Slideshow: Repurposed food and drink innovation is growing
Kansas City The number of completed food and beverage products with repurposed components hitting the market is increasing, from a trickle to a torrent. The range of recycled materials used in the applications—spent brewer’s grains, okara flour, avocado seeds, cacao fruit, salmon skins, and more—stands out.
There are about 400 recycled items available in the US market, according to the recycled Food Association (UFA). Consumer demand for products with an environmental sustainability perspective is driving interest in repurposed food and beverage items. According to research from IRI and the NYU Stern Centre for Sustainability, products with a sustainability claim have continued to rise during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, acquiring a 17% market share during the first half of 2020 July saw the publication of Sustainable Business. The study expands upon the findings of the Sustainable Market Share Index report from the previous year, which indicated that goods with sustainability claims accounted for 16% of the market in all CPG categories last year, up from 14% in 2015.
More than half of customers reported increasing or maintaining their purchases of organic items compared to their pre-COVID-19 purchases, and seven out of ten claimed doing the same with regard to environmentally friendly goods.
The NYU Stern Centre for Sustainable Business’s founding director and professor Tensie Whelan noted, “This shows that sustainability-marketed products are growing, but what was really stunning is that 16% delivered 55% of market growth between 2015 and 2019.”
In an effort to facilitate consumer identification of products containing upcycled ingredients, the UFA is developing a certification seal that will be placed on product packaging. To develop the criteria, a committee comprising specialists in sustainability, agriculture, food systems, nutrition, food procurement, and retail has been constituted by the organisation.
It is anticipated that the committee will finish its work in time for goods to be marketed in the first half of 2021 with the certification seal.
“By teaching consumers and promoting a fresh perspective on our food system, the upcycled food certification helps businesses accelerate their efforts towards sustainable development goals,” stated Maddison Gurrola, a food technologist with Mattson, a Foster City, California-based consultancy that specialises in new product development and innovation.
To launch recycled tortillas in the beginning of July, Tia Lupita Foods collaborated with Renewal Mill, a company that processes okara flour, a pulp leftover from the manufacturing of soy milk. The tortillas are made by blending okara flour with nopales (cactus), avocado oil, cassava flour, lime juice, and chia seeds.
“The current consumer base expects improved quality: more wholesome food, increased openness, and greater responsibility from the companies they purchase,” stated Hector Saldivar, CEO of
a Tia Lupita Foods officer. “We are able to meet those demands by working with Renewal Mill.”
Goodfish, based in Los Angeles and creator of Goodfish crispy salmon skins, is another company showcasing innovative upcycling. In the past, salmon skins were a wasted byproduct of seafood. Now, the business claims, they’re being combined into a healthier snack.