Where Food Comes From, Inc., an independent, third-party verifier of food production practices in North America, has acquired the Upcycled Certified Program from the Upcycled Food Association.
Upcycled Certified is the first and largest provider of certification for upcycled food. There are 93 companies with more than 480 products certified to the standard, including leading CPG companies such as Del Monte and Kerry Ingredients. These products are responsible for diverting an average of 390,000 tons of food waste annually since the program’s launch less than three years ago.
“The upcycled food movement is closely aligned with broader sustainability trends in the United States and around the world,” said John Saunders, chairman and CEO of Where Food Comes From, in a statement. “This acquisition enables Where Food Comes From to meet growing consumer demand for products that contain upcycled food ingredients. As the exclusive certification body for the standard since early 2021–and as the most diverse food verification body in the country with more than 17,000 customers–we are ideally suited to take Upcycled Certified to the next level of growth.”
Following the ownership transition Where Food Comes From intends to make it easier and more cost effective for brands, grocery retailers, and foodservice operators to engage with the standard, Saunders said.
Angie Crone, CEO of the Upcycled Food Association, added, “UFA is thrilled that Upcycled Certified has become part of the Where Food Comes From family of certifications. Given the scale of the food waste crisis, growing demands on our natural resources, and increasing food insecurity, we need to work collaboratively and as quickly as possible to transform our food system into one where food is valued and never wasted. Due to its high profile in the food verification industry, we believe WFCF is the ideal partner to help further our mission to accelerate the upcycled food movement for impact at scale.”
The Upcycled Standard, developed by the Upcycled Food Association, is designed to reduce food waste by promoting the upcycled food economy. Upcycled products use ingredients that have full nutritional value and are safe but for various reasons would have gone to waste. Operators that grow, produce, manufacture, process, and trade in food, beverages, and other food-related products are eligible to apply for Upcycled Certified. These operators must demonstrate that ingredients they handle have been procured and produced using verifiable supply chains.
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