Healthy Protein for People and Planet - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2019 - Quorn
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otein.
H e a l t hy Pr P lanet.
Healt h y
Healthy
Protein for
People and
Planet
S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E LO P M E N T R E P O R T 2 0 1 9
INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
WELCOME TO
Quorn Foods’ 2019
Sustainability Report
INSIDE, YOU’LL FIND OUT ABOUT HOW WE’RE USING THE
THREE PILLARS OF LIFESTYLES, PLANET AND PEOPLE
TO CREATE A POSITIVE IMPACT FOR SOCIETY AND OUR
SHARED ENVIRONMENT.
WHAT’S INSIDE?
INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PEOPLE
3 A MESSAGE FROM KEVIN, 12 BETTER FOOD – BETTER 26 PEOPLE MAKE QUORN POSSIBLE
OUR CEO FUTURES 28 GROWING OUR FAMILY
4 MADE IN ENGLAND – 14 HEALTHY MADE SIMPLE 30 PIPING IN FRESH TALENT
LOVED EVERYWHERE 15 GIVING HEALTH A HAND 32 MAKING AN IMPACT IN
6 THE FOOD REVOLUTION 16 BUILDING A BODY OUR COMMUNITIES
8 GOOD FOOD DOES OF KNOWLEDGE
34 ABOUT THIS REPORT
GREAT THINGS
10 THE FUTURE OF FOOD HEALTHY PLANET
18 A SMALLER FOOTPRINT
FOR EVERY PLATE
20 USING LESS & GROWING
MORE – LOWERING
OPERATIONAL IMPACT
IN THE MORE THAN THREE 23 A FRESH TAKE – PACKAGING
YEARS SINCE MONDE NISSIN REIMAGINED
ACQUIRED QUORN, WE’RE SEEING
ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS
AROUND HEALTH AND
SUSTAINABILITY. MONDE NISSIN
HAS RENEWED OUR COMMITMENT
TO CONTINUALLY IMPROVING
THE WELLBEING OF PEOPLE
AND PLANET AND TO HELP
CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE FOOD
SECURITY. WORKING WITH OUR
STAKEHOLDERS, WE WILL STRIVE
TO OPERATE AS A BUSINESS THAT
SUPPORTS SOCIAL PROGRESS.”
HENRY SOESANTO, CEO, MONDE NISSIN
2 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019
WE HAVE BEEN
DELIVERING SUSTAINABLE
NUTRITION FOR OVER
30 YEARS.”
A Message
from Kevin, Our CEO
THE WORLD TODAY FACES but, crucially, the GHG impact of the In this report, you’ll see the ongoing
mycoprotein used in all Quorn products initiatives we undertake daily to lead
TWO INTERCONNECTED is an incredible 90% lower than beef. our industry and maximise the impacts
CHALLENGES: THE HEALTH In other words, we are already offering of our products and our business.
OF HUMAN BEINGS AND climate positive benefits by enabling our We’re working hard to improve our
THE HEALTH OF THE customers to avoid more emissions than sustainability and are investing in exciting
PLANET THAT SUSTAINS US. produced by our direct operations. and cutting-edge research to better
understand how our products can help
GROWING OUR AMBITION address an array of health issues.
From a health perspective, we know
that poor diets are creating major We want to be the leading alternative It’s a journey and we’re excited to
issues around heart disease, cancer and protein in this area and maximise the be taking the next step. We hope
diabetes, to name a few, which affects the gap between our carbon footprint and you’ll join us.
quality of millions of lives and also puts the savings from avoiding meat to help
incredible stress on public health systems. consumers make a major contribution
The sustainability crisis, on the other to climate change. At the same time,
hand, has had a growing place in the we want those same dietary choices to
spotlight, with the need for action only significantly lower risks from a spectrum Kevin Brennan
becoming more urgent. In early 2019, we of illnesses and help consumers take Quorn CEO
saw an incredible upsurge in activism and control of their health.
awareness, from the Extinction Rebellion
demonstrations and Greta Thunberg’s That’s a great start but we think we can
historic global schools strikes to David do even more. That’s why we’re taking
Attenborough’s powerful warnings on a bold new step in creating a roadmap
both the BBC and Netflix. This display that will help us to set science-based
of passion and concern is a positive targets to increase the positive impact
sign that hearts and minds are changing we have on the planet – while also aiming
and that people are willing to act for a to achieve our $1 billion commercial
sustainable future now. ambition. This is about more than being
carbon neutral because we’re focusing
on making positive contributions to both
A CLEAR SOLUTION
our environmental challenges as well as
So how exactly are our two great our public health challenges – all through
challenges interconnected? The answer creating demand for the products we
is simple: by what we eat. A staggering make, and by improving the way that
14.5% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) we make them.
emissions are coming from the livestock
supply chain, leading the United Nations
(UN) to identify cutting down on meat
as the biggest single change individuals
can make to address climate change.
It’s not surprising to see both these
issues embedded in the UN Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), to which
Quorn believes we can make
a significant contribution.
We can make that contribution because
we have, for over 30 years, been
proudly delivering Sustainable Nutrition.
Quorn is proven to provide profound
health benefits compared to meat
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 3
INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
MADE IN ENGLAND
Loved
Everywhere
IT ALL STARTED IN THE 1960S, WHEN FORWARD-THINKING SCIENTISTS SAW
THE NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY THE WORLD FEEDS ITSELF. OUR VISIONARY
FOUNDER, LORD RANK, ROSE TO THE CHALLENGE AND SET UP A PROJECT
TO FIND A NEW SOURCE OF PROTEIN – AND OUT OF THE CAREFUL AND
RIGOROUS RESEARCH THAT STILL DEFINES US TODAY, QUORN WAS BORN.
QUORN IS ENJOYED ALL OVER THE WORLD
4 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019
HOW DO YOU CONVERT
100%
OF QUORN PRODUCTS
EASY-TO-FIND
CARBOHYDRATES INTO
HARD-TO-GET PROTEIN
WITHOUT USING ANIMALS?
START OUT IN NORTH
EAST ENGLAND Answer: Many years of research and
development (R&D) and hundreds of
millions of pounds in investment – and a
little help from a rather remarkable and
#1 protein-rich member of the fungi family.
We produce Quorn just north of the
rolling hills of North Yorkshire – in
QUORN REMAINS THE fact, our Billingham site is the only
#1 MEAT-FREE BRAND manufacturer of our unique protein
IN THE UK type in the world. Every pack of Quorn
in every country we sell in started life
in North East England.
40%
We use fermentation, rather like the
way bread-makers do, to create the
conditions that convert the glucose
from wheat – which is our carbohydrate
OF MEAT-EATING – into protein.
