We are proud to announce the launch of Food Upcycling – an ambitious new project where we, together with Danish food companies, join forces to combat food waste and focus on transforming production side streams into valuable new products.

The project has just received funding from The Danish Industry Foundation with DKK 13 million, marking the beginning of a collaboration that will help businesses unlock the potential of their by-products. “If companies gain control over how to better utilize their side streams and transform them into new products, they will both reduce production costs and create new sources of income. It may sound simple, but in reality, it’s often a complicated process, and companies need support. That’s what this initiative is here to provide,” says Thomas Hofman-Bang, CEO of The Danish Industry Foundation.

Food Upcycling brings together strong partners like the National Food Institute at DTU, the Danish Food and Drink Federation, Danish Agriculture & Food Council, Dagrofa, Food Valley NL, and Food & Bio Cluster Denmark, led by the Danish Technological Institute. Project leader Knud Erik Hilding-Hamann states:
“With our food technology expertise, we look forward to helping companies utilize food side streams. In Food Upcycling, we offer guidance from idea to finished product, contribute to innovative process solutions, establish new partnerships, and ensure quality and food safety in the new products.”

The project will assist 300 companies in identifying and evaluating their by-product streams—40 of these companies will receive direct support to develop new solutions and products. As part of the initiative, we are launching a digital platform where we bring together knowledge, networks, tools, and inspiration for everyone in the food industry interested in upcycling and the circular economy.

Read the full press release from The Danish Industry Foundation here.