Long-lasting appeal reduces meat waste

By turning by-products of meat into functional proteins, Danish-based Essentia Protein Solutions, is improving the quality and the shelf life of meat products sold in supermarkets – resulting in less food waste.

Appearance is everything when consumers buy fresh meat and poultry. So, if a product loses colour or liquid seeps into the packaging, consumers will believe it to be poor quality or spoiled – and it will probably never be sold and eventually wasted. This poses a challenge for retailers and manufacturers in terms of reaching SDG 12.3 of halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels by 2030.

Natural ingredients reduce additives and increase appeal

A global ingredients producer based in Denmark; Essentia Protein Solutions has developed a range of natural ingredients to help manufacturers maximise their products’ appeal throughout their shelf life. As an example, Essentia’s functional meat proteins minimise liquid seepage and maintain the proper shape of patties and meatballs. Micro-granulated meat pigment is available to give meat products a stable colour without the need for further additives. In years gone by, slaughterhouses struggled to find an outlet for by-products in meat such as pork rind and greaves.

Natural ingredients improve products’ appeal throughout their shelf life

Functional proteins yield multiple benefits

Today, these by-products are the raw material for Essentia’s functional ingredient production. In other words, former waste products are currently being used to reduce meat waste in the chilled storage counters. The multi-functional proteins provide other benefits as well. These include improving meat texture and structure and speeding up the drying process of dried and fermented meat products.