Unilever Foods Innovation Centre 'Hive'

How can we make our restaurant more sustainable and healthier without compromising on taste or guest satisfaction?🌱Eurest Compass Group has shown that it can be done! Through smart adjustments and a hefty dose of creativity, 'our' amazing kitchen team got to work. The goal? More plant-based options, less red meat, and more local ingredients. The approach? Inspiring workshops, challenging cooking competitions, and the right knowledge via the Greendish Academy. The results after three years: ✅ 66% plant-based procurement ✅ Red meat reduced from 22.5% to 14% ✅ Local procurement increased from 3% to 38%! ✅ Happy guests with a satisfaction score of 7.6 A special thank you to Peter De Bock & Angelique van Bijnen-Pollaert and their wonderful team and the results they have achieved together with Greendish!!🚀 Full article in Dutch: https://lnkd.in/eujPCZKn #plantbased #transition

The quantity and variety of fibres we consume are important, but how can we optimise the current 30 plants recommendation? 🌱🤔 We are excited to announce the launch of the 𝗙𝗜𝗕𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗘 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘂𝗺 project, short for Fiber Microbiome Response Prediction with AI.📣 In collaboration with the Wageningen University & Research and leading industrial partners this innovative initiative is designed to revolutionize our understanding of dietary fibers and their role in human health. The project will harness the power of Artificial Intelligence #AI to predict how different fibers impact the gut #microbiome, enabling the development of #fiber-rich foods tailored for optimal health benefits. 🥗🤖  For more information, see https://lnkd.in/dn_DCvZS

This week Johanna V. will speak at the Future Food-Tech summit in San Francisco and participating in the panel: ‘Crafting Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to Further the Future of Food.’ Like we say at Hive! “If you think you can do it alone, you are not thinking big enough.” #FutureFoodTech #FoodInnovation #Collaboration

We're proud to have contributed to the WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development and Eat Well Global, Inc's "Accelerating Food and Nutrition Security through Food Fortification: A Private Sector Playbook." This playbook addresses key fortification challenges and opportunities, aiming to inspire global collaboration among diverse stakeholders.    We presented outcomes from our Royco Nutrimenu programme, which reached nearly 18 million mothers in Indonesia, and highlighted our partnership with the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa, training nurses on micronutrient deficiencies and fortification.  #FoodSystemsTransformation

Hive scientist Prof. Hans-Gerd Janssen co-authors an article in Nature Reviews Methods Primers The article shares the latest advancements in comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GC×GC-MS), a revolutionary technique transforming food and flavour research. 🌟 Hans-Gerd Janssen, a leading expert in this field, has been instrumental in developing and applying this innovative method. This groundbreaking work is a collaborative effort with top food research experts from Messina and Turin universities in Italy, and data interpretation specialists from Washington State University in the US. Interested to read the full article? 📰 https://lnkd.in/eYwuRCWB

We are honored to share that 59% of our R&D team at Unilever is female. Today, we spotlight some of the incredible women driving new innovations and technologies! One of our colleagues at Hive Wing Kie Siu shares her inspiring advice for girls aspiring to work in science.   #STEM #InternationalDayofWomenandGirlsinScience #IDWGS #WomenInScience #WomenInSTEM #Innovation #UniquelyUnilever

Meet Denise Broere! With 20 years of experience at Unilever, Denise’s passion for movement shines in both in her personal and professional life. From biochemistry labs to Consumer Technical Insights for Unilever Food Solutions, she evolves continuously, driven by her love for yoga, cycling and curiosity for human behaviour. In her role, Denise closely collaborates with chefs to understand and translate their needs and pain points into product design and claim development, ensuring superior products and claims. She also helps project teams identify and define necessary research steps, whether sensory, qualitative, or quantitative. Denise resonates with the lyrics of Matthew Wilder’s “Break My Stride”, which speak to perseverance the need to keep on moving. While Denise is passionate about movement, she understands that the duality of movement, where the tension between constant motion and moments of stillness breeds clarity. This contrast helps her maintain balance and drives her towards continuous personal evolution. #BeeInspired #UniquelyUnilever #Evolution #Innovation #Movement

“The quality of work that Dutch university students consistently produce is nothing short of remarkable, and this year is no different.” – Richard Slater The future is certainly bright based on the incredible young science talents we welcomed in Hive for the Unilever Research Prizes 2024 awards yesterday. Each of the Master of Science students was nominated by their respective universities in the Netherlands for their outstanding research work, which helps to advance the Sustainable Development Goals. This was the 68th year edition of the event – an initiative we are very proud of at Unilever. Manfred Aben hosted the ceremony yesterday and was joined by Peter Dekkers to award each student with the Unilever Research Prize 2024. Our guest speakers, Professor Antal van den Bosch and Sarah Lieder shared very engaging insights on the application of using AI in science. Once again congratulations, Niek Aarts, Jeannet Schroten, Juliane Klaura, Maaike Weitering, Caroline Coeckelbergh, Ximena Lainfiesta, Loek Vellekoop Annemijn van Koten Cees Maessen, Sara van Mourik and Demi Coenraads Read more about their work and the event including photos here! https://lnkd.in/eQjKHv6j #UnileverResearchPrizes2024 #SustainableDevelopmentGoals #Talentinscience

✨RoboFood, robotic food for consumption, yes you heard it right✨   Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting an inspiring presentation on RoboFood at Hive. This groundbreaking project is revolutionizing the intersection of food and robotics, creating edible robots and foods that behave like robots.   RoboFood is an EU FET Open project, bringing together brilliant minds from across Europe, including EPFL in Switzerland, the University of Bristol in England, the Italian Institute of Technology in Milan, and the Wageningen University & Research.   A huge thank you to Dario Floreano and the entire RoboFood research team for showcasing these innovative advancements. Your work is truly pushing the boundaries of food science and robotics in a radically new way! 🍽🤖 #Innovation #FoodScience #RoboFood #Collaboration #FutureOfFood

Recently, Marco Santagiuliana, PhD attended the Food Revolution Conference in Parma, where the focus was on sustainable, safe, and healthy new foods. During the event, he had the honour of presenting on behalf of Unilever, showcasing how The Vegetarian Butcher has been driving the food revolution in plant-based products over the past five years. One of the key takeaways from the conference was the confirmation that plant-based products are a key enabler in reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale. Attendees were excited to see the rise of technologies like precision fermentation, which offer new possibilities for sustainable food production. Another highlight was the growing knowledge around the nutritional composition of plant-based foods, creating a foundation to make them even better for consumers in the future. #FoodRevolution #innovation #plantbased