BCFoods is excited to share an update on our new BCFoods Xingtai factory (officially opened in November 2020) preparing now to harvest and dehydrate our 2023 White Onion crop.
We will be harvesting our trial plantings of white onion in the Hebei region starting in the next two weeks. This trial harvest will complement our current Gansu origin Onion crop, which will also be harvested soon.
For the Hebei region, one of the big advantages is the larger farmland, with the average size being 100 acres, whereas the average size in Gansu is 1/4 acre.
Our Hebei plantings are using the same seeds (sourced in the Netherlands) that we use in Gansu, so we are projecting similar solids at 20%+.
BCFoods Xingtai has implemented several sustainability measures including a partnership with the nearby (nextdoor) power plant. This partnership involves repurposing our onion and garlic waste materials for bio-fuel production. We also use their steam resources, which have zero GHG emissions, to support the operation of our dehydration units.
Agri-Neo, a leader in pasteurization of low-moisture foods, is pleased to announce its partnership with BCFoods, a global leader in the industrial ingredient category. BCFoods plans to implement the Neo-Pure pasteurization system into its processing facility in Shandong, China, in Q4 of this year. This innovative system will be employed to offer an additional validated kill step into the cleaning and dehydration process, guaranteeing the utmost quality and safety of ingredients produced, beginning with initial crop of dehydrated onions.
“BCFoods takes pride in our high-quality ingredients,” said Mike Liu, Chairman of BCFoods. “We have been in the industrial dehydrated vegetable and spice industry for over forty years and are recognized for being at the forefront of food safety. The Neo-Pure integration into our Shandong facility demonstrates our commitment to implementing innovative technology to ensure food quality and safety. With Neo-Pure, we can offer our customers ready-to-eat (RTE) products that are made safe using a validated organic pasteurization process.”
“The partnership between Agri-Neo and BCFoods sets a new food safety standard in the Chinese dehydrated vegetable and spice market,” said Robert Wong, President of Agri-Neo. “Agri-Neo’s innovation in food safety combined with BCFoods’ global footprint and recognition will immediately impact the global ingredients market. Furthermore, this partnership strengthens our leadership in food safety for the dehydrated vegetable and spice industry. China is one of the largest origin countries for many ingredients such as dehydrated onion and garlic. We are thrilled to work with BCFoods to expand the Neo-Pure Pasteurized (NPP) product portfolio in China.”
BCFoods will be highlighting and sharing information about Neo-Pure Pasteurized (NPP) products at SupplySide West 2023 in Las Vegas in October.
About Agri-Neo The Agri-Neo mission is to help safely feed the world by creating technology that sets new food safety standards. Neo-Pure™, developed by Agri-Neo, eliminates harmful pathogens such as Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria while maintaining the nutrition and quality that flourishes naturally in food. Agri-Neo has a dedicated team of food scientists, researchers, and engineers to launch more food safety solutions for many high-risk food groups in the future. For more information, visit www.agri-neo.com.
About BCFoods BCFoods has been in the dehydrated vegetable and spice industry since 1978 and has manufacturing plants, distribution facilities and sales offices worldwide. BCFoods offers an extensive selection of premium food ingredients to the industrial ingredient markets that are consistent, affordable, and safe. BCFoods is firmly committed to sustainability and innovation, placing particular emphasis on vertical integration and delivering customized solutions to meet the needs of its customers.
BCFoods, a leading producer of high-quality food ingredients, is excited to announce the opening of BCFoods Canada, a new storage and distribution facility in Watford, ON Canada. The new facility will be a multi-faceted business improvement for the company, allowing us to better service our Canadian customers with a more localized distribution center and support team, as well as expanding 3PL business to Canada. Additionally, as BCFoods continues to grow, this facility will provide more storage space for North American operations.
The new facility, located near major transportation routes about 2 hours from Toronto, is 102K square feet that will include racking throughout and additional space for future production capabilities. The facility will be FSSC22000 audited and will incorporate industry leading safety protocols. Our strict quality control measures will ensure that every product that leaves the facility meets the highest standards.
