Published on: December 20, 2021
The cumulative effect of unfinished dinners and salad that wilts in the fridge is almost too big to comprehend. America wastes nearly 40% of all the food it produces, and that has a global impact. There is a lot that we can do to eliminate food waste in our own homes. But a lot of waste takes place before it ever reaches our kitchens. Fortunately, some companies are getting creative with upcycling that waste food.
When referring to food, upcycling is defined as making foods that use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, that are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and that have a positive impact on the environment. While the burgeoning imperfect produce sector does not quite fit this definition of upcycling, there are many new ventures that don’t just find higher uses for unmarketable fresh produce, they save food from being entirely wasted.
In some parts of the world, families fight over who gets the fish skin. Not so much in the U.S., where fillets are preferred without their skins. Bristol Bay’s Goodfish uses the skins from wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon that would otherwise be discarded. The skins are flash-fried in organic palm oil from Palm Done Right and seasoned with organic flavors that range from simple salt & vinegar to exotic Sriracha lemongrass. The result? Food waste upcycled into a sustainable, high-protein snack.
Palm can be grown for good, bringing benefits to:
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