This soup factory gives food waste a new lease on life

TO reduce food waste, Dutch company Verspillings Fabriek came up with the idea of buying back surplus food from factories and restaurants, in particular fruits and vegetables that can't be sold because of their non-standard shape. The recovered produce is processed into soups and sauces, which are then sold to supermarkets and restaurants.

Reducing food waste, even before the products are marketed, is the mission of Verspillings Fabriek.

Every year, the factory saves almost 200 tons of ungraded vegetables or food scraps from the trash can to make delicious soups and ketchup.

Food waste in a few figures

Food waste is reaching record levels.

If food waste was a country, it would be the third biggest greenhouse gases generator.

In the Netherlands, the equivalent of at least 5 billion euros of food are wasted each year.

A substantial waste, before the products even go to retail.

Indeed, when fruits and vegetables don't fit consumption norms (too big size, questionable "look"...), they are thrown away even though they are still completely edible.

Verspillings Fabriek, a factory for food surplus

Verspillings Fabriek is a Dutch company fighting against this food waste. It saves food surplus such as tomatoes, carrots and onions from 40 factories and restaurants.

They are then transformed into delicious soups ready to be sold. In 2018, Verspillings Fabriek saved approximately 200 tons of vegetables, reaching up to 750 tons in 3 years.

Moreover, the company also has a social vocation as it employs people who are often marginalized from the work market.

The company offers them a stable job, working regularly for an inclusive and ecologically responsible society.

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