The New York City Food Waste Fair, which took place last month and was organized by The Sanitation Foundation, featured a panel jointly promoted by the Upcycled Food Association and the Sanitation Foundation. Dr. Ricardo Dias, Founder & CEO of Verum Ingredients, was an invited speaker at the discussion panel titled “Upcycling: Food Waste as Opportunity for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.” The discussion proved to be fruitful, focusing on the sustainability and nutritional features of upcycled ingredients, along with the opportunities for the food industry to integrate these ingredients into product development. The event attracted professionals from various fields, including food science, gastronomy, food upcycling, and policymakers, who gathered to explore new trends in innovation aimed at reducing food waste.

According to Project Drawdown, the global leader in ranking climate solutions, preventing food waste emerges as the single most effective solution to prevent global warming of more than 2 degrees Celsius. Moreover, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that roughly 30% of all food, amounting to about one billion tons and one trillion dollars annually, goes to waste. The increased utilization of upcycled food ingredients by the industry thus presents a unique opportunity to minimize its impact on climate change.