The Upcycled Food Association is the new hero in the food industry fighting food waste and climate change. They have even created a certification process to formally tag products as Upcycled approved. The Upcycled Certification Program is the world’s first and only third-party certification for upcycled ingredients and products!

How does a brand get Upcycled Certified™? Follow this link for more information: https://www.upcycledfood.org/applicant-interest-form.

Food Waste and Climate Change Stats:

Each year, 108 billion pounds of food is wasted in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year. Shockingly, nearly 40% of all food in America is wasted. And that equates to about 219 pounds of food per person!

Wasting food has irreversible environmental consequences: it wastes the water and energy it took to produce it and generates greenhouse gases — 11 percent of the world’s emissions—12 like methane, carbon dioxide, and chlorofluorocarbons, which contribute to global warming. Food that sits decaying in landfills also produces nitrogen pollution, which causes algae blooms and dead zones. According to the World Wildlife Federation, the production of wasted food in the United States is equivalent to the greenhouse emissions of 37 million cars. If Americans continue on the same path of food loss, the environmental impact could be disastrous.

Break the Cycle with Upcycled Certified™ Food!

Upcycled is Trending:

• 97% of consumers feel good about retailers that carry upcycled products.
• More than 50% of consumers had increased intent to buy products with the Upcycled Certified mark.
• 99% of consumers see food waste as an issue

What can we do?

Upcycled Certified™ brands on Mable:

Matriark Foods uses upcycled food and reduces food waste by creating high-quality, nutritious food products out of the nutrients that slip through the cracks of our food system and would otherwise have ended up in a food waste destination.

Renewal Mill is fighting climate change by transforming the byproducts of manufacturing plant-based milk, to create premium, high fiber, gluten-free flours.

Pulp Pantry Pulp Chips are made from organic upcycled kale and celery fiber left over after juicing plus organic upcycled okara flour, cassava, and superfoods like chia seeds and are:

Chia Smash
We are re-invigorating the jelly aisle with our better-for-you jam, Chia Smash. Packed with berries and chia seeds, and sweetened only with dates, we're here to help create small wins with big health impacts in daily diets.

Reveal (Hidden Gems)
Reveal is a women and minority owned company that is fighting to reduce food waste. We are finding creative ways to utilize the parts of food that are commonly thrown away and have created the world's first avocado seed brew.

Shameless Pets
James and Alex, the company’s founders, met at a startup event and shared their passion for the environment, dogs, and food. Alex then whipped up all-natural, grain-free, and boosted-with-superfood dog treats with upcycled ingredients.

Brands can get Upcycled Certified™ and/or start researching and using upcycled ingredients for their products. Reach out to info@upcycledfood.org for more information on how to get started.

And don’t forget to eat or use your scraps. @PlantYou’s Carleigh Bodrug is a fun plant-based low waste food blogger/author who shares her amazing ‘Scrappy’ tips to help reduce food waste!