New portal will expedite solutions for some of the most pressing challenges facing the food industry such as exploring new protein and packaging technologies
FELTHAM, England - April 13th, 2022 - Nomad Foods (NYSE: NOMD), Europe's leading frozen food company, which owns brands including Birds Eye, Findus and iglo has partnered with global innovation network Innoget1, to launch an Open Innovation Portal that invites partners to share new solutions that could be scaled to help shape the future of food and support more sustainable diets, covering areas such as increasing the use of mussel and bivalve proteins in everyday diets and sustainable packaging.
The Nomad Foods Open Innovation Portal2 is open to academics, subject experts, start-ups and SMEs with the goal of developing exciting new partnerships spanning from the ideation phase through to product development and eventually, launch to market. Activities will include co-developing product solutions, consumer testing, facility testing and funding or building new ecosystems, focused initially on four key areas:
- Scalability of frozen mussels and other bivalve products
- Recyclability solutions for products that are currently in multi-material, non-recyclable vacuum packaging
- Solutions to enable recyclable paper-based meal trays or bowl packaging to be used for frozen foods
- Clean label replacements that that replicate the functional properties of methylcellulose in food applications
Stéfan Descheemaeker, Chief Executive Officer, Nomad Foods, said: "Consumer demand for nutritious, high-quality, sustainable food and sustainable packaging solutions is growing and the role of technology in delivering these needs is accelerating. We are very fortunate to have a world class in-house R&D team and a growing number of partnerships in the food tech space including our cell-cultured fish collaboration with BlueNalu. Our new Open Innovation Portal will help us to unlock the potential we see in important areas such as alternative protein as we play our part in helping to deliver a more sustainable food system and bring to life our purpose of Serving the World with Better Food.
Dr Stella Peace, Chief Research & Development and Quality Officer, Nomad Foods, commented: "We believe that great innovation goes together with collaboration and the scale of the challenges facing the food industry today will require partnership if we are to meet evolving consumer needs and our ambitious environmental commitments. As the clear category leader, we are proud to be working on new innovations that consumers will love and that could help to resolve some of the key challenges facing the food industry today.
"The launch of our new Open Innovation Portal builds on work already underway to expand the use of mussel meat and other bivalve proteins to everyday meal occasions within the next two to three years. Since 2021, my team has partnered with scientists David Willer, David C. Aldridge and the University of Cambridge to research whether bivalves (clams, mussels, scallops and oysters) could be used at scale as a healthy, sustainable alternative protein source due to their wide availability and ability to absorb carbon3. It's exciting to think that the humble mussel could be one of our climate change heroes!"
Nomad Foods' brands have a long association with innovation. The Birds Eye brand was one of the first companies to ever freeze food and, more recently, Nomad Foods has pioneered products such as the Fishless Finger as part of its Green Cuisine range - the fastest growing meat-free frozen brand in Europe. In addition, the company is collaborating with a range of external partners, such as Map of Ag, in the continued development of increasingly sustainable and optimised agricultural practices, from satellite scanning of crops to maximising carbon capture in the pea production process.
Last year Nomad Foods announced a partnership with BlueNalu4 to explore the potential for cell-cultured seafood (seafood derived directly from fish cells) in Europe.
Nomad Foods Media Contacts:
Sam Fulton
Group Director of Corporate Affairs
+44 7936 924691
Oliver Thomas
Corporate Affairs Manager
+44 7568 108744
About Nomad Foods
Nomad Foods (NYSE: NOMD) is Europe's leading frozen food company. The company's portfolio of iconic brands, which includes Birds Eye, Findus, iglo, Ledo and Frikom, have been a part of consumers' meals for generations, standing for great tasting food that is convenient, high quality and nutritious. Nomad Foods is headquartered in the United Kingdom. Additional information may be found at www.nomadfoods.com.
