Upcycled food can support sustainability, but only if it’s regulated and labelled clearly.
As a young person living in Montreal, I try to be mindful of what I buy, especially when it comes to food. Like many people, I’ve been drawn to the idea of sustainability. So when I first heard about “upcycled food,” I was curious and a little hopeful.
Upcycled food sounded like a smart way to reduce waste. Why throw out edible parts of food just because they don’t look perfect or were leftover during processing? But the more I looked into it, the more I realized that upcycled food isn’t as simple—or as sustainable—as it might seem.
Upcycled food refers to edible ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. Think of things like spent grain from brewing beer or the leftover pulp from juicing apples. These leftovers, which are usually not sold on their own, are repurposed to create new food products. And it’s all done through verifiable supply chains to ensure safety and traceability.
If you’ve ever bought oddly shaped carrots or potatoes, you’ve technically supported a form of upcycled food. However, the movement is now growing beyond misshapen produce. You’ll find upcycled ingredients in granola, crackers, cookies, and even bread.
The idea originated in the United States but has also gained attention in Canada. With global food waste at staggering levels, it’s no surprise that upcycled food is being seen as part of the solution.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks upcycled food as one of the most effective strategies for reducing the environmental impact of food waste. When uneaten food ends up in landfills, it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Using these byproducts instead helps reduce both waste and emissions.
But here’s where it gets a little murky.
Not all upcycled food products contain a significant amount of these salvaged ingredients. Some only contain 2% to 10% by weight. According to U.S. certification standards, just 10% is enough for a product to qualify as “upcycled.” Compare that to organic foods, which must include at least 95% certified organic ingredients.
So even if a cookie has a tiny amount of spent grain in it, it might still get the upcycled label. As a consumer, that feels a bit misleading, especially when we’re often asked to pay more for these products.
A loaf of bread recently sold at Tesco in the U.K. had just 2.5% spent grain. Another granola brand in Ireland claimed 30% spent grain from brewers but didn’t clearly list this on the ingredients label. Without clear guidelines or rules in place, it’s hard for shoppers to know exactly what they’re buying.
In Canada and the EU, upcycled food is not yet officially regulated. That means companies can make sustainability claims without having to meet a specific standard. And let’s face it—many of us want to do the right thing, but we also wish to transparency.
As someone who tries to shop consciously, I don’t want to be misled by clever packaging.
See also: Too Good To Go Expands to All Super C Stores: Helping Quebecers Reduce Food Waste
Many upcycled food products are more expensive, even though they contain ingredients that would otherwise be discarded. This is often because the companies behind them are small start-ups with higher production costs. They’re trying to do the right thing, but it’s still important for consumers to know what they’re paying for.
One possible solution is requiring life-cycle assessments. These reports track the environmental impact of a product from start to finish—growing, processing, transporting, and disposal. It’s a clear way to back up sustainability claims with data.
I still believe in the potential of upcycled food. It’s an innovative response to food waste, and it’s encouraging to see more companies making a difference. But if we want these products to succeed, we need honest labelling and better standards.
Consumers like me want to support sustainability. But we also want to trust the labels on our food. If we’re paying more, we deserve to know exactly what we’re getting—and how much of it is actually upcycled.
That trust will be key to building a better, less wasteful food system.
