Alex Martinez’s Post

Celebrating Innovators: Norbert Rillieux - The Genius Behind Sugar Refinement Norbert Rillieux, born in 1806, was a brilliant inventor whose work in the 19th century forever changed the sugar industry and set a new standard in food processing technology. Despite facing racial barriers in a deeply divided America, Rillieux, a free man of color in New Orleans, became one of the most esteemed engineers of his time, thanks to his unparalleled expertise in thermodynamics. Rillieux's crowning achievement was the invention of the multiple-effect vacuum evaporator, a revolutionary system that dramatically improved the efficiency and safety of sugar refining. Before his invention, sugar was refined using a dangerous and labor-intensive "Jamaica Train" method, which posed significant risks to workers and resulted in a lower quality product. Rillieux's evaporator utilized a vacuum to lower the boiling point of sugar cane juice, allowing it to be evaporated at much lower temperatures. This method not only reduced fuel consumption by up to 70% but also minimized the risk of scalding accidents among workers, making the sugar refining process safer and more cost-effective. Moreover, it produced a superior quality of white sugar, which was cleaner, purer, and more appealing to consumers. The impact of Rillieux's innovation extended beyond the sugar industry. His evaporator principles are now foundational in many modern food and chemical processing techniques, showcasing the enduring legacy of his genius. Rillieux's story is a powerful reminder of how innovation, determination, and expertise can overcome adversity and lead to groundbreaking advancements that benefit society. Inspired by Norbert Rillieux’s transformative impact on the food and beverage industry? Reach out to Patric Food and Beverage Development to explore how we can help turn your innovative ideas into reality. Whether refining existing processes or breaking new ground, your vision has the potential to shape the future of food and beverage. Let's honor Rillieux's legacy by pushing the boundaries of what's possible together.

Some food for Thought: Unleashing Innovation in the Snack Food Industry 🍙 As someone who's been thinking a lot about food lately, both in my work and on my plate, I can't help but note the vast potential for innovation in the snacking world. How can we achieve breakthrough in the food industry? Here are a few thoughts: ➡️ Tap into Consumer Insights: True innovation addresses real consumer needs and desires. Successful strategy prepares for the future. Understanding consumer pain points, and anticipating evolving preferences, can help build capabilities to be ahead of the curve for future innovations. ➡️ Embrace the Unconventional: Groundbreaking ideas often emerge from unexpected places. Look beyond the obvious and seek inspiration from diverse sources — nature, technology, culture, even seemingly unrelated industries. ➡️ Collaborate and Iterate: Breakthrough ideas frequently arise at the intersection of disciplines. Bring together diverse perspectives — scientists, business strategists, designers, process manufacturers, consumer insight analysts — and facilitate cross-pollination of ideas. The food industry is ripe for innovation, and at Innovia we’ve been building innovation strategies to facilitate these breakthroughs.

Apply for the FoodTech Innovation Awards 2024✨ FoodTech Innovation Awards 2024 promises to be even more prestigious and impactful, uniting like-minded individuals from the food and beverages industry to celebrate the phenomenal achievements of leaders in the industry. Categories 1️⃣ The most innovative solution in digitalization award for the food and beverage industry 2️⃣ Best sustainability project 3️⃣ The most healthy food project 4️⃣ The best automation and robotics solution for the food value chain 5️⃣ The best innovation project for the packaging industry 6️⃣ The most innovative startup 7️⃣ Spanish startup with the greatest international projection Submit your nomination and nominate or share with those who you think should be recognised at the FoodTech Innovation Awards 2024👇 https://lnkd.in/dAQUKVJT #F4F2024 #FoodTech #agritech #foodprocessing #foodpackaging #foodsafety #foodscience #newingredients #logistics #sustainaiblity #healthyfood #foodindustry #beveragesindustry #awards #innovation #Bilbao

Here is a new blog post I wrote about innovation and why it is so hard in large companies. It is a little story about my time working on stocks and gravies, and a great bit of innovation that never happened. The scale of change and innovation required to transform our food system is unlikely to come from large companies, which is why we need to do everything possible to support innovators. https://lnkd.in/eZNZgnwN

Innovation is the key to sustainable business. But context [molds] where the project recipes are cooking might be limiting the growth. Context goes from the social platforms we use to communicate to the institutions we are related to, the industry where we work, the limiting beliefs of our language, the prisma of our culture, the country, family, etc. So to design a different type of interaction we would need to analyze and build the right context to hold the new seeds. Innovation will be a result of the right combination of the right ingredients in the right mold. Or would you be putting in the oven a pudding in a glass salad bowl? #innovation #innovativebusiness #transdisciplinary #businessowners #industries #crosscultural

