Expert to Increase Commercial Shelf Life of Baobab Drink

More for Climate (MoMo4C) is a five-year programme (2019 – 2024) of IUCN Netherlands, WWF Netherlands and Tropenbos International, funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It brings together entrepreneurs, companies, policymakers, investors, civil society organisations and local entrepreneurs to make green business propositions that tackle the impacts and causes of climate change at the landscape level in developing countries, and to attract investments to implement these initiatives.

The initiative contributes to healthy and thriving landscapes in Cameroon, Ghana, Indonesia, Uganda, and Zambia. The mission is to originate bankable projects to attract private and public sector investments. MoMo4C’s main objective is to develop thriving economic green zones that benefit everyone, in various ways:

• Connect entrepreneurs, SMEs and smallholder cooperatives with companies, investors, policymakers
• Support green and inclusive business propositions with local ownership
• Redirect investment flows to sustainable, climate-resilient landscape initiatives
• Embed climate resilience and social equity in economic development
  MoMo4C is pure technical assistance facility that looks at bringing green businesses to bankability.

MoMo4C’s technical assistance mechanism is used to incentivise for-profit companies, social enterprises, and local communities and entrepreneurs to start or scale existing operations. Attracting the private sector to the area and supporting local entrepreneurs has the potential to expand job opportunities, improve services, provide more choices, and reduce prices

CONTEXT OF THE ASSIGNMENT

MoMo4C supports innovative enterprises in that fall under the following the thematic pillars:

• Water & Sanitation
• Agro-Forestry
• Agri-business
• Land Regeneration

The aim of this support is to reduce rural poverty, promote resilient communities, create jobs and ultimately conserve our natural ecosystem. The technical support provided is to de-risk the business cases and thereafter attract catalytic funding and other technical advisory support to enterprises that struggle to meet traditional risk-return standards for commercial investors.
The MoMo4C initiative commercialises new ideas, business models and technologies designed to protect the environment, improve community incomes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve resilience to the effects of climate change while also addressing the crosscutting themes of women, youth, and fragility. MoMo4C is committed to working in frontier markets, fragile contexts, and high-risk economies where few mainstream financing institutions dare to go.

OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Baobab drink manufacturer produces drinks and jams from indigenous fruits. WWF Zambia wishes to engage a consultant on behalf of the firm. The objective of the assignment is to increase the shelf life of the Baobab drinks through either Flash Pasteurization, Aseptic/Extended Shelf Life (ESL) Filling, and High Pressure Processing (HPP) to extend the shelf life of their products.

This assignment will also involve developing a manual on how to promote best practices of drinks safety, handling and hygiene as well provide necessary training and certification.

SCOPE OF WORK

– Increase the shelf life of baobab drink.
– Work with firm to develop high quality beverage products that meet quality and food safety standards.
– Support firm with new and improved recipes
– Conduct Scale-Up Trials: Assist with feasibility testing, evaluating new product concepts and generating marketing samples, using a wide range of equipment and processes.
– Determine Shelf Life: Design customised shelf-life protocols that comply with food safety and quality standards. Determine the shelf life of new products or confirm the effects of shelf-life extension strategies on existing products.
– Help validate cooking instructions and preventative controls for drink product. Design and perform customised validation testing for products and manufacturing processes.
– Conduct package testing to a wide range of specifications that meet your needs.

PROFILE OF SERVICE PROVIDER

1. Food Science and Engineering Background: A strong foundation in food science, food engineering, or a related field is essential. This includes understanding microbiology, chemistry, and engineering principles relevant to food processing and preservation.
2. Experience with Pasteurization Techniques: In-depth knowledge and hands-on experience with various pasteurization techniques such as heat pasteurization (e.g., HTST – High-Temperature Short Time, UHT – Ultra-High Temperature), as well as non-thermal pasteurization methods like UV treatment or filtration.
3. Quality Control and Assurance: Expertise in quality control and assurance processes to ensure that pasteurization is effectively killing pathogens and extending shelf life without compromising product quality or safety.

4. Regulatory Compliance: Familiarity with food safety regulations and standards set by regulatory bodies such as the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and/or equivalent agencies in Zambia. They should ensure that the pasteurization process meets all relevant legal requirements, especially for export purposes.

5. Process Optimisation: Ability to analyse existing production processes, identify inefficiencies or areas for improvement, and implement optimized pasteurization processes that maximize shelf life while minimizing costs and energy consumption.

6. Project Management: Proficiency in project management techniques to plan, execute, and monitor pasteurization-related projects effectively, ensuring timely delivery of results within budget constraints.

7. Industry Experience: Prior experience working in the food and beverage industry, particularly in roles related to food processing, manufacturing, or quality assurance, provides valuable insights into industry-specific challenges and opportunities.

How to Apply

All interested candidates should submit their application no later than 5th May 2024 in a single PDF file that includes:

• A cover letter indicating the firms experience with similar assignments
• Resumes of consultant (s)
• Company profile
• Statutory documents (Certificate of Registration)
• Applications must be submitted to [email protected] and with the subject line:

WWF’s Values

We celebrate and respect diversity in nature and among the people, partners and communities with whom we work. Across the many cultures and individuals that represent WWF, we are unified by one mission, one brand, and one common set of values: Courage, Integrity, Respect and Collaboration.