The Future of Upcycled Foods: A Chat with Lydia Oxley from Renewal Mill

In this episode of the Made to Sustain podcast, host Kelly D'Amico welcomes Lydia Oxley, president of Renewal Mill, to discuss the innovative world of upcycled foods. Lydia shares insights on the mindset shift within the food industry toward using upcycled ingredients, the mission and successes of Renewal Mill, and the role of organizations like the Upcycled Foods Association. The conversation also covers the various challenges and opportunities in incorporating upcycled ingredients into delicious and nutritious products. Lydia highlights the importance of re-evaluating food waste and turning it into valuable commodities within the food system. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of how upcycling contributes to a more sustainable food industry and the exciting developments happening in this space.

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Episode Highlights

00:00 Introduction to Sustainable Choices

00:28 Guest Introduction: Lydia Oxley from Renewal Mill

00:43 Podcast Overview and Topics

01:52 Welcoming Lydia Oxley

03:21 Lydia's Role and Renewal Mill's Journey

04:16 Understanding Upcycling and Its Benefits

07:25 The Process of Upcycling Ingredients

12:28 Surprising Upcycled Ingredients

16:11 Challenges and Opportunities in Upcycling

19:17 Building Trust with Manufacturing Partners

20:04 Challenges in the Oat Supply Chain

20:54 The Value of Upcycled Ingredients

21:37 Consumer Perception and Education

28:18 The Role of the Upcycled Food Association

32:58 Creating a Sustainable Food System

35:26 Innovative Uses of Upcycled Ingredients

38:30 Final Thoughts and Mission

39:45 Conclusion and Farewell

Shareable Quotes

“Wasting less is just about seeing a lot more value, beauty, and, deliciousness where other people haven't even looked yet.”

 ”There's a big tendency right now, especially within media, to have kind of like clickbaity articles or even like titles of different things that allude to a Trash to Treasure Narrative. For us, it's really the opposite, and Really every other upcycled brand. I know, it truly is the opposite because if you're going to be upcycling from within the manufacturing industry, you are working with the cleanest facilities ever because they're already producing food that we eat every day. , so the side streams, waste streams, waste does not necessarily mean dirty. There is no food waste, only wasted food. So we are really touching like pristine premium sources of nutrition that we're able to work with in this manufacturing.”

“We're using everything in the food system. And what a joy it is, to figure out unique ways to use something. And so I think that's really how we, we view the system as being just a little bit more digestible for us.”

Episode Links:

Shop Renewal Mill

https://refed.org/

Imperfect Foods

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