Misfits and Buhler on upcycling at FoodTekPack

In the circular food processing session at FoodTekPack, Misfits founder Aditi Jhala highlighted the upcycling of ingredients and produce. Jhala’s company works directly with organic farmers in and around Jaipur, processing imperfect produce that does not meet conventional retail standards into ingredients and dips and spreads with extended shelf life and consistent quality. Onions joined together are typically rejected for fresh retail, but Misfits upcycles them into a red onion relish infused with Ashwagandha. Similarly, carrot tops—often discarded or used as animal fodder are transformed into a coriander-based pesto. Jhala’s company not only reduces farm-level losses but also improves farmer incomes by creating novel and differentiated, nutrition-forward food products for urban consumers.

Illustrating how upcycling can work within shorter, local food chains, she said, “Nearly one-third of food grown globally is wasted, which can be upcycled by transforming surplus, imperfect or by-product ingredients which are suitable for human consumption into higher-value consumer food products.”

Jhala explained that upcycling delivers tangible environmental benefits by reducing waste at source and conserving water, land and energy. “It helps shift the food system from linear to circular, making it regenerative instead of extractive.” From a processing perspective, the opportunity arises from designing novel food products that accept variability in raw materials rather than rejecting them.

Nitin Sanduja, sales manager of Buhler India, built on Jhala’s ideas on an industrial scale by showing how modern food processing innovations can convert underutilized or discarded side streams into safe, functional and commercially viable food ingredients.

Speaking about Brewers’ Spent Grain (BSG) as a waste or side stream of beer production, he said, “From a food processing standpoint, the circular economy is not merely a sustainability concept but a system-level redesign of how raw materials, by-products and side streams are handled.” Close to 30% of food produced globally is lost or wasted, despite food processing being a highly resource and energy-intensive activity. For processors, this represents both a loss of raw material value and an opportunity to recover nutrition through smart process design.

Focusing on the ‘valorisation’ of side streams using food-grade, scalable technologies to transform them into ingredients suitable for human consumption, he said, “Circularity works only when it aligns with food safety, functionality and economics. In this context, food processors must view by-products not as waste but as secondary raw materials that can re-enter the food value chain.”

Sanduja explained that major crops such as wheat, rice, barley, oats, soy, corn, cocoa, and coffee generate large volumes of bran, husk, germ, press cakes and spent grains. From a processing perspective, these streams contain functional components, such as cellulose, starch, proteins, lipids and antioxidants, that can be separated and standardised for use in food, feed and speciality ingredient applications. Given the millions of tons generated annually, these are mainstream raw materials rather than niche sustainability experiments.

Brewers’ Spent Grain into fiber-rich protein

Brewers’ Spent Grain is one of the most promising food processing side streams. “For every 100 litres of beer brewed, approximately 20 kilograms of BSG is produced. Traditionally diverted to cattle feed, BSG is naturally rich in dietary fibre and protein, making it highly relevant for human nutrition provided it is processed correctly,” he said. Bühler’s solution involves stabilizing and upgrading BSG through controlled dewatering, decontamination and conditioning, followed by extrusion. Using both low-moisture and high-moisture extrusion routes, BSG can be converted into functional fibre- and protein-rich ingredients suitable for human food applications. In dry extrusion formats, BSG inclusion levels can range from 11 to 24%, while high-moisture extrusion enables inclusion of up to 40% alongside plant proteins such as soya, pea and gluten.

These extrusion technologies allow food processors to create structured, meat-like textures for plant-based products, while also improving water binding, mouthfeel and nutritional density. Sanduja emphasised that local processing, particularly near breweries, reduces drying requirements, lowers carbon emissions and improves the overall process economics, making BSG-based ingredients viable for large-scale food production.

He further highlighted Bühler’s Legria, an upcycled nutritious food ingredient flour that comes from BSG. It can be used as part of plant-based protein alternatives, with texture and nutrition similar to meat. It can be used in bread, biscuits, cereals, and other products to boost fiber and micronutrients while reducing sugar content. Low in sugar, and rich in B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc, it’s considered beneficial for gut health thanks to high dietary fiber.

The presentation showed a 500 kg an hour high-moisture extrusion line successfully upcycling wet BSG directly from a Swiss brewery into plant-based high-protein products, including those with meat-like characteristics.

Addressing a question about industry adoption, Sanduja noted that both breweries and specialised food processors can play a role. Breweries can act as raw material hubs, while food processors with expertise in extrusion, formulation and consumer-ready packaging can transform BSG into finished protein products. Ultimately, circular food processing models such as BSG upcycling present a practical path for the industry to improve resource efficiency, unlock new ingredient streams, and deliver sustainable nutrition to the market.