Food Entrepreneur - June 22, 2021 - 6

FOOD ENTREPRENEUR®
THREE STARTUPS
SAVING THE
PLANET
Emerging brands tackle the climate crisis
with innovative solutions
BY MONICA WATROUS
ntrepreneurs are championing creative
solutions to heal the planet.
Recent research suggests consumer
concern about sustainability has
intensified in the wake of the pandemic. A
Euromonitor International study released
earlier this year found many consumers no
longer view businesses as purely profit-driven
entities and expect companies to
engage in social and environmental issues.
" Businesses need to connect with
consumers to build their trust and gain
their loyalty, " said Maria Coronado Robles,
sustainability insights manager at Euromonitor
International. " To do that, it's
important to give them the facts. Businesses
are finding new ways to engage
ethical consumers by measuring and
communicating their carbon footprint, for
example. "
Companies of all sizes are pledging
to reduce the impact of agriculture, food
production and distribution on the environment.
Emerging brands are pioneering
practices that create a positive impact on
the earth.
Pulp Pantry, Los Angeles, offers
snacks formulated with the waste
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collected from vegetable juice processors.
Agua Bonita, Hanford, Calif., produces
ready-to-drink beverages flavored with
fruit unsuitable for the market.
Akua, New York, aims to increase
consumption of climate-friendly kelp in
the American diet.
" I want to create a food company that
creates products that are just as healthy
for you as they are for the planet, " said
Courtney Boyd Myers, co-founder, chief
executive officer and chief marketing
officer of Akua. " If we can't take care of
our human body, we can't take care of our
planet body. "
A snack with impact
Pulp Pantry uses the celery and kale
scraps from organic juice production to
formulate tortilla-style chips. Last year,
the company rescued roughly 50,000 lbs
of landfill-bound byproducts and expects
to double the total this year.
Prior to founding the business,
Kaitlin Mogentale had observed a friend
juicing a carrot and questioned the fate of
the fiber-rich remnants. A self-described
food waste warrior, Ms. Mogentale began
calling local juice shops and learned many
lacked the capacity or resources to use the
leftover pulp.
" In the United States we waste 35%
of our food supply, and most of that is
actually fresh fruits and vegetables, " Ms.
Mogentale said, noting that rotting food
waste emits methane, a greenhouse gas
contributing to climate change.
She said only 10% of Americans eat
the daily recommended servings of fruits,
vegetables and fiber, according to the
US Department of Agriculture. She set
out to create a solution that tackles both
challenges.
Pulp Chips are formulated with the
vegetable excess from juice processing,
plus other plant-based ingredients such
as chia seeds, cassava and lucuma fruit.
The snacks also incorporate okara, a
byproduct of manufacturing soy milk and
tofu.
The upcycled food movement is
gaining momentum behind consumers'
mounting environmental concerns.
Pulp Pantry is one of dozens of emerging
brands developing food and beverage
products using underutilized or overlooked
ingredients traditionally destined
June 22, 2021
Food Entrepreneur - June 22, 2021

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