Food firms set themselves greener goal

Food companies are setting themselves more ambitious green challenges as part of the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF) environmental strategy.

The FDF has updated its Five-fold Environmental Ambition, launched in 2007, which targets carbon reduction, waste to landfill, packaging reduction, water efficiency and transport miles. Its five new principles include raising its 2020 CO2 reduction target from 30% to 35%.

Outgoing FDF president Ross Warburton said: “More will need to be produced with less – and with less impact – if we are to ensure sustainable food and drink production at the heart of a strong, internationally competitive low-carbon UK economy.”

Warburtons has set new energy efficiency targets and efforts include diverting spoiled dough and bread from landfill to animal feed, and trialling increased oven insulation and reuse of heat technologies.

Jim Moseley of General Mills takes over as president of the FDF in January.