Plant-based Fork Adds on to Nestlé’s Innovative Packaging Accessories

Nestlé has introduced a limited-edition plant-based fork for Maggi cup noodles in India. Nestlé food science and packaging experts at our R&D center in India collaborated with a local startup to develop a two-piece edible fork made from wheat flour and salt. The two ingredients, coupled with a proprietary fork design and manufacturing process, ensure the desired functionality while maintaining the nutritional values and taste of the noodles.

Redesigning accessories like straws, cups, or cutlery is an integral part of Nestlé’s commitment to eliminate or reduce the use of plastics in packaging. This comes in addition to simplifying packaging materials, scaling reusable and refillable systems wherever possible, and exploring alternative packaging materials for different product categories.

Gerhard Niederreiter, Head of Nestlé’s Institute of Packaging Sciences, says: “At Nestlé, we continuously explore different types of alternative sustainable packaging solutions that ensure food safety, consumer experience, and product taste and quality. In this case, our packaging experts developed a unique alternative fork that built on our scientific expertise across different kinds of food-grade packaging materials and shapes.”

Antonia Wanner, Group Head of ESG Strategy and Deployment, explains: “Reducing packaging and designing packaging for recycling are both key pillars to Nestlé’s sustainability commitments. Our teams are constantly exploring novel materials and cutting-edge technologies for packaging solutions that are convenient, protect the food inside, and are good for the planet.”

In addition, Nestlé packaging experts in R&D Nutrition and China are piloting a patented paper scoop for adult milk powders in China. Thanks to the flat foldable scoop alongside a metal cap, the use of plastic could be completely avoided in this packaging design.

By 2021, Nestlé had already replaced 4.5 billion plastic straws globally with paper straws. Since then, Nestlé R&D teams are continuing to drive innovation with recyclable straws to identify alternative solutions or improve the functionalities of existing paper straws. The Nestlé Institute of Packaging Sciences has also focused significant efforts in developing new paper cups. This includes researching non-plastic coatings for paper cups that can resist hot beverages.

These are just a few recent examples to underline Nestlé’s commitment to find innovative solutions to reduce the use of virgin plastics by using less plastic, recycled plastic, and alternatives to plastic packaging.

Source: Nestle

 

 

 

 

Mediterranean Diet Cuts Women’s Risk of Early Death by 23%

Ernie Mundell wrote . . . . . . . . .

Experts have long extolled the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and a new study adds to that evidence, finding it cuts the odds for an early death in women by 23%.

“For women who want to live longer, our study says watch your diet!” said study senior author Dr. Samia Mora, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“The good news is that following a Mediterranean dietary pattern could result in about one quarter reduction in risk of death over more than 25 years with benefit for both cancer and cardiovascular mortality, the top causes of death in women [and men] in the US and globally,” said Mora, a cardiologist and director of the Center for Lipid Metabolomics at the hospital.

The findings were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The Mediterranean diet has long ranked high on nutritionists’ healthiest-diets list.

It relies heavily on plants (nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes) and its main source of fat is olive oil.

People on the diet eat moderate amounts of fish, poultry, dairy, eggs and alcohol, and tend to avoid red meat, sugary fare and processed foods.

The new study tracked health outcomes for more than 25 years among a group of more than 25,000 participants in the ongoing Women’s Health Study.

All of the women in the study were deemed to be healthy when they enrolled.

Besides finding that risks of dying within the study period fell by almost a quarter for women closely following the Mediterranean diet, the study also found reductions in deaths linked to heart disease or cancer.

Compared to women who hadn’t followed the diet, those who most closely matched the Mediterranean regimen had a 17% lower risk of dying from heart disease and a 20% lower odds of a fatal cancer, the Boston team found.

So how does this diet work its magic? The researchers did a deep dive into metabolic factors and other issues that might be driving the effect.

According to authors, healthy changes in biomarkers of metabolism, inflammation, insulin resistance and more were all observed among women who adopted the Mediterranean diet.

“Our research provides significant public health insight: even modest changes in established risk factors for metabolic diseases — particularly those linked to small molecule metabolites, inflammation, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins, obesity and insulin resistance — can yield substantial long-term benefits from following a Mediterranean diet,” study lead author Shafqat Ahmad said in a hospital news release.

“This finding underscores the potential of encouraging healthier dietary habits to reduce the overall risk of mortality,” said Ahmad. He’s an associate professor of epidemiology at Uppsala University Sweden and a researcher in the Center for Lipid Metabolomics and the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham.

Source: HealthDay

 

 

 

 

Chargrilled Baby Sardines with Sweet Stuffing

Ingredients

8-12 small fresh sardines (about 500 g), scales removed, gutted
seasalt flakes and ground pepper, to season
3 tablespoons pinenuts
2 tablespoons golden raisins (jumbo raisins)
165 g fresh or dried dates, pits discarded (1 cups pitted)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon freshly shredded orange zest
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
wetted string or palm leaf strips, to tie
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Use kitchen paper to wipe clean and dry the gut cavities of the sardines. Sprinkle inside with salt and pepper.
2. Use a sharp knife on a chopping board to chop and mix together the pinenuts, raisins, dates, juice and zest. Stir in the mint. Push some stuffing inside each fish. Secure each using a 25 cm long piece of wetted string or palm leaf strips. Knot each neatly.
3. Get the charcoal to a steady glow. Charcoal grill the sardines for 3 minutes on the first side. Turn, using tongs; charcoal grill for 2 minutes on the second side, or until tender but cooked right through.
4. Serve 2 or 3 sardines per person drizzled with some olive oil; unwrap and remove ties and eat using your fingers.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Source: A Taste of Morocco

---

Today’s Comic