By extracting the abundant and naturally occurring plant nutrition currently underutilized in our food system, COMET uses highly sustainable food sources to create a sustainable alternative that is scalable to the needs of our growing planet.
Farmers utilize their whole harvest – such as wheat straw, corn stover and pea husks.
COMET upcycles crop leftovers using only water, steam and a gentle filtering to extract arabinoxylan for ARRABINA.
At COMET, sustainability is not just a commitment; it’s a core value. We undertook a comprehensive assessment with Planet FWD, a leader in the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) industry, to measure the complete cradle-to-gate life cycle carbon emissions of our ingredient Arrabina®. This study compared Arrabina® to chicory root-based inulin and other similar dietary fibers.
The LCA results highlight the efficacy of our sustainable practices and the significantly reduced carbon footprint of upcycled ingredients like Arrabina. As a young company dedicated to sustainability, we recognized the importance of establishing solid metrics to compare our environmental impact within the industry. This LCA report validates its positive impact on the planet’s health.
Planet FWD analyzed the carbon emissions of every step in Arrabina’s supply chain – from the gathering of the wheat straw to the packaging of Arrabina in our warehouse. To put our lifecycle footprint in context, we also asked Planet FWD to benchmark our LCA emissions with other dietary fibers such as inulin. Finally, we asked Planet FWD to provide a perspective for our customers considering alternative ways to reduce the CO2 footprint of their own products.
The findings are compelling:
Therefore, the biggest opportunity to reduce the carbon footprint in the packaged food product industry lies in the ingredients. It is also much easier to swap out lower carbon ingredients than to introduce lower carbon packaging, due to supply chain challenges and the inferior properties of renewable packaging.
*Carbon Footprint Measured As The Greenhouse Gasses Emitted In Production Of 1 Kg Of Ingredient, Including Associated Emissions From Crop Production Manufacturing And Spray Drying (“Farm-To-Gate”) On Comparable Basis, Units, Scope And Methodology For All Fibers
Source: Arrabina Lifecycle Ghg Study By Planet Fwd, November 2, 2023
Using Arrabina in consumer products can effectively reduce emissions, contributing to the overall sustainability of the product life cycle. Our Upcycled Certification for Arrabina, along with its validated low LCA score, helps our customers meet their carbon goals and appeal to today’s environmentally conscious consumers who demand transparency.
According to a 2023 Innova Market Research study, 43% of consumers find upcycled products more appealing than other products, a rise from 35% the previous year. This growing consumer interest in sustainability aligns with SPINS market data, which shows that unit sales of Upcycled Certified snacks increased by 133% in 2023.
By upcycling the abundant and naturally occurring plant nutrition currently underutilized in our food system, we are creating a scalable and sustainable alternative to meet the needs of our growing planet. This LCA study quantifies and underscores the value we believe this technology can have on the ingredient market, consumer health, and ultimately, on the Earth.
Only COMET has a cost-effective solution to isolate and produce arabinoxylan on a commercial scale. Using sustainable food sources including straw, leaves and shells, our patented production process upcycles crop leftovers and turns them into high-quality ingredients. The proprietary extraction process is innovative and differentiates us from other ingredient manufacturers. This simple, yet hard to replicate process, uses only steam, water and pressure for extraction.
We ensure high product quality by partnering with farmers and food companies to source organic and non-GMO leftovers. These partnerships benefit farmers and food companies by allowing them to profit from the entire harvest and reduce waste.
We are proud to be members of the Upcycled Foods Association and support the organization’s development of transparent third-party validation of product sustainability claims. To achieve real industry change, there must be third party verification of product’s sustainability from a trusted and credible source. The Upcycled Foods Association’s rigorous standards allow manufacturers and consumers to be confident in products’ ability to combat food waste.
ARRABINA is an Upcycled Certified™ ingredient (UI) after meeting the rigorous standards set forth by the Upcycled Certified™ Program Standards Committee with oversight by the Upcycled Foods Association.
The certification allows COMET customers to expedite their own application for Product with Upcycled Certified™ Ingredients (PUI) when formulations contain at least 10% of Arrabina®.
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