‘Ugly’ meals gaining acceptance in Singapore however extra training wanted, companies say

“UPCYCLED” FOOD WASTE

One other phase of the market is concerned in meals waste valorisation, or the conversion of meals waste and by-products into higher-value merchandise.

UglyDuck Cafe proprietor Ong Weiquan has discovered the added step of processing imperfect produce for the customer to be obligatory.

Whereas the cafe initially stocked contemporary, unprocessed blemished produce, he lowered the stock after discovering that it was troublesome to get them offered.

If the blemished produce is offered unprocessed, shoppers have “extra pushback” towards it and their perceived worth of the meals is “approach, approach decrease”, with expectations that it is going to be very low-cost and even free, he mentioned.

Mr Ong opened UglyDuck Cafe in late 2021 as a strategy to make use of the blemished and surplus fruit supplied by distributors supplying his juice firm Gorilla Press.

An instance of a product the cafe sells is a coconut shake utilizing flesh from the fruit that might sometimes be discarded after coconut water has been extracted.

He mentioned that patrons who come to the cafe for meals waste and sustainability causes are outliers.

The vast majority of diners are “fairly detached” that imperfect components are used, and are extra involved with how the dishes and drinks style, he mentioned.

One other enterprise, Crust Group, brews beer from surplus bread that has not been used or offered, and in addition makes use of surplus components like fruit peels and off espresso grounds.

An organization spokesperson informed CNA that clients have been shocked at what it was doing, saying: “After we first launched, folks did not completely perceive what we have been doing.

“They have been confused about meals waste and meals loss and thought that we have been taking meals that had been consumed or utilized by others and turning it into beer.”

Crust Group additionally contended with perceptions {that a} beer created from “upcycled” components wouldn’t style good, or wouldn’t truly style like beer.

“Now that we’re three years plus available in the market, extra folks steadily perceive that we’re utilizing surplus meals and perceptions have modified,” mentioned the spokesperson.