Upcycling food waste: A win-win approach.

In a world where food waste contributes to environmental degradation and resource depletion, upcycling offers a sustainable and innovative solution to this problem. Upcycling food waste involves transforming surplus or discarded food into healthy, edible, and often delicious products. Food waste occurs throughout the food chain, from the farm to the plate. While upcycling is not a new concept at the domestic level such as using overripe fruit to make jams or smoothies or turning vegetable scraps into stock it has recently gained attention for its potential for commercialization and sustainability. This method reduces waste and uses resources more efficiently, putting sustainability at the centre of our kitchens and food systems.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), nearly one-third of all food produced worldwide is lost to waste, resulting in millions of tons of discarded food alongside significant water, energy, and labour losses (1). A few major reasons for food wastage:

• Production issues
• Supply chain inefficiencies
• Consumer behaviour
• Retailers’ inability to sell imperfect produce contributes significantly to food waste.
• Farmers discard “substandard” fruits and vegetables due to cosmetic requirements.
• Damage during transportation, storage, and processing leads to more waste.
• Confusion over food expiry labels and regulations also contributes to food waste.
• Food service establishments experience waste from overstocked buffets.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency food upcycling is one of the top three environmentally sustainable strategies to combat food waste. The environmental benefits include not only reducing the amount of food that ends up in landfills but also easing the pressure on existing supply chains to produce new ingredients and foods, such as those high in fiber or protein. As companies work to minimize their environmental impact, many are increasingly focusing on rescuing surplus food and using innovative techniques to create upcycled products.

With this approach, high-value by-products that are safe and healthy to eat, such as leftovers from fruits and vegetables, are recycled back into production streams. Upcycled food is likewise becoming more and more popular in India. Many brands and companies are leading the way in food upcycling. Like, many chocolate-based companies use recycled cocoa husk paper and other components to create chocolate bars in a range of tastes with an objective of having zero waste. Many companies use methods like extraction, drying, dehydration, fermentation, grinding, etc to maximise the usefulness of a particular ingredient. E.g. extracting pectin, from citrus peels to enable great texture and mouthfeel or using the peels for their antioxidant value in functional foods, beverages, and cosmetics. Many such ideas are revolving in the industry to upcycle food products. Few such ideas are: using fibre-rich pulp and turning it into crackers or energy bars, deriving whey from cheese production units and utilising it to make protein powders. Blemished products and materials can be turned into juices, soups, purees, and powders. An Estonia-based company uses waste streams from the food, agriculture, and wood industries to produce fat substitutes for food and cosmetics. Their products serve as sustainable alternatives to butter, oil, nutritional yeast, and more (2).

Benefits:

Making food from recycled materials is a new approach that many well-known and upcoming food firms acknowledge. Upcycling food has many benefits, such as improving the nutritional value of a product, increasing efforts to save limited resources including energy, labour, land, water, and agrochemicals thereby saving costs, as well as enhancing supply chain value capture while raising profits and lowering dumping costs. Upcycled food products create opportunities for product diversification and new revenue flows, for example, companies that sell malt-based beverages also use spent grain as a by-product and transform it into high protein and fiber flours, baking mixes, and granola bars. In start-ups across Europe, the US and Asia, used food products are currently being given a second life in the form of bread, pasta and supplements (3).

This also creates brand differentiation; brands that embrace upcycling gain a competitive advantage by aligning with consumer values. Products made with upcycled materials often come with compelling sustainability stories, enhancing their marketing appeal and attracting more customers. As consumer demand for sustainable options rises, people are increasingly drawn to brands that prioritize environmental and social responsibilities.

Also, major food wastage is seen in restaurants and eateries business, they also have adopted the upcycling trend. Certain eateries are using upcycled materials. Several Indian eateries have adopted the upcycling trend by serving upcycled food alongside standard menu items. These restaurants thrive on using all parts of raw produce, such as fish skin, and dehydrated vegetable peels for fries and garnish. These eateries and companies have shown that waste may be decreased without sacrificing flavour or quality.

There is also an upcoming stream that utilizes waste products by producing pet food from them. For example, pomace, which is a by-product of processing fruits and vegetables, can enhance the nutritional value of a pet’s diet. Common types of pomaces used include tomato, apple, grape, carrot, and berry pomace, all of which are rich in fibre, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients but require careful handling to ensure safety. Pomace can be incorporated into dry pet food by grinding it into a fine powder or blended into wet food formulations. Challenges include potential toxins, palatability issues, and nutrient variability, which can be addressed through proper processing, quality control, and blending with other ingredients. As consumer demand for eco-friendly, functional pet food grows, pomace presents an opportunity to reduce waste while enhancing pet nutrition.

Challenges:

As the food industry evolves, upcycling will play a vital role in creating a more sustainable future. However, some consumers may be hesitant to accept products made from waste. Here the role of educating them and transparent communication becomes important to change their perception. It is important that these products comply with food safety, regulatory, and labelling standards. Expired material may face some regulatory challenges whether one can reheat expired canned food and repack it.

Transforming substandard, damaged, and expired products into new items demands extra attention. Products that have flaws in colour, flavour, or texture typically need enhancement with food-safe additives or by mixing with higher-quality ingredients. It’s important to ensure that the additives are approved and that they keep the upcycled product safe and appealing. Evaluating any microbial, physical, or chemical contamination is crucial when handling damaged products. Proper procedures for salvaging and reprocessing should always be followed.

Also, the costs of collection and processing increase in upcycling products. Gathering the waste as the availability of by-products can vary seasonally or geographically, storing, transporting, and processing food by-products can be logistically complex and expensive. Additionally, market pricing must be strategically planned because these upcycled products need to be priced competitively. Achieving this can be challenging if production costs are high.

Conclusion:

Emerging technologies like AI-driven waste analysis, advanced processing techniques, and blockchain for traceability wherein every step taken to make a product from its origin to its final destination will be recorded, this will further streamline upcycling efforts. Investing in upcycling not only makes ethical sense but also aligns with long-term profitability and market trends. It’s a rare win-win for businesses, consumers, and the environment. For food businesses aiming to stay resilient and meet sustainability goals, the message is clear: upcycling is the next big opportunity in food innovation. By transforming waste into valuable products, the industry can lead the way toward a healthier and more sustainable world.

References:

1. https://www.ijfans.org/uploads/paper/61e2f9fabce3a7dfc15f22fcf0ecb852.pdf
2. https://foodtank.com/news/2024/04/companies-creating-upcycled-food-from-waste-products/
3. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240816-the-waste-food-upcycled-into-new-products