US-based climate-forward food company Do Good Foods is curbing food waste through upcycling surplus food from supermarkets for use in its chicken products. Taking the cause to the masses, the company has launched its product range across grocers in Philadelphia, US.

Launched in 2021, the Do Good Dog is a culmination of the company’s efforts to produce conventional meat sustainably.

Transforming waste into resource
Do Good Foods takes healthy surplus food donated from grocery stores and upcycles it into nutrient-dense chicken feed that mimics a chicken’s natural diet. 

The carbon-reduced chicken is then made available for purchase at those same markets, closing the loop and helping combat food waste. 

“Food waste is a massive problem with approximately 40% of the food we grow in the US going to waste,” says Justin Kamine, co-CEO and co-founder, Do Good Foods.

“We believe this can be solved with what we are doing at Do Good Foods by upcycling surplus grocery food, creating a closed loop system and providing accessible great tasting chicken to consumers.”

Chef Jennifer Carroll will provide home cooks with simple climate-friendly recipes.Cheffing up on upcycled chicken
Do Good Foods has teamed up with Philadelphia native, chef and founder of Carroll Couture Cuisine and Spice Finch, Jennifer Carroll, to provide home cooks with an easy, climate-friendly recipe using delicious Do Good Chicken, spices, herbs and fresh vegetables.

“Good food should be eaten, not wasted. As a chef, restauranter and someone who just wants to do better for the environment, it is exciting to partner with a brand that is on a mission to help everyone – from home cooks to professional chefs – create smarter meals that make a real impact,” says Jennifer Carroll. 

Each Do Good Chicken saves approximately four pounds of surplus groceries from being thrown away, thus preventing approximately three pounds of greenhouse gasses.

“We are bringing real sustainability to scale and empowering everyone to be a part of the solution,” says Kamine. 

Each year, about 40% of healthy grocery food gets tossed into landfills, the company reports. 

According to the United Nation Food and Agriculture Organization, if food waste were its own country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gasses in the world. 

Upcycling is the new recycling
Innova Market Insights named “Upcycling Redefined” one of its Top Ten Trends for 2022, a part of the more significant number one trend: “Shared Planet.” 

This came shortly after the Upcycled Food Association (UFA) released the first upcycled certification program last year, of which Renewal Mill is a founding member.

Among the latest companies to earn the UFA certification is AB InBev company EverGrain Ingredients, with its entire portfolio of upcycled barley protein and fiber solutions.

Earlier this month, Finnish food tech start-up SuperGround unveiled a new food production technology that upcycles chicken bones to create up to 30% more poultry-based foods from one chicken than existing methods.

In other moves, Fazer is upcycling oat hulls generated at its mills to create xylitol, a sugar replacer with 40% fewer calories (2,4 kcal/g) starting its commercial production this month. In the last three years, the Finnish company has invested €300 million (US$315 million) in oats derivatives.

Also tapping into the trend, Kazoo Snacks’ corn tortilla chips are made using upcycled corn germ and less virgin corn than its conventional counterpart. The industry-first snacks reduce food waste and save up to 76 liters of water per bag.