Baking & Snack - December 2019 - 14

BBU commits to 100%
sustainable packaging
Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU), Horsham, PA, has committed to
100% sustainable packaging for its entire product portfolio by
2025. The plastic bags, individual wrappers and cardboard boxes
for more than 21 brands of bread, buns, bagels, English muffins, sweet baked foods and snacks will be recyclable, reusable or
compostable. BBU's parent company, Mexico City-based Grupo
Bimbo, made a similar commitment for its packaging in other
markets that it serves across the globe.
"We take our responsibility to protect our planet very seriously," said Fred Penny, president of BBU.
BBU is expanding its partnership with waste management
company TerraCycle, Trenton, NJ, to make the recyclable packaging for all bread, bagel and English muffin products starting Jan. 1,
Mr. Penny said. TerraCycle operates in 21 countries.
People have the option to save their BBU product packaging
and send it to be recycled with a free shipping label. For every
shipment of packaging waste sent to TerraCycle, people earn
points that may be used for charity gifts or converted to cash and
donated to the nonprofit, school or charitable organization of
their choice.
"We have already diverted more than 5 million Little Bites pouches from landfill through TerraCycle and look forward to including
the rest of our portfolio in this important program," Mr. Penny said.
BBU has reduced companywide plastic use by more than 1 million lb since 2018 and, by July 2019, was producing 100% renewable electrical energy for all US operations.
- Jeff Gelski, Food Business News

Organizational changes
underway at Kraft Heinz
The Kraft Heinz Co., Chicago, is undertaking several major plans
to further stabilize its business and lay the groundwork for future
growth and profitability.
In marketing, for example, Kraft Heinz is working to define its
optimal marketing spend by brand. Kraft Heinz also is reorganizing
its product development efforts with a focus on speed and being a
more consumer-centric business.
"We are evaluating shifting innovation support to fewer, bigger,
better initiatives, launches that promise to be more incremental to
our base," said Miguel Patricio, CEO and interim president of the
company's US zone. "As a result, in 2020 we will reduce the number
of projects being launched by half and better align our post-2020
pipeline with our enterprise strategy."
Mr. Patricio said he wants to instill a philosophy of continuous
improvement into the organization.
- Keith Nunes, Food Business News

14 Baking & Snack December 2019 / www.bakingandsnack.com

General Mills using data for
product development
General Mills, Inc. has expanded its ongoing analytic partnership
with Nielsen. The agreement gives the Minneapolis-based company
more information about consumer trends and the competitive landscape in US and global markets through Nielsen's Connect platform.
Nielsen has provided data to General Mills for more than a decade. The relationship deepened in 2009 to include retail tracking,
insights on purchasing behavior, advanced analytical tools and
technology services in the US.
The expanded partnership comes during a time of increasing
competition, fragmentation and digitization within the global
consumer packaged goods and retail landscape. The data firm's
analysis and insights will be used to formulate General Mills'
growth strategy, including new product and categories.
"Through Nielsen Connect, we will be expanding General
Mills' view into the consumer marketplace to provide a deeper
understanding of their core consumer needs, propel faster datadriven decisions to foster a more nimble operating environment
and generate a prime environment for General Mills to make
more meaningful connections between their consumers and
brands," said Laura McCullough, executive vice-president of US
manufacturer client success at Nielsen.
Companies increasingly are turning to data analytics to accelerate product development and solve inefficiencies in supply chains. Conagra Brands, Chicago, is using data analytics to
gain insights into millennial consumers' purchasing behaviors.
McCormick and Co., Hunt Valley, MD, also made headlines this
year for its use of data analytics. The company teamed up with
IBM to develop a platform that predicts new flavor combinations.
The growing influence of "big data" was a key topic at this year's
Institute of Food Technologists' annual meeting and food expo.
Services showcased at the event ranged from basic data integration to artificial intelligence (AI), which can be used to mine social media for consumer insights and predict preferences for new
categories and products.
- Sam Danley, Food Business News

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Baking & Snack - December 2019

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