Consumers want perfect-looking bananas. To reach retail and wholesale, only green bananas are good enough upon arrival. Bananas in which the ripening process has already begun are therefore rejected and destroyed at European ports long before they reach the supermarket. This contributes to the larger problem of food waste, with a third of all food produced not reaching consumers. Earlier this year, The Banana Factory established itself in Geldermalsen, East Netherlands. The company turns rejected bananas into banana puree, from which other products can be made. Now, six months later, they are announcing they are broadening their supply streams. Oost NL supported the company in finding a plant location and establishing contacts within and outside the region.
In the European Union, an average of 120,000 tons of bananas are destroyed for cosmetic reasons every year. "As soon as a banana starts to ripen or gets a scratch, it no longer meets the quality standards of a 'fresh banana' and the whole box is thrown away," says Laura Hoogland, founder of SUNT and The Banana Factory.
Laura Hoogland, Founder and Nick Roelofs, Operations Manager of The Banana Factory
The Banana Factory rescues bananas from destruction at European ports by turning them into banana puree in Geldermalsen. The "no waste banana puree" is used by food producers, including SUNT, to make food products. In the banana factory, bananas are (semi-)automatically sorted, ripened, washed and peeled, then mashed into homogeneous raw material. With that process, some 3,000 tons of bananas a year are given a sustainable destination. In addition, the company will explore what is possible with the banana peels, which are currently a waste stream.
The Banana Factory works closely with Coroos, a company involved in making fruits, vegetables and legumes more sustainable.
"It is the world's first banana factory. And by now it is running at full speed," Hoogland indicates. Oost NL was able to support her in this: "In finding a good location and in contacting municipalities, suggesting subsidy opportunities, and by advising in entering new markets, such as Germany." Recently, a delegation of German companies and organizations visited - among others - the Banana Factory: German delegation visits Dutch food companies (in Dutch)
Francine Hellinga, advisor at Oost NL, is pleased with the arrival of The Banana Factory in East Netherlands: "The mission against food waste is in line with what we as Oost NL stand for, helping innovative entrepreneurs who make the world a little better, to move forward. At the same time, its establishment creates new economic activity."
