Revolutionizing Food Waste

Imagine this – going from a waste stream to a valuable product in six weeks.

At the recent BlueCity Circular Challenge, a team of multidisciplinary young professionals took home the win to transform an actual waste stream into an economically viable and scalable Upcycled product in six weeks. Their product, Betere Ballen, a classic Dutch meat-based snack reimagined - uses spent mustard seeds provided by IFF to create a vegan version of Bitterballen.

Under the guidance of the IFF RE-IMAGINE WASTE^TM Innovation team and Chefs at our Hilversum Creative Center, the winning Betere Ballen recipe uses 20% spent mustard seed. Wrapped in a subtly sweet, nutty flavor perfectly complementing the savory taste of the ragout, it contains 50% more fiber than the traditional Bitterballen creating a delicious, healthy, and more sustainable snack that accelerates the circular economy.

“We’re amazed by the creativity of the students under such a short time. The Betere Ballen concept is very promising, and they have even developed prototypes of fermented beverages with the residual liquid for our stream, applying the total “Zero-Waste” design principles. We are now looking forward to getting these ideas turned into tangible new business” says Eve Martinet-Bareau, Innovation Program Director for RE-IMAGINE WASTE^TM.

With an estimated 300 million plus Bitterballen consumed in a year, the team's business case is an exciting development for European snack manufacturers looking to Do More Good with upcycled product ingredients. Considering the growing number of consumers looking for more variety in plant-based alternatives, this vegan snack is a smart and innovative creation.

“We are very happy with the results and what we achieved in only 6 weeks. More importantly, we learned about upcycled foods and how they can contribute towards a more sustainable future. Our team had people from different backgrounds, none involved in anything related to food or nutrition, so we were very happy to learn from IFF professionals,” said Nina Skerjanc, BlueCity Challenge winning team representative.

We're on a mission to Do More Good in everything we do. IFF’s RE-IMAGINE WASTE™ program puts our values into practice, illuminating the future of food and beverage experiences through sustainable and regenerative design. Applying inventive food waste reduction technologies, RE-IMAGINE WASTE™ develops upcycled ingredients and maximizes resources.

Discover more about IFF's Re-imagine Programs here.