Our consumer-centric innovation of the year 2023 truly put consumer first! 💎 At Fazer, we drive the food transition as The Food Experience Company. Part of that goal involves staying ahead of trends, and in our strategy, innovation has an integral role. Innovation Event is an event that explores what innovations mean for us- how we create value, how we work with innovation and how it can be seen in our everyday and across our business. All Fazer employees are welcome to participate in the event. This year’s theme was Consumer-centric innovations, which was explored through inspiring keynote speakers as Growth expert & serial entrepreneur Anssi Rantanen who revealed what we can learn from the world’s most innovative companies and Marianne Vikkula, COO, Wolt with whom we had a fireside chat on Wolt’s fearless go-to-market. As part of Innovation event, Innovation of the Year 2023 was awarded. Everyone at Fazer could propose a candidate and everyone could participate in the live voting during the event. 🥇The winner was Taste the Future candy tablet! The criteria for the winner was e.g. how the candidate supports the execution of our strategy and provides a fresh point of view to making Northern Magic real. “Taste the Future candy tablet truly put consumer first! Unique grain-based candy tablet with no cocoa was in pilot sales in May 2023. We collected consumer feedback to develop the product further”, said Annika Porr, Senior Manager, responsible for leading Forward Lab, a R&D team at Fazer confectionery. “Great team effort! Our talented chocolate scientists managed to develop delicious solution. Taste the Future candy tablet is not just an interesting novelty. It’s built for disruptive innovations to be evaluated for commercial viability. This concept can be extended into any of our product categories. There is more to come. Stay tuned!” #Innovation #fazerinnovations #fazerinnovationevent #fazertastethefuture #futurefood #urafazerilla #northernmagicmadereal

Fostering Food Innovation to Redesign our Food System: Meet Alessio D'Antino, the Mastermind Behind Forward Fooding In the realm of foodtech, few organisations shine as brightly as Forward Fooding, the world's first collaborative platform for the food and beverage industry 🌍🌱 Alessio's journey is a testament to the power of innovation and global collaboration. With a career spanning multiple continents, he has been driving forward the agenda to create a more sustainable and resilient food system. At the heart of his mission lies Forward Fooding, a collaborative platform that provides Data Intelligence to corporates, government and investors while hyper connecting all ecosystem players to harness the power of collaboration to transform this industry. But Alessio's influence extends beyond his organisation. As a lead advocate in the Global Tech Advocate, his voice resonates across continents, shaping the conversation around how technology, entrepreneurship and collaboration can foster more sustainable food practices. As we witness the food industry evolve, Alessio stands at the forefront, not just as a CEO, but as a thought leader, an ecosystem builder, and an inspiration for food innovators. Join the conversation around the future of foodtech. Feel inspired by Alessio's story? Hit 'like' and share with your network. Have thoughts on sustainable food practices? Drop a comment below. Remember to follow for more industry insights! #FoodTech #Innovation #Collaboration #Leadership #ForwardFooding

Exciting news from the culinary world! 🍳 Check out my latest contribution to "The Economic Times" 📝 An insightful article about the digital transformation in the gastronomy sector🍔🌮 Read the highlighted part where I render my knowledge, derived from having invested and operated extensively in the F&B sector🧑🍳 Southern Business Review highlights the game-changing impact of cloud kitchens and tech integration on global cuisines and niche food concepts🔪⏲️ With advanced inventory management tools and automated order systems, technology enables cloud kitchens to operate with unmatched efficiency and cater to diverse tastes and preferences. It's fascinating to see the economic viability and the creative culinary solutions emerging as we navigate the gastronomic delights of the digital age. The food industry's evolution is a testament to innovation and adaptability.

🌟 Don't Miss Out on Innovation Insights about True Pricing! 🌟 Recently, Marjolein A.J. Brasz expertly moderated a panel featuring guests Michel Scholte from the Impact Institute, Pauline Rosenberg from Vermaat, and Harry Smit from Rabobank in an insightful Talk Show format. Together, we delved into true pricing and its profound implications for sustainable food systems. This edition of Innovation Insights provided invaluable insights into the intricate dynamics of true costs and prices within the global food industry. Marjolein expressed her excitement about this inaugural True Pricing session, emphasizing, "It’s undeniably one of the most critical tools for driving change... Yet, it remains a relatively unexplored domain, warranting much more attention to propel us forward." 🎥 Watch the recording here: https://lnkd.in/eFsA3HgY One of the key revelations from Pauline was, "The laws are playing a crucial role, particularly with the CSRD, as they help us identify the risks associated with true pricing." 📅 Save the Date: April 25th for Part 2 of the Innovation Insights Talk Show, focusing on CSRD. Reserve your spot now: https://lnkd.in/e3Fx2Bii Foodvalley extends its Innovation Insights program to partners, covering various compelling topics such as organizational structuring. For more information on becoming a Foodvalley partner, please contact Roel Schoenmaker. Let's collaborate in shaping the future of food together!   #shapingthefuture #sustainablefood #foodsystem #inspiration #truepricing

It's hard to believe that the Food and Beverage Hub was only launched a year ago - it's some of our most visited and shared content. It happened - and happened so well - because we worked on it holistically: we brought different people with different skills, knowledge and experiences to work together from the start and throughout, and produced something that I haven't seen anyone else do before... It wasn't a case of lining up subject experts to talk about what they knew. There was a richness, a depth, a humanity, and humour that could only come from being in-house together, from deeply trusting each other and from being comfortable enough to question and challenge ideas and thinking. As a business, we're still benefiting from this work a year later and will continue to do so in years to come. Here's the article which started it all off... https://lnkd.in/eA75N4zg #FoodHub #Innovation #FoodAndBeverage Innovia Technology