Innovative food and beverage companies to watch in 2019

The global food and beverage industry is facing challenges like no other time in history. The number of mouths to feed has never been higher; more people are dying from obesity-related illnesses as opposed to malnutrition; the natural world has never been under so much threat.Huge amounts of food are wasted every day. Thousands of tonnes are thrown away all over the world alongside damaging plastics which are harming ocean life.Fortunately, it is also becoming profitable for companies to strive to be better, as consumers are becoming ever more conscious of the buying decisions they make and the impact they have on the environment. As a result, businesses across the planet are making efforts to tackle such issues in order to protect the health of the planet and the people living on it.With that in mind, here are three sustainable food companies leading the way in the sector.

ReGrained

A third of the food produced in the world is wasted. This is a huge indictment on society considering how many people in poorer parts of the world struggle against starvation.However, ReGrained is a company founded on the “edible upcycling” movement, which represents a change from wasting food to using what is left behind when making our favourite foods and creating a brand new product.ReGrained does this by utilising the leftover grain used to brew beer, in order to create their SuperGrain+ flour, something that is used to make ReGrained granola bars, which are healthy and now sold across the United States.

Ocean Hugger Foods

The depleting numbers of fish in the world’s oceans is a major concern. It has already been confirmed that 90% of large predatory fish no longer exist. Combined with the fact that the warming oceans are causing coral reefs to become bleached, it is obvious that the way humans treat life in the ocean needs to change.That is why Ocean Hugger Foods decided to create delicious, sustainable, plant-based alternatives to popular seafood proteins.Their first product, Ahimi™, is a plant-based alternative to raw tuna. They will also soon be releasing additional products to replace eel, salmon, and more.The business is following the lead of other similar businesses which develop plant-based foods to replace beef.

Joywell Foods

Joywell Foods is taking aim at the global obesity crisis by reducing, and potentially one day eliminating, the large amount of sugar in food and drinks today.Using plant and fermentation technology derived from exotic fruits and natural proteins, Joywell Foods is making food sweet without sugar and the negative health impacts that overconsumption of it has.

Will it be enough?

One thing that most people seem to agree on, is that a lot needs to change in order for a truly sustainable global society to emerge from the hyper consumer-focused one we currently live in.That may mean sacrifices, among others, made in our diet. Alternatives can be created, but with the recent news that all insect life may be destroyed in the next 100 years and that the world only has 12 years until there is an environmental global catastrophe, it may be too little too late.Only radical and committed change can prevent irreversible damage from being caused. This extends from ruling governments to people going about their everyday lives. Sustainable food companies, as well as companies in all other industries, can play a huge role in this journey.