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Cake day: March 5th, 2024

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  • Cool stuff. Article below:

    KMC just launched two new versions of its potato-based gelling agent “Gelamyl” as a plant-based alternative to gelatin, each with its own unique properties and benefits.

    KMC says that Gelamyl 625 is the first-ever gelling agent based on potato starch that can be dried at 25°C (compared to a typical 55°C) while retaining stability and a soft, chewy bite. Producers can use this variety as the sole gelling agent or a partial replacement for gelatin.

    Meanwhile, Gelamyl 805 is for any “confectionery makers looking for new, innovative textures in entirely plant-based gummies.” It offers a consistently elastic, semi-firm texture.

    KMC notes that the unique Gelamyl 805 makes it possible to produce anything from soft Haribo-like gummies to firm English “wine gums” and hard-surfaced fruit pastilles. (Due to E1414, a variety of modified starch not yet approved by the FDA, this variety is currently unavailable in the US.)

    KMC published a white paper alongside the announcement explaining the benefits of using potato-based gelling agents over animal-derived ones. In this paper, the Danish ingredient manufacturer describes the three main benefits of choosing Gelamyl over competitors’ animal-derived or plant-based alternatives as sustainability, versatility, and inclusivity.

    Locally sourced potatoes like those used by KMC are among the lowest-impact vegetables in the world, particularly when compared to “environmentally burdensome” gelatin.

    In terms of versatility, KMC’s Gelamyl range is extensive, and each variety has its own binding and textural unique benefits. Speaking to the inclusivity of its product, KMC explains that opting for plant-based, allergen-friendly potato starch in place of animal-derived ingredients “offers inclusivity to all demographics,” regardless of diet and lifestyle.

    In June, the company launched an Innovation Center to boost its production of plant-based ingredients. The company reported record-breaking sales of DKK 3.4 billion in 2023, and owners – all potato growers themselves – wanted to invest in the sector.









  • Interesting read. Found this particularly interesting:

    Within a year of the rule’s adoption in 2021, Colorado’s Department of Transportation, or CDOT, had canceled two major highway expansions, including Interstate 25, and shifted $100 million to transit projects. In 2022, a regional planning body in Denver reallocated $900 million from highway expansions to so-called multimodal projects, including faster buses and better bike lanes.

    Now, other states are following Colorado’s lead. Last year, Minnesota passed a $7.8 billion transportation spending package with provisions modeled on Colorado’s greenhouse gas rule. Any project that added road capacity would have to demonstrate how it contributed to statewide greenhouse gas reduction targets. Maryland is considering similar legislation, as is New York.

    “We’re now hoping that there’s some kind of domino effect,” said Ben Holland, a manager at RMI, a national sustainability nonprofit. “We really regard the Colorado rule as the gold standard for how states should address transportation climate strategy.”


  • Pay walled, but they did have this snippet on the page:

    Global CO2 emissions for 2023 increased by only 0.1% relative to 2022 (following increases of 5.4% and 1.9% in 2021 and 2022, respectively), reaching 35.8 Gt CO2. These 2023 emissions consumed 10–66.7% of the remaining carbon budget to limit warming to 1.5°C, suggesting permissible emissions could be depleted within 0.5–6 years (67% likelihood).

    So good that the increase was smaller, almost 0, but bad that we are likely to severely shoot past 1.5C.