Around the world, invasive species are a growing threat, with adverse consequences for biodiversity, health and local economies. About 12 trillion invasive crabs are creating havoc off the coast of Denmark, threatening to outcompete native fish species and damaging the fishermen’s catch. Apart from ruining fishing nets with their sharp claws, they damage riverbanks by burrowing into them, lakes and reservoirs and alter the natural habitat of native wildlife.

Now the Danish company Fejø Krabber has laid a plan to tackle the challenge by turning a challenging pest into a 100% useful resource.

Invasive species are a growing challenge. by working together, companies and universities can turn them into a valuable resource

A rich protein source

Fejø Krabber has partnered with Danish universities to find ways to turn the crabs into value. One promising idea focuses on using crab protein and other nutrients to improve the diets of elderly people with a small appetite. At an innovation competition hosted by the Technical University of Denmark, a team developed a recipe for a tasty crab bisque. They also proposed to turn the crab by-products into flour for use in snacks or pet food.

Better marine environment

The crabs are not just a good source of nutrition. Every time a fisherman pulls a ton of crabs out of the water, they remove about 16 kilos of phosphorus and nitrogen – a cause of oxygen depletion. This opportunity to improve the marine environment makes Fejø Krabber even more determined to succeed with its mission: to convert invasive crabs into business.

Air traffic is expected to double by 2050 due to the growing middle class. As air traffic is one of the biggest contributors to CO2 emissions, the race is now on to find green alternatives to today’s aviation fuel.

Danish biogas company Nature Energy has taken up the challenge in collaboration with NISA, Nordic Initiative for Sustainable Aviation, the consulting engineering company NIRAS and researchers from the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). Their aim is to make sustainable aviation fuel made from biogas, CO2 and hydrogen. Food waste is a key ingredient.

Giving food waste a new life

Nature Energy already produces biogas at 13 plants in Denmark and one abroad. The plants have so far treated more than 4.7 million tonnes of biomass. Several of the plants are selling the gas as fuel for trucks and buses. In addition, Nature Energy invests heavily in research, some of it, at its own laboratory in Odense.

The biogas produced by Nature Energy is entirely green which can make it possible to fly on sustainable aviation fuel in the future

In Denmark, biogas comes from manure and food waste – e.g. coffee grounds, potato peels and chicken wings. Once produced, the gas is fed into the gas network, where it is used for household heating or by industry. The residual degassed slurry then goes to farmers, who uses it to fertilise their fields.

Promising progress

Since the aviation fuel project kicked off in April 2019, the pre-feasibility study has shown promising results. The project is supported by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Copenhagen Airports, ARC Amager Resource Centre, Nordic Energy Research, Dansk Luftfart and Danish Energy.

The Danish company Hanegal, which produces organic meat products, is to become one of the global pioneers in creating organic, plant-based alternatives free from unwanted additives and flavor enhancers. By 2030, Hanegal has a vision that 30% of their production should be plant-based.

Most of the plant-based products on the market today are not organic and often contains large quantities of additives and flavor enhancers. Although they contribute to a greener and smaller climate footprint, people are also increasingly demanding clean and natural food products.

Plant-based products without unwanted additives

Organic and sustainability are focal points for Hanegal’s business and with a new decision that 30% of Hanegal’s production will be plant-based by 2030, Hanegal is committed to ensure that organic also plays a central role in the plant-based product range.

With their 2030 vision, Hanegal is committed to ensure that organic also plays a key role in the plant-based product range

Hanegal is therefore in the process of developing new attractive organic, plant-based products that make it easy to replace the meat-based products with plant-based, which can help push for the needed transition to a more plant-based diet.

A change in food habits is an important tool in the fight to ensure a sustainable world. Therefore, a key area for their product development is to develop products of the same high standard for quality and taste as Hanegal’s already existing product range. This for example includes a plant-based paté as an alternative to one of the Danes favorite cold cuts – the liver paté.

Symbolising the Danish culture of innovation

This is just one example of how Danish food companies contribute to rethink our food production in a more sustainable manner. Hanegal is on schedule to have 30% of its business based on plant-based alternatives by 2030 and therefore meets the growing demand for high quality foods with a low-climate footprint.

