BITES // 11.03.22 // FOOD WASTE FIGHTERS AND HEALTHY CRUSADERS
Every month we collect six of the best pieces of content published on the web and share them with you because we believe that the most extraordinary thinking is inspired by looking to unexpected places. BITES is a reading list for those who want to bring a little of the outside, in.
OVERVIEW -
People and businesses are trying to change people’s behavior by valuing food and not wasting it. Upcycled ingredients and plant-based ingredients are one way consumers and restaurants both are reducing waste and prioritizing the health of the planet. We are entering an era beyond just plant-based and organic. There’s a growing emphasis on reuse and reduction, and upcycled ingredients play a key role in those efforts.
1. FROM RUBBISH TO PLATE
Between 30–40% of all food grown in the US is sent to the trash heap and some restaurants are wanting to take advantage of the available food waste to help make the industry sustainable. Shuggie’s Trash Pies is a new restaurant that is highlighting the amount of food waste created by a rotating menu of dishes using ingredients no one else wants to use. The dishes use cuts of meat that other restaurants won’t use, the byproducts of different meals, or vegetables that farmers intended to throw away because they weren’t pretty enough. The reviews for Shuggies have been coming in and it’s not bad, in fact the dishes are delicious. The goal of Shuggies is to inspire other restaurants to incorporate food waste into their menu and help make the food industry more sustainable. Another restaurant in San Francisco is aiming to serve up a solution to food waste. Their menu includes meatball beef hearts, swordfish belly crudo, and pizza crust made with spent oats. Each dish incorporates three to five up-cycled ingredients. The menu changes weekly to take advantage of readily available food waste.
2. WALMART SUSTAINABLE BEEF
More grocery shoppers are opting for higher quality sustainable meats, and Walmart said that it is investing in a company led by ranchers and beef producers to bulk up its supply. They are taking a minority stake in Sustainable Beef, a rancher and beef producer to expand their supply of Angus Beef. Walmart plans to open a processing facility in a small town in west-central Nebraska, North Platte, home to the former ranch of storied Western showman Buffalo Bill Cody. The new processing facility expects to break ground this month and create 800 jobs. As more consumers are thinking about their diets and where their food comes from, Walmart is wanting to invest in more sustainable agriculture and food production feeding Walmart’s environmental and social commitments. Earlier in the year Walmart invested in Plenty, a California-based startup that grows leafy greens indoors and closer to urban centers. By 2030, the retailer, along with the company’s foundation, has pledged to protect, restore or more sustainably manage at least 50 million acres of land and 1 million square miles of ocean by 2030.
3. BEYOND CARNE ASADA
Taco Bell is planning on testing their meatless carne asada made with Beyond Meat at dozens of their locations in Dayton, Ohio. It’s the fast food’s latest appeal to customers who don’t want to eat meat. While Taco Bell has had a passionate vegetarian and vegan fan base for decades from meat-free protein options such as black beans and potatoes, they’ve been slower to jump on the trend of plant-based meats. In early 2021, Taco Bell promised to test a menu item made with Beyond, but it took longer than expected to create a carne asada alternative that satisfied Taco Bell. Missy Schaaphok, Taco Bell’s director of global nutrition and sustainability, said Beyond Carne Asada has been in the works for a little under two years. Taco Bell and Beyond Meat have created a plant-based alternative for one of the quick-service restaurant’s meats. The product will be available in food options including quesadillas, but can be substituted into any meat-based carne asada items for no additional cost.
4. RISE OF EDIBLE CITIES
More cities are becoming edible. Yes you heard that right, but people aren’t eating buildings or concrete. Organizers in some cities are planting garden crops and fruit trees, then inviting anyone to take as much of the produce as they want — for free. This movement grew from a little German town, Andernach, where they first planted a public tomato patch in 2010 and it grew from there. The town, which sits in the Rhine River Valley, has an unofficial motto, “picking is encouraged — help yourself.” Organizers of these programs interviewed have said there has never been a problem with people taking more than they need. The “edible cities’’ movement has sprouted in more than 150 countries around the world. Edible Cities is now supporting a community garden in Cuba, while cities in China, Tunisia, Togo and Uruguay are also developing plans for urban food forests. It is slowly coming to the US in city projects including Seattle, Philadelphia, Detroit and Bloomington, Ind.
5. KEVIN HART PLANTS A FAST FOOD FRANCHISE
Kevin Hart is taking on the big players in the industry including McDonald’s, Burger King, In-N-Out, and KFC for stardom. Hart recently introduced his new venture, Hart House, a fully plant-based fast food chain in Los Angeles. The fast food chain and actor already have plans to expand across California and eventually the rest of America having already signed six more leases to install restaurants. The restaurant is positioned as one of the only all-vegetarian options in the fast food industry, Hart House may be set up as one of the first successful plant-based fast food companies in the space in over a decade. Hart tapped Burger King’s former culinary chef, Michael Salem to help curate a menu that includes plant-based burgers, chicken sandwiches, nuggets, salads, fries, and tots. Hart House also offers employees a living wage alongside other benefits like savings, retirement and lifestyle spending accounts for things that are wellness-related as part of its holistic view on the industry.
6. AN APP HELPS FIGHT FOOD WASTE
Nextplate is a start-up that allows college students and others to buy surplus food at significant discounts from restaurants and bakeries around Los Angeles, aims to reduce food waste and inspire the public to take a stance against the issue. The app also seeks to provide affordable meals for students, especially those struggling with food insecurity. NextPlate, after talking to a handful of their restaurant partners, discovered some common reasons why food is thrown out. Some of those reasons included the expiration of ingredients with short shelf-lives, mistakes while cooking and/or preparing orders, canceled deliveries and extras. Nextplate saw an opportunity to tap into the cycle of when food is being thrown out. Users can scroll through deals posted by different restaurants, and “favorite” restaurants to receive notifications when new deals become available. They can also find information about each restaurant on the app, including the number of meals that have been “rescued” by other consumers.
TAKEAWAY-
Food waste reduction is more salient now than it has ever been. $408 billion is spent each year on food that’s never eaten and 35% of all food goes uneaten annually. The food industry accounts for a third of global greenhouse gas emissions; food waste alone accounts for about 10 percent. As the conscious consumer evolves into a pervasive market driver, food and beverage brands are seeking ways to innovate and differentiate, minimize their climate footprint, and invest in circular systems. Manufacturers, retailers, and brands are recognizing the indisputable advantages to reducing food waste, slashing their carbon emissions, and establishing sturdy, traceable supply chains.
