Two Cargill innovations have been named 2026 Edison Award winners in the Consumer Food Innovations and Sustainable Industry Solutions categories, recognizing solutions that improve efficiency, reduce waste and expand consumer options across the food system. This marks the fourth consecutive year the company’s innovations have been named among the winners.
“By combining deep food expertise with innovation and new technologies, we are reimagining how food is made at scale,” said Florian Schattenmann, chief technology officer at Cargill. “This recognition reflects the talent of our teams and the meaningful progress we’re delivering with our partners and customers.”
Cargill’s 2026 award-winning innovations reflect the power of an integrated innovation ecosystem to deliver impact from the production floor to the retail shelf to family tables around the world.
- [GOLD] NextCoa™ – A confectionery alternative to chocolate that uses plant-based ingredients to deliver the chocolatey-like taste and experience consumers love without cocoa. Developed through a strategic partnership between Cargill and food tech pioneer Voyage Foods, this innovation gives food manufacturers a more flexible way to deliver indulgent experiences while improving affordability and supply chain resilience.
- [BRONZE] CarVe – An AI-powered computer vision system that helps production teams recover more meat from every animal. By measuring red meat yield in real time, CarVe enables teams to improve beef cutting precision, reduce food waste and increase efficiency across protein operations. The technology also enhances safety and strengthens employee skills, teamwork and consistency.
“Partnering with Cargill, a leader in the food industry, is the perfect way to scale our solutions globally so food manufacturers can integrate non-cocoa confectionery alternatives into their portfolios. Together, we’re amplifying our impact on people and the planet,” says Adam Maxwell, CEO and Founder of Voyage Foods.
Together, these innovations reflect how Cargill is shaping the future of food, connecting ideas, technology and expertise to help customers produce more, waste less and deliver new options to consumers around the world.
The Edison Awards™, named after inventor Thomas Edison, recognize the world’s most innovative products and business leaders. Winners are selected based on concept, value and impact by a panel of peers across industry, academia and innovation sectors.