Apeel Sciences has appointed Taylor Sokol as the company’s new director of foodservice, where he will look to establish and manage relationships with both commercial and non-commercial foodservice customers including distributors, foodservice management companies, independent restaurants and wholesalers.
By shaping Apeel’s strategy and partnering in the foodservice channel, Sokol will play an integral role in furthering the company’s growth on a global scale.
“Apeel is at the forefront of addressing food waste as one of the biggest problems we face as a planet,” said Sokol. “It’s an exciting time to join as we help foodservice distributors and operators reduce waste while enabling them to serve consumers delicious food with better quality produce made possible by Apeel.”
Food waste is one of the leading contributors to climate change, and more than 80 per cent of it occurs downstream within retail and foodservice establishments (ReFED).
Following its expansion over the last year, propelled by the expansion of avocado distribution and new produce categories with Kroger, and landing on European retail shelves at Edeka in Germany and Salling Group in Denmark, Apeel is now extending its plant-derived food-waste fighting solution beyond retail into the foodservice channel.
“At Apeel, we’re constantly developing ways for the food supply chain to realise new value from longer-lasting produce,” said James Rogers, CEO of Apeel Sciences. 'For foodservice operators and their staff, Apeel's longer-lasting produce means every order can be maximised and business operations can become more flexible and efficient. This is equally great news for growers who will have an easier time selling ‘the whole tree’.'
Restaurants in the US alone generate an estimated 22-33bn pounds of food waste each year, and non-commercial institutions including schools, hotels and hospitals generate an additional 7-11bn pounds per year (NRDC).
While much of this is caused by over-prepared food, Apeel said that it could provide foodservice operators with more time to serve produce at its peak condition, while reducing overall waste and increasing margins.