The Danish company Mill & Mortar has produced a spice blend to substitute table salt. The blend is a 100% organic natural flavour enhancer and contains less salt without compromising on taste.

Most consumers love salt, but it is not in health’s best interests. On average people consumes around twice the recommended maximum level of intake according to WHO. It is estimated that 2.5 million deaths could be prevented each year if the global salt consumption were reduced to the recommended level.

Mill & Mortar has decided to join the fight for high quality spice blends without salt, gluten and other additives. “Salt of Hearts” being one of them.

Using a blend as a salt substitute

The product “Salt of Hearts” is a 100% natural and organic product developed in close collaboration with a Danish chef working with neurogastronomy. “Salt of hearts” is a spice blend but is to be used as table salt. The blend is based on the idea of reducing salt intake without compromising on taste.

Salt of Hearts is a 100% natural and organic product containing only 15% plain salt

The innovative idea behind “Salt of Hearts” is that it only contains 15% plain salt and it is the taste composition with refined taste of sumac, roasted sesame seeds, coriander, sugar, seaweed, dried mushrooms and a bit of crushed peppercorns that makes it is a natural flavour-enhancer that highlights the salt.

Prize-winning spice blends with less salt

Since the launch of “Salt of Hearts” in 2017, Mill & Mortar has won several awards for the product’s high quality, e.g. “Organic Gold Awards 2018” in Denmark that focuses on the tastiest and most innovative organic products introduced to the market in the previous year.

Mill & Mortar began their journey on renewing the way we look at spices in 2008. At that time, microbrews and craft ales, high-quality chocolate and exotic and expensive salts was on the rise – but yet spices remained an unchanged territory. The product symbolizes the Danish approach and how companies of all sizes help create innovative products that also have health benefits.

By using Mill & Mortar’s spice blends, consumers can reduce their salt intake by reducing the “hidden salt” which is found, for example, in many ordinary spice blends.

In 2022, more than 1 billion adults, 18 years and older, were obese, and 43% of all adults were overweight. Besides that, obesity among children and adolescents have quadrupled since 1990. Danish bio-science company Novonesis has produced a product that decreases added sugars in fermented dairy products to decrease global obesity.

Globally, sugar reduction is a very relevant area of action where the food industry can contribute positively through partnerships, research and innovation. Health organisations and governments are setting objectives to reduce sugar in foods, while retailers are pledging their commitment to reducing sugar in products in their stores. Consumers are increasingly focusing on sugar content, while looking for natural products that taste great. This leaves dairy manufacturers with the challenge of reducing the amount of added sugar, especially in yogurt, without compromising on quality.

Novonesis might have part of the solution. Their new Sweety® Y-1 is an innovative culture solution allowing the natural creation of sweetness by unlocking milk’s own resource – lactose. Sweety® Y-1 is a culture solution using Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus cultures.

With Sweety Y-1 you can add less sugar and still get the same sweet-tasting product, resulting in a healthier product offering

The culture, which won the Food Ingredients Europe Innovation Award 2019 in the Reformulation Innovation category, works by converting the naturally occurring sugars in milk, using more of the lactose and leaving glucose – which provides a greater sweetness intensity. This means you can add less sugar and still get the same sweet-tasting product, resulting in a healthier product offering.

In today’s market for fermented dairy products, the pressure is on dairy manufacturers to reduce added sugar, especially in yogurt. The new culture solution Sweety® Y-1 enables the development of natural and clean label products without the use of artificial sweeteners. Thus, Novonesis is offering a more healthy alternative to the often calorie-heavy overly sweetened yogurts.

The Sweety solution can therefore take the dairy industry forward by helping to reduce the added sugar while maintaining the sweet taste in a natural way.

The Danish food cluster is strong within food innovation and today companies are increasingly working together to develop the range of products available to consumers.

In 1895, the Danish cooperative DANÆG was founded based on the fundamental idea that together the Danish egg producers would stand stronger. Today 125 years later, the notion of collaboration in the Danish food cluster is still strongly embedded in the DNA of DANÆG. That’s why when the firm’s R&D department began developing organic mayonnaises, there was no doubt that the Danish seaweed startup company Nordisk Tang (Nordic Seaweed) was getting on board for the journey.

