Del Monte Foods, Inc. is helping to lead the upcycled food movement with the industry's first canned vegetable product to be Upcycled Certified by the Upcycled Food Association, the world's only third-party certification program for upcycled food ingredients and products. Del Monte® Blue Lake® Petite Cut and Blue Lake® Farmhouse Cut Green Beans are made with 100% upcycled and sustainably grown green beans from Wisconsin and Illinois.
According to the USDA, food waste is estimated to represent 30-40% of the food supply each year, which has devastating consequences for people and the planet. Millions of people globally don't get enough food to eat each day, while rotting food in landfills is a major producer of greenhouse gas emissions. It's estimated that if 50–75% of food waste is reduced by 2050, up to 26 gigatons of carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided.
Through its Upcycled Certified Green Bean products, Del Monte re-directed approximately 600,000 pounds of surplus green beans last year, helping to provide healthy and affordable food, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Del Monte will continue to identify opportunities to expand its upcycling efforts across its portfolio of brands.
As a part of Del Monte's mission to nourish families with earth's goodness, the company has been partnering with Feeding America since 2010 to package upcycled green beans, peaches and pears. As a result, approximately 350,000 cases of nutritious food per year are delivered to communities in need.
