Launch Phase 2 of UPcycled4Food  

Foodvalley has officially launched Phase 2 of the UPcycled4Food Initiative, marking the next step towards making food products with upcycled ingredients a mainstream choice in Europe. During the Innovation Insights: Friends for Scaling event at the Jan Zandbergen Group Innovation Centre in Veenendaal on 6 October, partners from across the food value chain came together to kick off this new phase. The launch builds on Phase 1, in which more than 50 partners identified the product categories with the strongest potential for market adoption and impact. 

The focus of Phase 2 is clear: moving from potential to proof. A technically strong product alone is not enough. Retailers, foodservice companies, wholesalers and public procurers also need a clear and substantiated understanding of how an upcycled product compares with a conventional alternative. Together with food manufacturers, retailers, foodservice companies, ingredient suppliers and independent experts, the initiative will therefore develop actionable evidence showing where choices in ingredients, formulation and product development create value for business, nutrition, sustainability and society. 

The work will focus on four mainstream product groups:
– Cookies & biscuits
– Bread & rolls
– Blended dairy
– Blended meat

For each product group, a conventional reference product will be compared with a closely matched formulation containing upcycled ingredients. Independent assessments will evaluate both products across five dimensions: sensory quality, nutritional value, environmental impact, economic feasibility and social value. This consistent approach will reveal which formulation choices deliver genuine added value and provide companies with practical evidence for product development, sourcing, investment and purchasing decisions. 

During the launch, Vera Poot from Vermaat, Kenny van Dijk from Bidfood Nederland and Foodvalley’s Caroline Duivenvoorden discussed what is needed to take upcycled ingredients from promising applications towards wider adoption. The message was clear: scaling requires more than good ideas. Companies need actionable evidence that supports real-world decisions.   

The first environmental impact assessments are planned for the fourth quarter of 2026, followed by assessments across the other four dimensions in early 2027. The results will be reviewed with off takers to ensure they are relevant and applicable to real procurement and product decisions. Based on this feedback, the insights will be translated into concrete value propositions and product focused benchmarks. 

Phase 2 will be completed in May 2027. In the second half of 2027, Phase 3 will extend the approach to new product categories and regions and further develop shared tools and guidelines for broader market application. The ambition goes beyond four example products: UPcycled4Food aims to create a repeatable approach that enables producers to substantiate their added value and helps off takers assess upcycled products more quickly and consistently. 

New partners can still join one or more Phase 2 working groups free of charge and contribute practical knowledge, data and feedback. Please contact Foodvalley if you would like to explore how your organisation can contribute to this work and benefit from the resulting insights. 

UPcycled4Food Phase 2 is supported by Laudes Foundation and Provincie Gelderland.