Two Nova Scotia companies among Food Waste Reduction Challenge finalists
Two Nova Scotia companies are among twelve finalists for the federal government's Food Waste Reduction Challenge.
The Business Models Streams focus solutions that can prevent or divert food waste at any point from farm to plate.
As finalists, the Station Food Company in Newport Station and Outcast Foods in Dartmouth each receive $400,000.
They now have to accelerate and scale up the commercialization of their solution over the next year, competing to win one of two grand prizes of up to $1.5 million.
The Station Food Company purchases and upcycles produce that would otherwise be treated as waste from local farms, creating products such as mashed potatoes to sell to institutional buyers.
Outcast Foods obtains fresh "waste produce" and surplus produce from retailers, farmers, and agri-food businesses and converts it into whole plant powders and dehydrated products.
Government says Outcast Foods is also developing solutions to deal with the complexities of sourcing, transporting, and cleaning of waste stream food.
The first round of the challenge garnered 343 applications from across Canada, ranging in areas including production, inventory management, food recovery and upcycling.
