High-performance supplements made from discarded food waste

Outcast Foods turns discarded fruit and vegetables into nutrient-dense food products

Spotted: The Canadian food technology company Outcast Foods has recently announced the closing of a CAD $10 million (about €8,48) million investment round to tackle food waste. The round included a CAD $5 million (about €6.7) million from District Ventures Capital. 

Founded in 2017, Nova Scotia-based Outcast aims to tackle food waste by diverting food from landfills. The company turns discarded fruit and vegetables into nutrient-dense food products.  

Outcast’s food upcycling technology rescues imperfect, surplus or out-of-date produce from farms, food processors and supermarkets across Canada. The misfit produce is transported in cold trucks to keep the valuable micronutrients intact, before reaching their zero-waste facility. 

The company’s food upcycling technology, whilst currently confidential, will eventually be shared, replicated and improved upon. “Our mission is to save the planet, but we are under no illusions that we can do this by ourselves. Innovation and collaboration are how we intend to create a new way of consuming food. Frankly, we want other companies to eventually use our technology so we can all eat our way to a more sustainable future,” states Outcast Foods on their website.  

Amongst its products is a line of Plant Strong protein powders and dietary supplements. According to Outcast, the nutrition industry doesn’t always prioritise environmental sustainability, which is why they decided to make it a key feature of their company. Protein powder comes in an assortment of different flavours, ranging from lemon meringue, mint chocolate, fruit explosion, chocolate and vanilla. Nutrient-dense vegetable powders are also available, inducing vegetables such as broccoli, kale and beets and fruits such as apple and blueberry.   

 The brand currently operates in Canada and the US but said to Foodbev.com that it plans to use the new capital to scale its operations.

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