Get in touch with our filtration specialists to explore how our innovative solutions can revolutionize your upcycling process.
Upcycled Ingredients & Protein for Sustainable Food Solutions
Filtration solutions for upcycled food production.
What is Upcycled Food?
Companies can create alternative protein products by repurposing agricultural and food industry byproducts. Upcycling transforms the food industry’s byproduct streams which include seed oil cakes, brewer spent grain, fish stick water, and starch wastewater, into high-value, nutrient-rich ingredients.
Upcycling transforms the food industry’s byproduct streams—such as seed oil cakes, brewer spent grain, fish stick water, and starch wastewater—into high-value, nutrient-rich ingredients. This sustainable process supports a circular economy and reduces food waste across the supply chain. According to Global Market Insights, the upcycled food products market was valued at $54.5 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.7% through 2032, highlighting its increasing relevance in sustainable food manufacturing.
The Critical Role of Filtration in Upcycled Food Production
Efficient filtration technology is essential to unlocking the full potential of upcycled food products. It enables manufacturers to extract high-quality, food-grade proteins and ingredients from complex byproducts like brewer’s grain, starch wastewater, and oilseed residues.
By integrating advanced filtration early in the upcycling process, manufacturers can ensure consistent product quality and performance, regulatory compliance, and sustainable operations to justify the return on investment.
Explore how the right food waste solutions like upcycling can benefit your processes.
Upcycling Proteins from various raw materials
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Challenge
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Solution
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Advantages
Challenges in Upcycled Protein Manufacturing
Despite its benefits, upcycling adoption faces several hurdles:
- High capital investment for new processing systems
- Limited awareness of upcycling potential and technologies
- Concerns about protein quality, safety, and consistency
Filtration-Based Solutions with Membralox®
Pall’s Membralox® ceramic membrane systems offer:
- High-efficiency protein recovery from complex feedstocks
- Superior durability and chemical resistance
- Consistent product quality with low fouling and long service life
- Scalable, cost-effective operations for industrial food processing
- These systems are ideal for manufacturers seeking reliable, hygienic, and sustainable filtration solutions.
Literature Library
Advantages of Upcycling
- Repurposes food industry side streams from animal feed to human food
- Supports sustainability goals (UN SDGs)
- Creates new revenue streams from existing byproducts
- Improves environmental performance (less water, land, and energy use)
- Meets growing consumer demand for sustainable food products
The momentum behind upcycled food continues to grow in 2025. The Upcycled Food Foundation’s Global Scientific Symposium highlighted innovations in circular food systems, consumer willingness to pay for upcycled products, and the economic feasibility of upcycling agricultural co-products
Boosting Fish Stick Water Quality
Explore how Pall's advanced filtration solutions are transforming fish oil and fish meal industry by generating new revenue streams through the production of premium fish protein hydrolysates while reducing operating expenses.
Benefits of Upcycling Food
Repurposing food ingredients through upcycling enables a circular economy and supports several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These include:
Zero Hunger
The EU alone generates over 59 million tons of food waste annually, with an estimated market value of €132 billion. Food waste isn’t just an economic issue. It also highlights the urgent need for scalable food waste solutions to address malnutrition and environmental strain.
Responsible Consumption and Production
Diverting waste byproducts to animal feed is not sustainable in the long term. Studies show this practice can lead to harmful toxins in the human food chain. Producing traceable, high-quality upcycled proteins is key to safe and scalable food innovation. According to the Upcycled Food Association, 60% of consumers want to buy upcycled food products.
Climate Action
Upcycled proteins help manufacturers reduce water, land, and energy use, supporting the transition to sustainable food manufacturing. Many have already integrated upcycling into their operations as a way to shrink carbon footprints and increase efficiency.
Get in touch with our filtration specialists to explore how our innovative solutions can revolutionize your upcycling process.