UK HOUSEHOLDS
The result is mycoprotein. Not only can
NOW ACTIVELY
this rather extraordinary ingredient
REDUCING ITS MEAT
provide incredible health benefits, it HOW QUORN IS MADE
CONSUMPTION
actually replicates the taste and texture
of meat. It easily takes on any flavour a Want to know more? Watch our
cook can dream up – meaning it offers Chief Scientific Advisor Tim Finnigan
52%
all of the benefits without diners feeling demonstrate exactly how Quorn is made at
like they’re missing out on meat. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsmRT4x2848
OF THE UK
POPULATION IS NOW
REDUCING THEIR MEAT
CONSUMPTION
RAW MATERIALS
16%
BRAND GROWTH IN THE
GROWN
USA IN 2018 – TWICE AS MYCOPROTEIN
FAST AS THE REST OF STARTER CULTURE
THE CATEGORY
CONVERT TO
QUORN PRODUCTS FERMENTATION
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 5
INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
The Lancet has called the
The Food obesity, undernutrition and
climate change emergencies
Revolution
a ‘global syndemic’12 – when
two or more challenges
interact to affect a large
number of people.
Today, we’re faced with a few stark has labelled the threefold global Incorporated (IRI), there has been a
realities: the impacts of climate change increase5 in obesity an epidemic6 26% increase in shoppers choosing
are growing and industrial farming is a – a public health crisis that has led to vegetarian food options.
big part of why. At the same time, there a spike in awareness campaigns about
The 2018 annual Food & Drink Report13
will very soon be around 10 billion of the role of diet and exercise.
from Waitrose found that one in eight
us to feed and the growing appetite
The good news is that the message seems people in the UK now identifies as
for and access to cheap meat-heavy
to be getting through. In the UK, there are vegetarian or vegan, and a further 21% are
diets is not just choking our climate, it’s
more gyms open than ever before and the flexitarians, only occasionally eating meat
impacting our health and lowering the
fitness industry is worth over £5 billion7. and following a largely plant-based diet.
quality of life for animals globally.
More than two-thirds of UK shoppers8 are
For many people, this is a transition still
But, as big as these challenges might now buying foods with less salt, sugar
in motion. But for those whose diet is
seem, there are already many effective and fat with fewer calories.
newly changed or who have reduced or
solutions that can help to turn the
avoided meat consumption for years,
tide. They are simple, accessible THE BIGGER PICTURE the Quorn product range provides
and already here.
But care for our own health is only part easy, low-fat and fibre-rich protein
of the story. Over the past few years, alternatives to meat products while
WHAT GOES IN the signing up of many countries to the reducing health and environmental risks.
Food is big news right now and will be a Paris Agreement, along with several In fact, there are unique properties of
defining issue of our time. Over the past extreme weather events, has brought the fibre and protein in Quorn that have
few years, a growing interest in healthy the reality of climate change home to health benefits of their own.
lifestyles combined with a more global millions more people. As the public
understanding of nutrition1 has meant that conversation has grown, more people SUSTAINABLE AT HEART
more of us are thinking about what goes have learned about the link between
Of course, Quorn products aren’t just
into our bodies. Much of this is spurred large-scale agriculture – specifically
good for us – they’re good for the planet
by concerns around the quality of the intensive meat production – climate
too. For example, Quorn Mince has over
food we eat now. From meat loaded with change and emissions. According to
90% lower GHG emissions than beef
salts and fats to hyper-refined foods high the Consultative Group for International
mince and uses less than one-eighth
in sugars and lacking in nutrients, we Agricultural Research (CGIAR)9,
of the amount of land. Some of our
may be producing more food than ever agriculture is responsible for up to one-
products also have a carbon footprint
but it’s increasingly bad for our health2. third of our global emissions, and drastic
70% lower than chicken.
We have reached production levels that action is needed by 2050 to cut them.
could potentially feed the planet; instead, A 2017 study10 found that the world’s top Given the environmental impact of
while some still struggle for steady access three meat producers collectively emit animal rearing, it stands to reason that
to food, many people are overfed on more GHGs than all of France; however, just eating Quorn instead of meat can
nutrient-poor food. the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate help fight climate change – but for us
Change’s (IPCC) most recent report that’s not enough. Any efforts to fight
The truth is, in a time of increasing
found that simply making agricultural climate change and protect our shared
obesity, 800 million people are still
production more efficient is not enough planet simply must include production-
without enough food each day to
and that significant steps must be taken and consumption-based solutions.
provide adequate nutrition or are
to reduce meat consumption11.
eating foods that contribute to
overnutrition. The result is a growth of
both stunting and obesity rates3. The TIME FOR CHANGE
Lancet’s 2017 Global Burden of Disease4
+250,000
The health benefits of new diets are
study concluded that poor diet is being explored all the time but, along
responsible for approximately 11 million with ‘flexitarianism’, it’s the stalwarts
deaths around the world – the greatest of vegetarianism and veganism that
risk factor in almost one-fifth of deaths are winning followers. According to CONSUMERS PARTICIPATED
and more than smoking tobacco. research firm Information Resources IN VEGANUARY IN 2019
The World Health Organization (WHO)
6 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019
Highlights
70%
LOWER CARBON
Since 2017
FOOTPRINT* THAN THE MAGIC OF
CHICKEN MYCOPROTEIN
*Compared to Quorn Pieces
So, while producing the mycoprotein STRONGER EVIDENCE BASE
used in Quorn products uses less land
COMPLETE SOURCE Published five new peer-reviewed
and the water footprint of a meal with
OF PROTEIN journal articles and filed two new
Quorn is 10 times lower than eating
beef, we’re driving our sustainability patents. Our journal articles are part
further by looking beyond farming and of the work we’re doing to provide
into the heart of our factories. evidence for the benefits of Quorn on
NO CHOLESTEROL human health versus animal-derived
We’re implementing significant proteins. During 2019, we successfully
investments and changes in our recertified our range of product carbon
operations to shrink the footprint of our footprints with the Carbon Trust. This
manufacturing at the same time as we analysis showed that we have lowered the
grow the positive impact of our products. HIGH IN FIBRE
carbon impact of mycoprotein by 32%,
This includes moving more of our with 4% of improvements coming from
operations to renewable energy, cutting our own efforts and those of our supply
our water use and energy (and associated chain and the remainder coming from a
emissions), exploring innovative by-product LOW IN FAT decarbonisation of the grid.
opportunities for our waste, and eliminating
non-recyclable and single-use plastics.
VEGAN INNOVATION
SETTING GOALS GOOD SOURCE OF ZINC, Launched 12 new vegan products,
COPPER, SELENIUM including the custom vegan Quorn filling
FOR THE GLOBE
AND RIBOFLAVIN for the #1 Veganuary 2019 product, the
We’re developing ambitious science- Greggs sausage roll. We also launched
based targets for our emissions and brand new Quorn fishless fillets and
meaningful goals for our water use, Ultimate Burger, which mimic taste and
renewable energy and packaging. texture even better. We are currently
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/
We’ve been mapping these targets articles/PMC3257829/ exploring the best ingredients to create
to the UN SDGs to ensure that we’re 2. https://eatforum.org/content/ vegan binding agents to replace the egg
creating a measurable impact that uploads/2019/04/EAT-Lancet_ in our non-vegan range.
