The Sirha World Cuisine Summit welcomed foodservice and hospitality professionals from around the globe at this year’s inaugural event in Lyon, France.
 
Jermoe Peribere, President and Chief Operating Officer of Sealed Air Corporation, held a presentation on key issues impacting food supply chains and solutions for making them safer, more nutritious, more efficient and less wasteful.

“At every step in the food supply chain – from farm to fork – there is the risk for contamination, damage and waste,” stated Peribere. “We must urgently address three pressing issues facing our food supply chain in order to alleviate these risks.”

Peribere’s speech highlighted the following issues:

•       Food Access: Today, more than enough food is produced to feed everyone on the planet, yet availability to food is unbalanced, leaving hundreds of millions starving and others obese.

•       Food Safety: Despite significant advancements in technology and distribution, food contamination still runs rampant within society. The World Health Organization estimates that food-born and water-borne diarrheal diseases combined kill nearly 2.2 million people annually.

•       Food Waste: Each year, billions of tons of food are thrown into landfills, releasing methane gas into the atmosphere. This wasted food consumes 300 million barrels of oil, is responsible for one quarter of all freshwater consumption and represents $160 billion dollars in loss.

To address these problems, the food supply industry aims to consider a broader solution to achieve sustainability in all levels of the food chain. At the manufacturing and food processing level, packaging, cleaning and hygiene products reduce contamination, preserve nutritional value and reduce waste. At the retail level, solutions are used to improve cleanliness, extend shelf lives and help foster menu expansion. Finally, in the home, proportioned solutions help reduce waste by addressing over-purchasing and perishability.

“If we can collectively bring our resources and expertise together, [everyone] can share in a thriving planet with access to safe and nutritional food,” Peribere added. “Sealed Air is committed to this ongoing vision of sustainability by helping people around the world eat better and lead healthier lives.”