U.K. bakery partnership to pioneer bread waste reduction in baking industry

London, U.K. – United Kingdom-based bio-tech business Clean Food Group will partner with Roberts Bakery to address the pressing issue of food waste by transforming surplus bread products into sustainable consumable oils.

The partnership will focus on utilising Roberts Bakery’s surplus bread as a feedstock for Clean Food Group’s proprietary fermentation technology. The innovative process will convert the discarded bread into valuable oils and fats, showcasing the potential of circular economy principles within the food industry.

The investigation is currently in the trial phase: in the future, the ambition for this partnership is to create a circular ecosystem, Clean Food Group said in a news release. In this process, Roberts will be able to use the glucose syrup and oils created by their own surplus bread supply in their own bread and biscuits.

Professor Chris Chuck, co-founder at Clean Food Group, who has been the pioneering force behind the technology platform, said: “We’re seeing some great results from our early trials, irrespective of what the bread is, our yeast can use not just the whole carbohydrate fraction but the protein and microelements present as well. This all-in-one feed, gives us a real advantage over using more complex media, in both performance and sustainability.”

Will Harrop, Head of Sustainability and the Environment at Roberts, said: “We are committed to optimising the environmental and social impact of our business and part of this is reducing the impact of food waste, working towards our goal of Net Zero and supporting our Deforestation and land use change plan.”

Clean Food Group is focused on scaling its technology, bringing sustainable oils and fats to market, and working closely with a range of commercial partners.