Sustainable food upcycling: perspectives on manufacturing challenges and certification requirements for large-scale commercialization

Abstract

Upcycled foods, a novel and rapidly growing food category, have gained significant attention from environmentally conscious consumers seeking to reduce their carbon footprint. While repurposing food leftovers has long been a common practice in lower- and middle-income households, it is now emerging as a structured approach to addressing global food loss and waste. With increasing awareness of these issues, food upcycling offers a promising pathway to combat food insecurity and promote sustainable food systems on a larger scale. This review explores the production cycle of upcycled foods, shedding light on key challenges and potential solutions to facilitate large-scale commercialization. Challenges such as non-homogeneous and inconsistent input supply, variability in input quality, consumer scepticism, and a fragmented regulatory landscape are analysed in detail. Plausible solutions are proposed, including co-product upcycling, verified supply chains, technological interventions, consumer education, and innovative marketing strategies. Additionally, the review emphasizes the need for unified certification and labelling frameworks to ensure transparency, build trust, and create a robust supply chain for upcycled products. Although often viewed as a waste management strategy, food upcycling has the potential to evolve into a formalized food processing practice, contributing to circular and sustainable food systems. Addressing manufacturing and regulatory hurdles is essential to unlocking this potential and achieving successful commercialization at scale.