Innovation doesn’t just happen in the kitchen – there are a lot of other ways that innovation can impact the greater overall food chain. From creating a food supply out of nothing to reinventing the way that people eat out at restaurants. These three innovative food companies are trying to completely upend the way we view the food industry.
1. Modern Meadow
There are faux-meat companies and then there are companies like Modern Meadow who create actual meat – just without the animals. Modern Meadow is a Brooklyn based company that you may have heard about in the news. They recently created a burger with meat grown entirely from a test tube, and are partially funded by Google co-founder Sergey Brin. The technology they use to create burgers out of a lab is called tissue engineering, and it can be used to create both foods and animal materials, like leather.
While there’s an obvious upside to lab-grown meat for conscious consumers, there’s an ever larger upside when you think about the economic impact of farming (water usage, land cost, etc.) vs the efficiencies that lab-grown food can create.
2. Dig Inn
Digg Inn may not be as tech savvy as growing meat, but it’s certainly providing a lot of much-needed innovation in the restaurant industry. Digg Inn is a restaurant concept that’s been rolled out to 11 locations in New York City with the mission of democratizing the farm-to-table movement. They provide healthy, local ingredient dishes that don’t cost an arm and a leg. In fact, they boast an average meal ticket cost of just $10 with menu items such as wild sockeye salmon with Sriracha string beans and a spinach and mango combination.
But that’s not even the best part. Each location is partnered with a local public school that’s close to each location where they create culinary programs and help further food education. They’ve also partnered with Covenant House, a nonprofit that serves homeless youth. Dig Inn has plans to roll out on a national scale, and we’re looking forward to watching them grow.
3. Wiserg
Food waste is a growing concern in the U.S. In fact, it’s estimated that as much as 30-40% of food in the United States is wasted – which is around 20 pounds per person per month. That’s no joke. Not surprisingly, a lot of that waste is also coming from grocery stores that are required to throw out produce once it’s past its prime. Wiserg is a company that was founded by two former Microsoft employees to help measure food waste, understand where it’s coming from, and find ways to reuse food waste.
Wiserg created a machine that extracts nutrients from food waste and turns it into fertilizer. Their first product is a machine called the Harvester, which is installed outside of commercial kitchens and grocery stores to help them get rid of large amounts of food waste and turn them it into something useful (fertilizer).