BCFoods North American President, Mike Bray, spoke about the new facility, saying, “We’re thrilled to be opening this new facility, which represents a major investment in the future of our company. With this new facility, we’ll be able to offer our Canadian customers a more local distribution site with regional sales support while also helping to reduce costs and our GHG emissions by lowering our overall transportation mileage by bringing material directly into Canada vs. our Bolingbrook, IL factory.”
BCFoods Canada is expected to grow significantly over the next few years, with plans to offer our Canadian customers similar production/ storage capabilities as we currently have at our Illinois factory including custom blending, milling, centralized storage and 3PL services. This will create new jobs in the local community, with positions including production line workers, operations support and quality control technicians. BCFoods is committed to hiring locally and providing opportunities for growth and advancement within the company.
“Our goal has always been to delight our customers with the highest quality and service at competitive prices, while maintaining a positive work environment for our employees and a commitment towards our sustainability objectives”, says Bray. “With this new facility, we are confident we’ll continue on this path.”
For more information, contact Michael Sabo, Director of Operations, North America – michael.sabo@bcfoods.com
As Earth Day approaches, it is important to reflect on the impact that we have on our planet and the steps we can take to protect it. At BCFoods, we believe that sustainability should be a year-round effort, and we are committed to doing our part to preserve the earth for future generations.
BCFoods farms thousands of acres of land to grow tens of thousands of tons of produce. According to the World Resources Institute, only about a quarter of commercial agricultural producers measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions. We not only measure our emissions but also our effects on soil and ground water. We’re proud of the actions we take to reduce our environmental impact.
BCFoods’ Sustainability Efforts
One of the ways we demonstrate our commitment to sustainability is through responsible sourcing. We prioritize local and regional sourcing whenever possible, and we collaborate with suppliers who share our values and commitment to responsible farming practices. We believe that by supporting sustainable agriculture, we can reduce our environmental impact and promote a healthier food system.
In 2021, BCFoods embarked on a project at two local farms in China (over 600 acres) to address unnecessary usage of water and pesticides. Through this project, we helped our farmers to adopt drip irrigation and automation control through the BCFoods Agriculture App and pest risk forecast model. By switching flood irrigation to drip, our farmers reduced water use by 42.5% and reduced pesticide use by 2-3 applications for different seasons, compared to 3 calendar applications/season.
In our manufacturing processes, we prioritize energy efficiency, waste reduction, and water conservation. We use renewable energy sources when possible and continuously seek out new ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Our waste reduction efforts include reducing packaging waste, repurposing byproducts, and recycling wherever possible.
Gold Level Farm Sustainability Assessment
Additionally, BCFoods has achieved Gold Level FSA. The Gold level FSA (Farm Sustainability Assessment) is a certification program that recognizes food companies for their commitment to sustainability. The FSA is a platform developed by the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) that helps food companies assess their sustainability performance across various areas, including environmental impact, social responsibility, and economic viability. The Gold level FSA certification is the highest level of certification awarded by the SFTA, and it indicates that a company has achieved a high level of sustainability performance and is committed to continuous improvement.
This Earth Day, we want to remind our customers, suppliers, and partners of our commitment to sustainability and encourage them to join us in protecting the planet.
Today, consumers are reading the ingredient labels of the food they buy for their beloved dogs and cats. They’re looking for ingredients they recognize as healthy. After all, pets are more than animals – they are family members, and owners understand good ingredients may support the health and life spans of their “fur babies.”
Be sure to stop by and say hi to us at the Pet Food Forum!
BCFoods’ strategic partner in Germany, Steinicke, is not only a leader in the manufacturing of dried herbs and vegetables, but also a leader in sustainable energy. After three years in the making, the first official firing of their wood fueled drying plant has been unveiled!
Steinicke has committed to being carbon neutral by 2025 (direct emissions, Scope 1) and the wood fueled drying plant is a significant step toward achieving this goal. This revolutionary plant is designed to burn wood that will supply the energy source for Steinicke’s vegetable dryers. The wood used can come from a variety of sources, including their wood chopping plant or even leftover wood from building sites. The expelled gas from the fire runs through multiple special filters to significantly reduce any toxicity from the fire.
