Much-awaited Anuga 2023 is running from 7 to 11 October in Cologne. Vion is again a proud participant at the world’s largest food and beverage trade fair. Meet Vion at the brand-new booth, constructed also using sustainable and recyclable materials, located in hall 6.1, stand D051/C050. Implementing sustainability into the core of the ‘Food that Matters’ strategy, the company informs about the recent achievements in this field and states that food choices have to go beyond basic nutritional values and taste.
Sustainability, regionality, quality and protein transition are the main Vion topics at Anuga 2023. From plant-based innovations to its animal welfare programmes to best practices for integrated chains: Vion demonstrates a collaborative approach to enhancing sustainability in the food industry. “100 years ago, a group of farmers realised they were stronger collaborating with each other and founded Vion. Today, we work with over 11,000 employees, engage over 55,000 farmers and feed over 100 million people every single day. We live in a global marketplace and on a planet that is under pressure from the overuse of resources and the importance of choices in consumer behavior is increasing. With Food that Matters, we prioritise sustainability, ethical sourcing and social responsibility,” explains Ronald Lotgerink, CEO Vion Food Group, “We have and continue to set up multiple integrated chains with farmers and customers that save resources and are friendly to our planet. These chains are our way moving towards more sustainable food production, to which we are strongly committed.”
Innovation: a key pillar of Vion’s sustainability strategy
Innovation is a very important sustainability driver at Vion including the provision of different protein choices for consumers. This year, Vion submitted three ME-AT plant-based offerings at Anuga Taste Innovation Show. The Plantrecôte, a 100% plant-based steak, is the proud winner of this award and will be displayed at the dedicated Taste Innovation Show area. The Plantrecôte has the same texture and taste as a real entrecôte, making it the perfect meat alternative. Vion’s innovative technique makes it possible to merge two textures in one meat alternative.
Other plant-based innovations include the Faba Bean Burger and the Plant-Based Beef Flavoured pieces. ME-AT’s products are high in proteins, aim for a salt concentration of less than 1%, contain minimal saturated fats and are 90% high in dietary fibre.
- Faba Bean Burger is therefore also rich in proteins and fibres but also in iron. From locally (German, Dutch or Belgian) sourced faba bean it’s a perfectly balanced plant-based burger.
- The Plant-Based Beef Pieces are 100% vegan and taste like beef. It fries goldbrown and remains juicy and tender from the inside.
Regionality and animal welfare – sustainability drivers as well as mega trends
According to the Vion Consumer Monitor 2023, regional sourcing and animal welfare remain major trends in meat purchasing. This underlines that consumers make sustainable choices and expect the same principles to apply to their meat purchases. In response to this demand, Vion builds integrated chains that are responsive to customer demands, provide a fair income for farmers and other chain partners, produce products with respect for animals and people and establish benchmarks for reducing environmental impact. In the Netherlands, examples of these efforts include the Good Farming Star programme, featuring the 1-star Beter Leven (Better life) label, and the organic supply chain De Groene Weg. In Germany, Vion has introduced the WellFARMING animal welfare programme for cattle and pigs. The selected animals are raised with better husbandry practices which are equivalent to the level three husbandry method labels established by the German food retail industry. Additionally, regional programmes like “Bayerischer Ochse” and “Strohschweine” in Germany represent best practices of integrated supply chains. Developed in collaboration with farmers associations and retail partners, they are highly demanded by consumers.
Read more about Vion’s sustainability topics in our Corporate Sustainability Report 2022.