Agrifiber Solutions’ insoluble fiber ingredients, designed to function as an alternative to carrageenan, have now been Upcycled Certified through the Upcycled Food Association.
 
Carrageenan is an extract from a red seaweed known as “Irish moss,” and is used as a food additive as a thickener, emulsifier, or stabilizer in many applications. According to the company, certain ingredients like carrageenan are falling out of favor with plant-based audiences who seek cleaner labels.
 
For this reason, pre-gelled, multi-functional corn and oat ingredients that can uphold texture and mouthfeel can serve the purposes of carrageenan but maintain a clean label, Agrifiber reports.
 
“Sustainability is behind so many consumers’ decisions to follow vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian lifestyles,” said Jonathan Kahn, CEO of Agrifiber. “We know that upcycling is one of the best ways that the food industry can reduce our impact on the planet, and that’s why we build our entire company around that movement.”
 
Upcycling is a means to divert food waste through the work of companies that create value-added ingredients that would not have gone to human consumption otherwise. The Upcycled Food Association launched the certification in late 2021 and today predicts that Upcycled Certified foods and ingredients will prevent more than 703 million pounds of food waste annually. Agrifiber is one of 17 companies offering ingredients that have received this certification so far.
 
“So many organizations deceptively persuade the public that their products and policies are environmentally friendly,” Kahn said. “But when you hold a magnifying glass up to some of these companies, you often see that it’s just marketing. In this era of greenwashing, Upcyled Certified ingredients are an opportunity for brands to tell a genuine, transparent, and validated sustainability story that consumers can trust.”
 
“Whether it’s an injection or marinade or a sausage or patty, our ingredients offer the clean label, functional opportunity that formulators need to replace the thickening and gelling properties that they’ve relied on carrageenan for,” Kahn continued. “We’re here to give formulators plant-based fiber ingredients that do more than just fortify their products. We’re here to give them functionality benefits, like extending yield, that help surmount formulation challenges and sustainability benefits like the Upcycled Certified label claim. The public and the planet deserve ingredient suppliers that go the extra mile, and that’s why we’re here.”