Commission_Summary_Report.pdf
supports a better future.
3. https://www1.wfp.org/zero-hunger
This work is all part of how we’re inspiring 4. https://www.thelancet.com/ INTERNAL PODCAST
more people with delicious products pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-
packed with flavour and versatility. Most
6736(18)32858-7.pdf Developed an internal four-part series
importantly, we want to make it easy
5. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact- to help our employees learn more about
sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
for people to choose healthy food for what Quorn is and why we need healthy
6. https://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/
a healthier planet. obesity/en/
new proteins with a low environmental
7. http://www.leisuredb.com/ impact. The podcast mini-series
blog/2018/5/16/2018-state-of-the-uk- featured expert guests, exciting recipes
fitness-industry-report-out-now
and interviews with stakeholders and
8. https://www.iriworldwide.com/en-
colleagues from around the business.
GB/Insights/Publications/Shopper-
Insights-Geocentric-Purchases-and-
Millenni
9. https://ccafs.cgiar.org/flagships/
priorities-and-policies-for-CSA
10. https://www.grain.org/article/
entries/5825-big-meat-and-dairy-s-
supersized-climate-footprint
11. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
12. https://www.thelancet.com/
pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-
6736(18)32822-8.pdf
13. https://www.waitrose.com/home/
about_waitrose/the-waitrose-
fooddrinkreport.html
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 7
INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
Good Food Our Mission
Does Great Things
This generation faces challenges unlike any WHAT SUCCESS TASTES LIKE…
we have ever known. Climate change, plastic
pollution, dwindling resources and a growing
population with rising obesity rates have become
some of the defining issues of our age – and to
solve them, we have to act now. But to leave
a better world for future generations, we have
SOCIETIES WHERE
to start putting more in than we take out. At FLEXITARIANISM,
Quorn, our impact is already climate positive. VEGETARIANISM
Even though the emissions avoided as a result AND VEGANISM
of people enjoying our products rather than ARE MAINSTREAM
meat equivalents is eight-and-a-half times more
than that of our direct operations, we’re still on
LIFESTYLE CHOICES
a journey to lead our industry and maximise our
influence. Up next we’ll be setting new goals
and defining our roadmap to 2030 and beyond.
There’s a lot to learn and it won’t always be easy. GLOBAL WARMING
But this isn’t about doing the easy thing – it’s LIMITED TO LESS
about doing the right thing to shape a future fit THAN 2°C AND A
for everyone. And this is our first giant step in
the right direction.
STABLE CLIMATE
PEOPLE LIVING
LONGER, HAPPIER
LIVES THROUGH
DIETS THAT
PROMOTE HEALTH
AND WELLBEING
GOOD FOOD THAT
IS VALUED, NOT
WASTED AND IS
PRODUCED FAIRLY
USING FEWER
RESOURCES
8 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019
PROVIDING BETTER PROTEIN
FOR PEOPLE AND PLANET
DRIVING PROGRESS ON THE
UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE
LAYING THE TABLE FOR CHANGE… DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Good food can do great things to drive progress
on all of the UN SDGs, but we know there are some
OUR COMMITMENTS
goals our roadmap can really help to achieve.
Sustainable nutrition: Support We have comprehensively mapped our entire
the growth of diets rich in value chain, including the impact of our corporate
healthy protein alternatives with partnerships, R&D agenda, as well as our operations
a low environmental impact. and business sustainability strategy. This has helped
us identify the six key SDGs most relevant to what
we do and will ensure that we can scale up our
Help consumers to avoid
work to become a climate positive business for
emissions and lead healthier
maximum impact.
lives with food they enjoy,
through a range of delicious,
quality foods for all.
WHERE WE WORK
Set science-based targets that CREATE PRODUCTS THAT ARE
ACCESSIBLE, DESIRABLE, NUTRITIOUS
support the innate sustainability
AND SUSTAINABLE
of our products and help define
our roadmap to becoming a
climate positive business. OPERATE AS A BUSINESS THAT SUPPORTS
PRODUCTIVITY, EQUALITY, SAFETY AND
HUMAN RIGHTS
MANUFACTURE IN WAYS THAT WASTE
LESS, RESPECT NATURAL RESOURCES
KEY INGREDIENTS… AND PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY
DEVELOP SPECIFIC, RELEVANT
TARGETS AND WORK AGAINST OUR
WHAT WE IMPACT
PLAN TO DELIVER THEM
SUPPORTING OPTIMAL NUTRITION
ACROSS THE LIFESPAN AND TAKING
OPTIMISE ENERGY AND WATER USE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE
EMPOWERING OUR CUSTOMERS AND
MINIMISE WASTE AND HELP EMPLOYEES TO TAKE DECISIVE ACTION
CONSUMERS REDUCE FOOD WASTE TO PROTECT THE PLANET
RESPONSIBLE USE OF PACKAGING
MATERIALS HOW WE GET THERE
COLLABORATING ACROSS OUR VALUE
CHAIN TO SCALE UP OUR SDG IMPACTS
SUSTAINABLY SOURCE KEY
INGREDIENTS
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 9
INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
The Future of Food BY 2050, WE WILL
HAVE TO FEED AROUND
10 BILLION PEOPLE.”
TIM FINNIGAN, OUR CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR, HOW MIGHT FOOD
OUTLINES THE CHALLENGES WE FACE IN DELIVERING PRODUCTION NEED TO
OUR APPROACH TO CREATING BETTER PROTEIN FOR CHANGE IN THE FUTURE?
PEOPLE AND PLANET, AND THE TRENDS THAT WILL
SHAPE THE FUTURE OF FOOD. Answer: By 2050, we will have to feed
around 10 billion people. On average,
they will be wealthier than we are today
and many of them will aspire to the type
of food choices that are only available in
high-income countries at the moment.
The current path we’re on won’t allow us to
meet this goal. To assure our food future is
sustainable, food production systems must
increasingly consider the impacts made
by our food choices on our physical health
and the health of the planet.
And simply explaining the benefits of
changing our diets is not enough. We
need a wider set of interventions to
accelerate uptake.
SO HOW IS QUORN HELPING
TO TURN THE TIDE?
Answer: Today, it is increasingly
acknowledged that our meat addiction
is literally ‘costing the Earth’. In the
short term, the biggest lever we have
to improve the health of our bodies
and the environment is to eat less meat,
and particularly from intensively
reared livestock.
That’s why we believe that healthy new
proteins with a much lower environmental
impact are vital if we are going to assure a
sustainable food future for us all.
This is really the next green revolution,
and something that Quorn Foods
has been quietly pioneering since our
inception in 1964.
10 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019THIS IS REALLY THE
NEXT GREEN REVOLUTION,
AND SOMETHING THAT
QUORN FOODS HAS BEEN
QUIETLY PIONEERING SINCE
OUR INCEPTION IN 1964.”
