Fermentation project upcycles inedible food waste

Swedish health food producer Greenfood and biotech company Tekinn have teamed up in a foodtech collaboration to give unused food a new life through fermentation.

In 2021, Greenfood made a decision to halve its food waste and decided all raw materials should stay as high in the value chain as possible. Since then, several processes and raw material flows have been developed with the aim of making the most of every little piece.

As part of the Circular Development Hub for Food innovation project, funded by the EU and Region Skåne, bacteria and fermentation is now being studied with the aim to create raw materials for a future food system.

By allowing bacteria to break down the substances humans cannot absorb, such as insoluble fibres, it is possible to refine what we today consider inedible into completely new raw materials that can become valuable parts of our common food system.

Fredrik Jonsson from Tekinn said: “The unique fermentation process transforms residual streams from food production, such as fibrous stems and peels, into entirely new raw materials. Such fibrous material usually becomes waste or animal feed, but after our fermentation process, the new raw material becomes not only edible but also enriched in terms of taste, texture and nutrition. They also contribute other valuable properties in various end products. We are very pleased that our technology contributes to the necessary transformation of our food system, both in Sweden and globally.”

As Greenfood applies the zero-waste principle to every raw material that enters, nothing can leave its fruit and vegetable centre in Helsingborg without having a greater purpose. A tough challenge for a business that prepares and delivers an average of 127 t of fruit and vegetables every day.

Maria Mehlin, sustainability developer at Salico, which is part of the Greenfood Group, said: “There is still a lot to do when it comes to adding value to fruit and vegetable residual flows! Collaboration with other innovative players is key when developing new processes that no one has yet thought of. Scalability is a must for a sustainable food system in the long term, and we are determined to contribute.”

Image credit: Greenfood