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Foto: Mankica Kranjec.

Sustainable and retro. 2022 trends in food technology, hospitality, education and tourism

Ljubljana, October 27 and 28, 2022 – Active edible food packaging made from natural biopolymers, products made exclusively from raw materials of known origin, the rise of specialty coffee and sourdough products, trends in bartending, responsible food culture. These are just a few of the many trends in the food technology, nutrition, tourism, hospitality, and education sectors discussed at the Biotechnical Educational Centre Ljubljana (BIC Ljubljana) during October 27 and 28, 2022. The plenary speaker from the Netherlands shared the view on quality management in education and training, which is achieved primarily through diligent and quality teachers. The guest from Vietnam highlighted the needs and novelties that caterers in the hospitality and tourism sector and employers worldwide working with people from the Asia-Pacific region need to be aware of, given the rise of Industry 4.0. In two days, 107 expert papers in three sections [Food Technology & Nutrition, Hospitality & Tourism, and Education & Training] were presented by 152 authors from 18 different countries.

Jasna Kržin Stepišnik MSc, director of BIC Ljubljana:

“The main theme of this year’s Trends and Challenges International Conference is “Ever-changing times are a great opportunity for innovative approaches that support development challenges.” Over two days, we gathered and presented to the professional public the latest Slovenian, European, and global trends and challenges in hospitality, tourism, food technology, nutrition, education, and training area. We are delighted to have been able to promote sustainability through the conference. We have adapted the programme and the organisation of the conference to this principle – for example, the speakers received paper certificates made from paper that is recyclable, compostable, biodegradable, suitable for contact with food, and made in Slovenia from the invasive Japanese hemlock plant. We also launched the Fairtrade croissant, our new bakery product, made exclusively from ingredients of known origin and following Fairtrade principles.”

CATCH THE SPECIALTY COFFEE WAVE. IT CAN COST UP TO A FEW HUNDRED EUROS PER KILOGRAM.

What is the difference between “regular” and “specialty” coffee? Dušan Matičič from GOAT STORY explains that specialty coffee is a contemporary “retro hipster coffee” that takes coffee growing, processing, and preparation back to basics while scoring above 80 points on the coffee rating scale. The number of specialty coffee cafés and roasters is increasing worldwide, along with an intense development of coffee brewing equipment. New trends, like cold brew and lightly roasted coffees that evoke fruity flavours are emerging globally. Over the last 30 years, speciality coffee has become a new culinary niche, with prices ranging up to few €100 per kilogram. Recently Gesha Aguacatillo coffee set a new record with a price of €13,110 per kilogram. Also, in Slovenia, we can visit cafés with specialty coffees on the menu, such as Stow Coffe and Cafe Čokl in Ljubljana, and Rooster Coffee and HiKofi in Maribor.

ACTIVE PACKAGING: PACKAGING THAT FREES US FROM PLASTIC

The future of packaging, not only for the food industry but also for the cosmetics and healthcare industries, lies in active zero-waste packaging and innovative biopolymers, remarked Dr. Uroš Novak from the Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana. Plastics, which in the 1970s replaced paper packaging, still endure and accumulate. However, they could be replaced by environmentally and nature-friendly biomaterials that are rapidly degradable [dissolve in water in less than 30 seconds] and are also eatable with packaged beverages or food. The Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana is developing concepts for such materials from non-chemical compounds, and around the world, there are also farms producing biomaterials from its waste materials. Dr. Novak is also the coordinator of BioApp – a plastic-free lifestyle platform.

FAIRTRADE CROISSANT: MADE EXCLUSIVELY FROM INGREDIENTS OF KNOWN ORIGIN

In our KRUHarije in CUKRnije shop, you can now try a special Fairtrade croissant, which represents the need for products made exclusively from ingredients of known origin. It was created in cooperation between BIC Ljubljana and Fairtrade Slovenia to showcase the general evolution of products towards sustainability and fairness. The butter and flour are of Slovenian origin, the organic cane sugar is from Ecuador, and the chocolate for the filling is from the Dominican Republic and Italy. The sugar and chocolate are available at the Fairtrade shop for purchase. For a long time, coffee, tea, and sugar from transparent supply chains have been available on the Slovenian market, but this fairtrade bakery product has never been available until now. Therefore we at BIC Ljubljana are particularly proud of our Fairtrade croissant. We are particularly pleased that, through our activities, we can contribute to the global goals and the ultimate objective of fair trade, which is to increase the income and choices of poor producers and reduce the problem of world hunger in developing countries.

QUALITY IN EDUCATION AND TRAINING IS ACHIEVED THROUGH DILIGENT AND COMPETENT TEACHERS

Plenary speaker Guus van Beek from the Dutch organization All About Quality Consultancy highlighted the current need for a paradigm shift and a change in the understanding of quality management in education in Europe. Quality management in education and training is fundamentally different from quality management in other sectors (like product manufacturing, and it is based on hard-working and quality-oriented teachers and trainers, and for this reason, quality management systems in education and training should be linked to systems that promote and enhance the development of competencies and performances of teachers, trainers, and staff.

ARE YOU WORKING IN THE INDUSTRY 4.0 SECTOR? START LEARNING AND TRAIN HOW TO COMMUNICATE AND COLLABORATE

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, the vice president of Nguyen Tat Thanh University and a director of the Institute of International Education, has presented the Vietnamese perspective on the competencies needed to face the disruptions brought by Industry 4.0. Which are the essential skills, competencies, and knowledge for a skilled workforce in Industry 4.0, which is rapidly developing in Vietnam? According to the results of a Delphi study, the top skills are learning to learn, followed by communication and collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving, creativity, innovation, and adaptability of workers. Knowing about these skills is also a good starting point for understanding Asian visitors, tourists, and especially the workforce increasingly coming to Europe from these parts of the world.

GRASHKA STORY – THE FORMATION OF A RESPONSIBLE FOOD CULTURE

Martin Rojnik, founder and director of Grashka, presented their nutritional model based on 100% natural and plant-based nutrients and building resilient short supply chains between growers, the processing industry, and distribution infrastructure. The company develops all essential plant-based delicacies for an easy transition to a natural plant-based diet from regional ingredients. Recently, they added a focus on the production of mushroom and mycelium products. The development department uses ancient procedures of fermentation, dehydration, and smoking with modern knowledge. They aim to build a food system to distribute natural plant proteins in Central Europe and expand to other markets as an example of good practice, including India. Their products can be found in Slovenian branches of Interspar grocery stores and at the upcoming online shop, and they possess many certificates and awards.

RETRO FOOD FASHION: SOURDOUGH PRODUCTS

Lecturer Jaka Mihelčič and students from BIC Ljubljana, Vocational College, prepared a special workshop on baking with sourdough, a retro sensation in the food technology industry. Sourdough bread is a recently reborn “corona” phenomenon. This trend is reflected not only in Slovenia but throughout Europe and, above all, in the United States. The lack of baker’s yeast caused a fear of a shortage of bread and bakery products, and many people searched for an alternative way of preparing bread for home consumption. The answer was, of course, at our fingertips – baking with sourdough, as our ancestors had baked. In the process, people have become more aware of the other aspects of this type of bread-making process, namely, the added value of sourdough products in terms of high nutritional value, easier digestion, and the additional organoleptic enrichment of bread and other bakery products.