WHAT ARE THE CHOICES
WE WILL FACE IN FEEDING
AN EVER-GROWING
POPULATION?
Answer: In the short term, if we continue
to ‘eat like there’s no tomorrow’, we will
face some stark, unenviable choices.
• An acceleration of both over-
WILL QUORN’S MYCOPROTEIN WHAT’S NEXT FOR QUORN?
and undernutrition within global FERMENTER TECHNOLOGY
PROVE TO BE A GAME- Answer: In some ways, we’re really just
populations, where current estimates
carrying on something our ancestors
place nearly 1 million starving people CHANGER? did when they first domesticated plants
on the planet, and twice that number
thousands of years ago. After all, it
who are obese. Recent estimates Answer: One of the key benefits of this
was 10,000 years ago that Triticum sp
suggest that 20% of all global fermentation process is that, unlike
was discovered, and it is now grown
disease is diet-related and therefore any other system, it actually enables
globally as wheat. We’ve found a
wholly preventable. us to end up with more protein than
naturally occurring member of the fungi
we started with. Better still, there is a
• We can choose which to feed: people, family and domesticated it – albeit
growing body of research, discussed
animals or cars. Our food production just 50 years ago. And we are now
in this report, that is demonstrating
capabilities are finite and we cannot wondering about a whole world of
the ability for the fibre and protein
keep trying to produce more other nutritious fungi out there that has
combination found in mycoprotein to
food, feed and fuel crops without the potential to support a sustainable
address major public health concerns
devastating consequences. food future. Quorn is leading the way
– all in a versatile product that makes a
here with ‘bioprospecting’ – our future-
• And without intervention, we can transition away from meat much easier
facing research that includes exploring
continue to waste around a third for consumers. We’re also interested
nature, seeking other nutritious and
of the food we produce, meaning in some of the unique opportunities
delicious fungi that might be even more
that approximately 10% of the GHG the process presents for creating
amazing than mycoprotein. We think it’s
emissions in developed economies a fermentable carbohydrate from
something that our founder Lord Rank
comes from food that was grown but lignocellulose – which is the component
would have thoroughly endorsed.
never eaten! That is nothing short in many plants that helps their structure
of shocking. but which often ends up as agricultural
waste such as rice straw – and use it to
ferment our mycoprotein. Protein from
waste – how amazing would that be?
To find out more about our leading
and innovative research, please see
Healthy Lifestyles.
Fusarium spores have the capability to produce up to
45,000 tonnes of mycoprotein.
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 11INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
H E A LT H Y L I F E S T Y L E S
Better Food–
Better Futures
THE WAY WE EAT TODAY ISN’T JUST CHANGING – THERE’S
A TOTAL REVOLUTION IN HOW WE THINK ABOUT FOOD. FROM
RECORD NUMBERS OF PEOPLE SIGNING UP TO VEGANUARY 14 TO
THE GROWING MOVEMENT OF ‘FLEXITARIANISM’, THIS IS AN EXCITING
MOMENT IN THE GLOBAL CONVERSATION ABOUT NUTRITION.
Ground-breaking research combined To fully understand the incredible GOOD FOOD IS
with the creativity of thousands of benefits of mycoprotein as part of a
people sharing tips online is helping lifelong diet, Quorn Foods partners
FOR EVERYONE
others find a variety of inventive and with several leading universities on We also foster a wide range of
delicious new meat alternatives. More cutting-edge research. community partnerships that make
importantly, there’s also a growing healthy eating easy to understand
movement of campaigners fighting for We are the only food manufacturer in the and simple to follow. From going
fairer access to affordable nutrition. world using this remarkable ingredient into schools to give presentations
and we are committed to ensuring and cookery demonstrations to
Quorn has been supporting this protein quality, not just quantity. We collaborating for behaviour change,
change from the beginning. We start constantly work to fully understand we’re continuing to expand the way
by providing tasty and easy to prepare how our bodies digest and assimilate people think about food.
meat-free meals that are healthier for mycoprotein and support the growth of
people and the planet, but we have research that benefits everyone. After all, We believe in the importance of
also always been passionate about we aren’t the only ones who understand whole systems behaviour change –
educating and engaging with the next the exciting potential of mycoprotein from evidence to actions. We
generation to build a future where to create a healthier world. The World work across three major areas to
sustainable food choices are the norm. Economic Forum, for example, recently promote healthy living:
published an analysis16 of the potential
THE SCIENCE OF HEALTHY health benefits of switching from beef • Investing in high-quality
to alternative proteins, concluding that research to further knowledge
Quorn’s chief ingredient mycoprotein15 mycoprotein has some of the most and support policy change.
is high in protein and fibre, low significant net health benefits when
in saturated fat and contains no • Applying that knowledge to
making the switch from beef by reducing
cholesterol, making it an obviously improving our products and
diet-related mortality by 6%.
healthier alternative to the highly communicating their benefits.
refined foods that make up a large • Helping community groups
portion of diets globally. learn new skills and adopt
healthy habits for life.
14. https://veganuary.com/
15. https://www.mycoprotein.org/
16. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_White_Paper_Alternative_Proteins.pdf
12 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019OUR BUSINESS IS TO
IMPROVE THE WELLBEING
OF LIFE, THE ENVIRONMENT
AND OUR PLANET, AND CREATE
SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS
FOR FOOD SECURITY.”
HENRY SOESANTO,
CEO, MONDE NISSIN
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 13INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
Healthy Made Simple
TOO MUCH RED AND With the world in the grip of a childhood We work with cooks, caterers, nutritionists
obesity epidemic, and Public Health and others to provide delicious nutrient-
PROCESSED MEAT
England reporting record levels of severe rich dishes to children and young adults in
INCREASES CANCER RISK; obesity in children in England, Quorn is schools and colleges across the UK.
QUORN IS A HEALTHY on a mission to reverse the trend and
We do this through our direct
SUBSTITUTE THAT CAN BE inspire sustainable change. But with all the
relationships and our school meals recipe
EASILY INCLUDED IN FAMILY dietary advice out there – not to mention
books that are distributed to inspire
FAVOURITE MEALS, IT IS easier access to more food, healthy and
menu planning for seasonal menus.
unhealthy, than ever before – it can be
THEREFORE CERTAINLY A hard for people to make better choices.
38%
WELCOME ADDITION TO
OUR DIET.” At Quorn, we believe it’s our
responsibility to help educate people
DANIEL COMMANE, SENIOR LECTURER, about what constitutes a healthy diet. It’s
NUTRITIONAL SCIENCES, FACULTY a responsibility we take seriously because OF YOUNG PEOPLE ARE
OF HEALTH AND LIFE SCIENCES, we believe this is a crucial time to help ALREADY REDUCING THEIR
NORTHUMBRIA UNIVERSITY set positive trends for years to come. MEAT INTAKE IN SOME WAY
MEET THE QUORN SUPERHEROES
Any parent or teacher knows that getting “CHILDREN AND STAFF ENJOYED THE SESSION AND IT
children excited about healthier eating
can be more than a little challenging.
