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Muntons continues its sustainability commitment
Muntons – one of the UK’s biggest producers of malts and malted ingredients – has become the first maltster to commit to the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, coordinated in the UK by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) and IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution).
Based in Stowmarket, Muntons has long been recognised as the leader in sustainability within the malting industry. The firm’s food waste is minimal at 0.51%, but it continues to actively seek all waste reduction opportunities, delivered both through its own actions and by engaging with its customer base.
An increasing number of businesses, now representing over 60% of the UK food and drink sector by turnover, are adopting the roadmap principles designed to ‘Target, Measure and Act’ on food waste; critical to the UK achieving national targets of a 50% food waste reduction by 2030 across the whole food chain.
Muntons has become the first maltster to commit to the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap coordinated in the UK by WRAP & IGD / Picture: Muntons
To meet these national and global targets, a collaborative and concerted effort to reduce food waste is required. This will focus on the prevention of food surplus and waste being generated in the first place, redistributing surplus food that does arise and diverting surplus food which cannot be used to feed people into animal feed and high value biomaterial processing.
Dr Nigel Davies, director of technical and sustainability at Muntons, said: “Muntons is pleased to promote the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap as a proactive focus with measurable outcomes. We are proud to continue to take the lead in the malting supply chain in adopting a practical sustainability ethos described here as: Target, Measure, Act.
“The agricultural supply chain uses valuable natural resources to create highly nutritive food yet globally at least 30% of that food is wasted before it gets to the consumer and then after it is taken home. Muntons is a strong supporter of the UN SDG’s and pleased to join the growing number of supply chain partners who think positively about a sustainable future that starts right now.”
Peter Maddox, director at WRAP, said: “The link between food waste and climate change is something we can no longer ignore. Globally, around a third of all food is wasted and the IPCC estimated that food waste contributed nearly 10% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions, between 2010 and 2016.
“Having the support of companies like Muntons is crucial in helping to mitigate against this problem through their own actions, and by engaging with their customer base. We are delighted that Muntons is supporting the UK Food Waste Reduction Roadmap in this way and will work with its clients to influence change. We would encourage others to follow its lead.”
Anne Bordier, charity programmes director at IGD, added: “I am delighted that Muntons has become the latest business to support the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, joining us on this incredibly important journey to reduce food waste. IGD and WRAP continue to work very closely with all the companies signed up to the roadmap, giving them the tools to understand how they can measure and reduce food waste. Our industry has made great strides on this important issue, but we are not complacent – we recognise there is more we can, and will, be doing in the future.”