Turning waste into taste with fruity circular snacks

One company prevents waste by using excess berries to create ingredients and healthy snacks

Spotted: A recent House of Commons Library report on food waste highlights that although food waste at the retail level is low, headline figures hide how supermarket trading practices, such as order cancellations and strict cosmetic specifications, drive waste in the supply chain. Not only does this creation of ‘excess’ produce lead to edible food going uneaten, but it also wastes the time and resources farmers put into growing it.

Now, The Chichester Food and Drink Company has created a way to prevent some of that waste. The company pays growers for their excess fruit that would otherwise be wasted and sells it under the brand name Squished. Using the phrase #NoBerryLeftBehind, the company rescues Grade A quality soft produce like blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples, and citrus fruits and repurposes them into new products.

Squished air dries the fruit before slicing and dicing it into crumbs and using it in flapjack bites, energy balls, air-dried pieces, jams, and slices. All Squished products are free from chemicals and preservatives, containing only high-quality rescued fruit. All production is done in the UK, and Squished works closely with local growers to turn excess and unsellable soft produce into an additional income stream for farmers as well as delicious, fruit products for consumers.

As well as retail items, Squished sells fruit to food service organisations and manufacturers, including commercial bakers. The company’s packaging is completely recyclable, and the packs of fruit and fruit products are available in a range of sizes. So far, Squished has rescued 110,000 kilogrammes of surplus fruit, which in turn reduces carbon dioxide pollution by 275,000 kilogrammes.

From condiments to surfactants, Springwise’s library contains a number of innovations transforming food waste into valuable new products.

Written By: Keely Khoury