Fazer Foodathon creates the future of plant-based food
Fazer focuses on developing plant-based food and wants to offer consumers healthy solutions that enable responsible lifestyles. On 19 - 21 May, Fazer will organise an international Foodathon event looking for future plant-based food solutions. A seminar hosted with the EAT Foundation, bringing together different views, will kick off a weekend-long creation process. The Foodathon weekend will gather thinkers, researchers, food professionals and innovators on an international scale.
Fazer’s food hackathon, the Foodathon, is part of the Group’s overall strategic target to increase the use of grains and vegetables and offer consumers new delicious plant-based alternatives. The event’s speakers include international top-level names. The renowned British vegetarian writer and spokesperson for responsibility, Chef Arthur Potts Dawson will take part in the event and mentor the teams competing at the hackathon.
Food is a solution
Christoph Vitzthum, President & CEO of Fazer Group says: ʻFood is the solution to many global challenges and to people’s well-being. We want to offer sustainable solutions and make healthy choices easy for consumers. We focus on developing plant-based food and, through the taste sensations we create, aim at inspiring people to eat more grains and vegetables. At the Foodathon, we will be looking for new solutions for the well-being of both people and the environment, together with other players.’
Fazer is the only Finnish company that cooperates with the Nordic EAT Foundation. EAT aims at supporting the internationally responsible and profitable production of food and guaranteeing its continuity long into the future. Fazer joined the EAT initiative in 2015 to be able to better combine food, health and sustainable development. Fazer is organising this seminar in cooperation with the EAT Foundation.
ʻEAT’s vision is a transformation of the global food system to sustainably feed a healthy population of over nine billion people by 2050. As health and environmental problems associated with food are interconnected and span all sectors of society, major cooperation efforts are key to fulfilling that vision. Our method is to break down the silos between scientists, politicians, business and civil society in order develop, scale up and speed up the solutions for a transformed food system. Innovation in food plays a major part in this transformation, and we are excited to see new ideas from the Foodathon’, said Usman Mushtaq, a member of the Board of Directors of EAT
Ten teams
The aim of the Fazer Foodathon is to create new plant-based raw materials and ways to cook and to find new ways to make new people inspired by vegetarian food. After an initial qualification round, ten teams will participate in the Foodathon for one whole weekend to create vegetarian food innovations. The Foodathon event offers an exceptional platform for developing new solutions, since the multidisciplinary teams consist of chefs, food professionals, students, researchers and innovators.
Fazer hopes to be able to further develop the ideas created at the event with the teams in its different businesses. The chairperson of the Foodathon jury is Managing Director of Fazer Food Services Finland Jaana Korhola, who has had a long career in food services and well-being in Finland.
Demand for well-being and sustainability on the rise
Health, well-being and responsible lifestyles are strong global consumer trends. Fazer is one of the foremost developers of plant-based foods in the Nordic countries. The use of vegetables is being increased in Fazer Food Services’ over 1,100 restaurants in the Nordic countries, for example, by offering new delicious vegetarian alternatives and through presentation (so-called nudging). Fazer has also developed new quality consumer products, such as the Fazer Alku porridges, the Fazer Alku mueslis and the Fazer root vegetable breads. In early 2017, Fazer formed a new business area Fazer Lifestyle Foods, which will focus on non-dairy grain products, plant-based meals and on-the-go food and drinks.
The Fazer Foodathon will be organised in cooperation with the media and event company ArcticStartup in Fazer’s visitor centre and the Haaga-Helia campus on 19-21 May. Find out more about the Fazer Foodathon event at www.fazerfoodservices.com/foodathon
Additional information
Satu Ikäheimo, Director, Communications, Fazer Group, tel. +358 50 380 4996
Fazer’s media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8:00 to 16:00, tel. +358 40 668 2998
Email addresses are in the form of firstname.lastname@fazer.com
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