The email notification lights up my phone screen as I walk back to my dorm after a two-hour stint at Bobst, navigating problem sets and hitting writer’s block for each of my three essays. The email comes at the same time every week — a reliable series of lists, portraits, and graphics that showcase the upcoming events at each of the university dining halls.
It’s probably just me, but I always give these trusty NYU EATS messages at least a quick skim. Even if I have no idea where the elusive 18 Below is and have no intention of using my dwindling Dining Dollars on a “meal deal” from Kimmel, my inner foodie can’t help but wonder what’s being served. So, needless to say, I take notice of a new “banana peel sandwich” on the menu at Palladium, made of leftover peels from Sips (the dining hall’s smoothie bar.) I’m grossed out at first, but then curious. Are banana peels even edible? Don’t they get thrown away for a reason? Quick Google searches seem to paint a different picture, highlighting not only the safety but also the health benefits of eating fruit skins.
These banana peel sandwiches — along with everything from vegetable chips made from juice pulp to chocolate chip cookies composed of the byproducts of plant-based milk production — are part of the upcycled food movement. The industry may be relatively new but the concept is far from it. Imperfect produce deemed “ugly” has long been sold at a discount at various grocery stores. And in many other cultures, the very concept of “ugly” food is foreign. Fruits are still fruits, despite some slight scuffing or natural discoloration. But whether it’s because food is relatively cheaper in the United States due to subsidies or our arguably greater aesthetic attachment to food appearance, Americans manage to accumulate over $400 billion worth of food waste each year. That’s where the upcycled food industry comes into the picture.
Going to Waste
The founders behind the upcycled food movement are united under a central mission — to change the perception of food waste and combat climate change. Over ⅓ of food produced in the United States is never consumed, instead, tossed out and sent to landfills. Food waste currently makes up the largest component of these landfills, emitting methane and other harmful greenhouse gasses that place increasing pressure on our already strained planet. Throwing away the entire apple despite its small, single bruise isn’t just dismissing the resources needed to help it grow; it also dismisses the cost of storage, packaging, and transportation needed to send that apple to our fridges (and to the trash bin, shortly after.)
These numbers are even more concerning when evaluated alongside issues like food insecurity. With the food we waste, we could easily feed the estimated 35 million Americans who are currently food insecure.
Young and Hungry
With so much food waste, there is abundant opportunity for growth in the young but quickly rising upcycled food market. A study from Future Market Insights in 2019 valued the industry at $46.7 billion and with a 5% CAGR over the next decade. Furthermore, the industries that often produce the “waste” upcycled by food startups — notably beverage and juice companies that generate massive amounts of leftover pulp — are also seeing high levels of growth.
But there’s still a lot to figure out about the industry— for its leaders, producers, and consumers alike. The problem starts with a general lack of knowledge about the industry. A study published in Food and Nutrition Sciences in 2021 reported that just 10% of consumers were familiar with the concept of upcycled food products, despite 80% of consumers saying they would be open to seeking them out.
Introducing Pulp Pantry
Cold-pressed juices line the shelves of almost every grocery store, the different flavors adding color to the dairy products and canned drinks. Whole stores are now devoted to selling juices, a response to the increasing demand for “on-the-go” healthy beverages that have spurred the industry to a 9.5% CAGR from 2018 to 2023. But for Kaitlin Mogentale, the founder of Los Angeles-based startup Pulp Pantry, these juices raised a concern: so much of the leftover pulp generated during the juicing process was going to waste. At the time, she was a student at USC pursuing environmental advocacy, and she couldn’t ignore the glaring amounts of unnecessary waste that these juices were generating. Eager to find a solution, Mogentale found a program within USC that united her with other devoted problem-solvers.
“I really loved it,” Mogentale gushed. “I started realizing there is a genuine possibility to tackle some of these issues in sustainability and also to build a brand that can make an impact.”
Pulp Pantry began not as the current line of nutritious vegetable fiber chips but as a type of granola. In the startup’s earliest days, Mogentale drove around to a bunch of juice stores and filled her car with hundreds of pounds of juice pulp, taking them to a commercial kitchen and perfecting her recipes. Made from the fruit and vegetable pulp of various Los Angeles-based juiceries, the grain-free products were originally sold in these stores and at the weekly farmers’ markets of Mogentale’s alma mater.
“My first grant money was from my university, so doing the markets on campus was really special because that was really where it all started,” she noted. “It was nice to have professors and girls that were in my classes to come by and support.”
As Mogentale continued, however, she questioned her future with the granola product. While at Natural Products Expo West, a trade show in the natural and organic products industry, she realized that the granola market was crowded and slow-moving. “Everyone knows how to make granola, so a lot of grocers aren't really looking to bring in these new products.”
Mogentale ultimately landed on salty snacks, a category in which she believed buyers were more inclined to continue looking for new, exciting, products. The granolas thus gave way to the crunchy, fiber-filled veggie chips that Pulp Pantry sells today in four flavor variations: Jalapeño Lime, Salt ‘n’ Vinegar, Sea Salt, and Spicy Barbeque. Mogentale’s veggie chips address a niche that has long been looking for healthier alternatives. For the vast majority of salty snacks, vegetables aren’t often at the top of the ingredients list. Mogentale also noted that "it’s a big differentiator for us to use produce as the first ingredient because fresh produce is often not found in a dry packaged form."
As a young entrepreneur and fresh face in the industry, Mogentale found out a lot of things the hard way — like the fact that her first product wasn’t going to be the most commercially viable. These experiences, though challenging and time-consuming, led her to the Pulp Pantry which recently won the 2022 Expo West NEXTY Award for Best New Salty Snack.
“There was a crazy year of my life, where I was just testing everything, trying to make it work, and there were a lot of points where it felt like I couldn’t sustain this anymore,” Mogentale notes. “ But at every turning point where it got hard, there was always a light at the end of the tunnel or some opportunity that kept me going and made me realize that other people believed in the product and were willing to invest in it.”
As Pulp Pantry continues to rise — with products sold online and in stores at various locations nationwide, including Juice Press in New York City! — its impact on the environment grows alongside it. Since November 2019, the company’s pulp chips have saved over 17 million liters of water and kept almost 80,000 kilograms of vegetables from going to waste.
Pulp Pantry not only aims to put a dent in the food waste issue but also offers an easy, on-the-go source of fiber, a nutrient over 90% of Americans are not getting enough of. Mogentale hopes that her products can reach the demographic of individuals who lack it most. “The root of the mission is really getting better quality products into the hands of the people who aren't eating their daily servings of vegetables or who have kids that are super picky, but can't always be cooking a meal for their families,” she notes. “I want to be a national brand selling better-for-you and better-for-the planet pantry snack staples at an accessible price.”
The Future of Upcycled Foods
The recognition of upcycled food startups by grocery chains and established brands are promising starts to popularize the industry, but many are still unaware that such products exist. Additionally, the affordability of healthy products has long presented a challenge for many Americans to access nutritious items. For example, many upcycled products are only sold in specialty stores or higher-end grocery stores. With a majority of upcycled food startups commendably prioritizing sustainable manufacturing processes, costs to produce and sell their creations are inevitably higher.
Whether the upcycled foods industry can transform itself from a temporary, niche trend to a widespread American household staple remains to be seen. But the drive of Mogentale and other self-proclaimed “food waste warriors” might just have your pantry and fridge stocked with their funky and out-of-the-box products, made from your tossed-out produce.