The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that 30% of food raised or prepared is wasted globally, contributing to approximately 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
We are re-imagining how we address the challenge of waste through upcycling – a zero-waste philosophy dedicated to creatively using byproducts from typically discarded side streams, unlocking their highest value and improving the way we use resources. Across our business, we are reassessing applications for side-stream materials from manufacturing processes, conducting food waste-reduction pilot projects, commercializing new upcycled ingredients and further developing our pipeline of potential new opportunities.
IFF has been an associate member of the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) since 2019. To date, we have twenty-five IFF ingredients that have achieved verification from UFA’s Upcycled Certified™ Program – the world’s first third party certification for upcycled food ingredients and products.
The Upcycled Certified™ mark highlights upcycled ingredients and products procured and produced with surplus food and food by-products from manufacturing, that use verifiable supply chains and have a positive impact on the environment.
As part of our commitment to circular design, LMR Naturals by IFF has developed the Upcycling Collection, enabling us to expand our scent and flavor portfolio. With this collection, we give a second life to byproducts or unused materials: from discarded harvest byproducts, such as seeds, spent extraction material, such as pulp, or side streams from processing facilities, such as wastewater.
Our Upcycling Collection includes Cinnamon Bark Essential, Rose Essential, Hop Ultimate, Turmeric Root & Leaf, Beeswax Absolute, Bran Absolute, Carrot Heart and Seed Oil, Cocoa Shell, and Oakwood CO2, PG and Resinoid – of which several are Upcycled Certified™ ingredients.
Through our global innovation program RE-MASTER CITRUS™ we make natural citrus taste designs more sustainable by adding non-citrus derived alternatives, and by utilizing upcycled products and circular design principles. We believe circular design is the future of sustainability, so we developed our Upcycled Orange product line to change the industry through tangible impact. Working together with supply partners, we repurpose fresh orange peels that would otherwise be discarded from retail settings, transforming them into value-added materials for signature Taste Designs.
PeelPioneers washes and treats discarded fresh orange peels to obtain a high-quality oil-in-water emulsion via cold extraction. IFF uses the essential oil to create signature taste designs, including natural orange flavorings and extracts. Utilizing circular design principles in this way saves resources and helps us respond to our customer expectations for sustainable ingredients that support the circular economy.
The nutrient dense pulp and peel of cacao fruit has traditionally been discarded, but modern advances in technology and a global consumer shift to address food waste has meant 100% of the components of the cacao fruit can now be upcycled.
TAURA by IFF utilizes the 100% natural, valorized and pressed cacao fruit juice that comes from the pulp of the cacao fruit, which is blended with responsibly sourced fruit purees and juices, to create value added premium fruit inclusions and snacks.
In 2019, IFF’s POWDERPURE developed Uncommon Harvest™, a collection of upcycled powders derived from food-loss streams at farms and in processing that are not otherwise utilized. With IFF’s patented INFIDRI™ infrared dehydration technology, gentle infrared light waves are used to target the water molecules in fresh food, thereby significantly extending its shelf life while preserving nutritional content.
IFF Pectin is a responsible, efficient, natural solution that improves food products and cuts down waste at the same time. As one of the largest producers, IFF extracts pectin, a natural ingredient, from 200,000 metric tons of citrus peels per year to enable great texture and mouthfeel. This versatile, natural ingredient enhances texture and healthiness in the food products we enjoy, while making the most out of organic side-products that would otherwise be wasted.