EP67: Reducing Global Food Waste with Aiden Mouat

Published: Sept. 25, 2019, 9 a.m.

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\\u201cCompanies like Hazel Tech are a part of the solution to the global food waste crisis.\\u201d

Lori Taylor (17:26 - 17:33)

Aiden Mouat is the CEO and co-founder of Hazel Technologies, a company passionate about saving resources and reducing global food waste, and they\\u2019re doing it in an eco-friendly way.\\xa0

Food Waste is a Global Crisis

How can we produce enough food to give everyone around the world enough calories and adequate nutrition? With advancements in technology and agriculture, it\\u2019s still troubling to hear that there are people who don\\u2019t have access to enough food.\\xa0

\\u201cEven though agriculture touches everyone on the planet, hasn\\u2019t been much progress in reducing pollution and waste when compared to other industries.\\u201d\\xa0

- Aiden Mouat (2:02 - 2:26)

But did you know we already produce enough food to give everyone enough nutrition? The issue isn\\u2019t production, it\\u2019s the amount of food goes to waste. Approximately one-third of all the produce that\\u2019s harvested perishes before reaching the local market, the grocery store, or your dinner table.

Hazel Technologies Offers a Solution

Hazel Technologies is a Chicago-based company developing biotechnology for reducing waste in the agricultural supply chain. This extends the shelf life of perishable produce. The company is dedicated to solving the problem of food waste in an eco-friendly and sustainable way. Hazel Technologies is funded by the USDA, and they\\u2019re growing fast.\\xa0

Hazel Technologies creates active packaging inserts that can be inserted into standard commercial packaging for produce. They\\u2019re placed in big produce storage units as they\\u2019re transported through the supply chain from the growers to the retail stores. While in the box, the insert time releases active materials into the atmosphere to increase the shelf life of the produce, significantly reducing the amount of food that is unnecessarily wasted each day.

The technology works with items like apples, pears, cherries, melons, okra, leafy greens, herbs, and even avocados. Hazel Tech plans to bring their products all the way to your kitchen countertops and refrigerators. How awesome would it be if you could eat half an avocado and store the rest with a tiny sachet and keep it fresh for days?

That\\u2019s precisely what they\\u2019re working on. Hazel Technologies recognizes that if they want to spread their technology through every level of the supply chain to extend shelf life for perishables, then they need to have a product that works at every level, from the grower to the consumer.

\\u201cIf we want to reduce waste throughout the supply chain, from the growers to the consumers, then we need to have a product that works at every part of that chain.\\u201d - Aiden Mouat (15:17 - 15:30)

Food waste is a global crisis. Millions of people around the globe don\\u2019t have access to adequate nutrition, causing significant harm to the economy. Hazel\\xa0

Technologies wants to bring waste down to zero through innovative solutions, and we can only hope more companies will follow their lead.

How to get involved

  • Join The Produce Moms Group on Facebook and continue the discussion every week!\\xa0
  • Reach out to us - we\\u2019d love to hear more about where you are in life and business! Find out more here.\\xa0
  • Check out Hazel Tech!

If you liked this episode, be sure to subscribe and leave a quick review on iTunes. It would mean the world to hear your feedback and we\\u2019d love for you to help us spread the word!

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