According to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, cutting food waste in half by 2030 is one of the United Nations’ top priorities. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 calls for “halving per-capita global food waste at retail and consumer levels and reducing food losses along production and supply chains.” Although millions of people face hunger across the globe, there is a big problem with food waste at retail and consumer levels in industrialized countries. Here are some of the ways we are helping:
Champion yogurt with a longer shelf life
In the yogurt industry, sometimes confusing “sell by,” “enjoy by” and “best before” dates on product labels are a key cause of food waste. According to our friends at Chr. Hansen, 80% of all yogurt waste is related to the expiry date. A recent Washington Post article goes one step further: “A lot of good food goes to waste, as consumers misinterpret expiration dates and throw away refrigerators full of edible food.”
Ambient yogurt and yogurt alternatives help prevent food waste by extending shelf stability for months. With no need for refrigeration, ambient yogurt can be enjoyed anywhere at any time, which adds to its convenience and snackability. Parents can safely pop an ambient yogurt snack in their child’s backpack before school without worry of it spoiling. Or it can be tucked in a gym bag for a quick, “good for you” protein snack after exercise, even if your workout is postponed until tomorrow – or next week. For dairy and alternative protein manufacturers, ambient yogurt increases geographical reach through the world of e-commerce with no cold chain distribution challenges.
Upcycling
Upcycling is the ultimate way to prevent food waste. Coined by German engineer Reiner Pilz, upcycling means giving an old product more value, so waste is diverted entirely. Inspired by this circular economy model, CP Kelco has long believed that upcycling is at the heart of creating a more sustainably sourced ingredient supply chain. That’s why we have upcycled ingredients in our nature-based portfolio:
GENU® Pectin
GENU® Pectin is the ingredient that started it all for CP Kelco. In fact, the “CP” in our name stands for Copenhagen Pectin. Upcycled from citrus peels, an abundant and sustainably sourced byproduct of the juice industry, we use as little fresh water as possible in processing. At our plant in Brazil, whatever is left over from our production process is recovered and turned into beneficial side products, including d-limonene, fertigation (fertilizer + irrigation) for nearby crops, and molasses and feed for 30,000 local farm animals.
This very consumer-friendly ingredient has been a staple for jams, jellies, yogurt fruit prep and acidified protein drinks (like the ambient drinking yogurt mentioned above!). It provides a juicy bite to plant-based meat alternatives, a creamy mouthfeel to dairy applications and heat stability for formulating gelatin-free gummies. In personal care applications, it is known for locking in moisture in luxe skin creams, stabilizing emulsions in sun care and ensuring smooth, silky hair care products.
Citrus Fiber
Citrus Fiber is likewise upcycled from spent citrus peels, an abundant byproduct of the juice industry and locally sourced near our manufacturing facility in Brazil. Leftover materials from the citrus fiber production process are repurposed to support a circular mindset. Nutrients in the process water are used to fertilize local crops such as sugar cane. In addition, any peel byproduct left over is turned into animal feed that supplements the diets of 30,000 farm animals per year.
NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber is a highly versatile food ingredient that can be listed simply as citrus fiber on the label. It supports dietary fiber intake while providing emulsion stability, viscosity, mouthfeel enhancement, syneresis control and water-holding capacity. Easily recognizable by consumers, it can be beneficial for applications as diverse as baked goods, beverages, condiments, sauces, dairy, dairy alternatives, and meat and meat alternatives. In addition, NUTRAVA® Citrus Fiber supports the replacement or reduction of ingredients including traditional emulsifiers and stabilizers, starch, egg, butter, xanthan gum, tomato solids and fruit pulp.
Introduced in March 2023, KELCOSENS™ Citrus Fiber is a next-generation ingredient for personal care product development. It can be used in a range of products, from silky serums to luxe creams, to help formulators stabilize emulsifier-free formulations and deliver SENSational textures.
During our recent webinar on formulating functional gummies, we asked you to send us your toughest questions. We received an incredible response, so we know that you are as passionate about this subject as we are! Most of the questions we received could be divided into themes of heat stability, alternatives to gelatin, sugar free and fortification challenges. Please see the answers below from the experts at our innovation centers:
el is important as well as the pH each ingredient may bring to the product. Next, one will need to ensure a gelling agent aligns with the formulation, labeling and processing requirements. 
It is possible to replace sugar and corn syrup with other solids or bulk ingredients. A key consideration for these ingredients is solubility, as you will want to provide a minimum amount of total soluble solids for gelling agents to set (thinking about pectin), and for the end product to have good firmness and stability. Therefore, polyols or soluble fiber are typically used.
Pectin can be used either on its own or in combination with other gelling agents to create liquid-filled gummies, and it is a very good option when thinking about vegan or label-friendly alternatives. Our pectin portfolio includes a variety of options that can be recommended depending on formulation and texture needs. 
