A food waste first: Kerry’s chicken stocks are upcycled certified

Kerry’s chicken stock base is the first stock in the industry to earn Upcycled Certified status from the Upcycled Food Association. Here’s why that is a big deal.

Unlike some sustainability terms that are hard to quantify, the ‘upcycled’ label has real meat on its bones. In 2020, a team of food waste experts came up with a common definition for ’upcycled food’ that is now commonly accepted and used in policy, research, and certification. Here’s what they agreed on: ‘Upcycled foods use ingredients that otherwise would not have gone to human consumption, are procured and produced using verifiable supply chains, and have a positive impact on the environment.

To earn this distinction, our chicken stock had to meet rigorous standards that were verified by independent third-party evaluators. Now these stocks can be marketed as officially certified upcycled base ingredients for use in retail broths, savory soups, poultry, and red meat applications. The Upcycled Certified status also allows our customers to pursue on-pack labeling for upcycling and sustainability, which in turn helps consumers choose to support sustainable food products.

‘Upcycled’ food may sound like a new buzzword, but it’s an age-old practice that is extremely effective at combatting food waste. Currently, one-third of food produced in the United States goes to waste, according to ReFED, which needlessly wastes resources and contributes to greenhouse gas emissions. Upcycling food that would otherwise go to waste is an important tool manufacturers have in the effort to correct this global problem.

'This certification recognizes our commitment to sustainable nutrition and our progress in creating products that are better for people while benefiting the planet and society," Ciara Brickley, general manager, of Stocks & Broths Technologies.

Kerry’s chicken stocks are created from chicken meat and bones that are typically discarded or sent to a rendering facility. We partner with multiple meat processors to procure bones after animals are processed at their sites. The bones are cooked in water at high pressure, resulting in a rich and succulent broth high in collagen protein. To this base other ingredients are added, such as fresh vegetable broth or natural and organic flavors.

Stocks aren’t the only way Kerry is upcycling food. For example, bruised strawberries – which feature a cosmetic defect but are still nutritious and delicious – are a key flavor ingredient in some of our products. We’ve also helped innovate ways to reuse other ingredients that would have been disposed of, such as using spent grains from beer brewing in dough and using leftover fruit puree as a flavoring for spirits.