Food industry byproducts can become valuable ingredients. That is the idea behind food upcycling, a growing theme within the circular food industry. Companies around the world are working to turn unavoidable side streams from grains, vegetables, fruit, dairy, beer and plant proteins into new ingredients that can find their way back into the food chain.
The potential is significant. Upcycling can lead to more efficient use of raw materials and support healthier products, since many side streams are rich in fibre. Scaling up, however, is complex. Technology alone is not enough. It requires cooperation between suppliers of side streams, technology providers, ingredient manufacturers, food producers, retailers, logistics partners and investors.
To improve visibility across the chain, Foodvalley developed the Global Food Upcycling Map, a growing international map of organisations active in food upcycling. It allows users to search by type of side stream to find suppliers, solution providers or parties looking for new markets. The ambition is to make the map as complete as possible across Europe, and organisations are invited to register free of charge.
Food upcycling is rapidly evolving beyond basic waste reduction. Today, the real excitement lies in unlocking high-functionality proteins, fibres, and bioactives for targeted applications—from sports nutrition and gut health to premium nutraceuticals.
Join us on November 3rd (16:00 - 17:30 CET) for our webinar:
👉 "From side streams to functional ingredients: proteins, fibres, and bioactives for food applications"