This new drying process reduces Steinicke’s CO2 direct emissions by 8,000 tons and has replaced a massive portion of their need to use fossil fuels for the heating process to dry vegetables. Test runs were performed in February and beginning in April, crops will be processed without fossil fuel – the vegetable dryers will run on electricity produced by the wood power plant!
BCFoods is dedicated to supporting new and existing sustainable practices. We are improving our water use, wastewater recycling, and focusing on replenishing sources of clean water as well as working to reduce the pollution put out by our dehydration and processing and reducing our overall carbon footprint.
We are proud to partner with Steinicke – a company that is committed to the goal of moving away from fossil fuels toward sustainable energy – one milestone at a time.
For more information on BCFoods’ Sustainability programs, contact Hai Su at hai.su@bcfoods.com.
BCFoods is headed to Natural Products Expo West & Southern California IFT Suppliers’ Night!
March 9-11, 2023
BCFoods is excited to be headed to Anaheim next week for the Southern California IFT Suppiers’ Night and Natural Products Expo West. Are you going? If so, we look forward to connecting with you! SCIFT Suppliers’ Night – March 9, Booth #2112 NP Expo West – March 9-11, Booth #1761
BCFoods’ strategic partner in Germany has embarked on an exciting journey toward carbon neutrality and energy independence. They are building an agrophotovoltaic power plant, a groundbreaking technology that allows solar energy production and crops to occupy the same space.
The project, which has already been planned, approved, and received funding, will install a field of solar panels six meters above the ground with enough space for a tractor and harvesting machine to work beneath them. These unique solar panels also allow crops to receive the sunlight they need for healthy growth.
Once completed, the 1.3M Euro, 10K square meter environmental project will be one of the largest of its kind in the world. The solar panels will be built over chive fields located next to the supplier’s BCFoods-approved drying facility used for dehydrating that particular crop.
When complete, the agrophotovoltaic field will add another 750kWp to the 750kWp already produced from the panels that currently exist on the roofs of the dehydration plant and warehouses. By 2023, they will produce 80% of the electricity used throughout the supplier’s company operations.
With planning, approval, and financing already complete, building the power plant is expected to begin this coming June and complete in just four months by October.
A solar farm that can coexist with agriculture where farmers can produce food and energy from the same field is a fairly new concept and a big deal. The advanced technology used in this agrophotovoltaic project, along with its scope, makes this project an important step in the nationwide energy transition away from coal-fired energy.
To begin, we at BCFoods welcome you into the new year and wish you a very happy and prosperous 2021.
2020 has been a challenge for all of us. As some of the difficulties of the past year continue into 2021, we remain committed to our customers and the people they serve.
Here are our top five commitments for 2021 (click the links to learn more or just read on):
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our nation and the world into 2021, we know the need is now more than ever to protect our employees’ health while reliably supplying our customers with high-quality industrial food ingredients.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, we added new company-wide sanitation and safety measures early in 2020, and are limiting person-to-person contact as much as possible while continuing to produce and ship the ingredients our customers need. In addition, we diversified our inbound shipments in case of any location-specific freight interruption.
Our customers can feel confident that BCFoods will continue to provide them with the quality ingredients they need to keep up with demand. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your sales rep.
In 2021, BCFoods is committed to offering our customers innovative products and services that will improve their own product lines and bottom lines.
New Products
CitraFiber™
Citrus fiber is a natural, vegan, gluten-free product to improve product texture and nutrition. Made from natural citrus peel, CitraFiber can be used as a replacement for eggs, gums, and other thickeners, stabilizers, or emulsifiers. CitraFiber is odorless and colorless, and contains 82% total dietary fiber and over 30% total pectin. It’s high in vitamins, minerals, and protein, along with Citrus Bioflavonoids. Bakery trials using citrus fiber in gluten-free bread found that it increased moisture in the final product, increased product size (volume), and improved the loaf shape. CitraFiber also works well for moisture absorption in meat applications.
Szechuan (Sichuan) Pepper
We recently expanded our herbs and spices line to include Szechuan pepper. A natural flavor enhancer for low sodium food that causes a pleasurable tingling sensation in the mouth, a little Szechuan pepper goes a long way.
