Coop has become the first supermarket in Switzerland to launch a new range of goods made from by-products. The company argued that the Nice to Save Food range is an ideal way to reduce the millions of tonnes of food wasted every year by using items that are typically thrown away.
As part of the new range, Coop is set to use the by-products that are leftover when creating other products in its range. “These include, for example, raw materials such as okara or oat bran, which are produced during the production of tofu and soy drinks or oat flakes and flour. These ingredients are impressive in terms of quality and taste, contain valuable ingredients and can be used in a variety of culinary ways,” they wrote in a statement. The very first product to launch will be organic okara, which can be used to make patties, pancakes or muffins.
A vegan bolognese will also be offered in Coop restaurants, made of spent and leftover grains. Eventually, the Nice to Save Food range will include chocolate bars and drinks which are made from the by-products of making regular Swiss chocolate.
In Switzerland, around a third of all food goes to waste, totalling 2,8 million tonnes a year. Of these, 963.000 tonnes or 35 percent is lost while the food is being produced and processed via errors and the production of by-products that aren’t usually sold, like okara.
“These food items should no longer be overlooked, but used as raw materials for new, innovative, and particularly tasty and enjoyable products!” the company wrote. Through its new brand, Coop hopes that it can help contribute to Switzerland’s food waste goals - the government hopes to cut food waste by half by 2030 compared to 2017 levels.
Thumb image credit: Coop