Del Monte Foods Continues Its Fight Against Food Waste With Two New Upcycled-Certified Products
Del Monte® Gut Love and Boost Me Fruit Infusions are the Company’s Latest Products to be Upcycled Certified™ as it Delivers Food that Nourishes People and the Planet
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., April 20, 2022 /3BL Media/ – Furthering its focus on reducing food waste, and in support of its commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Del Monte Foods, Inc. announced today that two more of its products — Del Monte® Gut Love and Boost Me Fruit Infusions — have been Upcycled Certified™ by the Upcycled Food Association, the world's only third-party certification program for upcycled food ingredients and products. Through these two products, Del Monte Foods is re-directing approximately 130,000 pounds of pineapple juice each year, helping to provide nutritious and affordable food, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Last year Del Monte Foods announced the industry’s first canned vegetable product to be Upcycled Certified™ by the Upcycled Food Association. The company’s Del Monte® Blue Lake® Petite Cut and Blue Lake® Farmhouse Cut Green Bean products are 100% upcycled and sustainably grown green beans from Wisconsin and Illinois.
“As Growers of Good, Del Monte Foods is focused on producing nutritious food while also protecting the health of our planet,” said Greg Longstreet, President and CEO of Del Monte Foods. “The food industry has a huge opportunity to reduce food waste and Del Monte Foods is committed to playing a leadership role through our expanded focus on upcycling.”
According to a report by the World Wildlife Fund, Driven to Waste, nearly 2.5 billion tons of food are wasted each year globally, generating 10% of heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions. From the water used to grow and produce food that doesn’t get consumed, to the greenhouse gases emitted when food decomposes in landfills, food waste profoundly affects the environment.
As part of Del Monte Foods’ mission to nourish people and communities with earth's goodness, the company has been focused on reducing all forms of food waste across its supply chain. Over the past 24 months alone, the company has diverted more than 25 million pounds of food from landfills through a focus on upcycling and food donations.
“Cutting food waste is the single-most effective thing companies and people can do to address climate change,” said Turner Wyatt, Co-Founder and CEO of the Upcycled Food Association. “As a household brand, the early leadership that Del Monte Foods is showing in the upcycling space will have an important impact on consumer awareness of reducing food waste for a healthier planet and future.”
“Food that is produced but never eaten still requires enormous resources to grow, harvest, transport and prepare,” said Molly Laverty, Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Senior Manager at Del Monte Foods. “Producing and choosing upcycled products and ingredients is important in the fight against food waste.”
Introduced in Summer 2021, Del Monte® Fruit Infusions was recently named a 2022 Product of the Year in the fruit snack category. Product of the Year is the world's largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. Del Monte Fruit Infusions provide a full serving of fruit and are rich in antioxidant vitamin C. Made with real fruit juice, they do not contain added sugar, artificial sweeteners, artificial certified colors or GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients. The product line’s Gut Love and Boost Me are the two flavors that have been Upcycled Certified™ by the Upcycled Food Association.
Learn more about Del Monte Foods’ comprehensive Environmental, Social & Governance focus, including its commitment to achieve net-zero emissions. To learn more about the Upcycled Foods Association, visit, https://www.upcycledfood.org/the-standard.
About Del Monte Foods
For more than 130 years, Del Monte Foods, Inc. has been driven by our mission to nourish families with earth's goodness. As the original plant-based food company, we're always innovating to make nutritious and delicious foods more accessible to consumers across our portfolio of beloved brands, including Del Monte®, Contadina®, College Inn®, S&W® and Joyba™. We believe that everyone deserves great tasting food they can feel good about, which is why we grow and produce our products using sustainable and earth-friendly practices for a healthier tomorrow.
Del Monte Foods, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited (Bloomberg: DELM SP, DELM PM) and is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd. For more information about Del Monte Foods and our products, please visit www.delmontefoods.com or www.delmonte.com.
About the Upcycled Food Association
Upcycled Food Association (UFA) is a nonprofit focused on preventing food waste by accelerating the upcycled economy. With hundreds of members across dozens of countries, UFA is changing the consumer product supply chain to eliminate food waste by design. Through consumer education and networking, UFA is empowering consumers to prevent food waste with the products they buy. To learn more, visit https://www.upcycledfood.org
Media Contact:
Courtney Mains
Edelman
Courtney.Mains@edelman.com
408-835-5323