The Infrared Device (IRD) is a cutting-edge technology that is natural, gentle on products, and meets FSMA “Ready to Eat” (RTE) guidelines. For those customers looking to eliminate irradiation and EtO in favor of a natural validated pathogen control option, we welcome the opportunity to provide IRD treated material.
It can be used for:
Sterilization (alternative to irradiation, PPO, and EtO)
Consumers often look to store brands for value. In 2021, BCFoods will offer private labeling of our products and blends in a variety of packaging options.
Quality has always been a defining characteristic of BCFoods products, and we commit to continuing this in 2021.
As a vertically-integrated dehydrated ingredient supplier, BCFoods has boots on the ground and is hands-on involved with our products from field to fork to ensure food quality and safety for you and your customers. In 2021, we will continue to maintain the highest standards for all the dried vegetable, fruit, spice, and seasoning ingredients we offer.
BCFoods is committed to quality. Visit our Accreditations page to see our current accreditations and certifications.
Sustainability
As a commercial agricultural producer, BCFoods requires thousands of acres of farm land to grow tens of thousands of tons of produce. According to the World Resources Institute, only about a quarter of commercial agricultural producers measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions. We have instituted key projects to not only measure our emissions but also our effects on soil and ground water in many areas throughout our supply chain. We’re proud of the actions we take to reduce our environmental impact.
With partial funding from the Knorr Sustainability Partnership Fund, BCFoods increased our efforts in 2020 to tackle the challenges of water waste, land erosion, pesticide overuse, soil and groundwater contamination, and loss of biodiversity. BCFoods is committed to a continued focus on environmental and social sustainability in 2021, and we are excited about our upcoming projects and those of our suppliers.
BCFoods has always been involved in philanthropic activities and organizations. Each BCFoods location has local charities with whom we volunteer or otherwise give back to the community. We are committed to continuing these efforts and more in 2021 to give back to our local communities and the world.
With these five promises, BCFoods is committed to meeting customer needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as maintaining the high quality of our products, helping local communities, and further minimizing our environmental impact in 2021.
From all of us at BCFoods and Culinary Farms, Happy New Year!
Global food ingredient supplier opens new dehydration facility in Hebei, China.
Grand Opening
New BCFoods Dehydration Facility in Hebei, China
Planning
Fresh onion, garlic, carrots dumper and shaker, then transfer to the isolated room for cleaning, washing, and preliminary sorting
Washing and optical sorting
Dicing
• Washing, sorting, grading
• More uniform shape for fresh produce market
• Non-uniform shape for dehydration
Blanching, if needed
Continuous Belt Dryer from the feeder
52 meters long, 40 MT dehydrated garlic per 24 hours
Continuous Belt Dryer from the feeder
52 meters long, 40 MT dehydrated garlic per 24 hours
Cooling and further drying
Optical sorter for semi-finished flakes
BCFoods is excited to announce the completion of a new 160,000 square foot dehydration facility located in Hebei, China. This greenfield project is the culmination of three years of planning and construction that significantly adds to BCFoods’ manufacturing capability and complements BCFoods’ other China-based production facilities in both Shandong and Gansu, China.
“Currently, BCFoods supplies over 25,000 MT of dehydrated vegetable products to the world market annually,” said Adam Lee, President and COO of BCFoods. “This expansion within China will help build a more sustainable supply chain of key ingredients while maintaining high quality standards for the products supplied by BCFoods to our customers worldwide.”
The new facility is wholly owned by BCFoods. It includes production workshops, cold storage, office buildings, and other supporting infrastructure. Production activities will include raw material processing for onion, garlic, carrot, green and red bell peppers, tomatoes, and more. The annual production capacity will reach 15,000 MTs within 5 years with expected annual sales revenue to be RMB 200 million.
BCFoods Hebei will immediately begin processing vegetables as they continue providing the highest quality of dehydrated ingredients to their customers worldwide.
For any questions, please contact your local sales representative or visit www.bcfoods.com.
BCFoods is excited to share an update on our new BCFoods Xingtai factory (officially opened in November 2020) preparing now to harvest and dehydrate our 2023 White Onion crop. 
