How to Put Off-Spec Vegetables to Use in Business | Clearly Explained with Upcycling Cases

“This tomato has a slight crack in the stem, so we can't ship it.”

With harvested vegetables before them, words like that pass among producers in the field more than a little. Same taste, same aroma, same effort to grow—yet removed from distribution over “shape” or “size” alone. Recently, efforts to give these non-standard vegetables “new value” throughupcycling initiativesare beginning to draw attention across the country.

Recently, though, a movement to rethink these vegetables as “resources” has begun. As business, as social contribution, and as brand value-building. This time, while introducing ways to use non-standard vegetables and cases, we'll ultimately connect it to the concrete use ofdrying and OEM.

Product development using off-spec vegetables is here

Vegetable distribution decided by “looks”

The vegetables we pick up at the supermarket are all neatly uniform ones. But behind them, many vegetables go unshipped and are discarded for reasons like “doesn't look good” or “sizes don't match.” According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, of Japan's 5.23 million tons of annual food loss (FY2021 estimate), about 840,000 tons occurs at the farming and manufacturing stage, and much of it is “non-standard.”

That said, since distribution functions as a means of optimizing so vegetables can be eaten stably, if the shapes on supermarket shelves were all over the place, prices would rise and people couldn't buy vegetables. So if vegetables that couldn't be shipped can be used for other purposes, there's no waste and less disposal.

How to use non-standard vegetables | Creating value with 3 approaches

Even called “non-standard,” not all vegetables are in the same condition. Some have minor blemishes, some are just too big in shape, some have too much water to keep, and some are rotten and inedible. Use suited to the condition is called for.

Among these, the “Non-standard vegetablesdestinations” roughly split into three, as follows.

Note, though, that “not everything is suited to processing.” For instance, some large factories have strict hygiene-management standards and won't accept blemished vegetables. So when processing non-standard vegetables, cutting away the blemished or unusable parts is one option.

Drying opens new possibilities for non-standard vegetables

“Drying” is a process that removes water from an ingredient to raise its shelf life. There are three main reasons this method suits non-standard vegetables.

Looks and shape become less of an issue
→ can be made uniform at the processing stage—slicing, milling, chip form

Resistant to spoilage, easy inventory management
→ long-term storage and room-temperature distribution possible

Wide range of uses, also suited to B2B supply
→ can roll out into soup, meal kits, emergency food, health foods

That said, even in drying, some plants that process alongside other products can't accept vegetables, so it can't be said across the board. Still, where there's freedom to cut and so on, removing the unusable parts and drying—which enables long-term storage—is suited.

Cases of upcycling non-standard vegetables

Let's look at real examples of turning non-standard vegetables into business from a few cases.

OYAOYA dried vegetables (Kyoto)

Upcycles Kyoto-grown non-standard vegetables through drying, sold to individuals and overseas. Vegetables in general are processed, and since they keep for half a year, household loss can be reduced too. (Operated by us.)

OYAOYA's official site here

VegeSheet (Nagasaki)

A product made only from vegetables and agar, using no food additives or chemical seasonings. You can roll it into dishes or use it as a topping—recommended for people who love cooking.

VegeSheet's official site here

Oisix “Koko mo Taberareru Series” (Tokyo)

Develops and sells snacks, sweets, butter, jam, and more using non-standard ingredients and discarded parts. The packaging also uses earth-friendly materials.

The Koko mo Taberareru Series website here

The option of OEM widens the business further

Even if you want to develop products using non-standard vegetables and grow a business, suddenly setting up your own manufacturing equipment or developing processing recipes is a high hurdle. That's where “OEM (contract manufacturing)” is effective.

Consult on everything from small-lot prototyping to mass production

Receive processing proposals suited to the ingredient's characteristics

Commission branding and packaging design in one place

For companies wanting to put forward “sustainable」「Upcycling” as their own brand, OEM is a feasible option.

Agriture handles drying OEM using domestic non-standard vegetables

We at Agriture, centered on domestic ingredients like Kyoto vegetables, handledrying that draws on non-standard vegetablesanddevelopment of OEM products.

bring-in of your own raw material welcome too

our own drying technology draws out the ingredient's character

small lots supported, product-making with a story possible

“It'd be a waste to throw this vegetable out. But how?” When that's the case, please get in touch.

Whether to discard or make use is a matter of imagination

Odd shape, different size, a slight blemish. Vegetables rejected for reasons like these are, in fact, not just “still usable” but full of the potential to be “put to good use.” How you turn non-standard vegetables into value within a business—drying as a method, OEM as a mechanism—is the ideal entry point.

Give the vegetable before you another chance.That, in turn, leads to a business kinder to both people and the environment.

Peace of mind even for first-time food OEM! Tips for choosing a manufacturer and ordering without going wrong

The potential of new businesses using unused resources, and 5 secrets to success

Reference:What is a digital supply chain? Challenges and key points for reform, explained! | Cold-storage service Cold X Network (COLD X NETWORK)

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