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Upcycling

Discover How IFF Reimagines Food Waste

We are tackling the challenge of waste through upcycling, turning byproducts from discarded side streams into valuable resources.

By reassessing side-stream materials, launching waste-reduction projects, and developing upcycled ingredients, we’re improving resource use across our business.

*Source: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

  • 30%
    of food raised or prepared is wasted globally
  • 8%
    of global greenhouse gas emissions come from food waste*
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Our Upcycled Flavor Solutions & Certification

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UPCYCLED CERTIFIED™ VERIFICATION

IFF has been an associate member of the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) since 2019, with more than 30 ingredients verified by UFA’s Upcycled Certified™ Program, the world’s first third-party certification for upcycled food ingredients.

The Upcycled Certified™ mark recognizes ingredients and products produced from surplus food and byproducts using verifiable supply chains with a positive environmental impact.

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THE LMR UPCYCLING COLLECTION

As part of our commitment to circular design, LMR Naturals by IFF developed the Upcycling Collection to expand our scent and flavor portfolio by giving new life to byproducts like seeds, pulp, and processing side streams.

The collection includes ingredients such as Rose Essential, and Upcycled Certified™ ingredients like Beeswax Absolute, Cocoa Shell Extract, and Oakwood CO2.

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Citrus Flavors

Through our global innovation program RE-MASTER CITRUS™ we make natural citrus taste designs more sustainable by adding non-citrus-derived alternatives and by utilizing upcycled products and circular design principles. We believe circular design is the future of sustainability, so we developed our Upcycled Certified™ Orange product line to change the industry through tangible impact in collaboration with supply partner, PeelPioneers.

PeelPioneers washes and treats discarded fresh orange peels to obtain a high-quality oil-in-water emulsion via cold extraction. IFF uses the essential oil to create signature taste designs, including natural orange flavorings and extracts. Utilizing circular design principles in this way saves resources and helps us respond to customer expectations for sustainable food ingredients that support the circular economy.

LMR Naturals by IFF

Turmeric Root & Leaf India

Our Upcycled Ingredient Solutions

Discover the innovative programs and solutions we offer, designed to empower our customers with sustainable, upcycling practices for a greener future.

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Upcycled Cacao Fruit Inclusions

The nutrient-dense pulp and peel of cacao fruit has traditionally been discarded, but modern advances in technology and a global consumer shift to address food waste has meant 100% of the components of the cacao fruit can now be upcycled.​

TAURA by IFF utilizes the 100% natural, valorized, and pressed cacao fruit juice that comes from the pulp of the cacao fruit, which is blended with responsibly sourced fruit purees and juices, to create value-added premium fruit inclusions and snacks.​

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GUARDIAN® AQUAROX™

With Sustainability and Innovation at the forefront of everything we do, IFF created GUARDIAN® AQUAROX™, an advanced Food Protection product line that utilizes rosemary extraction by-products. These Upcycled Certified™ multifunctional natural flavors improve and extend the taste and freshness of various beverages, contributing to reduced product returns and associated waste.

By transitioning to more environmentally friendly packaging, storage and distribution, one product at a time, we can further our journey toward a more sustainable future.

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POWDERPURE’s Uncommon Harvest™

In 2019, IFF’s POWDERPURE developed Uncommon Harvest™, a collection of upcycled powders derived from food-loss streams at farms and in processing that are not otherwise utilized. Waste Streams include:

  • Imperfect produce from farms, such as oranges and watermelons
  • Overproduction of produce from farms, such as spinach
  • Harvest byproducts, such as cacao pulp, cacao juice and cascara
  • Side streams from processing facilities, such as wastewater from the blanching of mushrooms prior to canning
  • Pomace (the pulp and residue remaining after produce has been crushed for juice extraction), such as that of blueberries or cranberries

With IFF’s patented INFIDRI™ infrared dehydration technology, gentle infrared light waves are used to target the water molecules in fresh food, thereby significantly extending its shelf life while preserving nutritional content.

The Power of POWDERPURE

Pectin

IFF Pectin is a responsible, efficient, natural solution that improves food products and cuts down waste at the same time. As one of the largest producers, IFF extracts pectin, a natural ingredient, from 200,000 metric tons of citrus peels per year to enable great texture and mouthfeel.

This versatile, natural ingredient enhances texture and healthiness in the food products we enjoy, while making the most out of organic side-products that would otherwise be wasted.

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Revolutionizing Upcycling with Pectin