FITS WELL WITH THE NATIONAL AND SCHOOL CURRICULUM.
Enter the Quorn Superheroes campaign, VERY ENGAGING. A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR THE
a scalable initiative designed to reach as CHILDREN TO HAVE, THANK YOU!”
many children as possible. D. PARRIS, TEACHER, GOAT LEES SCHOOL
With the help of the Quorn “ENGAGING, INFORMATIVE AND TASTY WITH THE EATWELL
Superheroes Max and Hope, the PLATE INFORMATION DELIVERED IN AN AGE-APPROPRIATE
campaign helps children:
MANNER. WELL PACED, AND THE PUPILS ENJOYED
• learn about food groups and PARTICIPATING IN THE COOKING. WILL RECOMMEND TO
their purpose OTHER TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS. THANK YOU.”
• understand the benefits of reducing JOANNE HANLEY, TEACHER, MONTAGU ACADEMY
meat intake for ourselves and the planet
• explore cooking by demonstrating
new and exciting meat-free dishes.
So far, more than 140 UK schools and
over 10,000 children have taken part in
+16% +24% +24%
Quorn’s interactive cookery and food
education sessions since the Quorn
Superheroes campaign launched
in Spring 2018. We will visit
another 50 schools to reach IN CHILDREN IN CHILDREN IDENTIFYING IN CHILDREN
more than 4,000 children IDENTIFYING PROTEIN CARBOHYDRATES AS ONE UNDERSTANDING THAT
during Spring 2019. AS ONE OF THE MAIN OF THE MAIN THREE FOOD CARBOHYDRATES
THREE FOOD GROUPS* GROUPS* PROVIDE ENERGY*
(70% before vs 86% after) (61% before vs 85% after) (54% before vs 78% after)
+34% IN CHILDREN UNDERSTANDING THAT QUORN *Based on five questions pre
and post survey of 1,608 children
IS A GOOD SOURCE OF PROTEIN* (32% BEFORE vs in Key Stage 1 and 2, carried
66% AFTER) out in 2018 across more than
140 schools nationally.
14 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019Giving Health
a Hand
TRAINING TOMORROW’S UNDERSTANDING CHOICES meat eating and alternative proteins, and
we hope to create resources to encourage
HEALTHY EATERS Today, one quick trip to the supermarket protein diversity in supported eating
Quorn partners with the Royal Society offers up more food choices than previous occasions. We are looking to use the
of Culinary Arts on its Adopt a School generations would have dreamed findings to improve our products to
programme. As part of the initiative, we possible. Despite this, socioeconomic and better support families and carers.
go to schools and deliver three sessions to demographic inequalities are still impacting
pupils on skills such as cutting fresh food access to healthy food and influence how
with a knife, preparing a healthy salad people choose to eat. This means vulnerable
and even making bread. The aim is communities often have poorer diets.
also to educate pupils on taste and
GROWING THE
As advocates for inclusivity in healthy
sensory appreciation. eating, we’ve been working closely with
CONVERSATION
During the lessons, we don’t talk about Choice Support to find out how we can We are proud to:
Quorn. Instead, we focus more broadly help to drive the uptake of diets with better • partner with the EAT Forum 2019 in
on what a balanced diet looks like, health outcomes in these communities. As Stockholm in collaboration with the
including choosing healthy snacks and part of the project, we will work with multi- Chef’s Manifesto to contribute to
eating less salt and sugar. We also explore site focus groups of adults with intellectual conversations aimed at transforming
other aspects of a sustainable diet, such and developmental disabilities (IDD) and the global food system
get data from interviews with vegetarian or • be a part of the Fit and Healthy
as packaging and plastics, choosing
vegan adults with IDD. Childhood All Party Parliamentary
local, seasonal food to reduce air miles,
Group (APPG)
preventing waste and eating less meat. Research has shown that people with IDD • be members of the All Party
By the end of the sessions, the children often eat diets high in processed meat Parliamentary Food and
have a greater understanding of their and a lack of vegetables and we want to Health Forum
taste buds, the main flavours and what a explore what could be done to help people • support The Creative Kitchen in
balanced diet consists of. Each child will with IDD and those who support them Dorset – an educational community
have made a salad, chopping up their own to make healthier dietary choices. We’re kitchen facility for children
ingredients and mixing them together. trying to understand social attitudes to • sponsor Hip Hop is Green’s first
They all will have learned about the history European events in 2019 to bring
healthy vegan food and music
of bread before taking home a bread roll
to disadvantaged urban youth
they will have baked themselves.
in London
In 2018, we visited approximately 60
MYCOPROTEIN IS A • be a headline sponsor for Compass
schools and ran sessions with an average FASCINATING PRODUCT. NOT Group UK & Ireland’s Women in
of 60 pupils. This has helped the Adopt ONLY IS IT A SUSTAINABLE Food Ambassador Programme
a School programme reach over 16,000 AND ENVIRONMENTALLY • support national campaigns such
children across the country. During 2019, as World Meat Free Week and
FRIENDLY PROTEIN SOURCE, National Vegetarian Week as well
we plan to revisit our adopted schools and
BUT WE ARE BEGINNING as customer-specific campaigns
host the session with Year 3 students.
TO UNDERSTAND HOW ITS around health, wellbeing
UNIQUE STRUCTURE AND and sustainability
• be a supplier of Soil Association’s
COMPOSITION UNDERPIN Food for Life programme
THE MANY HEALTH BENEFITS • collaborate with Netmums on
ASSOCIATED WITH ITS forums to inspire parents with meat-
CONSUMPTION. THIS IS A free recipes, articles and videos
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE • partner with the Lawn Tennis
CLEAR EXAMPLE OF HOW
Association to run the Quorn
COOKERY SESSIONS YOU INNOVATIVE, KNOWLEDGE- Family Tennis Cup to get families
HAVE DONE WITH YEAR 5. BASED FOOD PROCESSING exercising together.
THEY HAVE ENJOYED EACH CAN BE USED TO PRODUCE
AND EVERY ONE OF THEM, FOODS THAT ARE BOTH
BUT THE BREAD-MAKING HEALTHY AND SUSTAINABLE.”
