What is Upcycling food?
Upcycling food is an ancient tradition based on the philosophy of using all of what you have. It’s about doing more with less, and elevating all food to its highest and best use. Most of all, upcycled food is about reducing food waste, by creating high quality, nutritious food products out of the nutrients that slip through the cracks of our food system. But what is ‘upcycled food’ technically? A team of experts from Harvard Law School, Drexel University, World Wildlife Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, ReFED, and others officially defined “upcycled food” in 2020 for use in policy, research, and more:
Upcycled foods use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the environment
Find out more on the Upcycled Food Association’s page: https://www.upcycledfood.org/
Why is it hot?
From Vogue to Forbes, upcycling has been called the next big trend of 21/22. In a world where no one can agree on anything anymore, the fact that 99% of people agree that waste is an issue – from fast fashion, to plastic, to food – is deeply meaningful. Upcycled food is the easy way for anyone to prevent waste via the products they buy. Upcycled food products prevent waste by creating new, high quality products out of surplus food. It’s an innovative approach to waste because it is the first consumer product-based solution, making it highly scalable and economically sustainable.
Interesting. Where can I learn more?
Read our collection of Upcycled news here:
Forbes | Vogue | Food and Drinks Business | Wholefoods Market | Green Queen