HAS University of Applied Sciences and Satori conquer market with new innovation

It's not nothing: importing fruits and vegetables from exotic countries without scratches or bumps. What is too big, too small, or damaged, no longer meets the quality standard for sale. But there is nothing wrong with the products themselves. Marcel Verdellen, owner of Satori, started a quest to identify opportunities based on this problem. Students of HAS University of Applied Sciences in Venlo explored various possibilities for their graduation project and calculated the concepts. The GaspachGo concept proved viable and led to the Van Kneus brand.

A year ago Marcel would hardly have dared dream that he is now on the verge of conquering the market with his new innovation. The 'cold soup Van Kneus' is a real taste treat. "The idea came to life thanks to the graduating students of HAS University of Applied Sciences. They conjured this high-quality product out of the hat and delivered unprecedented quality."

Search for innovation

For graduating students Lideweij Woltjes, Vince Leufkens and Stan van Wijlick of the Food Innovation and Business Administration and agrifood-business studies, this adventure started with a tour at Satori. "For the students it is very instructive to discover how the chain works. In what way does food waste occur? How can you make a new product out of those leftovers? Is there a market for it?", explains teacher and supervisor Peter van Gastel. The power of inspiring projects like this is, on the one hand, that they increase the technical ability of students. On the other hand, it offers students the opportunity to contribute to a successful business.

The way to a smart idea

The project focuses on food waste. With a value optimization of sweet potato, ginger and lime. Using an innovative idea, how can Satori reduce food waste by using their leftovers? From the preliminary process, it appears that they can make good use of these food scraps to make cold soups. Peter explains: "We have further-developed the cold soups that you will soon be able to take away in an AH To Go, for example, through various recipes in different flavors, sustainable packaging and good market analysis."

Good mix of quality

Marcel wants nothing more than to connect with the generation that is now entering the workforce. "The nice thing about students is: they have a completely different outlook on life than when I was 20. They are more aware of the impact of food waste on our earth. Some are creative, while others excel in how they work. Together, that enables us to bring such a beautiful innovation to market."

Source: HAS University of Applied Sciences