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From waste to wellness: Upcycled ingredients unlock endless potential for sustainable beverages
Upcycled ingredients are gaining traction in beverages for their sustainability appeal, but achieving stability, consistency and microbial safety requires innovative solutions and strong supplier partnerships.
4 Min Read
At a Glance
- Upcycled ingredients can enhance texture, nutrition and stability while addressing food waste concerns.
- Variability in upcycled ingredients can lead to challenges in flavor, appearance and shelf life.
- Solutions like Chinova Bioworks’ Chiber Mushroom Extract naturally preserve beverages while protecting against pathogens.
Immerse yourself in the world of sustainable innovation with the SupplySide Food & Beverage Journal digital magazine on wellness beverages. Discover how upcycled ingredients are transforming beverages and meeting consumer demands for eco-friendly products. Don’t miss this essential read — explore the full issue today!
Movements toward sustainability and clean eating challenge food and beverage brands to constantly improve, evolve and refine the products they put on grocery store shelves.
One of the newest trends to take hold is the use of upcycled ingredients — viable food matter that’s left over after production and otherwise would have gone to waste. What makes upcycled ingredients particularly trend-worthy is that they address a range of consumer priorities, including environmental friendliness and food waste reduction. Including them in beverages, however, isn’t always easy.
Wanted: Stability and consistency
Maintaining a beverage’s stability — in formulation, color, texture and taste — remains a significant challenge for brands utilizing upcycled ingredients. According to Upcycled Foods’ chief innovation and science officer Lara Ramdin, Ph.D., natural pigments from upcycled fruits and vegetables can fade over time when exposed to light, oxygen or changes in pH. Plus, upcycled ingredients tend to contain high levels of bioactive compounds, like polyphenols, antioxidants or vitamins, which can interact with other ingredients in complex and unpredictable ways.
Complicating this matter is the fact that upcycled ingredients, by their very nature as byproducts or surplus, can vary in composition due to differences in raw materials, processing methods and other factors. “If not properly managed, this variability can lead to inconsistencies in flavor, texture and appearance, affecting the stability of the final beverage,” Ramdin explained. “Depending on the supplier, the taste, aroma and appearance of upcycled ingredients can differ from batch to batch, which can make it difficult to maintain a consistent sensory profile in the final beverage.” Some upcycled ingredients may have higher levels of natural sugar, fiber or moisture, which can all promote microbial growth and impact shelf life. And, upcycled food ingredients can — though don’t always — come with higher price tags, to account for novel ingredients or limited supply chains.
Solutions in partnerships
Experts generally agree that the best way to circumvent these challenges is to work with a knowledgeable supplier who can offer reliable quantities of standardized upcycled ingredients. Ramdin noted reputable suppliers will set strict specifications for moisture content, particle size and nutrient composition to ensure uniformity across batches, or they may use advanced processing techniques like high-pressure processing (HPP), pasteurization or UV (ultraviolet) treatment to enhance microbial stability without requiring artificial preservatives.
Jeanette Fisher, RDN, director of marketing at Chinova Bioworks, said that for their part, “Brands need to implement proper handling, storage and processing protocols to minimize the risk of microbial contamination. They should conduct thorough quality control measures, including shelf-life testing and sensory evaluations, throughout the product’s shelf life to ensure ongoing excellence and consumer satisfaction.”
Ingredient suppliers also offer branded upcycled ingredients to mitigate concerns surrounding inconsistency. Fiberstar Inc., for example, offers Citri-Fi upcycled citrus fiber, which the company said provides beverages with high water-holding and emulsification properties that enhance texture, stability, nutrition and food labels. NutriLeads offers Benicaros, upcycled from carrot pomace, which the company said not only provides potential prebiotic benefits but also has little to no impact on a beverage’s taste or smell at a low 300 mg daily dose. In terms of preventing microbial growth, Chinova offers upcycled Chiber Mushroom Extract, which the company said naturally preserves beverages against bacteria, mold, yeast and even pathogenic bacteria like listeria and salmonella.
Beyond recommending specialized ingredients, knowledgeable suppliers will be able to make suggestions to solve for common challenges; for example, using alternative preservation solutions, making adjustments to the formulation, blending upcycled ingredients with more “forgiving” natural ingredients and more.
Beverage brands choosing upcycled ingredients may face higher initial costs, but the long-term returns should be worth the investment. NutriLeads’ CEO Joana Carneiro-Wakefield suggested, “Growing consumer demand for sustainable and earth-friendly ingredients enables manufacturers to charge premium prices for beverages made with upcycled ingredients.” She added, “Beverages with upcycled ingredients add value through product differentiation and build brand equity and consumer loyalty as this trend drives purchasing decisions.”
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