UGLY FOOD WASTE INGREDIENTS
It is likewise made from products deemed not of a high enough standard for the food industry – in this case that food is sushi seaweed (Laminaria japonica) rejected by the food industry for not looking ‘attractive’ enough to make it into restaurants.
“The grade we valorise is from ‘ugly food’, meaning it does not quite meet the aesthetic standard due to seaweed’s shape and colour,” adds Droux.
“Our South Korean partner, BioSpectrum, worked on this supply chain to find a new source of raw material. Moreover, the use of ugly food sourcing is in line with current cosmetics trends.” She notes that Clariant also ensures that the sourcing is not competing with availability for food consumption.
As for Full Circle, McIlwraith says the company is currently working with a co-operative of local growers of soft fruit that supply many of the UK’s supermarkets and is looking to develop new raw materials from their waste.
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Ultimately, the appearance of the fruit has no impact on the final ingredient
their next big seller. Spanish supplier Provital offers Hydrafence, a hydrating ingredient whereby the active algae component is delivered via a matrix of rice amylopectin from rejected rice. According to Provital, broken up grains of rice are not accepted by the food industry, so this waste rice means Provital can create this ingredient without directly competing with food resources. Clariant, meanwhile, has Epseama in its line-up, which is an active ingredient that targets long non-coding RNA 886 for a universal anti-ageing result.
“Epseama addresses the science of epigenetics by targeting a long non-coding RNA called nc886, known to be reduced by ageing and UVB stress, to rejuvenate skin,” says Julie Droux, Senior Technical Marketing Specialist, Business Segment Active Ingredients at Clariant Production France, Industrial & Consumer Specialties.
“Thanks to its mechanism, Epseama reinforces the dermal-epidermal junction, enhances epidermis thickness and regulates the inflammasome pathway responsible for inflammation. After one month, on volunteers aged over 50 years old, skin hydration is improved, complexion is unified and nasolabial wrinkles are outstandingly reduced.”
cosmeticsbusiness.com
Supplier Full Circle is working with a soft fruit growers’ co-operative local to the company to develop materials from their discarded fruit
“The amount of fruit that is discarded is startling; upwards of 40 tonnes per month during the prime summer months. When supply exceeds demand for fruit such as strawberries and raspberries, the supermarkets can be very selective of the products they take and, subsequently, there’s a vast amount that is wasted,” he explains. “We’re currently in the process of developing several new active ingredients using some of this produce.”
He notes: “In this case, the fruit looked, to our untrained eyes, as good as what you’d typically see on the supermarket shelves. Ultimately, the appearance of the fruit has no impact on the final ingredient, or the final product, and so it was an easy choice to make.”
GET INVOLVED
For a brand looking to source rejected food feedstock, or any other form of upcycled cosmetic ingredient that’s feeling a bit up-in-the-air about the whole process, what are the best steps? “One of our goals as the Upcycled Food Association is to connect ingredient suppliers and product developers, so we can have a more robust and functional supply chain for upcycled ingredients and we do that by bringing people together for networking events,” explains Wyatt. “The first immediate step is – if you’re an upcycled ingredient supplier – get your ingredients up on to one of the many ingredient marketplaces online that are that are showcasing ingredients as being upcycled.”
The benefits of using upcycled materials will be manifold, Wyatt predicts: “I think we’re going to see in the next year or so just how much of an impact making claims about being upcycled has on sales, which is ultimately what businesses care about. The time is now for the cosmetics industry to play a role in food waste prevention – and they can do that through including upcycled ingredients in their products”
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