Food Ingenuity

Why do I love working in the food industry?  The reasons are many but right at the top of that list is the wealth of talent that exists.  Technology tends to get the gold star for forwarding thinking.  The food manufacturers tend to plod behind – slow and steady.  But when innovation takes place sometimes it just knocks your socks off.

As was the case for me yesterday as I was purchasing groceries.  Enter canned vegetables – a true staple and the epitome of consistent.  Canned vegetables, for the most part, remain as they did when your grandparents first started purchasing canned goods at the store in lieu of canning their own.

Welcome to the 21st century:

Green Giant has found a way to vacuum steam without liquid – resulting in crisper product that weighs a mere fraction of the former.  The cans are smaller with the same amount of product; the cans are lighter meaning less transportation cost for them.  The smaller size takes up less space on the shelf – creating more opportunity for other products.  And the taste is fantastic.  A total home run for both the company (cost savings) and the consumer (lighter, easier to store and handle, better product).  Just one of the many reasons I love my job every day.