Leave a message to the farmers
19-2-2014
Consumers often do not know where their food comes from. Cisse Trading Co, a company that focuses on Fairtrade chocolate bakes and drinks, gives consumers the opportunity to send a message to the farmers. There is a QR-code at the packaging of the food that can be scanned by the customer. The consumer is linked to the Facebook page where they can leave a message to the farmers. So there is more transparency and it creates a connection between the farmer and the consumer who buys their products.
Temporary city in empty building
18-2-2014
Jaap Urban started a project to provide a temporary practical solution for one empty building in Groningen at the end of April or the beginning of May 2014. With the launch of tijdelijkestad.nl he motivates citizens and entrepreneurs to think along about the optimal use of a building for one week. Potential buildings can be suggested via the website, when one is found, the contents of the program and pop-up stores can be filled in. This can vary from temporary shops and sport facilities to restaurants and office space for entrepreneurs. Next that events and workshops will complement the program for the period.
Within three weeks a suitable building will be picked.
Hotel shabbyshabby
29-1-2014
From 23 May to 8 June 2014 the Hotel shabbyshabby project will take place in the context of the Theater der Welt 2014 festival in Mannheim, Germany. For this project creative geniuses, students of architecture and professionals have build the hotel room of their dreams, made from the city of Mannheim’s trash. The rooms have to consist of mostly used or recycled materials (except for the beds and bedclothes) and may cost maximum €250,-. Contestants can send in their designs until 31 January and will construct them in 20 groups at a purpose-built construction camp in the week before the event. With the project the festival organizers want to change the view of residents and visitors on Mannheim. The reception and breakfast room is centrally located at the National Theater, while the rooms are scattered across town.
Vending machine with salads
24-1-2014
We already have seen a number of vending machines, but mostly with unhealthy products. The vending machine of Farmers’s Fridge sells healthy, fresh packaged salads, fruits and breakfast. The company prepares the salads made of organic, local en fresh produce early in the morning and delivers the packed salads to the vending machines by 10AM. The unsold salads from the previous day will be donated to the local food bank. The vending machine has a touchscreen and is made of wood and recycled materials. Farmer’s Fridge currently has vending machines in the Chicago area.
Algae flour by Roquette
13-1-2014
Roquette developed flour based on algae. With this flour it’s possible to bake a brioche without eggs, butter or allergen. With the flour the brioche will contain 70% less fat than normal. During the FiE Innovation Award in Frankfurt this November the High Lipid Algal Flour by Roquette won the overall price for most innovate product and was category winner in the Bakery category. The flour is approved as ingredient by the EU and has the American GRAS-label (Generally Recognized As Safe). Roquette joined the ALGOHUB® research program for developers of ingredients based on micro-algae in 2008. Last year we’ve spotted egg-replacement ingredient ‘Beyond Eggs‘.
Kromkommer crowdfunding
13-1-2014
Around 5 – 10% of the Dutch vegetable and fruit produce is wasted because the products don’t fit the ‘common appearance’. Kromkommer wants to use these weird shaped vegetables and fruits for an alternative series of soups. Therefore Lisanne van Zwol, Jente de Vries and Chantal Engelen started a crowdfunding campaign to raise € 25. 000,- and produce the soups themselves. Their goal is to motivate 20.000 crazy vegetable heroes in 2014. According to the ladies, someone is already a vegetable hero after buying one of the soups, because the content would otherwise be wasted. The collected donations will be used for purchasing vegetables from growers, transportation to the factory, production of the soups and design and print of the labels. Donators can choose from a range of rewards like tickets to the launch event (€ 10,-), a visit to the factory or one of the growers and a fair amount of soup packages (€ 500,-).
In 2013 Kromkommer collaborated with hospitality industry wholesaler ‘Zegro’ to reduce waste. With their Kromkommer concept the ladies are nominated for the ‘Horecava Innovation Award’ 2014.
Start organic campaign
10-1-2014
Giovanni van Bronckhorst will kickoff the national campaign ‘Start organic’ on Monday, January 13. The campaign has been running since January 2 to January19 and stimulates people to buy healthy, natural and organic food. For each biological product bought, people get a sticker and with a full card (7 stickers) they can win various prizes such as a weekend in an organic Bed and Breakfast. For each full card sent, the organic sector will give ten pieces of fresh organic fruit, vegetables or potatoes to the children of the Giovanni van Bronckhorst Foundation.
Press garbage together with bin
8-1-2014
Plastic waste is easily compressed to 50% of its original volume by the Plettum bin. This bin can help (small) restaurants, hotels and bars to save on waste costs. In the 25 liter garbage bag approximately 50 liters of garbage can be compressed. Do you have more tips to save on garbage? Send it to tip@spronsen.com.
50 hours for Pumba
18-12-2013
Saturday 11 January the chubby Gasconne pig ‘Pumba’ will be honored. The pig entered the Lindenhoff farm as a 20 kg piglet and is now, at the age of five, ready to be roasted next to open fire for 50 hours (!). Organizers Baaf Vonk and Roel van Vliet from Varkensroosteren.nl work together with restaurant Old-School in Amsterdam. The cooks are already working on mouthwatering recipes like ‘schwein with sauerkraut and Schwarzbier’, pig belly with Korean kimchi or American pulled pork with chutney.
McDonald’s Italy introduces its new local burger
6-12-2013
McDonald’s Italy has introduced its new local burger ‘Gran Piemontese’. The burger comes from the Piedmont region and is made of 100% meat of the famous Italian Piedmonts cow breed. The ‘Gran Piemontese’ will be available in nearly 500 locations of McDonalds in Italy. Earlier we spotted the app ‘TrackMyMacca‘ in Australia, where the guest can see where the ingredients originate from and what happens before they are served.
