Innovation
JBS constantly strives for market differentiation, with innovative products that meet expectations from clients and consumers. To deal with the need of always being aware to new demands, the Research & Development (R&D) areas from the food Business Units work in two sectors, fresh and prepared foods, since each of them must cater to specific channels, with their own demands and different needs.
To optimize the efforts for developing products with higher demand among customers, the Company has management tools that help assessing mega global food trends, such as reduction in fat and sodium contents, presentation in smaller portions, among others.
Another line of work adopted by JBS is the creation of a methodology to track regional innovation processes and enable for lessons learned to become available globally, especially in prepared food lines and in brand value creation. This is a project developed by the Global Innovation Team (GIT) since October 2018, with the goal of increasing information sharing, accelerating innovation with exchange between countries, and creating global platforms that favor innovative practices.
The continuous search for innovation is also carried out in other Business areas, with different investments in infrastructure of operations, team training, as well as development of projects focused on sustainable actions.
Seara was the first large food company in the country to offer a complete line of 100% plant-based products – the Incrível Seara line. Seara currently has more than tem plant-based products in its portfolio, with launches scheduled for 2021. Over the past two years, R$ 43 million were invested in research and development, consumer research, development of new products and adaptation of production units with a focus on plant-based products.
Seara was the only company to win the Food ingredients South America (FiSA Awards) for three consecutive years. In 2020, the Seara Incredible range won first place in the category for Most Innovative Product.
Another 2020 innovation was the launch of the first Organic Christmas poultry in Brazil. With an eye on new consumption habits, the brand developed Seara Orgânico Fiesta. These organic poultry are free-range, hormone-free chickens with access to external areas. They are fed with 100% organic GMO-free grains, vitamins and minerals. They come in IBD-certified packaging – the largest organic products certification agency in Latin America – and carry a traceability QR code that allows consumers to find out about every stage of the rearing process and the production of the food they are consuming.
In total, Seara has launched more than 200 innovative products within its categories for the Brazilian and international markets, as well as expanding the Seara Gourmet brand line and portioned and sliced products.
Still in 2020, Seara won first place in the award as the most innovative company; Salame Seara Gourmet was awarded for its innovative packaging; the functional PET packaging of the range of Organic Chicken cuts was awarded in the functionality category and the line Turma da Mônica (Brazilian cartoon characters) ranked second in the marketing and branding category for augmented reality.
The launch of the brand 1953 Friboi, symbolizing 67 years since the foundation of JBS and offering more than 50 premium meat cuts, with raw materials from controlled origin selected in compliance with the strictest quality standards, expanded the offer of premium beef to consumers by including major retail chains among the distribution channels for products in this segment, previously restricted to food service and meat boutiques.
To develop the brand, the Company invested in advanced technology and conducted field and laboratory tests with support from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp). Currently, 1953 Friboi is present at points of sale in all Brazilian states.
Friboi advanced in the transformation of the value chain with the launch of the first mobile application for the purchase of cattle in the country. The first in the sector, the online platform simplifies the commercial relationship with producers, from the purchase to the processing of the animal, connecting thousands of producers to the best business opportunities. The Friboi Pecuarista app also brings security, democratizes access for livestock farmers of different sizes and affords even more transparency to the entire process, with real time information.
In 2020, Friboi also launched 30 products, extending the portfolio of the brands Bordon, Do Chef Friboi and 1953 Friboi that meet the needs of customers and the market. In the Kitut line, meatballs with sauce, sausage with sauce and a low-sodium ham version were launched.
The portfolio, now broader and with complete options for different meals and snacks throughout the day, also had its visual identity reformulated.
Launch of the Green Flooring, with a solution for the use of multilayer plastic whose structure is not conducive to recycling. The material, consisting of concrete and plastic, began to be used in the Company's constructions, such as paved parking lots, sidewalks.
JBS Novos Negócios unit created Uboi, the first Brazilian cattle transport application. A pioneering innovation, it allows livestock farmers to have access to JBS Transportadora's fleet, with almost 3,000 vehicles, including our own and those of our partners, which travel throughout the country. The service also provides real-time monitoring of the transport of cattle.
Throughout 2020, JBS Couros carried out work to consolidate the Kind Leather concept in the market, in addition to acting on other fronts: optimization of compacting processes; research into alternative and sustainable forms of tanning; use of certified vegetable tannins; study of optimization of wet processes to reduce the consumption of natural resources; and advances in technical robustness in measuring the impacts of processes through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The unit's main product launches were in the Kind Leather and the finished goods line.
JBS Couros has Leather ID (see more at the link), the first online tool for monitoring leather production, available to more than 1,300 customers. Each piece leaves the tannery with an identification tag, whereby typing the code on the website, the group of farms where the raw material originated, date and processing plants, can all be traced in addition to the that produced the leather tannery. It provides the Leather Labs platform, which gives digital access to all those interested in working with JBS leather – small and medium-sized manufacturers, architects, decorators, artisans, upholsterers and end-customers.
The platform also has a virtual store with various items and complete craft kits to support of small entrepreneurs.
Swift also innovated by launching in 2020 three lines of ready-to-eat dishes, prepared without artificial additives: packaged in reusable pans and suitable for heating; boxes with various items packaged separately, which make up a meal; and handmade pizzas.
Other important advances were: the reduction in the consumption of plastic packaging (with initiatives to reduce thickness, dimensions and waste); and initiatives to make better use secondary packaging, which reduces cardboard consumption.
SuperApp Swift was created to change the way in which protein is purchased, in line with the concept of differentiated service, delivering the Swift experience into the consumer's hands. With Swift's strategy of promoting a new hyper-connected retail sector, SuperApp has become the best and most complete application for protein shopping. Much more than an e-commerce, where you can find the entire variety of products at Swift stores and buy on your cell phone
