Plates of food left unfinished. Leftover ingredients thrown away. Discarding wonky vegetables for their ‘ugly’ appearance. Such images typically spring to mind upon hearing the term ‘food waste’, which amounts to a staggering 60 million tons annually in the U.S. alone. And yet, these occurrences only scratch the surface of the true scale of supply chain waste in the global food system, with striking implications – and opportunities – for the food industry.
To raise awareness around this issue The Supplant Company, a pioneering food ingredient innovator, is challenging what we consider ‘food waste’. The company’s raw material is agriculture’s most abundant renewable resource – one that’s generated at very start of the food industry’s supply chains, well before what we typically think of as food waste happens.
What is that most abundant and most wasted resource? Contrary to popular belief, the majority of plant material grown on farms is not the grains, seeds, and other parts of crops that are conventionally harvested. Rather it’s the structural parts of the crop, such as cobs, husks, hulls, stalks and straw. This ‘forgotten half of the harvest’, as The Supplant Company describes it, refers to a hugely abundant, fiber-rich resource that rarely makes it to our food system.
The Supplant Company’s ingredient platform upcycles these leftover parts of crops to make more nutritious and sustainable replacements for the bulk ingredients that are used pervasively across the food industry, such as refined sugar and flour.
Let’s take sugar as an example. Cultivating sugar cane is highly water intensive and associated with a suite of detrimental effects on the environment, such as soil damage and potential flooding. Sugar cane plantations have contributed to the destruction of habits and biodiversity loss – epitomized in Brazil, where the country’s Atlantic Forest has been cleared by sugar cane plantations. Nutritionally, despite the well-documented adverse health effects of overconsumption, most of the American population consumes too much sugar and not enough fiber in their diets.
The Supplant Company’s flagship ingredient for sugar replacement, Supplant™ Sugars from Fiber, addresses these sustainability and nutritional pitfalls together. By creating their sugars from parts of crops which are already grown, The Supplant Company’s approach has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, and land usage compared to cane sugar. Being fiber-derived, Supplant also has a favorable nutritional profile with less than half the calories of regular sugar, a low glycemic response compared to glucose, and a prebiotic effect.
Chefs have long been viewed by the food industry as sources of culinary inspiration, sparking culinary movements that ultimately culminate in the mainstream adoption of new products, flavors and culinary practices. With a growing number of restaurants embodying sustainability-led philosophies, it seems that chefs may once again be defining new standards for sustainability in food.
In 2020, accompanying their coveted awards for culinary excellence, the Michelin Guide introduced the Michelin Green Star in recognition of the restaurants performing ‘at the forefront of the industry when it comes to their sustainable practices’. the Michelin Guide introduced the Michelin Green Star. At the time of writing, 457 restaurants have been awarded the Michelin Green Star.
Tom Simmons, founder of The Supplant Company, with seven-Michelin starred Chef Thomas Keller
One such restaurant is The French Laundry. Run by seven-Michelin starred Chef Thomas Keller and also awarded three Michelin stars for its outstanding cuisine, The French Laundry holds an iconic place in foodie culture and was the first restaurant to adopt Supplant™ Sugars from Fiber on its menu in June, 2021.
Fast-forward two years and The Supplant Company’s ingredients are now appearing on menus across the U.S. This has been accompanied by a strategic shift toward offering formulated solutions that afford greater convenience, starting with a multi-purpose baking base made with Supplant™ Sugars from Fiber.
Muffins made with Supplant™ Sugars from Fiber.
An early adopter of this approach was Two Hands Hospitality Group – a community-focused and sustainability-led restaurant chain with locations across New York, Texas and Tennessee – who launched two flavors of muffins, wrapping up health and climate efforts in an easy grab-and-go format for their diners.
Today’s upcycling movement has the potential to alleviate the challenge of food waste in food service – but widening common understanding of ‘food waste’ can push these achievements even further. With many restaurants looking for new opportunities to adopt more sustainable practices and create healthier options, sourcing ingredients derived from new supply chains based on fiber-rich agricultural side-streams provides a vital route to achieve both sets of goals in harmony, and without compromising on taste.
Learn more about The Supplant Company at www.supplant.com and follow them @SupplantCompany on their socials. For any enquiries, please contact harriet.pope@supplant.com
0 comments on “Food Waste Is a Major Problem – But It Also Holds Great Potential For The Foodservice Sector”