WAS A REAL HIT.” PROFESSOR PETE WILDE, RESEARCH
ST JOHN’S PRIMARY AT LEADER, FOOD AND HEALTH PROGRAMME,
PRINCES RISBOROUGH QUADRAM INSTITUTE BIOSCIENCE
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 15INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
Building a Body of Knowledge
Currently, there’s simply not enough study participants will be separated
research on the benefits not only of into groups, some eating animal protein
THE QUORN FUNGUS mycoprotein, but also of vegan diets and others following a diet rich in
under different conditions. Our mission mycoprotein. They will be trained by
IS EXCEPTIONAL IN
is to help move the world to more meat- qualified sports professionals and we will
PROVIDING A NOVEL FOOD free meals and we believe that not only measure how muscle tissue grows after
SOURCE HIGH IN PROTEIN should there be no health downsides to exercise. All these research projects will
AND FIBRE CONTENT, cutting down meat consumption, there help us more clearly define the benefits
YET LOW IN FAT AND are real benefits too. That’s why we’re of Quorn for athletes and consumers
WITH A RELATIVELY LOW supporting novel research that will help with active lifestyles, supporting the
people confidently make the switch. promotion of healthy ageing.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
FOR PRODUCTION.” BREAKING NEW GROUND
MUSCLE WITHOUT MEAT Beyond muscle building, we’ve made
DR PAUL S. DYER, PROFESSOR
Through our research with the University some important observations at
OF FUNGAL BIOLOGY, SCHOOL
of Exeter, we have already shown Exeter University on the effects of high
OF LIFE SCIENCES, UNIVERSITY
that the protein in mycoprotein can mycoprotein diets on more general
OF NOTTINGHAM
help to build muscle as effectively markers of health, such as glucose and
as milk protein. Our focus now is on insulin levels. An eight-day study showed
mycoprotein’s unique combination of that replacing meat with mycoprotein
high-quality protein along with its rich made no difference between two test
source of dietary fibre and the benefits groups, with the exception of blood lipids
for appetite, glucose and gut health. where reductions were observed for
We currently have 13 PhD researchers diets rich in mycoprotein that may have
working on this across four leading UK important implications for heart health.
universities. Part of this work will include
We have also agreed on a studentship at
isolating protein from mycoprotein and
Northumbria University to explore the role
using it in clinical trials to compare
that mycoprotein may play in gut health
its muscle-building properties with
and especially the removal of risk factors
whole mycoprotein. For more information
for colo-rectal cancer. Colo-rectal cancer
about our work with Exeter University
is now the third most common Western
and other research visit mycoprotein.org.
cancer heavily associated with excess
We have also started a three-month consumption of red and processed meat,
clinical research programme on muscle and finding ways to help people reduce
growth in response to exercise. Our their risk is essential for global health.
GUT HEALTH –
THE BIGGER PICTURE
There’s a need in nutritional science to
develop a more complete understanding
of how combined elements of whole
foods behave in the gut and affect the
release of nutrients as well as actively
promoting the health of the microbiome.
Quorn is proudly leading in this area for
vegan protein. We’re seeing that our
protein research at Exeter University
aligns with what we’re seeing in our other
gut health programmes at the Quadram
Institute, and we will be accelerating the
pace of our research in this area through
additional work at Kings College London
scheduled to start in the autumn of 2019.
16 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019OUR TEAM EXPLORES
FUNDAMENTAL
Helping People
PSYCHOBIOLOGICAL
CONTROLS OF FOOD
CHOICE AND DIETARY
ADAPTATION. OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS THIS
WORK HAS TAKEN ON AN
ENTIRELY NEW RELEVANCE,
See Food Differently
AND WE NOW SEE EXCITING Our relationship with food isn’t always To help smooth the path to change, we
OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK simple. The way we eat is tied up with empower consumers in several ways.
memories, culture and identity as Our website offers users a wealth of
ABOUT WAYS TO PROMOTE
much as taste or health. But as hard inspiration, showing a huge range of
THE CONSUMPTION OF as it may be to break some habits, recipe choices to suit a variety of different
HEALTHY AND MORE our bodies and our planet need us tastes. Besides offering exciting healthy
SUSTAINABLE SOURCES OF to move away from eating so much recipes, we share meal inspiration through
PROTEIN. QUORN PLAYS A meat. Quorn works with leading our social media. We host clear, simple
CRITICAL ROLE BECAUSE researchers to understand more about nutritional labelling on our products,
this relationship and how we shift the including traffic lights, as well as key
IT PROVIDES A NATURAL balance in favour of plant-based foods. health claims relevant to our customers,
‘GATEWAY’ FOR CONSUMERS such as high in fibre and high in protein.
TO BEGIN THIS ESSENTIAL Progress depends on being realistic,
DIETARY TRANSITION.” which is why Quorn supports a ‘flexitarian’
approach to change, where people eat
JEFF BRUNSTROM, PROFESSOR
meat-free meals for around half the
OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY,
week, in line with the Intergovernmental
NUTRITION AND BEHAVIOUR UNIT,
Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC)
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL
recommendations to keep the global
temperature rise below 1.5°C17.
CHANGING MINDS – ONE PRODUCT AT A TIME
We have collaborated closely with the Netmums online forum to inspire parents
to mix up their mealtime routine with our Quorn products. Not only have we been
inspiring parents with everyday meat-free recipes kids love, meal planners, articles
and videos, but throughout 2018 we also ran several product trials, including one SUPPORTING TRUE HEALTH
with our tasty cocktail sausages. True Health Initiative (THI) is a coalition of
experts committed to creating a future free
During the trial, 100 mums were given the Quorn Cocktail Sausages to review of preventable diseases by driving policy
and were then asked to answer a few questions in a poll. The results showed that changes and promoting behaviour change
98% would recommend Quorn Cocktail Sausages to a friend or family. by giving people the scientific knowledge
they need to improve their lives.
“THE CHILDREN SAID THEY WERE DELICIOUS!”
THI has published a paper proposing
“MY PERCEPTION HAS DEFINITELY CHANGED.” a new definition metric for measuring
“HEALTHIER OPTION AND GOOD FOR THE PLANET.” protein quality that can be applied to
national food regulatory and labelling
WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO MUMS WHEN systems. The new definition includes
assessing the health outcomes and the
MEAL PLANNING?
environmental impacts of foods.
Taste 56% THI partners with Quorn and recognises
us as a producer of uniquely healthy, high-
quality protein with a low environmental
Health 46%
impact. We are proud to support the
changing perception of food and play a
Cost 34%
role in sharing THI’s positive message of
healthy lives through healthy diets.
Ease of 30%
cooking
Children’s 23%
favourite dish
17. https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 17INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
H E A LT H Y P L A N E T
A Smaller
Footprint for
Every Plate
THE QUESTION OF HOW TO PROVIDE A GROWING GLOBAL
POPULATION WITH HEALTHY DIETS FROM SUSTAINABLE FOOD
SYSTEMS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST OF OUR GENERATION.
Today around one-quarter of the world’s annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions18 comes
from the global food system, making it a major driver of land use change, loss of freshwater
resources and ecosystem pollution19. Livestock production alone contributes 14.5%20 of
global human-caused GHG emissions (more than all forms of global transport), with
intensive meat production being the most significant source of methane emissions. And
while animal farming takes up 83% of the world’s agricultural land, it delivers only 18% of
our calories21. It goes to show that when it comes to the planet, what we eat matters.
18 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019WE CAN NO LONGER
SEPARATE THE HEALTH
OF OUR BODIES FROM THE
HEALTH OF THE PLANET.”
