Why do so many suitable food fractions and minor streams, perfectly fit for further food processing or upcycling, end up as low-value animal feed or landfill, despite rising costs and regulatory pressure to minimize waste? The inability to quickly, safely, and reliably match excess ingredient flows to secondary users causes a loss of both revenue and sustainability gains, hindering manufacturers and potential buyers alike from realizing full value.

Regulatory concerns, quality assurance complexities, data silos, and missing digital infrastructure prevent manufacturers from identifying, validating, and rapidly redirecting underutilized materials to external food, feed, or industrial markets.

Current informal or bilateral agreements and basic surplus trading platforms lack tailored compliance checks, real-time quality assurance, and seamless integration into food manufacturers’ digital operations, resulting in limited uptake and persistent unused streams.