Innovators collaborate to design upcycled ingredient solutions for the food industry

Upcycled Foods Inc. (dba ReGrained) is thrilled to announce the launch of the first value-added product the ingredient tech startup co-developed through a partnership with Kerry – an upcycled protein crisp. Designed to be formulated into products to add texture and nutrition, the crisp’s familiar format provides food makers an easy solution to accelerate the innovation of sustainable food products. Upcycled foods are made from ingredients that would otherwise have ended up in a food waste destination. The protein crisp is just the beginning of this collaboration, pairing together Upcycled Food Inc.’s expertise and recognition in upcycling with Kerry’s formulation, application, and category expertise.

Upcycled Food Inc. and Kerry developed the upcycled crisp to meet the rapidly increasing demand of food makers to create more environmentally sustainable products. Protein crisps were a natural starting point for the two company’s ongoing commercial collaboration. Crisps deliver desired nutritional benefits to consumers and are ubiquitous in a wide range of snack products—from bars and cereals to clusters to crunchy mixes and more. The companies immediately received interest from manufacturers for a product that would combine the flavor, nutrition, and sustainability of ReGrained SuperGrain+® with the textural benefits of a crisp. The new protein crisps are now available through Kerry and are ready to elevate product innovation.

“Our food manufacturer partners come to us searching for R&D expertise and ingredient solutions for new sustainable foods. Value-added ingredient applications like our new crisp offer a platform for finished product innovation, thus enabling more partners to have a bigger impact,” says Dan Kurzrock, Founder & CEO of Upcycled Food Inc. “Collaborating with Kerry exponentially amplifies our mission to better align the food we eat with the planet we love.”

At a typical customer usage level, the crisp contains enough an Upcycled Certified™ ingredient, to be eligible to apply to the Upcycled Food Association (an independent non-profit trade association) for certification. The plant-based crisp delivers 40 percent protein and 16 percent fibre, suitable for vegetarian, vegan, and kosher applications, and is made in the USA.

“We exist to be our customers’ most valued partner, creating a world of sustainable nutrition,” said John Kaufmann, Senior Director of Business Development with Kerry. “Innovating new upcycled ingredient solutions with Upcycled Food Inc.’s leadership enables us to develop exciting new food items that live up to this vision and move us towards our goal of reaching over 2 billion people with sustainable nutrition solutions by 2030.”