The announcement of the award winners comes shortly after the UN Climate Summit in New York and Impossible Foods’ worldwide debut in grocery stores in both New York and Southern California. Creating a more sustainable food system is core to the international architecture of progress on climate change. Impossible Foods is adding a powerful tool for climate action.

“All of the startups we watched at FoodBytes! Chicago showcased some of the most innovative solutions we have seen yet when it comes to building a more nutritious and sustainable food supply,” said Darren Streiler, investment director, ADM Ventures, who served as a judge on the panel.

Over the past several months, interested companies have analyzed their value chains, from farm to fork, to identify the most impactful levers to protect and nurture biodiversity.

When making food and beverage purchase decisions based on the environment, packaging is most visible to consumers. One in 10 US adults, or roughly 20 million consumers, said that they have switched to a different food or beverage brand because it had earth-friendly packaging.

One trend that emerged from the survey is that of "better informed purchasing decisions." A majority of millennials want to know where their food comes from and how it is sourced. Transparency in food sourcing is important to more than 65% of millennials, particularly for fresh meat and seafood.

Product packaging that remains after use is a burden. It’s a burden to consumers, to communities and to the environment. My sense is that products positioned with sustainable packaging messages are going to dominate categories and eventually set a baseline for market entry.

Make plans to attend the New Products Conference, Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at Chicago’s Swissotel. Think you know enough about sustainability? Here are just three NPC sessions guaranteed to about deliver even deeper insights.

“Our sustainability pillars focus on agriculture, operations, procurement and transportation,” said Dan Dye, CEO of Ardent Mills. “We recently aligned our efforts with the United Nations and their Agenda for Sustainable Development and Sustainable Development Goals. By championing sustainability and focusing on these global goals, we believe our investment in sustainability delivers a product that brings value to our customers and the environment.”