TIM FINNIGAN,
CHIEF SCIENTIFIC
ADVISOR
A FIELD OF SOLUTIONS A LEADING APPROACH
Despite these obvious drawbacks, meat consumption is Using a science-led approach to environmental research
on the rise globally, especially in middle-income countries and continuous analysis of our entire supply chain, we’re
experiencing population growth and increasing incomes. growing our commitment with ambitious targets and look
But agriculture is also where we can make a real impact on forward to tracking our continuous improvement.
climate change if we act now.
We’re also proud to be the first global meat-alternative
Research shows that simple changes in agricultural practices business to achieve third-party certification of our carbon
and a shift away from meat and dairy products could help us footprint figures. This allows us to display the Carbon
reduce the sector’s emissions by up to 50% by 205022. Reduction Label on specific products and support the 67%
of consumers23 who say that a recognisable carbon label
That’s where Quorn comes in. Not only are we providing
matters to them. It’s part of the work we’re doing to match
a nutritious, accessible and delicious way to help more
the built-in sustainability of our products with concrete
people cut down on meat, the way we produce Quorn
progress in how we make them.
products has big benefits for our shared climate. The key is
in the sheer efficiency of the way we grow a fungus source We want this move to inspire other food brands. In fact,
by feeding it with a carbohydrate (a by-product of the along with our new Climate Positive ambitions and our
wheat milling industry) and use fermentation to turn it into work to set ever more effective targets, it’s in line with our
mycoprotein – providing both protein and fibre in a much ongoing determination to lead our industry and maximise
more sustainable way. our product and business impact. Together, we can all
contribute to more sustainable diets for consumers.
TARGETS TO GET TO CLIMATE POSITIVE
IN 2020 BY 2022 NEXT STEPS
• Measure our full value •
Achieve a 50% reduction in • Define
a roadmap to 2030
chain emissions. Scope 1 and 2 emissions and beyond.
• Set science-based targets for our against a 2012 baseline. • Develop specific, relevant targets
operations and full value chain. •
Achieve a 25% reduction and work against our plan to
in water use per tonne of deliver them.
output/production against
a 2012 baseline.
AS PART OF THE UK PLASTICS PACT BY 2025
• 0
% – Eliminating problematic or • 100% of plastic packaging to be • 100% of UK packaging to display the
unnecessary single-use packaging reusable, recyclable or compostable. OPRL (On-Pack Recycling Label)
through redesign, innovation or • 70% of plastic packaging effectively by 2020.
alternative delivery models. recycled or composted. • 100% of our manufacturing sites
• 30% average recycled content to be single-use plastic free by
across all plastic packaging. end 2019.
18. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987 22. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0358-8
19. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0594-0 23. https://www.carbontrust.com/news/2019/04/footprint-labelling/
20. http://www.fao.org/3/a-i3437e.pdf
21. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/360/6392/987
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 19INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
Using Less &
Growing More
LOWERING OUR OPERATIONAL IMPACT
ESTABLISHING We were the first food manufacturer
200,000
to act as pathfinders for the Climate
CLIMATE POSITIVE Leadership Framework, launching in 2019.
Quorn Foods’ journey to becoming a This is a new initiative from the Carbon
climate positive business started in 2012, Trust that aims to align companies with
when we began to model the carbon a low-carbon economy. As one of only TONNES OF EMISSIONS WERE
footprints of our best-selling products five companies to participate to date, AVOIDED BY SALES OF CORE
and independently certifying them with the Climate Leadership Framework has PRODUCTS IN 2018 COMPARED
the Carbon Trust. By the end of 2018, helped our business develop our roadmap TO MEAT EQUIVALENTS
approximately 50% of our products to becoming a climate positive business.
had been analysed. We remain the only
Through 2019, we will be undertaking
meat-free brand to achieve independent
a group-wide energy assessment
and globally recognised certification for
to determine further efficiency and
the way we analyse the carbon footprint
renewable investment opportunities.
of our products.
QUORN FOODS
160,000 8.5x
IS PROUD TO BE
THE FIRST GLOBAL
MEAT ALTERNATIVE
BRAND TO ACHIEVE
TONNES OF AVOIDED EMISSIONS EMISSIONS FROM QUORN SITE THIRD-PARTY
FROM GLOBAL QUORN MINCE OPERATIONS AVOIDED THROUGH CERTIFICATION
SALES IN 2018 ALONE 2018 CORE PRODUCT SALES OF ITS CARBON
AGAINST MEAT EQUIVALENTS FOOTPRINT FIGURES
QUORN FOODS BECAME THE
FIRST FOOD MANUFACTURER
TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CLIMATE
LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK. THIS HELPS
COMPANIES IDENTIFY ACTIONS WITHIN
THEIR OWN OPERATIONS AND VALUE
CHAINS TO FULLY ALIGN WITH THE
PARIS AGREEMENT AND CONTRIBUTE
TO A LOW-CARBON ECONOMY. AS ONE
OF THE FIRST FIVE COMPANIES TO
PARTICIPATE, QUORN HAS DEVELOPED
A LONG-TERM ROADMAP TO ENGAGE
STAFF AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS
TO DEVELOP A GENUINELY CLIMATE
POSITIVE BUSINESS.”
TOM CUMBERLEGE, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR,
CARBON TRUST
20 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 201933%
REDUCTION IN
EMISSIONS PER
TONNE ACHIEVED
IN 2018 AGAINST
A 2012 BASELINE
STAYING ACCOUNTABLE We’re also exploring renewable energy
opportunities. In 2017, 93% of our total
In recent years, we have achieved electricity and 51% of our overall energy
impressive emissions reductions alongside came from purchased renewables.
significant business growth. In 2018, we Unfortunately, in 2018 this dropped to
set our first short-term target to reduce 71% of total electricity and 32% of overall
our Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by energy, due in part to one of our major
2022 against a 2012 baseline. By the end suppliers moving away from renewables.
of 2018, we recorded a 33% reduction per We are now working on a new approach
tonne and we’re confident we’ll meet our for energy purchases to respond swiftly
2022 target. to any potential similar changes in
Some of this progress has been through the future. However, our Methwold
sustained efforts at specific sites. For site procured 49% of its energy from
example, our Belasis facility continues to renewable sources in 2018, setting the
lead with great performance year on year, standard for the rest of our operations.
showing a further 3% reduction since To ensure we align with leading standards
2017, despite huge changes to the site’s and frameworks, we are working to
infrastructure and development. attain ISO 14001 certification for all our
However, 2018 was also the first time operations. In 2017, our Billingham site
we recorded a slight increase – of 1% was certified and our Stokesley facility
since 2017 – for our total group GHG earned its certification in 2018. We expect
emissions performance. The reasons our Methwold site to be certified in 2020.
for this include the commissioning of
our new Billingham production
lines. While the commissioning and
development work caused a spike, the
completed project will drive further
improvement and efficiency over the
course of its operations.