Harvesting the best from two worlds

Although eggs and seaweed seem like an odd couple, DANÆG and the family-run startup Nordisk Tang are united in a shared mission to bring sustainable foods to the world.

As a result, DANÆG’s three mayonnaises are made with 18% organic, Danish egg yolks stirred with nutritious and sustainable seaweed harvested along the Danish and Norwegian coasts. Seaweed has a beneficial effect on the marine environment, while also containing minerals, amino acids, dietary fiber and various vitamins. The high content of egg yolks provides the mayonnaises with a full-fat consistency, that is perfectly balanced by the fresh and salty seaweed.

To solve some of the world’s most complex and pressing problems, strong partnerships are needed

DANÆG’s classic mayonnaise is stirred with a pinch of mustard containing the beautiful, amber golden sugar seaweed. The chili/garlic mayo is seasoned with the edible red algae ‘Søl’. The most flavorful of the mayonnaises is mixed with dried flakes of the unique algae truffle, similar to the taste of the exclusive truffle mushroom.

Collaboration as the foundation for innovation

The executive board at DANÆG is convinced that to solve some of the world’s most complex and pressing problems, amongst others food safety and sustainability in the food chain, strong partnerships are needed. Consequently, DANÆG and Nordisk Tang have only just launched their first product line and will continue the united product innovation.

DANÆG aims at initiating more strategic partnerships with innovative, local companies from the Danish food cluster over the next few years. The product line stands as a testament to the collaborating culture of Danish food companies.

Cold cuts are a classic ingredient in Danish cuisine and an everyday ingredient in lunches and dinners for consumers all over the world. This means that the levels of saturated fat, sugar and salt in cold cuts has a huge impact on the diet of the people who regularly consume cold cuts. In 1990 two innovative butchers decided to do something about that. A dedicated approach to reducing saturated fat in cold cuts led to a patented product line serving high quality meat with a greatly reduced fat content.

A cold cut revolution

The two butchers idea was simple, but genius. By replacing fats in processed meat with vegetable fiber, trimming off excess fat and using lean cuts of meat, they were able to greatly improve the nutritional value and health profile while maintaining an uncompromised flavor profile.

The two enthusiastic butchers’ idea was so innovative, that they received a patent and with that, Tulip Food Company’s product line ‘The Green Butcher’ was invented.

The product line The Green Butcher was founded on a strict set of principles in order to keep nutrition high and fat content low, all the while maintaining great flavor. Cutting off excess fat, replacing fat with vegetable fiber and using lean meat is what makes e.g. The Green Butcher’s famous “rullepølse” (rolled sausage) one of the healthiest on the market. The “rullepølse” is a traditional Danish cold cut made from pork belly, making it naturally high in fat. However, The Green Butcher’s version contains more than eight times less fat than a traditionally made one.

By replacing fats with vegetable fiber, trimming off excess fat and using lean cuts of meat, the nutritional value is improved in cold cuts while maintaining the flavor profile in cold cuts

The healthier choice made easy

Due to Tulip Food Company’s overall focus on a healthy composition, it has been possible for all the The Green Butcher’s products to be labelled with the Keyhole label, which is given to products with lower fat, salt and sugar contents than similar cold cut products. The keyhole label helps consumers choose the more healthy products in supermarkets, leading to a lower fat, salt and sugar diet.

Pushing healthy eating and whole grain alternatives through innovative product development has positioned Schulstad’s product line “Levebrød” as the easy choice for consumers of all ages.

While bread is an integrated part of most diets, it is not always considered the most healthy option. With Schulstad’s whole grain bread range, which looks and tastes as traditional white bread, it has never been easier to make the healthy choice.

Making bread a dietary saint instead of a sinner

One of the health issues with many types of bread is the lack of whole grain. Over half of Schulstad’s products are now marked with the Danish whole grain logo, making it easier for consumers to make educated decisions and finding healthier alternatives. Schulstad has been a part of the Whole Grain Partnership since 2009 as they aim to incorporate more whole grain into the everyday diet of the consumers.

