Upcycled Foods expands ingredient portfolio for food makers

Berkeley, Calif. – Upcycled Foods Inc. has launched five commercial ingredients for food manufacturers and food-service operators. The products are designed to be formulated into foods and beverages to add flavour, improve texture and naturally fortify nutrition.

“We are launching a series of new ingredients to offer more choices and drive product innovation at scale,“ says Dan Kurzrock, cofounder and CEO of Upcycled Foods Inc. “Our expanded ingredient portfolio combined with the category expertise of our Upcycled Food Lab is here to catalyze the industry.”

The new upcycled ingredient solutions enable food makers to tell a compelling sustainability story to their customers at a time when consumers are increasingly asking for it, the company said in a news release.

Most of the new ingredient solutions are made with ReGrained SuperGrain+, an Upcycled Certified ingredient, making a food maker’s new products eligible for certification, which will strengthen their story and competitive difference. Certification has been shown to increase consumer purchase intent by 54%, and food companies need to apply for it through the Upcycled Food Association (an independent non-profit trade association).

The new ingredients include:

SuperGrain+ Sourdough System
Development partner: Puratos
Designed for both industrial and artisanal applications, the system brings clean, elevated nutrition, flavour and sustainability across the baked goods category.

Upcycled Protein Crisp
Development partner: Kerry
This extruded crisp is ideal for nutrition and snack bar innovations. Each serving of these plant-based puffed cereal pieces boasts 40 per cent protein, 16 per cent fibre and 30 per cent upcycled materials.

SuperGrain+ Multigrain Flakes
Development partner: California Cereal Products
Flakes contain 30 per cent ReGrained SuperGrain+ and no added sugar. They provide up to three times the fibre of a conventional multigrain flake, the company said in a news release.

Upcycled Arabica Coffee Leaf
A unique ingredient made from handpicked leaves of the arabica coffee plant, featuring light diffused caffeine, antioxidants, and polyphenols, this product is available wholesale as a looseleaf tea or liquid extract. It also helps create year-round jobs in the coffee offseason by generating a new source of stable income for smallhold farmers in Nicaragua.

Upcycled Cacao Fruit Syrup
This syrup is produced from the pulp of the cacao fruit from Ecuador that is discarded after its seeds are extracted to make chocolate. Cacao fruit contains theobromine, a powerful antioxidant and a natural stimulant similar to caffeine but without the potential side-effects. This product has a wide range of applications, including sour ales, sauces and marinades.