Relative GHG Emissions (per tonne of production by site) Production Volume and Absolute Carbon Emissions
1600 90,000
1400
80,000
1200
70,000
1000
kg CO2e/tonne
800 60,000
600
50,000
400
40,000
200
30,000
0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
20,000
522 498 446 371 330 290 299
491 376 348 328 305 267 271 10,000
540 536 527 536 505 475 474
0
Methwold kg CO2e/te Stokesley kg CO2e/te Belasis kg CO2e/te
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
Production volume (tonnes) Carbon emissions (tonnes)
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 21INTRODUCTION HEALTHY LIFESTYLES HEALTHY PLANET HEALTHY PEOPLE ABOUT THIS REPORT
Caring for
Every Drop
In both our agricultural and production That’s why, in 2017, we partnered with We are also a signatory to
operations, we share water with WRAP and WWF on water risk mapping WRAP’s ambitious Courtauld
the communities where we work. In and ‘hot spot’ identification. Commitment 2025, a
some cases, such as our site in East voluntary agreement that
Another key challenge is managing the
Anglia, we’re operating in areas that brings together organisations
quality of our wastewater, particularly
are threatened by water scarcity. across the food system –
since operations at our Billingham site
Responsible water stewardship is from producer to consumer
rely heavily on a fermentation process
incredibly important to us. Our approach – to make food and drink
that naturally creates liquid containing
starts with using as little as possible and production and consumption
nutrients that need treatment. This means
to return what we do use in the same – more sustainable. As part of
that processing our wastewater is energy
or better – condition than we receive it. our commitment, we share
intensive. We recently invested £7 million
utility data including water
We have set a target of a 25% reduction in leading new effluent treatment facilities.
consumption with our key
in water use per tonne of production This infrastructure upgrade will be
retail customers to help their
by 2022 against our 2012 baseline. In game-changing for our water treatment
efforts to collaborate with
2018, our group sites and our company performance and will allow – for the
their supply chain.
collectively achieved a 16% reduction. very first time – three fermenters to run
We did, however, report a 6% increase simultaneously to produce record volumes
in our relative water performance versus to meet the growing demand for healthy
2017. The main driver for this was a 41.2% protein. This investment is using Best
increase in water at our Methwold site, Available Technology (BAT) and allows for
owing primarily to bringing chickpea
processing in-house. This previously
outsourced process uses a lot of water
and has increased our overall use, without
a tenfold improvement in water quality.
In addition, as part of our efforts to
support continuous innovation across our
business, we are actively partnering with
16%
REDUCTION IN WATER
changing how efficiently we use the
leading UK universities to find meaningful USE PER TONNE OF
water that we need.
efficiency opportunities in our waste PRODUCTION
We know that achieving and sustaining stream that would allow us to amplify
meaningful further water reductions is production of our waste into valuable
not something we can do alone. by-products for other businesses.
Water Use (per tonne of production by site) GETTING TASTE FROM WASTE
40 We produce a large volume of waste liquid as
35
part of the mycoprotein production process,
which is packed full of interesting nutrients
30 and flavour-enhancing compounds, including
25
nucleotides and glutamates (NAGs).
Tonnes
20
Part funded by Innovate UK, our NAGs project
has enabled two UK universities (Aberystwyth
15 and Harper Adams universities) to partner with
10
Quorn, Waitrose, Membranology and Create
Flavours to isolate these flavour compounds and
5 use them to trial reducing salt by up to 30% in a
0
range of products – such as ready meals – with
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 no loss of quality or flavour. As an added bonus,
the water can then be recycled. We have seen the
Methwold m /tonne
3 4.0 4.1 3.6 3.7 3.9 3.4 4.7
proof of concept on this exciting project and are
8.2 8.1 7.2 6.4 6.1 6.2 6.3
Stokesley m3/tonne considering ways to expand this into products
Belasis m3/tonne 29.6 27.9 26.5 25.3 24.8 23.5 23.9 in the future.
22 Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019A Fresh Take –
Packaging Reimagined
OVER THE LAST FEW Quorn has been working with In 2018, 80% of our packaging was
organisations such as WRAP for several recyclable, putting us on track to reach
YEARS, WE’VE WITNESSED years to optimise our packaging, our commitment. In the same year, 95%
AN INCREDIBLE SURGE including reducing the amount of of our UK packs featured OPRL labels.
IN AWARENESS OVER resources we use and the recyclability In 2018, we achieved a 25% average of
THE IMPACT OF of the materials we choose. Food safety recycled content in our rPET (recycled
PLASTIC PACKAGING. and quality is our primary concern, polyethylene terephthalate) trays and
but important advances in plastics are trialling a move to 100%, which will
technology mean that we don’t have add 300 tonnes of recycled material into
80%
to sacrifice sustainability. our end packaging category. Our new
deli packaging project completes our
We are determined to lead our industry
black plastic removal and incorporates
in providing easy-to-use quality
innovative built-in reclose technology
OF OUR PACKAGING WAS packaging that does not contribute to
to deliver a single polymer pack format
RECYCLABLE IN 2018 plastic pollution. We are a signatory
that ultimately removes 13 tonnes of
to the UK Plastics Pact, which has
polymer from the supply chain. We’ve
committed us to:
also added a ‘peel and reseal’ function
100%
OF OUR CARDBOARD IS FROM
• cutting out all problematic and
unnecessary single-use packaging
• making 100% of our plastic packaging
reusable, recyclable or compostable
to our deli packaging, which not only
improves convenience for customers,
but cuts food waste and the extra
packaging waste that goes with it.
APPROVED SUSTAINABLE SOURCES • ensuring 70% of our plastic packaging
is effectively recycled or composted
WE’RE PROUD
100%
• including an average of 30% recycled
TO CO-SIGN THE
content across all our plastic packaging
WRAP UK
• displaying the OPRL (On-Pack PLASTICS PACT
Recycling Label) on 100% of UK
OF OUTER CASES USE packaging by 2020
RECYCLED CARDBOARD
• eliminating all single-use plastic from our
manufacturing sites by the end of 2019.
NOT EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD IN BLACK
Consumers may not know that recycling black plastic in the UK is simply not
possible, due to current capabilities among recyclers. For Quorn, this meant
that around 300 tonnes of our packaging could not be recycled and we knew
we had to do something about it.
In April 2017, before the current debates about plastics took centre stage, we
had already decided to move away from black plastic packaging through a
project that explored alternatives with guidance from the waste industry and
input from consumers.
The team involved colleagues from across the business, including Sustainability,
Marketing, Packaging, Procurement, Technical and Commercial. By June
2018, thanks to the hard work of our colleagues and support from packaging
suppliers, third-party manufacturers and waste management company, we had
moved most of our products into new packaging. We recently switched our
remaining black packaging in our chilled deli slices to clear packaging formats
and are now black plastic free.
Quorn Sustainable Development Report 2019 23You can also read
