8 New York Upcycled Food Brands Preventing Food Waste
By Caroline Barry
When you think “good food'', you think New York City. There’s no other place on earth where you can eat literally whatever you want, whenever you want. New Yorkers are incredibly lucky in that way - I know, I used to be one of them.
More and more, NYC eaters are focused not only with food that tastes good, but food that does good for the planet? When you consider how many restaurants, fast casual eateries, specialty food shops, cafes, bars, and breweries exist on the island, it should come as no surprise that the city is also home to many innovative food and beverage brands, a select few of which are differentiating themselves through upcycled foods.
Upcycled foods are made from ingredients that are fit for human consumption, but typically go to waste, such as surplus, or just downright “ugly” foods and food byproducts. Upcycled ingredients are sourced via verifiable supply chains and have a positive environmental impact because they inherently prevent food waste.
In the United States alone, we waste approximately 40% of our entire food supply each year.
According to Hunter College, 18% of New York state’s waste stream is food waste, which equates to about 3.9 million tons of wasted food.
As of 2017, more than 1 million New Yorkers were food insecure, and Covid-19 only intensified the issue.
Project Drawdown estimates that preventing food waste is the single most effective solution to global warming.
Food waste is also a massive blow to the global economy; we lose roughly $1 trillion per year on food that is wasted or lost.
No doubt, food waste is an overwhelming social, environmental and economic issue, and upcycling can help solve it. Here’s a list of 9 New York brands who are heroes of the upcycled movement:
The Spare Food Co. has a sparing mentality when it comes to whey, the key ingredient in their sparkling tonic elixirs. The all-natural tonics are made with upcycled whey which is rich in calcium, probiotics and vitamins. NY is the leading US producer of strained yogurt, and it’s estimated that the state creates more than 1 billion pounds of it each year. The company sources their whey from a local-favorite yogurt brand, White Moustache, making it a triple win. Not only do the brands support one another, they also champion regional farms from the Hudson Valley Fresh co-op by sourcing their milk. Bonus credential: Upcycled CertifiedTM
2. Seconds is on a mission to ‘leave no carrot behind.’ They have redefined the cracker game by upcycling carrot pulps, peels and other bits into their savory, bite-size crackers. In our world, carrots are a particularly versatile vegetable - consider all of the options at the supermarket, from juices and spirals, to baby carrots and sticks. There’s just one catch: during the production process, many of these leftover bits and pulps are discarded. Seconds has partnered with top juice and produce companies to collect these neglected parts, thereby utilizing these veggies to their fullest and brightest potential.
3. Each year, US juice suppliers squeeze out 700 million gallons of water from fruit during the dehydration process when making juice concentrate. Sourcing water for beverages puts an incredible strain on our aqua-resources, including municipal tap supplies, community aquifers and groundwater reserves. In the next decade, the UN predicts that 40% of the world will face a water deficit. Instead of letting pure fruit water (which is, in fact, different from fruit juice) go to waste, Waju upcycles this valuable resource and turns it into refreshing, all-natural RTD beverages.
4. If you’re like me and you crave a midday taste of chocolate, Candid was created for you. Their cacao Noon bites are crunchy, satisfying and above all else, contain upcycled cacao fruit pulp. The pulp, despite being rich in magnesium, vitamins and antioxidants, is traditionally discarded during the farming process. By using the entire cacao pod, there’s no need for added sugars, emulsifiers, or other junk. Better for you, better for the planet.
5. Let’s continue to highlight cacao for a moment. Contrary to popular belief, cacao is actually a fruit made up of pulp, beans, and a rigid outer shell. As we just learned, much of that fruit is left behind during the chocolate cultivation process. It’s estimated that the chocolate industry wastes 70% of the cacao during production, creating an extremely wasteful system that is unsustainable both for farmers and the planet alike. Blue Stripes Urban Cacao knew that the entire fruit had so much more to offer, so Founder Oded Brenner opened Blue Stripes Cacao Shop in Union Square to share the story of cacao. His brand creates delectable trail mixes, bars, granola and a unique variety of Cacao Waters - plant based waters made from the recovered cacao fruit. Bonus credential: Upcycled CertifiedTM
6. Fun fact: it turns out that fruit rinds are wholly edible. RIND Snacks created delicious and nutritious zero-waste snacks from the relinquished peels of kiwis, apples, oranges, pears, watermelons, and numerous other fruits. Remember that statistic on annual US food waste? Well discarded, edible peels represent about 15% of that food waste, which is nuts because the rinds are loaded with more fiber, antioxidants and vitamins than the actual fruit itself. RIND’s chips and chewys epitomize the power of the peel.
7. The Nyack-born startup, Matriark Foods, converts hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh-cut vegetable remnants and farm surplus into nutritious, low-sodium Upcycled CertifiedTM Vegetable Broth Concentrate. They partner closely with farmers and food aggregators to use vegetables that would otherwise lay waste in the fields. According to Matriak and a recent article by GreenBiz, one carton of their upcycled broth diverts one pound of vegetables from landfill, reduces 2.2 pounds of CO2 from the atmosphere and saves 102 gallons of water! Bonus credential: Upcycled CertifiedTM
8. Otherworld™ pancake and waffle mix is anything but ordinary. The NYC-based brand creates ready-to-bake breakfast mixes with ingredients sourced from Outcast Foods, an upcycled nutrition food-tech company, and EverGrain Ingredients, who captures discarded barley fiber and protein from the beer-making process. Their 100% plant-based mixes are stacked with upcycled fruits, vegetables and wholegrains, including unused and unwanted beetroots, sweet potato, zucchini, apple, banana, barley fiber, and cassava flour. These mixes are a triple threat - tasty, healthy and environmentally-friendly. Bonus credential: Upcycled CertifiedTM
Besides their shared New York origins, these brands have another commonality; each is a member of the Upcycled Food Association (UFA). The nonprofit is leveraging market forces to prevent food waste by enhancing the upcycled food industry through industry collaboration and consumer engagement. The Upcycled CertifiedTM seal signifies brands and businesses who meet the rigorous standards of their Upcycled CertifiedTM Standard. For more information on Upcycled CertifiedTM products and ingredients, check out UFA’s certified product finder page and directory.
Caroline Barry is a sustainable food systems strategist, consultant and storyteller who believes that planetary and human health are inextricably linked. She holds a B.A. in communications (journalism) and a master’s in environmental sustainability (sustainable food systems). She has created content for numerous publications and organizations, including Rodale Institute, Mad Agriculture, Compost Colorado, One Step Closer, and Organic Voices Magazine.
