While most of us are in no shortage of food, over 811 million people in the wolrd still suffer from food insecurity. That’s despite the fact that we actually produce more than enough food to feed the world’s population of 7.9 billion. How is this possible?
A huge amount of food is wasted throughout the food chain, which includes all stages from harvesting to consumption. What’s more – the main reason for food waste differs from country to country. In developed countries, food is mainly wasted during the retail and consumption stages, whilst in developing countries, food is primarily wasted during the post-harvesting stage.
On the bright side, many companies are now taking note of the potential of food byproducts to create new food items. To mark World Hunger Day, here’s a look at some of the companies that are tackling food waste through upcycling.
Nestlé
Nestle may be controversial in the world of sustainability, but one way it’s going greener is by using cocoa pulp (which is usually discarded after cocoa beans are harvested) as a natural sweetener to create a new chocolate bar called Incoa.
Using cocoa pulp as a natural sweetener is not only healthier – it also makes the most out of the cocoa fruit and reduces waste. Sadly, the Incoa bar is only available in Japan right now, but we hope that it will soon reach our shores!
Barnana
Barnana upcycles ripe bananas from family farmers to produce their banana-based snacks. After realising that many bananas are discarded because they are ‘too ripe’ for shipping, Barnana‘s founders source ripe bananas directly from family farmers and turns them into chewy, delectable bites. Our favourite is definitely the dark chocolate-dipped version!
Available at Nine Life, Desert Cart HK
Breer
Launched by HKUST students, Breer turns surplus (unsold and uneaten) bread from local bakeries into local craft beers. Choose from pizza crust beer to the original bread beer – both are great options that have been met with rave reviews! Cheers to a good cause, indeed!
Available at breer.com.hk
FurryGreen
FurryGreen turns what they call “ugly food” into pet food. By taking surplus produce discarded by supermarkets and meat scraps from processing facilities, a typical bag of FurryGreen contains a portion of vegetable and meat each to ensure a balanced diet for our pets. What’s more? The company also donates a portion of its food to dog shelters!
Available at furrygreen.hk
Chomp
CHOMP partners with local food businesses in Hong Kong to tackle food waste. The food rescue app does this by reallocating surplus food that would otherwise be headed to landfill and offering them to its customers as Mystery Boxes at a discounted price. All you have to do is arrange a suitable pickup time and start “chomp“-ing!
Download the CHOMP app here
See also: Chomp: Taking a Bite Out of Food Waste
Phenix by Onthelist
Similarly to CHOMP, Phenix by OntheList is another innovative food waste app where you’ll find baskets of goodies from local suppliers at a discounted price. Partners are varied and include everything from Feather & Bone to Cocoparadise – offering plenty of options to suit your taste buds.
Learn more at phenixbyonthelist.com
As much as it is important to support the companies tackling food waste, it is equally important to take note of how we can reduce food waste ourselves, in our day-to-day lives. This can be as simple as double checking the ‘use by’ dates of food to ensure you consume it before it perishes, not buying more than you need, and making sure you are not over ordering at restaurants, which can lead to leftovers that become wasted in the end.
Read also: 8-week Challenge: 8 Ways to Reduce Food Waste
See also: 6 Must-see Documentaries About Food Waste
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