As food and beverage brands look to combat food waste and build a more sustainable food system, upcycled ingredients are showing to be a promising initiative. Upcycling was a top trend at the 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show, and Whole Foods recently released it’s 2021 trend report, placing upcycled foods at #6. Mission-driven makers are turning to upcycled ingredients as the foundation of their brand’s purpose; an authentic way to build loyalty among eco-conscious shoppers.
Let’s explore the trending ingredients used in upcycled products, which brands are doing it, and how you might be able to apply it to your business model.
What is upcycling?
When applied to food and beverage, upcycling is the process of taking discarded ingredients — such as broccoli stems, bruised fruit, strangely shaped tomatoes, or leftover pulp from juicing produce — and using them to make high-quality products.
What are some of the top upcycled ingredients?
- Sweet Potato
- Whey
- Grains (Rye, Barley, etc.)
- Carrots
- Corn
- Chickpea
- Oilseeds (Pumpkin, rapeseed, camelina)
- “Ugly” Fruits
- Banana
Who’s doing it?
Upcycled baking mixes, cookies and more made using okara flour.
Upcycled, dehydrated fruit snacks including: kiwi, peaches, pears and more.
Protein beverages made using surplus whey from the female cow.
Probiotic beverages made using surplus fruit and whey, a biproduct from their yogurt.
Crackers made using extra heirloom corn flour from Pipcorn’s cheese balls.
Flavored water made using produce that does not meet aesthetic standards.
Plant-based protein powder made with spent oilseeds, which are used to make Ulli’s oils.
Flavored tortilla chips made using vegetable juice pulp.
Frozen pizzas made using food scraps and upcycled flour.
Snack puffs made using sweet potatoes that would otherwise be discarded.
Protein bars and snacks made using upcycled grains from brewed beer.
Dehydrated banana snacks and chips made using “ugly” bananas from Latin American farmers.
Where can I learn more?
- Top upcycled foods from Self Magazine
- What is upcycling? From the Pip Snacks website
- ReFed Innovator Database
- The upcycled food industry is worth $467 billion… from Forbes Magazine
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