07.08.2024
News
Chief Innovation Officer of Upcycled Foods Inc. seeks to find the “treasure” in waste ingredients
Lara Ramdin says her company sees a growing market for reused items such as spent grain from beer production, cocoa fruit syrup, and coffee leaves.
While the FMCG world and the public are realizing the growth and potential of recycled ingredients, challenges remain for the nascent food sector.
Lara Ramdin, who was recently appointed Chief Innovation Officer at Upcycled Foods, says most of these obstacles are related to creating a new narrative about recycled ingredients, as well as pushing the boundaries of what technology can do with food waste.
“Part of what I’m doing with these partners is helping to create that story so that it becomes part of the everyday language of consumers,” says Ramdin, who previously led Dole’s research and development department, which focused on product development and consumer insight strategy. Prior to Dole, Ramdin held similar positions at Unilever and Molson Coors.
Upcycled Foods, a company that creates new ingredients from food waste, such as ReGrained SuperGrain flour made from spent grain left over from beer production, hired Ramdin last month.
In his new role, Ramdin will drive Upcycled Foods’ innovation by developing and commercializing new ingredients with food companies, and disseminating information to both FMCG manufacturers and consumers, said Upcycled Foods CEO Dan Kurzrock.
Ramdin’s experience in FMCG companies makes her an “invaluable asset” to the company, Kurzrock said.
“Not only does Lara know how to promote our innovations, but also how we position new ingredients with customers, and she’s been on the other side of the table,” he added.
The sector has seen tremendous growth recently. Sixty-two percent of consumers say they are willing to pay more for a product made from recycled ingredients, for example, that prevents food waste. According to Innova Market Insights, the number of recycled food launches increased by 122% in the five years ending in the third quarter of 2021.
Over the past year, Upcycled Foods has expanded its line of products made from spent grain. It launched a ReGrained collaboration with ingredient giant Kerry to add texture and nutrients to snacks, and launched a sourdough starter system with Puratos. The company also debuted baking mixes for pizza, banana bread, brownies, and carrot cake.
Next steps towards innovation
Ramdin says that there is nutritional value in unsold food that the industry has a responsibility to put to good use.
Collaborating with partners to access the nutritional properties of food is part of Ramdin’s goal at Upcycled Foods. “Our business is about finding treasures in things that don’t traditionally make it to the table,” she says.
Upcycled Foods plans to continue to use spent grain in products such as baking mixes, coatings, and breadings. This month, the company announced a partnership with Boston-based bakery supplier Stone & Skillet to produce a Super Grains English Muffin made with ReGrained SuperGrain+ flour. Kurzrock said that more products are in the works with other manufacturers.
“Working with traditional food brands will help us advance our mission to recycle as a solution to food waste and the climate crisis,” Kurzrock said.
Upcycled Foods’ product range has expanded beyond ingredients derived from beer production. The company has also launched a recycled ingredient made from the leaves of the coffee plant, which it says is suitable for applications such as kombucha and craft beer.
Another ingredient in the product, cocoa fruit syrup, made from the pulp of the plant used to grow chocolate, is a stimulant similar to caffeine. Upcycled Foods claims it contains antioxidants and is intended for products such as sour ales and sauces.
According to Ramdin, one way consumers learn more about the recycling industry is through audits, such as the Upcycled Food Association’s Upcycled Food Certification. This helps to standardize and authenticate products that claim to be recycled from food waste.
According to the Recycled Food Association, food waste accounts for about 8% of global emissions. Ramdin says he wants consumers to recognize the association’s certification mark and have more information about which foods have helped divert waste from landfills.
Ramdin sees potential for Upcycled Foods in food waste that has unique health and wellness benefits. “The world needs more fiber, and Metamucil is a multi-billion dollar brand,” she says. “There are many ways to get granular fiber and many value-added ingredients.”
Ramdin also believes that through research and development, the company can help food producers use recycling for unexpected events in the future.
“For example, there have been significant supply chain disruptions due to geopolitical and climate reasons,” says Ramdin. “If you’re a company that’s looking to the future and wondering what happens if you can’t get X, Y, and Z, we want to be a partner that helps you figure that out by creating alternatives that can be applied to products and add value to them.”
“Our business is about finding treasures in things that are traditionally overlooked.”
Lara Ramdin
Director of Innovation, Upcycled Foods Inc.
Ramdin says her new role at Upcycled Foods is a full circle moment. While working in R&D at Molson Coors, she helped establish the supply chain for spent grain, which is high in protein and fiber. She has also worked with recycling at Dole, which created a separate division dedicated to finding new uses for ingredients such as papaya seed oil.
Part of Upcycled Foods’ research and development plan involves working with manufacturers throughout the supply chain to find out what technologies can extract the most value from food waste.
“I want to talk to people who are at the forefront of drying, extraction, encapsulation,” said Ramdin. “As we build this research and innovation ecosystem, we both bring something to the table, and we share because we are interested in creating something that is truly circular.”