The product line Levebrød is high in fibers and whole grain, making it a healthy alternative to traditional products as it contains a minimum of 8% fibers

Schulstad’s Levebrød product line has the ambition to create a quality mass produced bread through innovation and product development, while changing consumer habits towards eating healthier. The bread under the product line Levebrød is high in fibers and whole grain, making it a healthy alternative to traditional products as it contains a minimum of 8% fibers. While being high in fibers and whole grain, Levebrød is also lower in salt, fat and sugars compared to similar products. Levebrød is furthermore made without chemical straw shorteners and preservatives making it easier to avoid unnecessary preservatives while eating healthier.

Science and health go hand-in-hand

Levebrød uses a bit of baking science in order to attain such a healthy profile while maintaining the look and flavor in their bread that consumers love. Their products are made with a special wheat with a light bran, making it possible to bake bread high in whole grain still reminiscent of traditional white bread.

This has resulted in Levebrød being able to use both the keyhole label and the whole grain label on their products making it easier for kids, teenagers and adults to choose the healthy – and tasty – bread when grocery shopping.

Public-private partnerships can play a vital part in changing the way people eat. The Danish Whole Grain Partnership is a perfect example of just that, creating the foundation for a whole new line of developed products with an increased amount of whole grains.

In an effort to be on the forefront of dietary developments and ensure that Danes ate the recommended 90 grams of whole grain a day, partners from government, health NGOs and businesses created the Whole Grain Partnership in 2008.

A year later this was followed by the creation of the Whole Grain Logo, a logo that products meeting the requirements could attain and thereby help consumers choose the healthiest products when grocery shopping.

A massive success

Today, Danes on average consume 82 grams of whole grains daily. The recommended amount in the official Danish dietary guidelines is 90 grams a day. 68% of Danes recognise the logo and of those 80% say that they shop according to it. And while there existed 190 whole grain products in 2010 that number has exploded to around 1100 products today. Not only do Danes eat more whole grain today than ever before, but the market for whole grain has increased tenfold.

This has only been possible due to the large support from the industry to increase their whole grain product range and develop healthier products and meals with more whole grains in, along with a concerted communications effort from authorities and NGOs.

Danes on average consume 82 grams of whole grains daily. The recommended amount in the official Danish dietary guidelines is 90 grams a day.

The results of the long-term work led to that The Danish Whole Grain Partnership in 2019 received international recognition, when the EU Commission honoured a number of “best practice” initiatives that have contributed in particular to promoting public health. But the partnership not only contributes to better public health. For food producers, it has created a new opportunity to expand their product range within whole grain products.

In other words, the partners have successfully combined health and business objectives. An inspiration for other organisations to pursue the partnership option.

Emulsifier and stabilizer company, Palsgaard, is using their talent for innovation to lower the amount of saturated fats in ice-cream, while maintaining the flavor and texture.

As one of the most beloved foods, ice cream is not the healthiest product, often containing both sugar and a large amount of saturated fats. Traditionally, ice cream is made from dairy cream. However, with new production methods many of the saturated fats come from vegetable oil. This type of fat is heavily linked to cardiovascular diseases, but it is also what makes an ice cream feel creamy and maintain its structure.

Reinventing ice cream

So how do you maintain the creaminess of ice cream while reducing the amount of saturated fats? That was the issue Palsgaard set out to solve. Over a hundred years ago, founder Einar Schou invented the Palsgaard emulsion oil and gave food manufacturers a new understanding of emulsions.

Today, Palsgaard is still innovating. Their latest innovation managed to reduce saturated fats in ice cream by up to 60% by adding as little as 0.90% of a combination of emulsifiers and stabilisers to the recipe.

Innovation manages to reduce saturated fats in ice cream by up to 60% by adding 0.90% of a combination of emulsifiers and stabilisers to the recipe

Reducing fatty acids and saturated fats would normally have ruined the texture and structure of the ice cream, but with an addition of the so-called lactic acid esters of mono- and diglycerides (LACTEM), they can reduce fats while keeping the smooth texture and classic mouthfeel of ice cream.

It has become increasingly important for consumers to be offered healthier versions of their everyday products creating a need for innovative food solutions like the one developed by Palsgaard. Palsgaard has managed to find the right balance between emulsifiers, stabilisers and saturated fats and can now offer a healthier ice cream that still tastes delicious.