Two Belgian SMEs stand out at European level.
FoodDrinkEurope presents a European Award to European SMEs in the food sector that have reduced their environmental impact or encourage people to lead healthier lives. Among the winners are two Belgian SMEs, namely the Léopold 7 brewery and the company Colac.
Colac produces fruit-, chocolate- and caramel-based products on its new site in Beerse (province of Antwerp). The family business won a prize in the "Greener Planet Award" for its efforts in the area of water consumption.
Rainwater is collected from the roofs and purified in a basin located under the plant. Although the 'blue' aspect was highlighted here, Colac is also active in other areas by reducing and sorting food waste as much as possible and investing in energy-efficient production.
The Léopold 7 brewery won the 'Healthy Living Foodies Award'. If the trend towards healthier living is coupled with the growing consumption of alcohol-free or low-alcohol beer, then the Léopold 7 brewery has jumped on the bandwagon by using a natural manufacturing process without distillation. The result is a high quality reduced sugar beer that is rich in polyphenols and microflora that are good for our health. The new Leopold 7 Road Trip is a sharp, non-alcoholic, local beer.
The brewery, located in Hesbaye near Huy (Province of Liège), has managed to grow using environmentally friendly, sustainable values. And their model can be exported, since their beers are also produced in California, South Africa and Montenegro in accordance with the same human and environmental values.