Innovation in Our DNA: How the Baguette Academy & ICI AGRIFOOD Ecosystem Is Shaping Tomorrow’s Food Solutions
At Baguette Academy, innovation goes far beyond technology—it’s our daily driving force and the very heart of who we are. Our mission has always been to transform bakery expertise to address the major challenges facing the wheat–flour–bread value chain, placing sustainability and creativity at the core of our training programs.
Baguette Academy & ICI AGRIFOOD: A Longstanding Commitment
Our passion for innovation naturally led us, from the very beginning, to become part of ICI AGRIFOOD (formerly Foodtech Lyon), one of France’s leading FoodTech innovation ecosystems.
As a former ICI AGRIFOOD Startup Totem, we have always been committed to supporting projects that push the boundaries of innovation. Seeing this ecosystem continue to grow and welcome bold new startups reinforces our belief that the future of food is built through collaboration.
Spotlight on “Encore Mieux”: Fighting Food Waste in Fresh Pasta
Among the latest startups joining the ICI AGRIFOOD ecosystem, Encore Mieux has particularly caught our attention. Founded by young engineers from ISARA Lyon, the company has developed an innovative solution to reduce food waste by transforming surplus organic industrial baguettes into breadcrumbs that enrich fresh pasta recipes.
The Power of Collaboration: A Successful Proof of Concept with Bionatis (NOVEPAN)
What impresses us most about Encore Mieux is its ability to turn a sustainable vision into an industrial reality. To validate their concept, the founders partnered with Bionatis (Novepan Group), a long-standing Baguette Academy client and a committed industrial partner.
This exemplary collaboration resulted in a successful proof of concept demonstrating the viability of the process:
Resource recovery: Industrial bread surplus is reused through two possible methods—drying using waste heat recovered from bakery ovens or freezing.
Product innovation: Part of the durum wheat semolina is replaced with recycled breadcrumbs, a concept successfully validated by a consumer panel of 250 participants.
Building the Future of the Industry Together
We are proud to see our industrial partners, such as Bionatis–Novepan, actively supporting initiatives with such a positive environmental impact. By connecting industry expertise,
startup agility, and the strength of an innovation ecosystem like ICI AGRIFOOD, we demonstrate that it is possible to honor tradition while transforming the future of food.
Congratulations to the Encore Mieux team for this inspiring project, and thank you to everyone across the industry who is driving innovation every day.
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